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

[Anaxander]

Another thing which influences gameplay is the ability of the players to travel through the game world. From level 1-9/10 the players are completely dependent on the DM for the possibilities of large scale travelling, while from level 9/10-13/14 they can fast travel anywhere in the world, and from level 13/14 they can travel to any plane.

Travel
1-9/10: Regional travel: Walk, ride, sail, tactical fly...
9/10-13/14: World travel: Overland flight, teleport, ...
13/14-20: Planar travel: Plane shift, gate, ...

 

[Hussar]

Another thing which influences gameplay is the ability of the players to travel through the game world. From level 1-9/10 the players are completely dependent on the DM for the possibilities of large scale travelling, while from level 9/10-13/14 they can fast travel anywhere in the world, and from level 13/14 they can travel to any plane.

Travel
1-9/10: Regional travel: Walk, ride, sail, tactical fly...
9/10-13/14: World travel: Overland flight, teleport, ...
13/14-20: Planar travel: Plane shift, gate, ...

While that is factually true, it's not really so in play. Yes, at lower levels, I have to travel from A to B in a fairly mundane way. However, since the DM is completely in control of my destination, the fact that I suddenly can teleport or plane shift doesn't really matter. I'm still travelling from A to B. The DM is still (mostly) telling me to go from where I am to where he wants me to be.

About the only real difference is the ability to go back to places you've already been. Something that is mentioned in the Savage Tide AP is that once the PC's leave Sasserine, they aren't going to come back unless they choose to do so themselves, perhaps on a magic item buying run or something like that.

However, as far as an adventure goes, my destination is almost always determined by the DM who will also determine how many random events will occur from A to B (Always only ONE!). All teleport or Plane Shift really does is knock out some random encounters.

 

[Maggan]

While that is factually true, it's not really so in play. Yes, at lower levels, I have to travel from A to B in a fairly mundane way. However, since the DM is completely in control of my destination, the fact that I suddenly can teleport or plane shift doesn't really matter. I'm still travelling from A to B. The DM is still (mostly) telling me to go from where I am to where he wants me to be.

In my games, the ability for instant long distance travel changes just about everything. I allow my players quite a degree of freedom, and they would very much protest if they could "only" go where I want them to be. They go all over the planes, if they feel there is a good reason for it. And I allow it. Unless I disallow teleport and spells like that completely, which happens as well.

To me it makes a huge difference in planning an adventure if the players know they have to spend a month to get resupplied and gather reinforcements or hire an expert, or if they have to spend half a day.

/M

 

[buzz]

In my games, the ability for instant long distance travel changes just about everything.

I have to wonder if (and this may be obvious) Eberron's lightning rail and airships are an attempt to provide a means external to the PCs' capabilities that allows for easy access to a wide variety of locales, i.e., adventure seeds. They can just zip from adventure to adventure, and make it back to civilization easily when the need arises (i.e., "We need healing!").

 

[Maggan]

I have to wonder if (and this may be obvious) Eberron's lightning rail and airships are an attempt to provide a means external to the PCs' capabilities that allows for easy access to a wide variety of locales, i.e., adventure seeds. They can just zip from adventure to adventure, and make it back to civilization easily when the need arises (i.e., "We need healing!").

I think it is a likely theory. Those means of transportation is fast enough to be useful alternatives to walking or riding, but not instantaneous like spells can be. Also they can more easily be controlled by the DM.

/M

 

[Greg K]

While that is factually true, it's not really so in play. Yes, at lower levels, I have to travel from A to B in a fairly mundane way. However, since the DM is completely in control of my destination, the fact that I suddenly can teleport or plane shift doesn't really matter. I'm still travelling from A to B. The DM is still (mostly) telling me to go from where I am to where he wants me to be..

Other than the first session, my players pretty much determine where they want to go. Sometimes, I'll throw in a small side adventure or encounter along the way to the destination of their choosing, but I never tell them where they have to go- even then, they are free to ignore the side adventure.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there!

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.

21-40 = conquer/reshape the world, save the galaxy/plane, blow up a town (with one spell)
41-80 = conquer/reshape a layer/solar system, save the universe, blow up a city (with one spell)
81-160 = conquer/reshape a galaxy/plane, save the multiverse, blow up a country (with one spell)
161-320 = conquer/reshape a universe, save the omniverse, blow up a world (with one spell)

 

[mmadsen]

The idea of D&D being "four, four, four games in one!" is cool (even if I have no desire to play two of them) but is at least somewhat at odds with the standard "20 level campaign-arc" model -- the idea that you're not supposed to just pick the one game you like and stick with it, but are instead expected to play all four, in order. This is likely to be just as unsatisfying for the guy who wants to play wuxia-style but has to wait around for 6 months to a year playing "grim n' gritty" before he can start having fun as it is for me, the guy who was enjoying the grim n' gritty game but now find myself stuck playing wuxia-style as my ostensible "reward." The game should, IMO, include more advice (and/or alternate rules) to facilitate narrower one, two, or three-style campaign-arcs for those who prefer them.

Very well said.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Seriously, it's that realization that has kept me from redesigning for a sweet spot game.

There's just not really that much redesign to be done, no matter how much fun I might have doing it.

Lazy bastard.

Regarding Conan (or most book-heroes), if you're in a world with no healing magic, the odds of anyone surviving enough fights to get to 5th level is pretty damn low. In the land of the cleric-less, the 5th level hero is a god.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Someone (sorry, too lazy to quote) asked how long people expect the campaign to last in real time, given that this ties into XP advancement and the quartiles of the the game.

Well, different groups expect different things; and different people within the group expect different things. Some groups are tired of a campaign after 6 months. Other groups stay in the same campaign for years (cf. Sagiro's or Piratecat's games).

Some players switch characters as often as possible. Some players lovingly craft their character over months or years of real-time (or they just keep playing essentially the same character in every campaign). Some players move back-and-forth along this continuum, either as they grow and want different things from the game, or even within the same campaign as they want different things at that moment.

I think D&D's ability to cater to a lot of different styles of play is one of the keys to its success. I hesitate to use the phrase "all things to all people", because that's often a derogatory comment about something, but D&D does have that element to it.