Taren Nighteyes
First Post
drothgery said:21+ = save the cheerleader
I nearly spewed.....good one
D&D changes every 5 levels by design...
I nearly spewed.....good one
Hussar
Legend
T. Foster said:
While that's probably true, I, for one, am very very glad that it's included in the ruleset. Granted, the high level stuff is different and could definitely use the same amount of loving that low level D&D gets, but, at least it's there.
Don't get me wrong, I played in the 1-10 sandbox for most of my gaming. But, it's nice to try something very different without having to change to a different game.
Sammael
Adventurer
Since my current campaign, which started at level 1 some 5 years ago, is on the brink of Epic levels, I can look back and say with complete honesty that I agree with Dancey's premise 100%.
Whether this is a function of the D&D ruleset, or my own mindset as a DM, I cannot say. But I know that the game I've been running has changed quite a bit every 5 levels or so.
(A) Levels 1-5: Save the mayor's daughter. Explore the Sunless Citadel. Travel to a remote town. Escape from the Underdark. Save a tribe of wemics from evil druid's influence.
(B) Levels 6-10: Become affiliated with various organizations. Establish a base of operations. Do some serious dungeon-crawling. Show to the world at large that you are a force to be reckoned with. Save a city from becoming an outpost for evil wizards.
(C) Level 11-15: Visit the setting's largest city. Start taking part in the game played by the setting's major players. Visit the Planes briefly. Enter the world's deadliest dungeon to defeat a major enemy. Pursue said enemy across half the world, defeat his generals, and finally confront him in an epic battle. Save the kingdom from being collateral damage in his evil campaign of terror.
(D) Level 16+: Start fulfilling the prophecy you learned of during period (B). Interact with deities and learn of their divine plans. Travel the Planes for extended periods of time. Save the world from being broken apart by the struggle between gods, and help restore the proper time flow, thus repairing the history.
Whether this is a function of the D&D ruleset, or my own mindset as a DM, I cannot say. But I know that the game I've been running has changed quite a bit every 5 levels or so.
(A) Levels 1-5: Save the mayor's daughter. Explore the Sunless Citadel. Travel to a remote town. Escape from the Underdark. Save a tribe of wemics from evil druid's influence.
(B) Levels 6-10: Become affiliated with various organizations. Establish a base of operations. Do some serious dungeon-crawling. Show to the world at large that you are a force to be reckoned with. Save a city from becoming an outpost for evil wizards.
(C) Level 11-15: Visit the setting's largest city. Start taking part in the game played by the setting's major players. Visit the Planes briefly. Enter the world's deadliest dungeon to defeat a major enemy. Pursue said enemy across half the world, defeat his generals, and finally confront him in an epic battle. Save the kingdom from being collateral damage in his evil campaign of terror.
(D) Level 16+: Start fulfilling the prophecy you learned of during period (B). Interact with deities and learn of their divine plans. Travel the Planes for extended periods of time. Save the world from being broken apart by the struggle between gods, and help restore the proper time flow, thus repairing the history.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Hmm, the first two fit my Midwood campaign outline pretty damn well. At level 11, the main storyline will be over and I'll have to come up with something appropriate.hong said:
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
Well, it's all a matter of scale. If Conan is LV5, and the entire rest of the world is made up of kobolds, commoners, and housecats, it can stay pretty gritty but still maintain his status as the Bestest In the World.
Just 'cuz there *are* 20 levels doesn't mean that anyone in the world *has* them all.
Still, I don't know Conan from a hole in the wall, so if he's cleaving through solid steel walls engineered by dwarves from a dimension beyond, then I guess it's no problem to reconcile him with 20th level uberheroism.
I think that knowing about the divisions in D&D play and that they are intended to be different would help people plan their campaigns: whether they need to slow down XP to keep in their comfort range, and what the style of game is easiest to run at what levels...
Cheers!
Cheers!
Hussar
Legend
That's a good point MerricB. Really, I actually rather enjoyed WulfRatbane's threads about the sweet spot in D&D. This is just an adjunct to that idea. If you enjoy a certain style of play, then stick within the level range that applies. Otherwise, it will very quickly become very frustrating.
In other words, if you want to keep things low key, heroic fantasy, then single digit levels will likely fit your mold rather well. Add in the odd double digit NPC and Bob's your mother's brother.
OTOH, if you want to do something different, say planar adventures or Dark Sun, or even Scarred Lands which is a fairly high octane setting, then bumping the level curve upwards a bit might fit better.
In other words, if you want to keep things low key, heroic fantasy, then single digit levels will likely fit your mold rather well. Add in the odd double digit NPC and Bob's your mother's brother.
OTOH, if you want to do something different, say planar adventures or Dark Sun, or even Scarred Lands which is a fairly high octane setting, then bumping the level curve upwards a bit might fit better.
cwhs01
First Post
I think this scheme is slightly different for spellcasters or fightertypes. I'd say the 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and 16+ fits rather well for fighters (types with full bab progression), but spellcasters usually get a major powerup a level earlier. perhaps for casters, it should look more like this 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, 17+
