The vast majority of NPC's in 1e are assumed to be 0 level "normal men" (which means not only that they haven't gained levels, but that they can't gain them); it's later versions of the game that have a lot of non-adventuring "classes" with levels (3rd level "experts" and "nobles" and the like). Comparing Swampgate and Hommlet, I don't believe AS&SH is greatly different from 1e in this respect. There are some classed NPC's of various levels, but most are "normal men" of 0 level.

If I wanted to give an NPC special skills or abilities, I would just do so; NPC's in Old School games don't have to follow the same rules as PC's. I probably wouldn't give 0 level NPC's any special combat bonuses. They might have a fearsome reputation against other 0 level NPC's, but in my view even 1st level fighters are "chosen of the gods" (until the gods decide to let them die from a giant centipede bite, of course) and should be able to put 0 level combatants in the shade. Just my opinion!

Last edited by Blackadder23 (1/11/2018 10:07 am)

Thanks BA23 & Rhialto, that aligns pretty well with my thinking/hoping on the subject. 

Last edited by Grimmshade (1/11/2018 10:25 am)

HI Grimmshade, excellent question. It looks like BA23 and Rhialto beat me to the punch. I use this as a rough gauge for level demographics in Hyperborea. I hope you find it helpful, it uses Conan and Thoth-Amon as examples. 

• 0th: Most able-bodied humans
• 1st: 1 in 12 - The best in an extended family
• 2nd: 1 in 40 - The best in an estate or hamlet
• 3rd: 1 in 100 - The best in a tiny barony or village
• 4th: 1 in 200 - The best in a small barony or large village
• 5th: 1 in 500 - The best in a barony or large village
• 6th: 1 in 2,000 - The best in a march or town
• 7th: 1 in 6,000 - The best in a county
• 8th: 1 in 10,000 - The best in county
• 9th: 1 in 30,000- The best in a small duchy or big city
• 10th: 1 in 100,000 - The best in a duchy
• 11th: 1 in 500,000 - The best in a principality
• 12th: 1 in 1 million  - The best in a small kingdom or large principality
• 13th: 1 in 2,500,000 - The best in a kingdom
• 14th: 1 in 7,750,000 - The best in an empire

• Bilbo, most famous adventurer in the shire, was a 6th level Thief.
• The Castellan of the Keep on the Borderlands, lord of a march, was a 6th level Fighter.
• Sir Tristan, the best knight from the county of Cornwall, was a 7th level Fighter.
• Robin Hood, hero of Nottingham County, was an 8th level Explorer.
• Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, the best thieves in Lankhmar, are a 9th level Explorer and 9th level Thief.
• Sir Gawain, the best knight from the principality of Orkney, was an 11th level Fighter.
• Beowulf, who arrives to deal with the threat to the small kingdom of the Geats, was a 12th level Fighter.
• Lancelot and Roland, the best in all of Dark Ages England and France respectively, were 12th level Fighters.
• Merlin, the best magician in all of England, was a 12th level Mage.
• Conan, conqueror of the kingdom of Aquilonia, was a 13th level Fighter.
• Thoth-Amon, most powerful sorcerer-priest in Stygia, was a 13th level Chaotic Cleric.
• Achilles, the best warrior on either side of the largest war of Antiquity, was a 14th level Fighter.
• Elric, most powerful sorcerer of the vast Melnibonean Empire, was a 14th level Spellsword.

Last edited by Brock Savage (1/11/2018 2:29 pm)

Brock Savage wrote:

Ynas Midgard wrote:

Shopkeepers, peasants, and townfolk don't even get 1 HD - they're just zero level, 1d4hp folks.

I used to feel the same way until I revisited old school material like City State of the Invincible Overlord. It dawned on me that in a big city, it's reasonable to assume that retired adventurers would often run the shops or taverns frequented by active adventurers. That being said, I agree that most peasants, shopkeepers, and townfolk are gonna be 0 level plebes.

If you look at 1e cities like Lankhmar and Waterdeep, there are certainly a fair number of retired (and not so retired) adventurers. But there are also hundreds of "normal men" (at least) for every classed NPC. The proportions you cited a couple posts ago seem reasonable to me.

Thanks Brock, that's a pretty useful guideline.
Making higher levels rare just makes Class/Level systems work better. It's easy to see how Level represents high skill, etc. that way.