D&D 5E Large Party With "Large" Level Split

[FormerlyHemlock]

I know I am just shotgunning for a response, but have any of you had to run a game with a significant amount of people below your main party's level? House rule is not to start new characters above level one (they just get accelerated xp).

As always thank you for any insight you can provide.

I've done it, and it's fine as long as the level 1 guys are experienced enough to know to be careful instead of reckless. I had one player lose level 1 PCs in three successive sessions IIRC, and each time they died with probably enough XP to have advanced to level 3 or 4, which must have been frustrating. So I guess one thing you could do is award XP immediately after a fight, and allow PCs to advance immediately too. By the end of the session, if you have big level 6-sized fights, the new guys will be at level 2 or 3 already and much more durable. I don't think accelerated XP is even necessary, due to the shape of the XP table.

P.S. if you're worried about survivability, the higher-level PCs can mitigate that with the Aid spell, Inspiring Leader feat, and/or Healing Word.

 

[Winterfell]

[MENTION=6789022]Winterfell[/MENTION]

EDIT: Since you've got the whole Shadowfell thing going, you could get really wild and do some kind of "ghosting in" thing for the 6th/7th level PCs where they're trying to get back but the portal has been sabotaged so only semi-material (and much weaker) versions of themselves make it back. Heck, maybe they come back as Shadows (as in the undead monster). Then the 1st levels come into play to reach the Shadow Gate and help the 6th/7th levels cross over fully. You could really play with this in a lot of ways!

But the main issue is who are these new characters? Why are they joining the group? What can they offer it? What is their story? Depending on your play style and that of your players, the answers to these questions might offer a solution to your adventure difficulties.

The other players have had a chance to develop their characters, the new ones have not. Make them and their story the focus of this adventure with the higher level PCs as support. This gives the newbies a chance to grow, shine and get comfortable with system, characters and campaign.

I am going to combine these two posts.

I love the idea of sabotaged portal and have the perfect culprits.

I will allow the group to make a perception check to notice the unknown threat (2 sorcs/wizards) along with other nearby riffraff and if they care to do nothing then once they pass through they can roll against me 2 times and either come pack 50% of max stats (2 wins) / 25% of max stats (1 win 1 loss) / or as a Shadow (2 losses, must avoid NPC [non-monster notice]).

The portal leads to their Tarvern/Trade business (Blood, Bath and Beyond) outside Neverwinter and, as long as at least one of them are non-shadows, attempt to enlist the newbies to escort them to a group that can assist in fixing the portal. I can throw some standard lowbie monsters at them (with more numbers to offset group size). The low levels can be the in spotlight get to level 3, and if time allows, have them be a useful fight once the entire party goes back through the portal were the main party can once again shine and I can attempt to kill them...erm...give them challenges.

As usual, I bow to the wisdom of the DM's before me and thank everyone for their input.

Winterfell

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6789022]Winterfell[/MENTION] About the %max stat thing... The reason I suggested a lower level-ish monster as an alternate to the 6th/7th level PCs is because down-grading existing PCs take a notoriously LONG time. Ask any DM. Your group may be the exception to the rule, but I thought you deserved fair warning.

 

[Uchawi]

I believe the main problem will be the number of creatures you have to present to challenge the high level characters, and based on bounded accuracy, that usually means more creatures, then less. You see plenty of stories where the seasoned veterans protect the young recruits, but because 5E combat is so simple, it is hard to implement more defensive tactics in combat, so the main focus is to avoid it.

 

[guachi]

Have the 6-7th level PCs hire the 1st level PCs to some simple task for them that turns out to be not so simple. By the time the not so simple task is done the 1st levels are 2nd-3rd level and the 6-7th level PCs ask them to tag along.

I know I always got a kick playing my PC as if he were an NPC.