Everyone starts at 1st level

[GSHamster]

I think it would be doable if the group is careful, at least with one low level character. But what do you do if more characters start dying?

Each character that dies significantly lowers the average level of the party. If 2 characters die and are replaced by level one chars, it's possible that the party is no longer strong enough to beat the encounters as written. So you have to do a lot of fudging to keep the adventure on track.

Starting new characters at the lowest level, or level minus one, keeps the average level of the group fairly close together. This means you have to do minimal tweaking of upcoming encounters. I guess it depends on how much you wing things. If you have everything planned out in detail, or are using a published adventure, then starting at level 1 is probably not going to work.

 

[Rechan]

I call it the Monster Barrel....

I call it sitting on your hands whenever there's no monsters to run. Which, the last game I "Just rant he monsters" in, that was 3/4ths of the at-the-table time.

 

[Rechan]

No. This works if surviving an encounter (even if it means doing nothing mechanically important in it) grants you the same share of XP as everyone else. It also helps if monsters have "level sense" and can target their attacks at the stronger targets rather than have a giant lob a boulder at the first level thief during the surprise round of combat.

If that's the case, then high level PCs should have throngs of 1st level characters around them. Quick, safe leveling.

 

[Remathilis]

If that's the case, then high level PCs should have throngs of 1st level characters around them. Quick, safe leveling.

That's my point; when you go exploring, you want to be Kirk, Spock, Bones, or Sulu, not Ensign Rogers.

 

[Korgoth]

I got a few question then for you...

1.) How many players at the table?

2.) How many of the "classic" roles are already filled with HL characters when the n00b is brought in? (tanker, sneaker, healer, nuker?)

I think these will answer the discrepancy of experience here.

When our last rookie came in as a Priest, we had a party of 4 regular participants (2 Warriors, 1 Priest and 1 Magic-User). The party also typically brings along an assortment of hirelings and (especially since they've been moving up in the world) slaves. The last major foray into the underworld that they mounted had 5 PCs, 5-6 mercenaries, a pet dinosaur and a small number of slaves.

The next session we're going to introduce a new character (at level 1), another Priest (it's a balanced and forgiving class, always useful because in Tekumel the Priest is not only the medic but a linguistics specialist... and to use scrolls and some items you have to know the right language to read the invocation / instructions).

Right now they're in the middle of an overland expedition atop a great road that's like the Great Wall of China on steroids. They're leading a group of several thousand refugees and so have access to any number of able-bodied men to join in combat... though if they use up to many, they reduce the viability of their already endangered culture and they know it. A monster showed up at the end of last session (a 3-headed snapping ankylosaurus, essentially) and the heroes took care of it themselves, not risking any flunkies.

If any of that info helps....

 

[Rechan]

Plus, and perhaps I simply haven't stressed this... my game is about exploration and interaction rather than combat.

So, you're responding to a thread asking "How do I change the system so combat works with x" by saying "I do X but my game isn't about combat"?

The reason it does work for you is because your game isn't about combat.

 

[Ariosto]

Plus, and perhaps I simply haven't stressed this... my game is about exploration and interaction rather than combat.

In that context, it may be significant that while EPT includes a list of skills, they do not play the same game-mechanical role as skills in WotC's D&D.

 

[Nifft]

I call it sitting on your hands whenever there's no monsters to run. Which, the last game I "Just rant he monsters" in, that was 3/4ths of the at-the-table time.

Yep. The Monster Barrel would demand both a certain player mindset and a certain DM'ing style.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Korgoth]

So, you're responding to a thread asking "How do I change the system so combat works with x" by saying "I do X but my game isn't about combat"?

I was just going off what he said in his first post. If that's not what the thread is about then my mistake.

 

[Korgoth]

In that context, it may be significant that while EPT includes a list of skills, they do not play the same game-mechanical role as skills in WotC's D&D.

True... rolls are rarely required to use skills. You've got the "Merchant" skill? Fine... then you know what the goods should be worth (at least approximately) and you can get a fair price (though we might still role play part of the haggling, just to see if you say something really clever or dumb that I can reward or punish you for). You've got "Fisherman"? OK, you successfully get fish out of the river... I don't care if it's a Level 12 river or all the fish in it are Level 16 WaveJump Salmon or whatever. Having the skill means you know how to do it, just like knowing a language means you know it.

There are a few skills you roll for, such as the Seduction skill. Though I've never seen it used, because shortly after one of the Warriors acquired it he got hit with an impotence curse.

...

Another mechanical thing I thought of... all monsters do d6 base damage. You compare its level to your level, and if it really outlevels you it can roll 2 or even 3 dice of damage. But if it's close to your level it will only roll 1d6. So that is generally more forgiving. Though there is double damage on a 20. We had a Warrior charge a demonic protoplasm (shoggoth, basically) that had 3 dice against her and it critted. She was soon rolling up a new character. Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.