D&D 5E Level Capping? No. Level Squashing? Maybe.

[Fanaelialae]

"Low mental overhead" is boring.

When the players don't use their high level abilities, because they don't know what to do with them or forget they have them, and I don't use high level abilities so the players stand a chance, then what is the point of playing at high level?

Sounds to me like your players might not be into high level play. Like anything else, it requires buy in from the players, although IME it's only been an issue with ultra-casual players (like a GF who's only playing because her BF is). The only other times I've seen that were when someone had to bring in a new high level character, before they'd learned how to properly play it.

Most of the players I've gamed with are excited to use high level abilities (sometimes to the extent that they waste them using the proverbial elephant gun to swat a gnat). To me that suggests they aren't interested in high level play.

 

[Brotton Goodfellow]

Why have 20 slices when 10 will do?

Majority of people online rarely play much past 10th level as far as I've read online at least. Which inevitably means a good 50% of their character's class features/potential go to waste. So why not make each level heavier and more noticeable.

All the while not increasing the HD of each level up, thereby escaping the HP stodge and making the game feel more meaningful. Characters will max out with 10HD, which both ensures epic fights and also a level of danger which feels exciting. That and they get to enjoy the entire complement of their class features in a much more manageable time frame.

I’ve put a cap of 10th level on the campaign I’m running. Party is at 5th. I plan on giving the characters more of their class abilities when they complete mighty deeds. I know, not much different from actually levelling, but all that will be given is the class ability.

The other cap I implemented was 50HP max, but the table rules we use also call for rolling HP at every level and not adding CON modifier. Monster HP is based roughly on CR, but their damage remains the same. Does this make some monsters highly lethal? Absolutely, and that was the point; that’s the kind of game we wanted to play.

Remember, you can change the game into whatever you and your players want, but know that changing one thing usually requires changing a bunch of other things. But that’s where the fun is if I say so myself.