D&D 5E (2014) Actual play experience with 5e XP system - does speed of progression change at 11th level?

[Tony Vargas]

From what I can tell the most common view is that advancement does naturally increase after 10th level.

By the numbers, yes...

In order not to hit 20th level too fast I reckon I'll be more conservative with noncombat xp awards after 10th, but I think I'll also accept that advancement is likely to be faster at least 11th-16th.

One thing that could keep advancement for accelerating as quickly is the difference between awarded and adjusted (for being outnumbered) exp. If you use a lot of large encounters with large numbers of lower-level enemies, the challenge goes up faster than the exp awarded, and the combat becomes more complex and slower to play through. So you have fewer encounters/sessions, less exp awarded per fully-challenging 'day' - and slower advancement. Though whether you really want to linger through the high levels is another question...

 

[S'mon]

Though whether you really want to linger through the high levels is another question...

Well I have 11 total books of Rise of the Runelords (5 - didn't use book 1) and Shattered Star (6) to play, and so far we've played 2.5 of them (SS1 SS2 RR2) and the PCs are 7th level. It looks like the rest of this book (RR2 Skinsaw Murders) and the next (likely RR3 Hook Mountain) will take the PCs up to 11th level. I then have at least SS3, SS4, and some of RR4 to get through in the ca 11th-17th level range; SS5 RR5 RR6 and SS6 can be played at 17th-20th I'd think.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Well I have 11 total books of Rise of the Runelords (5 - didn't use book 1) and Shattered Star (6) to play, and so far we've played 2.5 of them (SS1 SS2 RR2) and the PCs are 7th level. It looks like the rest of this book (RR2 Skinsaw Murders) and the next (likely RR3 Hook Mountain) will take the PCs up to 11th level. I then have at least SS3, SS4, and some of RR4 to get through in the ca 11th-17th level range; SS5 RR5 RR6 and SS6 can be played at 17th-20th I'd think.

Not to derail, but this sounds awesome. Could you tell more of how you combine the two APs, what's changed and so on? Thanks.

 

[BookBarbarian]

IF you follow the daily exp budget in the encounter design guidelines, your part will level up from 1st to 2nd in a day, likewise, 2nd to 3rd. Third to 4th is a day and a half. Through 11th it'll be over 2 'days' per level. After that it drops back down to around a day and a half, which is faster, but may not be noticeably so.

I was looking at this the other day trying to figure out a milestone system for my Adventures in Middle-Earth group that is starting the weekend after next. I'm converting The One Ring adventures, so I've got no XP or Milestone guidelines. I decided I'll have them get to level 2 after one adventure and level 3 after the next. After that It'll be 2-3 adventures per level. Most likely 2. Once Cubicle 7 has published a few Adventure books with XP in them, I might go back. My players do seem to like writing the XPs down which is not what I would have expected. There's not a head for Mathematics among them.

 

[S'mon]

Not to derail, but this sounds awesome. Could you tell more of how you combine the two APs, what's changed and so on? Thanks.

Game blog is here:
http://smonscurseofthecrimsonthrone.blogspot.co.uk/

In previous campaigns (1) running Rise of the Runelords, party TPK'd in Book 1 and
Sandpoint destroyed (2) Curse of the Crimson Throne completed.

I started off the campaign with the premise from SS1 Shards of Sin, the PCs are Pathfinders seeking to recover the Sihedron shards. But at the same time one of the Runelords has awoken and is growing in power per RotR. After SS1 and SS2 the PCs were sent by Sheila Heidmarch to Sandpoint
region to investigate the Skinsaw Murders.

Idea is basically to interweave the quest for the Sihedron (SS) with the rise of Karzoug
(RR). The way SS is structured, SS1-5 are necessary with SS6 optional, whereas with RR the connections are pretty loose and I can leave out material but would probably want to use RR5 & RR6
as a climax.

My reason for doing it like this was that I found Crimson Throne a bit railroady and
constraining. Using two APs lets me open things up and get more of a living world feel. Also I want to slow the pace down, especially in the mid levels (running CotCT in Pathfinder the PCs were levelling every 2 sessions, doubling in power every 4 sessions).