D&D 5E No One Plays High Level?

[Reynard]

Yes. But the context was combat encounters needed to gain enough XP to reach the second level so that entails fighting them.

Not necessarily. There are options. You can run some off. You can charm some or otherwise wise turn them against the others. You can fight them indirectly. Whatever.

Personally, though, I think you are making too much of the difficulty. I have seen first level parties take on harder adventures.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes. But the context was combat encounters needed to gain enough XP to reach the second level so that entails fighting them.

Technically it entails, "overcoming the challenge". A diplomatic solution would work just as well if one could be reached.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Technically it entails, "overcoming the challenge". A diplomatic solution would work just as well if one could be reached.

Do you think that was honestly meant in this discussion? Like sure, levelling fast is super easy, just let the first level party negotiate with an adult dragon, that's 15000 XP right there!

 

[Micah Sweet]

Do you think that was honestly meant in this discussion? Like sure, levelling fast is super easy, just let the first level party negotiate with an adult dragon, that's 15000 XP right there!

I take the scenario as it is, and think about how the PCs would react. That's how I DM too.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I take the scenario as it is, and think about how the PCs would react. That's how I DM too.

But you as GM were one who made up the scenario in the first place!

And this is really getting besides the point. Discussion was about combat experience. Some though it was super easy to get enough experience in one adventure to level to second level. I doubted that this was the case. An example was provided and it looks pretty lethal.

 

[MGibster]

I don't like milestone. It to me removes from the PCs a sense of accomplishment as well as agency, as all they really have to do is last long enough for the GM to decide they've crossed some arbitrary line in their head.

In my games, lasting long enough to level up is an accomplishment! If my only option was to keep track of experience gained with each encounter, I would have stopped playing D&D years ago. But to each their own.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I don't like milestone. It to me removes from the PCs a sense of accomplishment as well as agency, as all they really have to do is last long enough for the GM to decide they've crossed some arbitrary line in their head.

I have had fun with both but really like “earning” my levels.

When it’s my turn to dm, I am going to do something in the middle and have a rough idea of how many encounters’ experience it would take to get to the next level. I will have an average I use but count the number of encounters.

So not exactly experience but a rough approximation. If I am a little high on exp for one encounter I am sure I will have shorted folks on a different one.

Regression to the mean and all that…

 

[Reynard]

But you as GM were one who made up the scenario in the first place!

And this is really getting besides the point. Discussion was about combat experience. Some though it was super easy to get enough experience in one adventure to level to second level. I doubted that this was the case. An example was provided and it looks pretty lethal.

Because you are thinking of it as a single ongoing fight against 15 goblinoids instead of thinking about it as it is: an adventure. It may well be that the party clears the place by killing them all. It is totally possible. They might even lose someone doing it. That's D&D.

The whole point of the example was to counter the idea that it takes many sessions to hit level 2. I mean, the DMG tells you to give 1st level characters 300 XP per adventuring day.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Because you are thinking of it as a single ongoing fight against 15 goblinoids instead of thinking about it as it is: an adventure. It may well be that the party clears the place by killing them all. It is totally possible. They might even lose someone doing it. That's D&D.

No, with single ongoing fight it would be basically a certain death. Divided in a few encounters it is only a likely death. I just don't think throwing a bunch of monsters that can reliably oneshot their characters, perhaps even instakill them is a recipe for particularly enjoyable starting experience for the players.

The whole point of the example was to counter the idea that it takes many sessions to hit level 2.

Which it does unless you throw ovetuned encounters at the characters and hope that some might survive to make it to the second level or are rather generous with non-combat XP. Granted, it is not impossible for get it done in one session, but that really is pushing it, so it is no wonder it often doesn't happen. Granted, the reported four sessions seems even greater outlier than one session.

I mean, the DMG tells you to give 1st level characters 300 XP per adventuring day.

Does it? Where?

 

[Reynard]

No, with single ongoing fight it would be basically a certain death. Divided in a few encounters it is only a likely death. I just don't think throwing a bunch of monsters that can reliably oneshot their characters, perhaps even instakill them is a recipe for particularly enjoyable starting experience for the players.

I still think you are over emphasizing the danger of these encounters, but that isn't something we can determine who is right about

Does it? Where?

Page 84. The adventure I presented is pretty much exactly what is suggested for 1st level PCs.