Last Updated: 170401…200704
I use Mystara as the basis of my campaign world. Overall population of the Grand Duchy is about 621,400 people, including 537,800 humans, 41,900 demi-humans, 36,050 humanoids, and 5,650 other creatures (taking into account only the races who are represented by not less than 100 members in the country). When the PCs seek assistance (such as finding a cleric of high enough level to cast Raise Dead), how many people in the Kingdom are leveled characters to aid them?
Using the framework provided by the DMG, on average 1 in 100 of the human (and half-orc) general population are suitable for level advancement (other races have an incidence of 1 in 50). The base NPC population is defined as 44% Fighter, 20% Cleric, 20% MU, 15% Thief, and 1% Monk, or:
35.2% Fighters
17% Clerics
17% Magic-users
12.5% Thieves
4.4% Paladins
4.4% Rangers
3% Druids
3% Illusionists
2.5% Assassins
1% Monks
Assuming a baseline 600,000 pop, 1 in 100 is leveled, or 6,000 people have levels in the kingdom. Assuming level ratios roughly match experience points (XP), the number at each level would halve, so:
3,000 are level 1
1,500 are level 2
750 are level 3
375 are level 4
188 are level 5
94 are level 6
47 are level 7
24 are level 8
12 are level 9
6 are level 10
3 are level 11
2 are level 12
1 are level 13
Reversing that math, for our 600,000 population:
1 in 200 are level 1
1 in 400 are level 2
1 in 800 are level 3
1 in 1,600 are level 4
1 in 3,200 are level 5
1 in 6,400 are level 6
1 in 12,800 are level 7
1 in 25,000 are level 8
1 in 50,000 are level 9
1 in 100,000 are level 10
1 in 200,000 are level 11
1 in 400,000 are level 12
1 in 800,000 are level 13 (Note of our 600,000 population)
Out of 6,000 leveled people:
2,640 fighters, (264 rangers, 264 paladins)
1,200 clerics (200 druids)
1,200 magic users (200 illusionists)
900 thieves (150 assassins)
60 monks
So there are 94 people (approximately 100) in all of Karameikos that are level 6:
44 fighters (including 4 rangers and 4 paladins)
20 clerics (of which 3 are druids)
20 magic users (of which 3 are illusionists)
15 Thieves (of which there are 2 assassins)
1 Monk
If factoring in the actual class XP tables instead of just level, you get a slightly different ratio (although it doesn’t start to change until 3rd level, and doesn’t change much after that). Taking into account the XP tables, for the approximately 100 people in Karameikos that are level 6:
43 fighters (5 rangers and 5 paladins included)
20 clerics (of which 4 are druids)
20 magic users (of which 4 are illusionists)
15 Thieves (of which there are 3 assassins)
1 Monk
So the level 9 cleric the party is seeking? Well, there are 12 level 9 NPCs (and they aren’t all necessarily good guys!):
3.17 level 9 fighters
1.53 level 9 clerics
1.53 level 9 magic users
1.125 level 9 thieves
.4 level 9 paladins
.4 level 9 rangers
.27 level 9 druids
.27 level 9 illusionists
.225 level 9 assassins
.09 level 9 monks
The numbers above for 1 in 100 are for leveled characters in general, and aren’t quite right at the higher levels (not enough monks and druids, for example). Most of those leveled NPCs will be in a situation where they are currently satisfied with their lot in life. When considering henchmen, on average only 1 in 10 of those leveled NPCs are interested in offers of employment. In areas of active adventuring, that could be as favorable as 1 in 2. In a settled and staid area that incidence could be as low as 1 in 50.
These population numbers normally shouldn’t include those that are actively adventuring (which would include the PCs). Those of high level would, likely, concentrate in cities except for those who are reclusive (clerics in town, MUs out of town except where there’s a school or something, for example).
I really like this piece.
Thank you for doing the brainwork. I’ve used your math and it worked really well for my campaign.
One question re: the second paragraph: where in the DMG is the 1:100 info? I’ve scoured my book and can’t find the dang thing.
Thanks again,
L
It’s on p.34 (in my revision), in a paragraph labeled “Number of Prospective Henchmen”
_ One thing to remember, is that in the “most important”, cities/polis, high levels are like to gravitate their like actors to New York and LA. Also, centers of interest for the various classes; schools and renowned monasteries n suchlike.
I think you’ll find that’s not true for the worlds defined by TSR. Seems like every village has someone of disproportionately high level for the locale.
Even a school is likely to have only at most a few high-level NPCs, and their students.
A fantasy world isn’t the modern world. High- level PCs in many respects are motivated to not be in the metropoli.
I am sorry…this is so massively incorrect I can barely even….
So, first of all, this works great for a player character power fantasy, but breaks down massively when parsing actual DnD lore. Level 15+ NPC’s are not rare in the way this implies. If we follow your numbers, Elminster wouldnt be even level 18. He would have few, if anyone who could match him at all, in the entire world, which we know isnt true.
Ignoring that, levels simply dont work this way. Players are not isekai main characters existing in a world that only exists to make them feel special. There are non-player adventurers and there are plenty of soldiers etc who would be reaching mid to high levels just fine. In fact a professional army would easily field many thousands of level 5+ Fighters etc. Likely with captains and special units reaching level 8-10. On top of that, generals or others with decades of fighting experience are extremely likely to be level 15+. Then you have soldiers or even town guards that are serving in frontier towns, places where combat is common. After 10+ years in such an area, it would be rediculous to assume that those men and women are not level 10+. I appreciate the effort you went to in putting this together, but your giving people a very conflated sense of players power vs the world around them. Large cities will absolutely have more than enough people of higher level on hand to deal with a rampaging level 20 player. Even a group of them. The elites of a large kingdom like Cormyr are absolutely going to be able to hold their own in a fight with a level 15 party. The soldiers guarding the king will be able to deal with and hold their own against level 18+ players. The world of DnD is dangerous by default and if indeed the vast majority of people (as your numbers would have us believe) were indeed so low in level, they would quickly be all dead. This very much seems like something but together to create a world where the players are the “special save the world people who gain levels super fast” out of a bad anime.
Sorry if it doesn’t fit your world perception. It doesn’t have to. Clearly you want it to be one way, where PCs don’t matter. But it DOES match the DMG.
And remember those numbers are based on a kingdom of 600,000. A larger world, more leveled characters.
Cormyr (and Forgotten Realms in general) is a high-magic world, so it’s not a valid comparison.
As always, you may play how you want. But it’s good to know the baseline, defined in the DMG.