D&D 5E At what level does play become "high level"?

[Bacon Bits]

Imagine you're reading a discussing 5e D&D with someone and they say that they have "just gotten to high level" in their campaign.

What level or levels do you think this person is talking about?

 

[TheDelphian]

I would say 11th. A lot of classes kick into new abilities then .

Seems a bout right for me.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Ten-ish. It's not exact.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I think it's pretty line can be pretty fuzzy. I voted for 9th, which I think would be the lowest I'd consider high level. That's where 5th-level spells come in with options like Raise Dead and teleportation circle, which not only make the PCs more powerful but can fundamentally alter the style of the game.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I voted 9th. 5th level spells really set the tone for the next several levels and by then you have two or more feats, your second subclass features, etc.

@MatthewJHanson ninja'd me LOL!

 

[Lanefan]

It'd be interesting to run this same poll for each edition, and see how different the results would be.

 

[Lanefan]

I think it's pretty line can be pretty fuzzy. I voted for 9th, which I think would be the lowest I'd consider high level. That's where 5th-level spells come in with options like Raise Dead and teleportation circle, which not only make the PCs more powerful but can fundamentally alter the style of the game.

Yeah, over all the editions (except maybe 4e?) 5th-level has more or less been the 'mid-level' threshold while 9th has arguably been the 'high-level' threshold; and as you say it's due to the abilities parties tend to get at those levels.

At 5th they get useful area-effect damage, flight, a bunch of significant curative spells (including Revivify in 5e), and the martials are starchy enough to be able to take a few hits from most foes before dropping.

At 9th they get Raise Dead, long-range travel including inter-planar, and useful divinations; and by now the martials are badass. In 1e-2e, 9th was also 'name level'; where your focus could (but didn't have to) turn from all-the-time adventuring to other things like stronghold building or politics or whatever.

 

[Asisreo]

11th-level is the minimum I'd ever consider to be "high-level" but I usually refer to that as mid-level personally.

My personal consideration of "high-level" is 16-17th level where the players are very close to unlocking their full potential.

 

[prabe]

I don't really think there's a set and solid numerical answer; I think it depends on the setting and playstyle. I think "high-level" starts when the threats to the party have to come from somewhere other than the setting world in order to be credible threats. Even given the same setting, that point is probably going to vary from campaign-to-campaign, but I suspect every DM will know when they're there.

 

[Vael]

9th to 11th, roughly. I considered 6th level and higher spells to be "high level" (I like playing casters)

Paragon tier, to use 4e parlance.

I have yet to play high level in 5e. We reached 9th at the end of Curse of Strahd, but that was the end of the campaign.