Leveling speed

[Lord Pendragon]

I like the book rate of advancement. I've been playing 3.x steadily since it came out, and I have yet to participate in a campaign that went all the way from 1-20. My best shot was a campaign that lasted a little over a year and went 1-13. Until the 20 pre-epic levels start running out before the campaign does, I can't see any reason why the current rate of advancement is too fast.

In my current campaign, we're level 6 after about 4 months of weekly gaming, so we average about 1 level every three sessions. It feels about right. You get three sessions at any given level, then get some new toys. It's nice.

I can understand how those groups who are composed of tightly-knit circles of friends might find the standard rate too fast, though. Piratecat's group has been together for ten-odd years. If I could count on a game lasting that long, I'd be happy to accept a slower rate of advancement, so that the campaign might last longer. But I haven't been so lucky, and as a result I see no reason to keep playing levels 1-6 over and over and over again each time a new campaign starts.

In real time it was good, but in-game, it got kind of ridiculous, with PCs going from schlubs to superheroes in a couple months.

I agree with this, but this is really more of an issue of pacing. If you structure the campaign as a non-stop action-fest with no downtime then you'll get characters who power up quickly. Add in days or weeks between adventures or story arcs, and the progression will seem more natural.

 

[kenobi65]

For our group, which doesn't play on a weekly basis (more like once a month or so), the pace is about right. PCs typically level every three or so game sessions, which means you, as a player, only are leveling your character every three months or so. Any slower (given our frequency of playing), and I think my players would feel it was *too* slow.

That being said...

Part of the reason they advance every three sessions is I award XP specifically to achieve that goal. Currently, the average level of a PC in our campaign is 5th; since you need 5000xp to advance from 5th to 6th, I'm currently structuring the adventures so they get about 1667xp per session. Once the APL is 6, the XP awards will be about 2000xp per session, etc. But, I *am* achieving those XP awards based on the XP tables in the DMG for foes defeated, plus some for roleplaying, problem-solving, etc.

This is the second campaign I've run for this group using 3E / 3.5; I used the same XP philosophy in the earlier campaign, and it worked out just as well (they started at 3rd level; when we wrapped the campaign up, after 3 years of play, they were all 13th level).

But, I can see where, if you're playing more regularly than we do, advancement might feel fast.

 

[Ulrick]

In my weekly game, I have halved the amount of XP and the treasure awarded. The campaign started about 3 months ago with the characters at 1st level. They now average 3rd level. We have been playing very consistently, almost every week, and I am satisfied with the progress.

The reason I made these changes is because I felt like a "level" didn't mean much anymore. Often, in the sessions I've played in 3e/3.5, a 1st level character would gain a level after one 5-hour session. Whereas, in previous editions, it'd take at least two or three sessions to do so.

IMO, 3e/3.5 seems to focus less on the story and more on gaining kewl powerz and levels. There is so much emphasis on character abilities, rather than character personality and roleplaying.

Because of this change, I've noticed the players roleplaying more. And they get to use their abilities more before gaining new ones. I think this gives them an appreciation for what they have at the moment.

This also gives me, the DM, the chance to assess their abilities better, because they don't constantly change every session or two.

 

[Arnwyn]

By the book? Too fast.

We do 50% XP, and it works just fine for us.