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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Henry" data-source="post: 19615" data-attributes="member: 158">Renshai said:However, and my list is the only reason I point this out, The FRCS included a draft of those rules BEFORE they were even finished, BECAUSE decribing the main NPC's of the 'Realms was impossible without them. My point was rather that Epic levels are intrinsic to the setting, because so many characters there are above the Core range. Using Greyhawk and Dragonlance as an example, the PCs in those settings can be well-defined by using 20th level as a cap - even Mordenkainen, who has never shown any hint of power other than the abilities given in whatever edition he was printed under.These things do not drive plots, but they ARE defining characteristics, because to outright say that you are removing them from the game or changing them takes away any difference between, say, the 'Realms and Greyhawk, or the 'Realms and Krynn. You can certainly downplay them for the sake of a campaign, but a cursory description of the Forgotten Realms always seems to include these elements, even from press distribution from TSR, and then WotC.I disagree with this, and here's why: If I am planning an epic campaign where Thay is going to war with Aglarond, and the PC's will be 17th to 20th level Aglarondans at the time I plan this, how are Elminster and the Simbul, if not half a million 15th + level Harpers and friends NOT going to be included in the plans? The PC's might be natural candidates for generalships and such, but the party mage is going to be "the Simbul's and Elminster's Assistant."Alternately, if you want to run the return of the Shades from Netheril, the others are GOING to be involved. On an even lesser scale, if Orcs are about to overrun Silverymoon, you KNOW that Alustriel, Drizzt, some of the more competent warriors of Mithril Hall, and the leader of Silverymoon herself are going to step in. At no time would it make sense to "let Silverymoon fall if the PC's flub up", unless those worthies were physically incapable of doing so- say, being in Hell at the time.For anything less than the invasion of a large city, it makes sense for the Major NPC's to not show their heads. Anything more epic than this, and having an NPC with an interest in the area NOT show up stretches the bounds of believability - unless you want to start a plot about the corruption of that particular NPC.(Now THERE's a plot - Elminster has been seduced by, say, Bane, and has started to use his powers to aid the Church of Bane in overrunning the Dalelands. It's up to the PC's to redeem him - or take him out. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />)</blockquote>

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