Here's a random thought: for those of you tiring of the "zero to hero" situation, how about turning it around for a change? Start up a campaign where the PCs start out powerful (however high you decide is powerful enough: 12th level maybe, or heck, maybe even 20th) and somehow trigger a curse (maybe by ticking off a deity? - you decide). From that point on, track XP in reverse; as they run through more and more encounters, they lose XP and eventually start dropping in level. This would have to be different than mere standard level loss - it can't be reversed with a restoration spell or whatever. Now the PCs have a definite goal: find out how they triggered the curse and how to go about getting it reversed...all while every bit of combat removes XP and gets them closer and closer to losing yet another level. And as formerly powerful PCs, they'll have made similarly powerful enemies, who they'll now need to try to avoid. Heck, they'll have to start deciding whether any particular given combat is worth the potential subsequent drop in level. And yet, as the world still believes them to be the movers and shakers - literally the best at what they do - they'll still be getting requests to do the things that need getting done.
It would probably get really irritating for the players if you to tried to stretch this over a full campaign (more or less in reverse), but it could be an interesting way to start off a campaign in a completely different manner. And whatever level the PCs are at when they finally manage to reverse their curse, that's where they'll start back up at gaining levels like normal...only with their previous powerful enemies just as powerful as they ever were.
I don't know if this is even anything other than just a stray thought that popped into my brain upon seeing the phrase "zero to hero."
Johnathan
It would probably get really irritating for the players if you to tried to stretch this over a full campaign (more or less in reverse), but it could be an interesting way to start off a campaign in a completely different manner. And whatever level the PCs are at when they finally manage to reverse their curse, that's where they'll start back up at gaining levels like normal...only with their previous powerful enemies just as powerful as they ever were.
I don't know if this is even anything other than just a stray thought that popped into my brain upon seeing the phrase "zero to hero."
Johnathan