D&D 5E Running D&D 5e for Levels 10+

The Liverpuncher · Nov 22, 2017

About two years ago I ran 5E for about six months, and found the game challenging to DM, given the
collective power of the six-seven pcs, who were eighth level.

I am planning on running a 10th level game with five players - and the problem seems like it will be much worse. Given the natural abilities of the group (which include a barbarian, paladin, wizard, sorcerer, and cleric) the group will be all but immune to fear, charming, etc. Given their collective abilities, they can pretty easily dish out a few hundred points of damage in a round.

For those of you who have run the game at that level, have you found this issue problematic? If so, how have you handled it?

Thanks!

cooperjer · Nov 22, 2017

At that level you need to be on top of the number of encounters per day. The game continues to be one of resource management, and at level 10 + I feel the combat encounters should be a function of daily XP. I get the impression from game developers that higher level characters open up the possibility to higher level encounters (traps, monsters, rival enemies, more challenging exploration, etc.). Also, depending on the story you have planned, the encounters could be more social, include more subterfuge, and less sword swinging.

I'm running PotA with level 11 characters, with rolled stats, and with the average number of magic items. The story is heavy in the combat encounter part, but I add in environmental challenges to hopefully keep things interesting. In addition, I use time as a tool. The characters are pressured by a time limit and the players are given options on how to mitigate the consequences of not meeting that time limit. They are also be given difficult choices on how to shortcut the time constraints.

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OB1 · Nov 22, 2017

I am currently running for 6 15th level PCs and haven’t found it problematic. Three things to keep in mind.
1. Vary encounters per day, level of challenge, and pace to keep players guessing regarding their ability to “go nova”.
2. Have win conditions for PCs that involve things other than killing everything on the other side. (Rescue x number of townspeople from the rampaging demon, keep the prince from being sacrificed at midnight).
3. Consider using missions that have far more potential encounters than they could possibly handle through combat alone. Make the challenge revolve around the players finding ways to avoid fights to accomplish their goal.

Good luck and enjoy Tier 3!

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Stalker0 · Nov 22, 2017

The key thing to remember is....don't hold back. At these levels characters in 5e are VERY VERY durable. They can take a pounding and keep on coming back.

Your party seems pretty well rounded, so they can take anything you throw at them. That said, they will have weaknesses. Feel free to exploit them, they won't hesitate to do the same to your monsters.

As Cooperjer said, maintaining a number of encounters will help drain this party....as they are very long rest focused. If you want to go with fewer encounters, then feel free to crank up the difficulty. Honestly deadly encounters should be fine for this party if they decide to cut loose with their long rest abilities, so again don't hold back. CR + 5 monsters are just fine to throw their way.

I still remember a fight I did with my 10th level group. It was an ambush in which the party was hit with 3 fireballs, a darkness spell, and an evards as the opening salvo. I was really nervous that I would force a TPK with such a crazy start. In the end....none of my party even went down. Your players can take it, so enjoy not having to worry about it, and cut loose with what makes sense for your game.

happyhermit · Nov 22, 2017

Personally, I think 5 PCs is about the max for ease of GMing at any level. I would MUCH rather run for 5 lvl10 than 6-7 lvl8 but I don't find challenging PCs to be all that... challenging, it's just that things can get bogged down. Not a fan of starting at high level either though.

The Liverpuncher · Nov 22, 2017

Thanks for the response and suggestion regarding using the environment and time. With that said, a cursory glance at the challenge ratings makes me think I need to drastically increase the number of foes per encounter. (Using one of the calculators suggests 3 CR 5 monsters would be "hard." and 4-5 CR 5 monsters would be deadly. (For example, trolls are CR5; 3 trolls, or even six trolls would be easy for five level 10 pcs. I think 10 would he hard and 20 would be deadly.)

ClaytonCross · Nov 22, 2017

I have actually run a few session recently that did not require combat or social challenges but strictly a maze challenge and it was very enjoyable for everyone. It also made some of those skills they had been sitting on useful by using multiple languages for clues so the players know more the more languages they knew, history and religion checks for clues, and of course athletics and acrobatics based challenges and the NEED to use some of their gear like hammers pitons and rope to get the guy over capacity in gear with an 8 strength get through some of those physical obstacles. I also covered some signs with spider webs and dirt so they had to notice them then the high elf monk with prestidigitation as a race ability was using it to clean the signs so they could read them. I wouldn't do it all the time but it would be an interesting challenge at any level.

Dausuul · Nov 22, 2017

The Liverpuncher said:
About two years ago I ran 5E for about six months, and found the game challenging to DM, given the
collective power of the six-seven pcs, who were eighth level.

I am planning on running a 10th level game with five players - and the problem seems like it will be much worse. Given the natural abilities of the group (which include a barbarian, paladin, wizard, sorcerer, and cleric) the group will be all but immune to fear, charming, etc. Given their collective abilities, they can pretty easily dish out a few hundred points of damage in a round.

For those of you who have run the game at that level, have you found this issue problematic? If so, how have you handled it?

Thanks!

Junk the CR guidelines and don't be afraid to pull out the big guns. I hit my 11th-level party with a fully-powered lich last time we played. First round of combat, it points at the cleric and says "Die," and he falls over dead without a save (power word kill). That's the sort of thing that gets players' attention.

They took down the lich and revivified the cleric, but they had some nasty moments first.

ClaytonCross · Nov 22, 2017

Dausuul said:
Junk the CR guidelines and don't be afraid to pull out the big guns. I hit my 11th-level party with a fully-powered lich last time we played. First round of combat, it points at the cleric and says "Die," and he falls over dead without a save (power word kill). That's the sort of thing that gets players' attention.

They took down the lich and revivified the cleric, but they had some nasty moments first.

How did the cleric feel about sitting there and watching friends play while twinkling thumbs and not having even a chance to save? Did you let him play an NPC or something in the mean time?

CapnZapp · Nov 22, 2017

The Liverpuncher said:
About two years ago I ran 5E for about six months, and found the game challenging to DM, given the
collective power of the six-seven pcs, who were eighth level.

I am planning on running a 10th level game with five players - and the problem seems like it will be much worse. Given the natural abilities of the group (which include a barbarian, paladin, wizard, sorcerer, and cleric) the group will be all but immune to fear, charming, etc. Given their collective abilities, they can pretty easily dish out a few hundred points of damage in a round.

For those of you who have run the game at that level, have you found this issue problematic? If so, how have you handled it?

Thanks!

Basically the game doesn't even try to achieve balance after, say, level 12.

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D&D 5E Running D&D 5e for Levels 10+

The Liverpuncher

First Post

cooperjer

Explorer

OB1

Jedi Master

Stalker0

Legend

happyhermit

Adventurer

The Liverpuncher

First Post

ClaytonCross

Kinder reader Inflection wanted

Dausuul

Legend

ClaytonCross

Kinder reader Inflection wanted

CapnZapp

Legend

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