To give it all up

[Dannyalcatraz]

I've introed n00bs into extant D&D campaigns at all kinds of levels, without any problems related to the level. If anything, its easier at higher levels since the players don't get frustrated with a lack of ability and PC frailness.

Jokamachi may be right.

 

[James Heard]

I think the most painless thing for all involved would be to start a game that runs as a tangent to the other campaign. Basically you'd all be running characters to "bring him up to speed", keeping the old characters, and for maximum weirdness you could even play characters that perhaps were NPCs from the past of the current campaign and run into "yourselves" sometimes. Of course a lot of this depends on everyone not becoming incredibly attached to their new characters, and a certain amount of blithely ignoring facts that your new characters don't know. Anyways, with a little bit of effort you could have his character "set" into the campaign environment nicely and ready to join your old characters (or your new characters) in whatever adventures need doing. No forcible retirement involved.

Of course I'd just bring him in at the same level as everyone else, with a lot of coaching and no dice backstory sessions - or I'd mock you for not wanting to give up your character and try new things because I'm a jerk

 

[Stalker0]

As others have suggested, if he's new to Dnd.... I would run a couple of one shots to get him up to speed and ease him in...then go back to the real deal. High level dnd can get a little complex for someone whose just learning the ropes.

 

[Henry]

I was about to say... Why not run a second campaign for a limited time? Say, for ten sessions? Give him a chance to get his feet wet? Keep the old characters, because there will be another threat that high-powered heroes are needed for again! And the new characters can all be in the employ (or trained by) the old ones!

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't understand why should you think the old campaign has to end, when it just doesn't.

If the guy is new to D&D, absolutely start from 1st level. All of you veterans make a new character at his same level 1. If the game is "too easy" for you 4 at such low level (really? ), here's a good chance to play a class you usually don't, such as the melee-lover guy try for once to play a spellcaster.

Then it is still possible to either play the old campaign on parallel if everybody has time for two games, or just wait until the new guy has a holiday and the rest resume the old adventures.

 

[Dagger75]

I bet the DM just loves to have an excuse to start at low levels. Let me tell you planning adventures and such for high level games is not fun. I actually began to dread the game when my group was level 18ish. I had no fun. The players all loved buring everything around them and walking into evil mages castles and destrying them. I had no fun planning out this stuff though.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Not starting the new guy at the same level as the rest of the party is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard. I really have nothing more to say on the subject.

Isn't to me. I'd have him start at 10th or 12th, depending on his class/race combinations. No reason why someone who just walks in off the street is as tough as the people who've been playing in the campaign all this time.

Heck, if the GM just let you make new characters to replace old ones at the same level, I know I'd be tempted to put in some weird concepts just to see how they worked in the game.

 

[Ed Cha]

That's a lot of history down the drain because of one new guy. Are they all in love with him or something?

Maybe you're the only one who thinks the campaign is going great and everyone else just wants to start fresh.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I normally start new PCs introduced into a pre-existing campaign at about five levels lower than everyone else. I wouldn't want them to start at first level, but on the other hand I don't want them to immediately jump to the levels that everyone else has earned.

If the DM absolutely insists on starting anew, I'd ask him to run a final adventure for the campaign, something to provide closure for the PCs.

 

[yennico]

I do not know why your GM has his opinion, but
if the new players starts with a PC at level 1 he either will not survive the encounters of ECL 14 or he will gain so much xps that he gains in his low level a new or two new levels after that encounter.
If the new pc do not survive the encounter the other pcs have without a logical reason (only becasue the dead character was a pc) to raise this pc from the dead.

If the new player has to play a PC starting at low level he has no possibility to shine with his PC. He can not play a hero. He will get bored.

IMC every new PC starts at average character level -1.

I agree with dagger75. High level adventures are no fun to design.