Best way to do a low-powered campaign?

[Eternalknight]

I'm looking at ideas for running a low-powered campaign, where, say, the highest level of most people would be 5th. I know I could simply reduce the amount of XP awarded by half, or three-quarters, but that doesn't satisfy me as I still want the player's to be rewarded. How would you go about doing this?

 

[Darklone]

As usual. Big big battles, don't care for XPs, hand out magic items with style and see to it that the PCs can be heros.

Let them hack and slash their way through hordes of mooks and save towns, maidens and whole realms. Have them encounter arrogant big heros from days long past and whoop their ass in indirect confrontations (Big old paladin with his army fails, the heros win).

 

[Qvintus]

Drop monster xp and go for Story xp and keep those low. As a bonus you players will start to avoid unnecessary combat 'cause they don’t get any thing out of combat, expect loot of cause.

 

[Deset Gled]

Use a low point buy system for ability scores. Check out the Grim and Gritty rules for hit points.

 

[Shallown]

I feel like a shmuck but I would suggest a another rules system first. one that starts the characters off at middling power and advances them slowly. 7th sea works well even if you don't use the backgrouond info and you could leave out magic entirely as far as PC abilituies go.

But to offer some more useful advice.

Start players at like 2nd level. this makes survivabilioty easier and isn't a huge difference. Of course Xp has to be cut severly if you plan to run a long game. I would design character benefits so that you could level up in seperate ones like you get X amount of Xp and you get your skill points then X amount buys your Hit die and let the players choose. This way they advance slowly but noticable. It doesn't get stale or boring. Also they can't level up utnil the whole level is bought so no buying two hit dice or anything like that. YOu could do, HD, Saves, BAB, Skills, Special abilities, Feats for char level. etc.

Just some ideas. Unfortunately D&D isn'y built as well for this though it can be done. I just think otrher systems designed for it are btter.

Later

 

[Pyrex]

Another easy way to moderate power would be to require that a certain % of their levels (between 50-100) be from the NPC class list (Adept/Expert/Aristocrat/etc). That allows you to stick with standard XP awards, still let them level at a useful rate but keep power down.

 

[The Souljourner]

Yeah, I was going to recommend NPC classes, too, except I was just going to say "only NPC classes". That's a pretty easy way to keep power down. Kinda makes the game a little more boring, stat-wise, but if you're focusing on roleplaying, then it shouldn't matter too much to the players.

-The Souljourner

 

[AeroDm]

I think the best idea would really to use a composite of pretty much everything suggested thus far.

Use story awards with lowered values to slow progression, and then perhaps break the levels up to give them out piece meal. Using NPC classes would be interesting, although I think you'll find a lot of warriors and experts. Then again, I could be very wrong.

The biggest worry you should have is your players. D&D is designed to continually give you stuff to make you feel good. Look at the new revision, they tried to make sure classes got something every level because players _really_ like that. Giving out magic items isn't the best idea because that is basically the same as giving out levels in terms of giving out power.

I think the best way to do this would be to make a really intriguiing story where characters earn allies, friendships, RP benefits, titles and so on. This way people get a lot of rewards and benefits other than character level.

 

[Beholder Bob]

Each player has three or four characters, representing family lines or what-not. Only 1 PC per player per game, but so that players are part of a larger group. Give out exp at 1/4 rate, with another 1/4 going to the players other characters. They develop while time passes, and in low power games, that occasional death (w/out benefit of raise dead at low level) has its gap filled by the cousin or brother of mr X. You could also alternate between the PC's in the town/city and the intrigues there, and the adventuring group that shows up back at the city every few months.

 

[Scion]

I will also put in for half npc class and half pc class (or there abouts). Point buy of around 25 but no one stat higher than 15. Possibly even useing grim 'n gritty hp system. This could work out to be 'interesting' if done properly PC's will still be powers unto themselves, but not by nearly such a high degree.

If you want to make it even lower than that, only npc class available would be expert. This gives them skills, but little else.