[3.5] generating towns, highest-level locals?

[darkelf]

DMG v.3.5, page 139... the highest-level locals table gives the highest level commoner as 4d4 + community modifier, which for a metropolis is level 22 on average, 28 maximum. are we really looking at epic commoners in virtually every large city, or should this be read some other way?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

DMG page 138, near the bottom right of the page, Highest-Level NPC in the Community for Each Class, second paragraph, last sentence:
The maximum level for any class is 20th.

[VoxRationis]

Well, that's what I always got from it. More importantly than the commoners, you usually end up with half a dozen people capable of casting 9th-level spells. It can be pretty hard, if you use the community generation tables straight from the book, to come up with a large city where the PCs feel like they can make a difference at mid to low levels. Which makes sense, I suppose.

[Nettlekid]

I may be wrong, but I think when the community modifier says to roll multiple times, it means to take the best one out of those rolls. So for Paladins in a metropolis, rolling 1d3 four times gives you high odds of getting a 3 at least once, so the max level is 3+12=15, which is still quite high but at least not Epic. Likewise, for the 1d6 on Cleric, if you roll a 5 or 6 then you get a Cleric who can cast 9th level spells. Best of 4d6 suggests that you probably will roll that high, but might not, so not EVERY metropolis would have one.

EDIT: Oh, I didn't notice that Commoner really does say 4d4. Right you are then, level 20 Commoners exist in a metropolis.

[darkelf]

okay, so we have a bunch of level 20 commoners running around, but zero level 20 aristocrats. actually, no aristocrats over level 16. because they're just slackers, i guess. wtaf.

i think IMC i'm going to just use 1d4 + mod for all the NPC classes.

[Yogibear41]

I don't know what the book says, but IMO 70% of the npcs in a city are level 1, maybe level 2 commoners, 10% are experts, 15% are warriors, and 5% are aristocrats. Suppose you could toss in a few adpets while you are at it too.

Could probably have thought out the percents better, but basically a ton of commoners, handful of experts being skilled craftsmen, handful of warriors as guards, then the ruling elite being aristocrats.


Makes no sense for a commoner to ever level up past maybe level 3.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

If the highest level member of a given class is of a higher level, they'll generate more lower-level individuals of that class. A 20th level NPC generates two at 10th level, four at 5th, four 3rd and four 2nd, four 2nd and eight 1st, and eight more at 1st level. If the highest level NPC of a class is only 16th level, they generate two at 8th level, four 4th, eight 2nd, and sixteen at 1st level. The higher level the highest-level member of a class is, the more leveled NPCs of that class the community will have.

[darkelf]

yeah. it's just a weird way to get there. i mean, i get it, they're super skilled at blacksmithing or birthing calves or some junk like that, but its SO WEIRD.

[EugeneVoid]

It takes ~3 months in game for a PC to reach level 20 from level 1.

[Yogibear41]

It takes ~3 months in game for a PC to reach level 20 from level 1.

Maybe in your game, takes at least 2 weeks just to get to level 2 in the one I play in.