Ever run a high level party through a low level module?

[Baron Opal]

No, but I've done the opposite. I've run a low level party through a high level adventure... after a high level party went through it. I figured out what a high level party might leave and what hid from them and adjusted things as necesary. It was fun.

I did have a 200 lizardfolk army attack a group of eight 5th level characters. It was ugly. For the lizardfolk. The PCs had a great time.

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

Yes, long ago I played in a mid-level game with two circa 15th level characters. I believe it might have even been part of Desert of Desolation. Needless to say, we slaughtered the place.

 

[S'mon]

Ya, I've done. I just play the villians a little smarter and it's pretty fun.

I like to do this and for once actually play the bad guys all-out; seeing Wiz-20s fleeing 1 hit die orcs really brings a smile to my face.

 

[Whimsical]

Yes, I use low level adventure sites for my high level games on a very regular basis.

With high level gaming, I like to think BIG! The entire multiverse is the "dungeon," teleport/wind walk/plane shift is the "hallway," the target location is the "room," and if that location happens to be secured against direct entry, then the surrounding structure and wards is the "walls" & "door".

Each "dungeon room" for a 20th level party could have been the entire "dungeon" for a lower level party. And each relevant adventure site could be spread out enormous distances, including between planes, but it's just a Gate and a Teleport away.

This is how I don't care that a high level party can move through walls with ease and avoid entire sections to get the toy surprise at the bottom of the cereal box. This is how high level divinations and movement magics makes the game instead of breaks the game. This is just how high level parties work.

It's also fun to use lower level adventures when a high level PC needs to make a solo quest. When the archmage defeats the hobgoblin leader of the goblin army in ritual hand-to-hand combat to take command of the army, that's hella fun.

 

[rgard]

I was just thinking of a fun idea for a high level party (like 20th). Have them run through a low level module (like 10th) and just see fast they could do it. It wouldn't be a campaign certainly, just a couple of sessions for fun. Has anyone ever tried anything like that?

In 1E we started with G3 (average levels we were about one level short of where we should have been for G3 when we started it) and worked our way back through G2 to G1. G1 was pretty much a cake walk.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[MonkeyDragon]

I did have a 200 lizardfolk army attack a group of eight 5th level characters. It was ugly. For the lizardfolk. The PCs had a great time.

This makes me think of my desire to pit my players with a handful of allies against hordes of lesser opponents in a strategic environment.

...can you guess that I've seen 300 twice since it opened? Man, that's an awesome movie.

 

[haakon1]

It is nice to allow the PCs a chance to feel like big damn heroes every once in a while.

Agreed. Once in a while, it's fun to go level agnostic. The main thing about overleveled characters is they don't have to stop and sleep after every battle, so it's more "movie like".

The most memorable instance of this for me was a 9th level ranger going into the Caves of Chaos in "Return to the Keep on the Borderlands" (2nd edition version of the module, played using 3e rules). He went on a "gun run" into the lair of the evil wizard to rescue a hostage. I didn't change the wizard's stats from what I had for the 1st level party that was also adventuring in the area at the time. The ranger made short work of the wizard's pets and guards, but got caught with a Hold Person spell. The wizard failed to kill him with a Coup de Grace and decided to skidaddle, because he was scared of the ranger's (badly wounded but still dangerous) animal companion and REALLY didn't want to see the rest of the party he assumed this guy was scouting for . . .