Level Up (A5E) GMing and High Level play

[AK81]

Being a new DM can be hard, it is just difficult for me to remember because that was over 30 years ago! The important thing to remember, no mater what you advice or warnings you read on redit or watch on Youtube, every group is different. You need to find what works for your group.

Also, I suggest throwing in some Epic Encounters every now and again.

Thanks for the advice. I need to be careful so I don't adopt other tables problems and make them my own

 

[tetrasodium]

I guess the two "problems" I have and may become even more pronounced at higher levels is encounter balance. I think it's often difficult to judge how difficult a fight will be.

I want my players to have exciting and challenging encounters, but I do not want to kill their characters.

It somewhat will depend on how much healing the party has available but it's generally very difficult for a character to die without being executed if there are potions available & characters capable of casting healing spells. Quite a few maneuvers have ways that players can recover health or dig themselves out of bad situations like certain types of failed saves. Also the higher level players get the easier it is for them to bring someone back from the dead with magic & there is even a few new ways a player could come back (ie vendetta>revenant feats & Devotion destiny).

Also I think combat can often drag a bit. At least on my side of the screen. I've talked to my players and they seems to find it exciting so far.

Monsters are much more interesting in their abilities in a5e to help there.

 

[AK81]

It somewhat will depend on how much healing the party has available but it's generally very difficult for a character to die without being executed if there are potions available & characters capable of casting healing spells. Quite a few maneuvers have ways that players can recover health or dig themselves out of bad situations like certain types of failed saves. Also the higher level players get the easier it is for them to bring someone back from the dead with magic & there is even a few new ways a player could come back (ie vendetta>revenant feats & Devotion destiny).

Monsters are much more interesting in their abilities in a5e to help there.

On that note, is it possible to just swap out the o5e monsters with a5e monsters? And use the new encounter building rules from a5e

 

[tetrasodium]

On that note, is it possible to just swap out the o5e monsters with a5e monsters? And use the new encounter building rules from a5e

More or less sure. I personally remember the hassles of trying to use 3.0 content in 3.5 & 3.x stuff in PF1 so just decided to do a clean break & limit everything to the levelup stuff. At worst you might need to calculate maneuver DCs or something in a few cases (8+prof+ strength or dex mod) or something & there's a page towards the back of monstrous menagerie explaining that it's intended to be compatible but be aware of these (easy) things.

 

[Morrus]

On that note, is it possible to just swap out the o5e monsters with a5e monsters? And use the new encounter building rules from a5e

Yep!

 

[Morrus]

More or less sure. I personally remember the hassles of trying to use 3.0 content in 3.5 & 3.x stuff in PF1 so just decided to do a clean break & limit everything to the levelup stuff. At worst you might need to calculate maneuver DCs or something in a few cases (8+prof+ strength or dex mod) or something & there's a page towards the back of monstrous menagerie explaining that it's intended to be compatible but be aware of these (easy) things.

You don’t have to calculate maneuever DCs for any A5E monsters. They’re all in the stat block.

 

[tetrasodium]

You don’t have to calculate maneuever DCs for any A5E monsters. They’re all in the stat block.

I've noticed and appreciate it. At one point early on one of my players commented how it must be a pain having to calculate everything & I walked over to point out where the maneuver dc along with proficiency bonus are listed to an instant "ooOOOoOOoo"

 

[Stalker0]

I have run a few high level 5e adventurers and never had an issue. High level campaigns break down for a number of reasons but I think 5e reduces the “slowdown of combat” really noticed in 3e, and while high level wizards can still flex out some incredible feats, reduced spell slots + concentration dramatically reduces the frequency.

 

[Larnievc]

Thanks for the advice. I need to be careful so I don't adopt other tables problems and make them my own

When I started with 5e (having DM’d all of the previous editions) I immediately thought ‘right, better house rule this and that’ because I thought it would cause a problem ‘down the line’.

Turns out I needn’t have bothered: 5e hangs together really well.

 

[AK81]

When I started with 5e (having DM’d all of the previous editions) I immediately thought ‘right, better house rule this and that’ because I thought it would cause a problem ‘down the line’.

Turns out I needn’t have bothered: 5e hangs together really well.

Thanks for the advice

I like o5e so far, but I really like the exploration rules in a5e. So I think I will try to plug them into my ongoing campaign.
And probably use some of the monsters from a5e too.

Hopefully that will work just fine without having to change the PC's at all