D&D 5E (2024) 5e GMs: Do/Have/Would You Start Above 1st Level? (Note: Cannot change your vote.)

[Micah Sweet]

Exactly what it says on the tin. 5e has various reasons--formally-recognized or not--for starting at levels other than 1st.

Do you? Have you? Would you?

As noted, you cannot change your vote, so only vote for something you're sure of. I have tried to be completely impartial and cover as many answers as I can conceive of for the question, so I hope this is sufficiently comprehensive.

This is not specific to ONLY 5.5e, I just have to choose one or the other, I can't pick "5e in general but not specifically 5.0 or 5.5e". As "2024" is the current version, that's what I went with.

I almost always start at level 1, but I have occasionally started at a higher level and would do so again if it was appropriate to the campaign.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I have never started a game at higher than 1st and don't think I ever will, but never say never. I almost picked the "I wish I could start lower than 1st" option because there's no "I wish I could" because I have. Not sure if I will do that again or potentially start at higher levels.

The reason I start at lower levels is because I want to give people a chance to really know their characters as people instead of heroes. Those first levels tend to focus on a lot of RP, getting to know their relationship with one another, the current area they're starting in and figuring out some basic campaign themes and directions. It also emphasizes the zero to hero levels to me.

People can always swap out for new characters at any time so if they get bored with a character, or if the character simply isn't working out like they had hoped they can just bring in a different character at the same level as everyone else. But for most of us? For most of us those first levels tend to be some of the highest levels of RP and getting to know who are characters are, not just what they are.

Agreed. I prefer lower power games anyway (in the beginning at the very least), and see no inherent value in starting at a higher level. Anyway, Level Up classes are more complex than vanilla 5e, so I like to ease players into them.

That being said, I can imagine a specific campaign concept that would benefit from starting higher.

 

[DEFCON 1]

More often at Level 1 since the getting to 2 and 3 take like a session or two at most so it essentially feels like players start at 3 anyway... but I have also just started right at Level 3 for smaller games that were not planning on being long-term campaigns.

 

[Mort]

I think an equally relevant question: How long do your groups STAY at level 1 or even levels 1-3?

Some groups power through the early levels fast - say a few sessions. Others take longer to MUCH longer. I've seen a group play for 2 years (around 2 sessions a month) and still not hit level 5 - as that was the DMs preference.

Personally, I prefer to go through the lower levels as quickly as possible as the mid-high levels just hold much more interest for me.

 

[bloodtide]

I do love the Zero to Hero character arc.

But I have and will start a game at any level that makes sense, or often whatever level the players want.

I know the levels won't effect the game much. And nowhere near as much as the players think it will. The players will still sumble and bumble around like they always have, no matter what level they are.

And higher levels do equal more fun with wacky high-jinks and dreadful consequences.

(By the Way......your Poll is written like an Online Survey......Ugh)

 

[Azzy]

I haven't, but I would depending on the adventure.

 

[Seramus]

I think an equally relevant question: How long do your groups STAY at level 1 or even levels 1-3?

I don't hold myself to this, but it's usually something like:

Spoiler

Level 1 - 1-2 Sessions.
Level 2 - 1-2 Sessions.
Level 3 - 3-4 Sessions.
Level 4 - 3-4 Sessions.
After that, about 6 Sessions per level (this amounts to about 2.25 years to reach level 20 with holiday breaks)

So my players go from 1-3 within a month or less.

 

[Fifinjir]

Last time I started at level 2 to balance the awkwardness of different classes subclasses coming online at different levels and wanting some major plot points to happen while the PCs were still still somewhere in the same ballpark as the rest of the world. If I did 5.5 I’d probably start it at level 1.

 

[Zardnaar]

I start at level 1, but level 1 and 2 don't last more than a session each.

Similar for me maybe 3 sessions 4 if players drag it out or session 0/1 are same.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i don't GM, but if i did there's no reason why i wouldn't start the game at a higher level when applicable to the group/scenario