Level 20 and the Dragon Empires

[HappyDaze]

I noticed that several of the NPCs identified in the DEG have very high levels. There's a few 20s and several more at 15+. This seems a bit odd in light of the levels usually seen in the Inner Sea region. Is it intentional? Are the Dragon Empires intended to have more high-level NPCs?

[Cthulhudrew]

This is something I just noticed myself the other day when reading over the Gazetteer.

I wonder if it has to do with the notion that the civilizations of Tian-Xia are older, culturally, than the nations of the Inner Sea (at least in terms of historic continuity).

[Timothy Hanson]

I am not certain of the relative size of things, but I get the feeling Tian Xia is larger (could be wrong). If that was the case, then just the fact it has more space and more people would result in more high level NPCs. If that is not the case then I got nothin'

[Joana]

They're Asian so they're automagically cooler, like ninjas to rogues or katanas to longswords? (I hope not.)

They were further removed from the cataclysm of Earthfall which created the Inner Sea and destroyed the most advanced civilizations on the "near" side of Golarion so they have a more intact cultural legacy upon which to draw? (Or what Cthulhudrew said.)

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Timothy Hanson wrote:

I am not certain of the relative size of things, but I get the feeling Tian Xia is larger (could be wrong).

Look at world picture. Certainly appears bigger.

[James Jacobs]

Tian Xia is 5 or 6 times the size, if not more, than the Inner Sea region. That said... when I was assigning levels to characters in the book, I used the same assumptions and philosophies as I do when I assign levels elsewhere on Golarion. So... the Dragon Empires are supposed to have about the same proportion of high level NPCs as the Inner Sea does. But since Tian Xia is bigger... there's probably more of them overall.

[Evil Finnish Chaos Beast]

Joana wrote:

They're Asian so they're automagically cooler, like ninjas to rogues or katanas to longswords?

Given the amount of Asia fanboys and fangirls (Japan fanboys and fangirls/Weeaboos in particular) in existence, I would not find this surprising.

[feytharn]

Oh yeah, must be part of the big asian fanboy conspiracy ;-) Seriously, please not again!
Oh, and just take a look through the Setting books. Although many of them have a few NPC class levels, there are quite a few characters out there in the Inner Sea Region level 15+ (and some more in the AP which - sans Jade Regent - play in the Inner Sea Region).

[feytharn]

A quick (non comprehensive) count of level 15+ NPC from some books:
Guide to Darkmoon Vale: 1
Rule of Fear: 4
Guide To Korvosa: 2
Heart of the Jungle: 1
Osirion: 1
Elves of Golarion: 1
And if I recall correctly, most of the governing movers and shakers haven't been given levels at all.

[Deadmanwalking]

15 seems typical for rulers of a nation.

According to Inner Sea Magic, the rulers of Mendev, Osirion, and Druma are 15th level (and several other ruler-types are around there, too), Abrogail (Queen of Cheliax) is 18th, Razmir is 19th, the head of the Red Mantis is 19+, and the ruler of Irisen is 20+ as are Arazni and Geb.

In another book (keeping to the trend) the four Linnorm Kings listed in Land of the Linnorm Kings are 13th, 15th, 15th, and 18th, respectively. Though considering the criteria for the position, that's pretty much required.

So that looks pretty consistent, really.

[James Jacobs]

If I have no other reason not to... I generally put a ruler of a nation in as about 15th level.

Mostly because that way, if we do an AP set there some day in the distant future, said ruler is in a good spot to be an ally or enemy near the end of the AP.