D&D General At what level(s) do you start your D&D campaigns?

[shesheyan]

My first 5E campaign it took us 6 months to get to 3rd level IIRC. We were doing a Harry Potter/adventurer training start to the campaign. It was a blast.

Six months and only 2 games or six months and weekly games? Makes a big difference.

 

[Oofta]

Six months and only 2 games or six months and weekly games? Makes a big difference.

Around 1.5 per month from 10 AM to ... well when we got tired. Usually around 8-ish. Things moved a little more quickly after that but it still took us probably around 3 years to get to level 20.

 

[Legatus Legionis]

.

 

[Umbran]

Usually 1st, unless there's a very specific story-reason to do otherwise.

 

[ZeshinX]

Almost always 3rd level (in 5e). My players prefer to have their character concepts fully realized at the beginning of play and dispense with the "training wheels" levels that another on this thread had mentioned (they've even used that exact phrase). I've always had players write their character histories (we refer to them as backstories) to account for levels 1 & 2 (nothing enormous, typically a couple of paragraphs).

It was typically 3rd level in previous editions as well (we skipped 4e as it just wasn't our cup of tea). For 1e/2e it was almost strictly a matter of early survivability that drove that preference. For 3.x it was pretty much the same reason as for 5e; so that their character concepts could be realized (or very close to it), but also added a layer of survivability.

When we started playing 5e, we did revisit the idea of starting at 1st level. We even came up with a houserule for 1st level HP (since we weren't sure how survivable 5e was at early levels yet...but felt it was probably just as tough after seeing spell damage potential at low-ish levels). First level HP would be their CON score + max hit die (so a Fighter with CON 16 would start with 26 hp; 16 + 10), subsequent levels were as normal. We ended up preferring having everyone be able to play their concept right away, so 3rd level it was. They could just as easily have role-played those first couple levels without their subclass being "online" (they said as much), but ultimately they all wanted at least some mechanical representation of it.

So, we start at 3rd. We even still use the houserule for 1st level HP, since everyone liked it. We haven't found it to be ridiculously strong either, it just gives everyone a little more nerve to try wild things (which translated to more fun).

 

[the Jester]

Always level 1. In fact, I run an "Everyone Starts at First Level" (ES@1) campaign, where all new characters start as, well, new characters.

For one-shots (vs. campaigns), I might start at higher levels.

 

[Slit518]

I usually start anywhere from level 0 to 5.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Level 1. I get people hate when they have no abilities, but you're there for usually one session if there is any fight at all. Usually getting to level 3 only takes the second session, and to level 4 another two sessions.

 

[Nebulous]

Almost always 1st. I enjoy low level games and how players have to get creative before magic makes things relatively easier later.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Level 2 but with 0xp so you need to earn 900 to get to level 3

This.

Although in the three 5E campaigns I'm currently running, all of them started at 1st level.

Having had that experience, I find 1st level to not only be much swingier than the rest of the game, but it's often lacking in signature class abilities. It's not until 2nd level that fighters can action surge, paladins can smite, druids can wildshape, thieves can use cunning action, etc. So, for the combination of signature class abilities and overall character resilience, 2nd level is the right spot for me.

That said, I like campaigns to start "at the beginning" which is why I start with 0 XP.