Numbers, Sagas and NPCs

I must say that I think Nick H and Tim E have the right of it. This is a cinematic game and observes those conventions: a quick cut scene and a month later the hero could have become master of kungfu,  while at the same time a character could be encountered ten years on and be much the same.

Remember that the NPCs' numbers were, to be blunt, conjured out of thin air as 'feeling right'. There is no grand invisible algorithm which can be uncovered through complex number-crunching to show an official advancement curve. Trying to create absolutes from them risks creating the kind of spurious debate as when fans argue whether Superman could beat the Hulk or Inspector Morse is a better detective than Hercule Poirot. In a cinematic context such as this, the only genuine answer is: whatever suits the scriptwriter of that particular film.

So the bottom line is that advancement ought to take place at the rate the narrator and the players want and which is appropriate to the kind of campaign they seek. If you are aiming for a Gwandor type saga, pile 'em on, if you prefer something more low key, then keep the advancement gradual. This is, after all, one of the key strategic decisions you can make about a campaign, and I'd say the fact that HQ doesn't dictate the pace is a virtue, precisely part of its flexibility.

All the best

Mark