D&D changes every 5 levels by design...

MerricB · Feb 8, 2007

Just found this post by Ryan Dancey on rpg.net (ok, he posted it 3 minutes ago...)

Original Thread http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=310363

Ryan Dancey
"D&D 3/3.5, by design, changes roughly every 5 levels. You may find that your group becomes comfortable in one of those 4 quartiles, or you may find that your group enjoys the changes of pace that happen when moving from quartile to quartile."

Interesting. The entire post is very interesting.

Discuss.

Cheers!

hong · Feb 8, 2007

I'm pretty sure I made much the same observation here, a few years back.

Levels 1-5 = low, "gritty" fantasy (Conan, Black Company)
6-10 = heroic fantasy (LotR)
11-15 = superheroic fantasy (wuxia, Achilles)
16-20 = supers (four-colour)

HeavenShallBurn · Feb 8, 2007

LvL
1-5: Capable but still just "insert race here"
6-10: An example of all that a "race" may unsuccessfully aspire to emulate
11-15: Semi-Divine God-Hero "This is the tale of the rage of Achilles"
16+: Divine Entity of Mythic Power "His voice was as a chorus of thunders and neither Gilgamesh nor Enkidu could look upon he who issued from the Cedar Palace in blazes of light and wrath at the first axe stroke."

Agree the mechanics is designed to create different experiences at different levels the power curve rises more quickly as levels increase. But I've always kind of liked that, I mean if you wanted to keep it all real and "gritty" put away the paper and go DO it. THIS IS FANTASY BE FANTASTIC, I get enough reality in the real world as is.

Steel_Wind · Feb 8, 2007

hong said:
I'm pretty sure I made much the same observation here, a few years back.

Levels 1-5 = low, "gritty" fantasy (Conan, Black Company)
6-10 = heroic fantasy (LotR)
11-15 = superheroic fantasy (wuxia, Achilles)
16-20 = supers (four-colour)

That's pretty close. I'll buy that.

Nyaricus · Feb 8, 2007

Neat stuff, and makes sense.

My players hate me for always starting them off at low level though :uhoh:

cheers,
--N

Elder-Basilisk · Feb 8, 2007

hong said:
Levels 1-5 = low, "gritty" fantasy (Conan, Black Company)

I have a bit of difficulty reconciling the Conan of Beyond the Black River or a Witch Shall Be Born with level 1-5. For that matter, the Conan of Hour of the Dragon, Sword and the Pheonix, Red Nails, and IIRC Queen of the Black Coast doesn't seem very 1-5 either.

phindar · Feb 8, 2007

Yeah, the whole Conan being the mightiest warrior in the whole wide world (hey, wasn't that a movie?) thing sort of implies he's higher level, but I get that the feeling of the world is low-level and gritty. That's also my favorite range to play. My group splits it up a little differently, based on our own preferences:

1-2: You can die at any time
3-6: Gritty, but not immediately fatal
7-10: Heroic Fantasy
11-14: Superheroes Game
15+: We've heard rumors about this.

The official breakdown is a little more, well, official, but this is pretty much how my group looks at it.

Deekin · Feb 8, 2007

I break it up this way.

1-5 = save the town
6-10 = save the city
11-15 = save the country
16-20 = save the world.

pawsplay · Feb 8, 2007

1-7 Characters face challenges on a dangerous field
8-14 Characters can, with the right preparations, dictate the venue for a challenge
15+ Imagination and preparedness matter far more than numbers