Certain portions of this document are Open Game Content, per the Open Game License. The Open Game License is attached to the end of the main page. All of the pages and text in the House Rules section is Open Game Content except any mentioned setting names (primarily Theralis and Forgotten Realms). Artwork and text in any other section is Closed Content. Open Content may be reproduced per the rules of the Open Game License. Closed Content may not be reproduced.
Please see the Open Gaming License for the appropriate legalese.
Special thanks to the kind folks ENWorld for helping me with this: Altin, Balsamic Dragon, Celebrim, CRG, Duncan Haldane, Green Knight, Greybar, hong, Inez Hull, Joshua Dyal, Lady Dragon, Light Phoenix, MavrickWeirdo, mmadsen, S'Mon and Tonguez. Italicized folks had a direct, concrete impact in the writing herein.
All characters (PC or NPC) receive XP per scenario. A scenario is roughly defined as:
XP for scenarios is not divided by party members. That's why the XP is per scenario rather than per "encounter". If you prefer to use encounter XP, divide between the party and give it out more often. A full year of a difficult job such as farming will be about 12-24 encounters, but will divide that number between the 12-24 peasants who helped out.
Assuming a reasonably challenging life, a "year at a difficult job" is treated as CR 2. Time of trouble may shift that up to CR 3 (or even CR 4), and leading a sheltered life would only be worth CR 1 (or even CR 1/2). Most medieval commonfolk lead CR 2 lives. The following chart shows various CRs tracked over a lifetime:
CR 0.5 CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 CR 4
Attain Years Age Years Age Years Age Years Age Years Age Description
Lvl 2 +6 21 +3 18 +2 17 +2 17 +1 16 somewhat experienced
Lvl 3 +14 35 +7 25 +3 20 +2 19 +2 18 experienced
Lvl 4 +20 55 +10 35 +5 25 +3 22 +3 21 full professional
Lvl 5 +26 81 +13 48 +7 32 +5 27 +4 25 master of the trade
Lvl 6 +33 115 +17 65 +10 42 +7 34 +4 29 locally reknown
Lvl 7 +40 155 +20 85 +13 55 +10 44 +7 36 regionally reknown
Lvl 8 +53 208 +26 111 +18 73 +13 57 +10 46 nationally reknown
Lvl 9 +80 288 +40 151 +27 100 +18 75 +13 59 "name" level
Lvl 10 - - - - +39 139 +26 101 +18 77 semi-legendary
The bulk of the population will be level 3-5, with levels 1-2 representing youth. The higher levels are about as common as the Description column indicates - they are few enough to be reknown in their region. Troubled times typically result in more heroes, and this is reflected rather well in the above.
Adventurers: The typical adventurer in my campaign will be getting involved in 3-4 scenarios per year, of a CR equal to their level. This will usually translate into 1 level per year!
Soldiers: Soldiers will tend to be slightly higher level for their age than the bulk of the populace. A veteran is 2nd-3rd level, but still young by modern (20th century) standards, and will form the hard-kernelled core of any military force. A green soldier can expect to fight three or four times on the front lines, over the course of a month, before being considered a veteran and moved to easier duty. It is a tragedy of warfare that the young and green are usually the orc fodder used to soften the foe for veterans.
The ellini live twice as long as their human parents, and so may expect to eventually reach higher levels than the commonfolk.
PCs possess a greater measure of fortune and misfortune in their lives, and (like Odysseus, Beowulf or Lancelot) tend to suffer or seek adventures on a regular basis. Sessions will alternate between daring doings ("our heroes have discovered papers indicating an illithid is posing as human among the leaders of Theralis, but do not reveal his identity") and the passage of time ("after defeating the illithid, the intrepid heroes spend three months wenching and ladding their way across the countryside"). About one year will pass per level gained (per the guidelines above) with the occasional exceptional years.
Around level 8-9 (as the PCs hit age 22-23), they will come into their own as heroes, their exploits familiar to most of the people of Theralis, and some of their tales trickling even into other countries. Their skills will be such that even a group of veteran soldiers would find them a difficult foe, and monsters would fear their arrival.
Over the next several years, then, they would become true heroes of their generation, until finally Dame Age began to take her toll from them. Then, in the twilight years, they will have a last grand adventure, on which the fate of the world rests, before retiring to the calm life or dying gloriously.
To summarize:
Level 0: All children .
Level 1: 15 years old, this is the default starting point. Characters spend their first year in the Theralis military, as part of becoming an adult. A typical year in the Theralis military is worth 1,000 XP, giving the character a level with combat training, a bit of toughening up, and some free time to pursue their own interests.
Level 2: A young adult, typically 16-17. Typical years are worth about 800-1200 XP due to the challenges of getting started in life. By age 18, most people are reaching 3rd level.
Level 3: A mature person, typically 18-22. Typical years are worth about 500-700 XP (CR 2). A large fraction of the population is 3rd level.
Level 4: Middle age, typically 23-29. Typical years are worth 500-700 XP. The largest minority of the population. Level 4 is the typical "full professional".
Level 5: Slightly older, typically 30-39. Some people die of natural causes at this point. A reasonable fraction of the population is 5th level; this is the "master of the trade" level.
Level 6: The elderly, typically 40-52. Few live past this point. A small portion of the population is 6th level. Generally, 6th level is sufficient for local reknown (throughout all of the divisions of a particular valley, for example).
Level 7: The very elderly, 53+. Generally, 7th level is the point where an individual can be known throughout the Theralis valleys on the basis of ability.
These rules of thumb apply to those who live ordinary lives. A decent percentage of the population live extraordinary lives, and a small percentage of those survive. Adventurers typically advance about one level per year or two, and you can often find "ordinary" adults who adventured for a year or two and are thus a level or more higher than the rules of thumb indicate.
Levels 8-9 are sufficient to be very well known throughout the valleys, with some spillover into other nearby nations. At level 9, you can claim to be a "name" in Theralis.
By 10th level, an individual is near legendary. Above 10th level is the stuff of legends - fighters that can wade through a company of lesser soldiers, spell casters who can level armies, etc.