DMs:What are your favorite levels to DM?

[just__al]

Had this been a check box poll I would have selected 1-5 and 6-11 but I chose 1-5. I like having characters work their way up from first or second level and actually have an in game story to go with their back story when they start to get a little powerful.

Plus it's hella fun to start using third level spells and your second attack when you started out as a schmoe who could cast magic missle and shield and then had to do things like throw tanglefoot bags and round up the horses because you are out of spells... If you start out that way, you don't feel like you've built up to something special until you start casting 6th level spells and at that point the fighters are making 3 attacks a round and you might be starting to quicken spells and combat takes a while and that's if you get in combat because the bard can talk his way out of dragon's lair WITH the hoarde. I'd rather the players who can do that know they've really accomplished something special because they've started out as schmoes.

So actually I think I like DMing all the levels and I like to start at 1st or 2nd and work upwards.

 

[S'mon]

I'm enjoying my current D&D campaign where the PCs are levels 12-14 and are starting to get established as major political movers & shakers, but have not yet lost the freedom of action that happens at very high levels, where everything is wrapped up in countless layers of politics and taking any action becomes increasingly difficult - at the highest level, the gods themselves (PC & NPC) are almost impotent - any worthwhile enemy they _can_ kill, they've killed ages ago, so what's left are the foes they _can't_ kill - but maybe they can get some mortal heroes to do it for them...

I have to say though, DMing low level is very easy and fun, at least it is in my current Conan game I'm running. Low-level 3e doesn't suit dungeon crawls too well IMO, since 3e PCs die too easy from encountering a monster only a few levels above them. Mid-level definitely seems best for classic dungeon-crawl action. At high levels combat becomes so complicated in 3e it can be a pain to run, which again encourages a change in focus away from killing things, or at least reduces the number of fights/session.