D&D 5E (2014) Do You Start At Level 1?

[payn]

I think if I were to start at level 1 for a new campaign, I would really stretch that level out -- use it to build the Starter Town and the relationships the characters have there, to emphasize the "normal life" of these characters BEFORE they become adventurers.

Thats a tad different than what we usually do with level 1 and 2. Its usually light speed (1 session per level) to 3. Though, we do a lot of experimenting to find out the soul of the character to flesh them out from conception. So, count me in as liking your idea a lot.

 

[Umbran]

I usually start at level 1. I know how many like to start with a more full mechanical build, my groups usually want to do those last steps influenced by what they first encounter.

 

[Reynard]

Thats a tad different than what we usually do with level 1 and 2. Its usually light speed (1 session per level) to 3. Though, we do a lot of experimenting to find out the soul of the character to flesh them out from conception. So, count me in as liking your idea a lot.

I am imagining things like small conflicts at a local level that don't amount in much XP, so that you have, say, 4 sessions before The Call To Adventure trumpets, just at the moment they are gaining level 2. I was a big fan of the Midkemia books when I was younger and those often did a really good job with the farm boy establishing shots, as it were.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Rarely anymore, but ten years ago it was the norm.

I think the people I’m playing with now are just too used to the system and the tropes to find the constraints of a first-level character interesting anymore; we have more complex ideas that need a few levels (or at least a subclass) to express. Plus the swinginess of 1st level isn’t really fun - or at least is fun in a way that the rest of 5e cannot support, so if we wanted that we’d be playing something OSR.

Pre-5e I think we started at 1st level more often than not in all editions, though I don’t think I ever played a single game as much as I have 5e DnD.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I think multiclassing is a huge mistake.

It's certainly completely pointless in 5E since there is so many subclasses most of the character concepts can be done without multiclass.

 

[Charlaquin]

I find levels 3-5 to be the sweet spot for 5e (either version). And I don’t want to just start in the sweet spot, because then the game can only go downhill from there. I like to have a little bit of build-up before reaching that peak, and a little wind-down after. So I tend to prefer to start at level 1, and play to maybe level 7. For a longer-term campaign, maybe as high as 11 or 12.

 

[Mistborn]

Always. We recently finished a campaign at level 20 that I honestly hated for the last six months. Going back to level 1 and generally to lower levels is very refreshing. Completely different emotions and problems. I really missed that.

 

[BenjaminPey]

I love low levels, especially 2nd level. The real build-up.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I prefer to start "big, sprawling campaigns" at level 1, because those early levels are interesting in their own ways, they go by quickly anyway, and we might as well get the full zero to hero experience, and earn all our levels.

But if its a more focused, shorter campaign I'd rather not have it be low level play because that's the part of play I have already experienced the most.

To actually answer the question, I've played with a lot of groups so I've done what a lot of different groups wanted. It probably averages out to a "Usually" or a "Sometimes".

 

[AlViking]

I think if I were to start at level 1 for a new campaign, I would really stretch that level out -- use it to build the Starter Town and the relationships the characters have there, to emphasize the "normal life" of these characters BEFORE they become adventurers.

I've run campaigns here and there were the PCs start out as commoners - sometimes even children. The closest thing to combat was snowball fights and plain old ordinary rats where the risks were not life and death, just humiliation and not getting paid. With the right players, it can be a lot of fun and really helps build and focus on who the characters are, not what they can do.