Suggested changes to the NPC level progression

[trepelano]

For the most part I am in agreement with the idea of the NPC level progression as presented in the book - the player characters should rise above the NPCs so having the NPCs trail the player characters by a level makes sense.

However there are two exceptions, IMO.

The first and most obvious (to me) is Jenya. Of all the NPCs that have level progression, she sticks out as the one character that doesn't actually do any adventuring. For this reason, it seems to me that her level progression seems a bit too fast. I plan to have her gain one level for each 2 levels the player characters gain - beginning immediately. This means that she will actually stay higher level than the party for a bit longer, reaching 9th level at the same time as the party and then trailing further and further behind them. She will be 14th level by the last chapter.

The other exception is a bit less obvious and that is the Stormblades. I agree with the sentiment that the player characters should outshine the Stormblades, but the fact that those NPCs all have a level of aristocrat already puts them behind the party in power. I want the NPCs to remain credible competition to the party, so I will make their levels match the party's. Even still, they are technically one CR lower than the party members due to having a level in an NPC class.

An opinions on any of this?

[James Jacobs]

I can certainly see capping Jenya's advancement at a certain point; this'll certainly help put the PCs more in the position of power. The main reason Jenya's assumed to gain levels alongside the PCs is, of course, so they'll have access to the important cleric spells as they become necessary (restoration, heal, raise dead, etc.). If your group has a cleric, Jenya becomes much less important. If your group doesn't have a cleric, you should strongly consider letting her level up with the PCs, even though she's not killing monsters.

As for the Stormblades... making them equal level to the PCs shouldn't be a problem. Although the fact that their parents are so rich and powerful should give them a significant advantage over the PCs in non-combat encounters (which is the type of encounters the PCs should be usually having with them, after all).