D&D (2024) Do We Really Need Levels 11-20?

[Warpiglet-7]

Variety is good unless it ruins your previous choices. I have never regretted lower levels knowing higher levels exist.

Rarely we player higher level characters. That option though rarely achieved, hurts nothing…

Even more so in the 1e days! To dream and strive!!!

Don’t like it? Stop early…or choose not to level.

 

[prabe]

I mean, 11-20 is the Epic Tier play.

In my experience play doesn't really feel all that epic at 11th level. Maybe starting around 13th or 15th.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm in favor of chopping off class at 10, and having levels 11+ be "epic levels" that you have to multiclass to take. Your characters grow horizontally by getting new class features, but no more proficieny bonus and hit point increase.

No on the multiclassing. If I envision my character as a noble warrior, I don't want to have to become a wizard or rogue to keep playing. I'd rather the game just stop at 10th than do that.

 

[Andras]

My artificer is at 16th about to go to 17th in my third 1-20 campaign. We having a great time and have intentionally slowed advancement to play the characters more. One thing I hate about 5e is how fast the advancement is.

 

[Parmandur]

In my experience play doesn't really feel all that epic at 11th level. Maybe starting around 13th or 15th.

But the point is, "epic play beyond the Levels people normally play" is already there in the core booksm

 

[mamba]

10 might be a tad early, but 12 or 14 why not? It covers most published campaigns too, which 10 does not.

Throw out spell levels 6 and up and make every caster a half-caster while you are at it. That way you do not have to stop at 10

 

[Clint_L]

Variety is good unless it ruins your previous choices. I have never regretted lower levels knowing higher levels exist.

Rarely we player higher level characters. That option though rarely achieved, hurts nothing…

Even more so in the 1e days! To dream and strive!!!

I spent so long daydreaming about how awesome it would be when my 1e ranger got to those epic heights. When, after a few years, he got high enough level to get followers, I felt like I'd made it. Even more so when he managed to get a storm giant follower with a lucky roll!*** But I never managed to get him to truly rarified levels.

***Note: storm giant follower is extremely overrated. You can't really take them anywhere.

 

[Mercurius]

I mean, 11-20 is the Epic Tier play.

Isn't 16-20 technically "epic tier?" Anyhow, it is all a matter of degree. I've always like the idea of a full-spectrum, from "farmboy" to cosmic entity...at least as potential options. For 2014 D&D, I remember them describing the different tiers as heroes of "X," with X being regions or places of different size...local, realm, world, etc. Why not more cosmic spheres of influence?

Again, I do think this is a niche product, but it is fun to think about, at least hypothetically.

 

[prabe]

But the point is, "epic play beyond the Levels people normally play" is already there in the core booksm

I think "the levels people normally play" are more or less "the levels there's the most support/materials for." Of course, I enjoy running high-level D&D, so I'm definitely something of an outlier.

 

[Parmandur]

Isn't 16-20 technically "epic tier?" Anyhow, it is all a matter of degree. I've always like the idea of a full-spectrum, from "farmboy" to cosmic entity...at least as potential options. For 2014 D&D, I remember them describing the different tiers as heroes of "X," with X being regions or places of different size...local, realm, world, etc. Why not more cosmic spheres of influence?

Again, I do think this is a niche product, but it is fun to think about, at least hypothetically.

The four Tiers do seem to map to the BECM portions of Mentzer BD&D, similar to the Rules Cyclopedia BD&F omitting the I material.