Advice: How to handle a party of mixed levels?

[Eternalknight]

In the last campaign I ran, PC's were earning XP at different rates, mainly due to the fact that some people didn't turn up all the time. Anyway, the party consisted of a the following:

11th level character
10th level character
9th level character
7th level character x2
6th level character

What would be the best way to handle this? Obviously, something that is a challenge for the 11th level character would be overwhelming to the lower level PC's, and something reasonable for those PC's would be boring for the higher level PC's.

 

[rijeagle]

Take the average of your group, and use that to form up your ELs. In your case the average is 8.333. Make most of your encounters around EL 8-9, and progress from there. In time the lower levels will catch up( maybe mid teens). Throw in the occasional EL 10, 11 to keep the balance, and throw a little fear. As the party gains in levels, boost up the EL to reflect the new party average. This would be the easiest way to do it, without throwing the game too far off balance.

Basically at this point you want to slow down the upper level PCs so the others can catch up, without hurting the campaign. We've run a couple adventure like this, for nearly the same reasons, and it worked out ok. Just be sure not to throw more than 1, maximum 2 EL 10+ at the group in any short period of time.

Good Luck!

 

[Eternalknight]

Sounds reasonable enough.

Anyone else?

 

[fba827]

In addition to what has already been offered as a possible suggestion ...


if you get a chance, then a solo/duo game as a side-trek with the lower level. Not like you are really doing anything special for them (it is essentially a "make up" for the games they missed - everyone has still played the same number). Anyway, it would add some experience points to the lower level ones that have otherwise missed a lot and help them catch up a little bit faster.

however, it would seem as unfair treatment if you go overboard on this. if you go this route, do not offer more side-treks to any character than the number of games the player has missed.

it may / may not work depending on the situation of the players/game... but it is a possibility none the less.

 

[shilsen]

You could also use the FRCS system for XP, which would allow the lower level people to catch up the others.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Offer XP awards for between game write ups, background work etc...and hope the lower level players take the hint. It's been working for me in S'mons game, that's one of the main reasons I do the Story Hour!

 

[Kahuna Burger]

mainly due to the fact that some people didn't turn up all the time. Anyway, the party consisted of a the following:

11th level character
10th level character
9th level character
7th level character x2
6th level character

What would be the best way to handle this?

frankly, if you let things get to this point to begin with, most of my advice wouldn't help... I don't do this sort of massivly unballanced campaign at all.

What is the reason for the disparity? Not, 'people missing sessions' but why does your party dock xp for missed sessions? Does your group have internal competition for the 'best' character where they want to have the winners have the cool characters and the losers not? Or was this just a result of following the rules as written and not liking the consequences? The answer to that changes how to handle these situations and whether you want a fix or not.

-Kahuna Burger

 

[GMVictory]

Have you ever ran a superhero campaign? If you have, use that experience to think through what you could do since superhero campaigns have differing power levels.

I have ran mixed level games and the important thing to remember is to match the lower level PCs with the appropriate challenge. If the group is facing BBEG, then make sure there are minions that the lower level PCs can battle.

Ex: BBEG is protecting a site where a ritual is taking place. The high level PCs have to square off against the BBEG allowing the lower level ones to take on the cultists and stop the ritual.

Mixed level games also help in creating big time drama. In one of my games a low level pc had to hold off BBEG through distraction and hit-'n'-run combat until the heavy hitters of the group got there. Everyone was cheering on the player to hold on until they got there. Definitely fun.

 

[Angcuru]

It's better than when some characters are gods and some are LVL 1 prostitutes...

 

[Trainz]

For XP awards, I have an idea.

I am just throwing this out of the top of my mind. I did not think the ramifications or problems this might cause, you guys think it over, but here goes...

Award X.P. individually but divided by the number of participants.

For example, throw a CR 8 monster at them. When defeated, award XP like this: your 6th level PC would get 3600 xp if he killed the booger by himself, so give him 3600 xp divided by the number of PC's (600 xp). Your 11th level PC would have had 1175 xp if he killed the booger by himself, so give him 1175 xp divided by the number of PC's (196 xp).

This will even out the level disparity in your team over a few game sessions. You could house rule that when all the PC's are within 3 levels from each other (say 10th through 12th), you go back to normal XP calculation.

WAY of the top of my head. Just food for thought.