Haven't got MoLaD with me, but it seems to me the trick which is missed by not giving the numbers is not the setting of the level which of course would need to be tailored to the game (I agree that numbers would give you something to depart from, mind), but rather their relative levels.
It has been said before (Mike H?) that at chargen, all those fun narrative abilities tell you something about the character, but you truly find out what is intended with it when you add points to them. The same goes for published NPC's. Take a hypothetical leader of a combat-oriented heroband - if Bloodthirsty is at 10W, this is very different from Pious 10W - this conveys well and in note form the authors' intentions and can, of course, still be tailored to suit.
Relative ability levels would be a nightmare in a publication (unless main abilities are put in bold font or something), so example numbers serve the purpose.
Just my tuppence.
Sam.
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