What level do you start PCs?

[Kalendraf]

I nearly always start new characters at 1st level. A couple times, I've started them at 2nd or 3rd level, but never higher (with the exception of 1-shots or mini-campaigns consisting of 3 adventures or less which I'm not considering). There are some trade-offs to this, but I think 1st level is the best place to start for a number.

The 1st level hit point concern is valid. To help offset that somewhat, I not only give starting characters max hitpoints at 1st level, but also the Toughness feat for free. At the lowest levels those extra 3 hit points are really helpful for starting characters. At higher levels, 3 extra hit points are barely noticeable.

 

[Arnwyn]

Always 1st level.

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

We always start from level one.
It has to do with the feelings i get starting with a weak vulnerable level 1 character.
To create his story from the very beginning and watching him flesh out of nothing is ....ach, great!
The strife to survive out of difficult situations when you almost lack any significant powers and toughness helps even more to get closer(and in) to your character which for me is the most important thing to enjoy the game-if you survive after all to get to mid levels .


_______________
The Wizard

 

[resistor]

We generally start at 1st, though I personally prefer to start around 3rd for various reasons. Partly because it's hard to portray a complicated character concept as a 1st level character, and also because I find that most 1st level adventures are a bit... uninspired.

Relatedly, the 1st level adventure in the back of Eberron looks fun and might actually get me excited about playing a 1st level character again.

 

[jmucchiello]

I say 1st level. Mostly because 1-3 level breeze by in just a few evenings anyway so you may as well start at 1st.

 

[adriayna]

I've done different things in different campaigns. While I know that many of my players aren't keen on 1st level (because of the mortality rate and lack of options), I've found that in longer-running campaigns, starting the characters off a 1st level allows for more well-developed characters and more role-play. A recent campaign that didn't last long was started at 5th level--the PCs were experienced enough and had alredy made other contacts, etc, making party cohesion a problem.

I usually can work with players who want to play LA + 1 or above creature by doing "creature levels."

Overall, I've been pretty much a stickler when it comes to 1st level, but have been known to make exceptions in the past. And as long as 1st level comes and goes rather quickly, the players don't complain.

 

[Maliki]

I always like to start the characters in my campaigns at first level, even more so in 3rd edition since level advancement is so much faster. As I plan a new campaign I'm toying with the idea of starting them as a 0lv apprentice or NPC class, for more character development.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I entered 3-5 but it varies a bit.

I generally don't enjoy playing the first couple of levels where the dice can just be brutal, so most campaigns in a version or setting I'm familiar with start at 4th. Enough for LA, a bit of multiclassing, and skills to be developed.

But any time I get a new version or a radically different setting the games start at 1st level.

And after that PCs enter the game a half-level behind the party.

 

[Awakened]

Heh. I too am starting my players off at apprentice level for my upcoming Forgotten Realms: Clandestine campaign.