Officials and Social Rank

Some NPCs are available for hire; others, because of social rank or profession, can be hired only under special circumstances; still others can only be encountered and, maybe, befriended, but never hired. Indeed characters are not defined by profession only. Just as important (and sometimes more important) is the NPC's social status.

A serf carpenter is lower than a churl ploughman, even if his skills are more complicated. Some titles prevent an NPC from pursuing a particular career. A king is not a tinner or a wealthy draper—he is a king.

The tables below list some of the different types of NPCs that can be encountered based on social organizations. Each grouping is arranged from the greatest to the least, the mightiest to the lowest. The DM should not feel bound only to the hirelings and soldiers given in Tables 60 and 64. Imagination, history, and fantasy should all contribute to the game.

The tables show social and political ranks for different types of historical cultures, arranged in descending order of importance. Each column describes a different culture.

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