D&D 5E What Your XP Level Says About Your Character?

[Mad_Jack]

As mentioned, it's entirely possible to be the world's most famous < insert X here > and still have anyone outside of that particular social circle/area of expertise/whatever not have a clue who the hell that person is.
And equally possible to not be recognized while walking down the street unless images of the character have been circulated along with word of their deeds or statues built in their honor. Characters may be famous heroes constantly recognized by everyone in one city and be nobody in the next city or country down the road.
The likelihood of people around them recognizing them on sight/knowing who they are/having heard of them before will vary wildly from one particular situation to the next depending on the specific circumstances.
Higher-level characters may generally have an air of importance or power about them due to their manner of acting, or how they're dressed, how people treat them, etc., and might be recognizable as X profession/faction/rank because of what they're wearing (uniform, regalia, insignia, heraldic device, specific gear, etc.), but being recognized as a particular individual is much less likely to happen unless word of their deeds has not only spread to the general populace but has also included a physical description of either the characters themselves or some defining characteristic or piece of gear.

 

[BoldItalic]

All of which boils down to the players telling the DM how their characters appear and how they conduct themselves, and the DM judging how his NPCs would reasonably respond. If the DM can't decide or wants to allow the PC some small chance to get a favourable outcome, he can call for a suitable check.

Player: I swagger into the inn and accost the man serving behind the bar, saying: "Ho, varlet, do you not know me? I am Sir Egbert de ValorHands, slayer of the Goat of Mercius, Knight of the Realm, and companion to the late Wizard Humphrey. Your finest rooms, and be quick about it!"

DM: The man looks you up and down, notes the way your tabard is on backwards and your shoes are on the wrong feet, and decides you are either a charlatan or a simpleton. "Certainly," he says, "Our finest room is 3000 guineas a night, payment in advance. Will you be requiring dinner? We have a very full menu. The roast cockatrice is recommended and only 630 guineas a portion?"

Player: Egbert realises that the prices are absurd and that he is being given the brush-off. He fixes the man with an uncomfortable stare, drums his fingers on the bar and says, very quietly, "I think it is time that this inn had a new owner." Then he grasps the man by the elbow and squeezes very hard until the bones are just on the point of giving way, but not quite. "Shall we say 2000 guineas for the inn, lock, stock and barrel?"

DM: Make a Strength(Intimidation) check, please. I'm rolling a Wisdom check for the innkeeper. *rolls dice* Okay, your DC is 17.

You don't really need a number to represent "Level of Superiority" because everything is situational.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Player: Egbert realises that the prices are absurd and that he is being given the brush-off. He fixes the man with an uncomfortable stare, drums his fingers on the bar and says, very quietly, "I think it is time that this inn had a new owner." Then he grasps the man by the elbow and squeezes very hard until the bones are just on the point of giving way, but not quite. "Shall we say 2000 guineas for the inn, lock, stock and barrel?"

DM: The innkeeper has no idea what a "lock, stock, and barrel" are, and the nonsensical idiom only reinforces his impression that you are a madman.

You don't really need a number to represent "Level of Superiority" because everything is situational.

We may not need a number, but we've got one anyway. The DM probably wouldn't judge that Sir Egbert looked like a fool if he actually were the experienced badass he claimed to be. We quantify badass experience with the aptly named (albeit illiterately abbreviated) Experience Points (XP), the accumulation of which translates into character level advancement.

 

[Shiroiken]

In my game, your level is a meaningless construct that has no direct relevance in game, and your reputation is based on your actions/deeds. As, in general, higher level character perform more notable deeds, this leads to high level characters becoming more notable. That said, if you do secret missions that no one knows about, then you could be an archmage that nobody's ever heard of.

 

[pemerton]

When a mighty-thewed half-orc with a rune-covered blade, dire wolf cloak, and thousand-yard stare walks into a shop, only the most foolish shopkeeper would treat him as just another random patron off the street.

Agreed.

All of which boils down to the players telling the DM how their characters appear and how they conduct themselves, and the DM judging how his NPCs would reasonably respond. If the DM can't decide or wants to allow the PC some small chance to get a favourable outcome, he can call for a suitable check.

Player: I swagger into the inn and accost the man serving behind the bar, saying: "Ho, varlet, do you not know me? I am Sir Egbert de ValorHands, slayer of the Goat of Mercius, Knight of the Realm, and companion to the late Wizard Humphrey. Your finest rooms, and be quick about it!"

DM: The man looks you up and down, notes the way your tabard is on backwards and your shoes are on the wrong feet, and decides you are either a charlatan or a simpleton. "Certainly," he says, "Our finest room is 3000 guineas a night, payment in advance. Will you be requiring dinner? We have a very full menu. The roast cockatrice is recommended and only 630 guineas a portion?"

If it all comes down to the player telling the GM how the PCs appear, how does the GM have authority to narrate that Sir Egbert is dressed like a 3 year old?

 

[BoldItalic]

DM: The innkeeper has no idea what a "lock, stock, and barrel" are, and the nonsensical idiom only reinforces his impression that you are a madman.

The phrase "lock, stock and barrel" is common parlance in English and everyone knows what it means. Google it.

 

[BoldItalic]

If it all comes down to the player telling the GM how the PCs appear, how does the GM have authority to narrate that Sir Egbert is dressed like a 3 year old?

1. Because it's fun
2. Because he's the DM and has absolute authority
3. Because it's on the player's character sheet

Take your pick.

 

[JonnyP71]

Player: Egbert realises that the prices are absurd and that he is being given the brush-off. He fixes the man with an uncomfortable stare, drums his fingers on the bar and says, very quietly, "I think it is time that this inn had a new owner." Then he grasps the man by the elbow and squeezes very hard until the bones are just on the point of giving way, but not quite. "Shall we say 2000 guineas for the inn, lock, stock and barrel?"

DM: Make a Strength(Intimidation) check, please. I'm rolling a Wisdom check for the innkeeper. *rolls dice* Okay, your DC is 17.[/COLOR]

You don't really need a number to represent "Level of Superiority" because everything is situational.

At which point the innkeeper calls for the guards, and 2 1st level militiamen who were drinking in the tavern come to the innkeeper's defense. 20 seconds later, a passing patrol of 3 guardsmen and a sergeant enter and arrest the PC.

If the PC gets arrogant and resists arrest/kills guards/escapes (simply because they can) then they become a wanted man and have to deal with whatever that entails. Being 15th level (or more) gives them no extra rights within any society unless they have done something to acquire fame within that specific society.

 

[Lylandra]

I find many DMs tend to treat advanced PCs with little respect. Doesn't matter that they have defeated Elemental Princes and Demon Lords in world-hinging battles, have items of staggering power and can drop a giant in a single round, they still get guff from everyone from taciturn barkeeps to insolent baronettes. Best campaigns I've been in are ones where the DMs balance player renown with the social environment, appropriately showcasing their accomplishments and capabilities in tangible ways during play.

I have to agree so much! Having a lot of online gaming background, I sometimes call it the "new expansion syndrome". Doesn't matter that you just saved the world twice (literally), you'll still have to collect berries and fight off boars for townsfolk and some locals will treat you like once the next expansion ships. While one can understand this sort of NPC behaviour in programmed online games, I expect "heroes" in a P&P RPG world to have quite a name and reputation.

Note that this doesn't mean NPC have to be able to "see" character level through the meta-lens. A level 20 wizard or evel a king might still take a nice vacation trip in shabby robes and have no one notice him (Elminster and King Azoun did it all the time...), but once you mention your real identity, this could and should result in a different attitude towards you. And I'd also say that with great experience comes a certain kind of demeanor. Your character *will* act more professional and experienced once he or she reaches a certain level of skill and people *will* notice that.

 

[ccs]

The phrase "lock, stock and barrel" is common parlance in English and everyone knows what it means. Google it.

Sorry, my innkeeper only speaks common.