D&D 5E What levels are the most important when talking balance?

[the Jester]

All of them.

 

[Tony Vargas]

But even though dnd has levels 1-20, its common knowledge that the majority of games don't play the full level range.

Well, sure, balance falls appart by the time you've covered even half that. ;P

And, it's not a new problem. The classic game always had a narrow sweetspot that didn't extend past name level. So, when making 3e research showed not much play beyond 10th, so why bother balancing It?

So what level range do you think is the most important to get balance "right"?

1-20. There's no good reason to present dysfunctional levels of play.

 

[FrogReaver]

1-20. There's no good reason to present dysfunctional levels of play.

Yep and if you fail to balance the later levels and balance the first, then you might as well not have balanced the first levels either, as players will tend toward the classes that are good later (if all else is balanced) even if they may never hit those levels. Call it the "just in case" paradigm.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Yep and if you fail to balance the later levels and balance the first, then you might as well not have balanced the first levels either, as players will tend toward the classes that are good later (if all else is balanced) even if they may never hit those levels. Call it the "just in case" paradigm.

Some players might. Others will mysteriously change characters at some point.

But, more typically, campaigns will just wrap at some point after the system starts to fall apart.

 

[ad_hoc]

5-10

1-4 go by so fast that it is okay for things to be a little unbalanced. Powers are also not strong enough to make a huge difference. I've seen people make threads about how such and such class is terribly designed because they are too weak at level 1. That's 1/2 session.

For the people who do play 11-16 they spend little time there. It's the end of the campaign. Everyone should be able to enjoy their 11th level super powers without looking at their neighbour.

I don't care about 17+ at all. And yet, I find most internet conversations about balance take place at these levels. How much campaign time actually takes place here? I'd guess somewhere in the range of .01%

 

[AngryTiger]

1-20

 

[Xeviat]

1-20.

5-10 may be where the bulk of the game is played. But if things are out of balance at 1-4, then you train new players wrong. TWFing deals more damage than Great Weapon Fighting for fighters and rangers levels 1-4, a bit less at 5-10, and then falls behind even duelist at 11th and up for fighters. Wizards at the early levels feel really far behind no casters, but then slowly take over.

Balanced doesn't have to mean equal. Everyone should be able to do things others can't, and excel in different places. But, no one should do everything better than someone. Everyone should be able to compete meaningfully in combat too, since it's such a huge part of the game and the CR system doesn't take into account of your party is all fighters or a traditional party.