D&D 5E (2014) Have you seen "Squished Leveling" in DND?

[Paul Farquhar]

Having only ten levels encourages going big right out of the gate, and I think that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Play a superhero RPG.

Or you could start at level 10, which amounts to pretty much the same thing.

 

[Distracted DM]

I think the other item that this addresses, as mentioned in OP, is that it also negates HP inflation (which e# also strives to do).
However, that would also IMO require a reconfiguring of monster math etc. if you wanted it to go in both directions (PC and Monster)... but I guess e6 didn't really care about monsters' stats (iirc).

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

Or you could start at level 10, which amounts to pretty much the same thing.

Problem with starting at level 10 instead of attempting to readjust class features is that some classes really get overpowered at higher levels. You'd have to do something to nerf casters, because it's around levels 5-10 that casters seriously overtake martials and playing beyond that point is just badly imbalanced.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Problem with starting at level 10 instead of attempting to readjust class features is that some classes really get overpowered at higher levels. You'd have to do something to nerf casters, because it's around levels 5-10 that casters seriously overtake martials and playing beyond that point is just badly imbalanced.

Yes, but nerfing casters is a much more practical approach, since it addresses an actual issue.

Although all classes break by level 14, it’s not just casters.

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

Yes, but nerfing casters is a much more practical approach, since it addresses an actual issue.

Although all classes break by level 14, it’s not just casters.

True true.

 

[el-remmen]

This is similar to my Vanity Frankenstein 5E project. (<-- some of the things the intro post<s> describe are no longer true as the rules have developed - but near the end is a link to a google drive with PDFs for the chapters as they currently-ish stand).

 

[Spellslinging Sellsword]

I recently reworked 5E to 10 levels with no multi-classing. Level 1 is basically 5E level 3. Level 2 is 5E level 4. After that each level is 2 5E levels. XP for level 2 is the XP for 5E 4th. Each level after is the 5E even level so level 3 is 5E 6th level XP. I made the spell levels equal class levels by making cantrips 1st level spells and +1 to other levels so level 10 spells are 5E level 9 spells. Also switched to a spell point system where a spell costs points equal to its level. So a level 1 Cantrip costs 1 point and a level 3 spell costs 3 spell points. Wizard and Cleric get 10 points to start and peak at 48 points. Other casters get 1/2 spell points.

 

[Distracted DM]

Looks like someone else considered this method, maybe something of theirs could help refine/inform/reinforce your choices here.

 

[DeviousQuail]

Looks like someone else considered this method, maybe something of theirs could help refine/inform/reinforce your choices here.

They even used the word squish. Not sure how I missed it. Thanks for finding this.

 

[Clint_L]

... because it's around levels 5-10 that casters seriously overtake martials and playing beyond that point is just badly imbalanced.

Are you playing with the 2024 rules? Because that is flat not the case. It's around levels 8-20 that full casters start to catch up to classes like monk, fighter, and barbarian. In some circumstances. If it's a combat heavy campaign, the balance is still heavily tilted.

At level 5, 2024 martials crush full casters.