High Level Games - Love 'em or hate 'em?
- Thread starter kreynolds
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Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
I'll bounce this to General Discussion, as it has nothing to do with rules. Ka-boing!
Incidentally, I love high level games, even though for years they've scared the crap out of me. Sneaking up on them slowly has helped a lot.
My campaign is one month away from hitting its ten year anniversary, and the highest lvl pc is now 19th. Play style has turned more epic, but there are a lot more non-combat challenges (such as politics). They keep the PCs from feeling all-powerful and give them perspective, and they make the times that the group can cut loose with everything that much more fun. Surprisingly, I have no trouble at all challenging them, even though (at present) I'm using primarily low-powered monsters in large quantities.
Incidentally, I love high level games, even though for years they've scared the crap out of me. Sneaking up on them slowly has helped a lot.
My campaign is one month away from hitting its ten year anniversary, and the highest lvl pc is now 19th. Play style has turned more epic, but there are a lot more non-combat challenges (such as politics). They keep the PCs from feeling all-powerful and give them perspective, and they make the times that the group can cut loose with everything that much more fun. Surprisingly, I have no trouble at all challenging them, even though (at present) I'm using primarily low-powered monsters in large quantities.
MythandLore
First Post
High Level Games.
Fun to Play... Hard to Run.
I think they can be very hard on a DM (I know all to well) becuase of all the options the players have at their disposal, but I also find them to be the most enjoyable in the end.
Here is his site for those that haven't been.
http://mwtools.thyle.net/d_gen.html
It's a must see and must use.
Fun to Play... Hard to Run.
I think they can be very hard on a DM (I know all to well) becuase of all the options the players have at their disposal, but I also find them to be the most enjoyable in the end.
CR your the man...CRGreathouse said:
Here is his site for those that haven't been.
http://mwtools.thyle.net/d_gen.html
It's a must see and must use.
Last edited:
Emiricol
Registered User
Well, my party is 7tyh level. This is close to the highest level any group of PCs have ever gotten with me so I don't really know where to go from here. I can say that I have the most fun between 4-10 as a DM.
Now, my campaign is online now so I can explore all kinds of level possibilities I never could before! I love OpenRPG.
Now, my campaign is online now so I can explore all kinds of level possibilities I never could before! I love OpenRPG.
Frostmarrow
First Post
We've just hit 16th level after (almost) completing Lord of the Iron Fortress. I must admit that the game keeps it's integrity even at high levels. Our DM never fudges a dice roll and plays the opposition to the hilt. It's amazing we don't die more often. When we lose a party member it's usually due to a instakill spell. This gives us an enormous sense of acomplishment when we win a major encounter and lives to tell the tale.
I don't know if I prefer high level games or mid level ones. I like the possibilities of the epic but I also like the limitations of the mid level game. One problem I have with the high level game is that you don't have as much to look forward to. On the other hand it's nice to have that Limited Wish1) spell at your fingertips.
1) I used a limited wish to circumvent bureaucracy. We handed in our application forms and learned that it would take three weeks to process the paperwork. I wished (in a limited sort of way) that our application should be moved to the top of the pile. Works wonders on red tape!
In a mid level game we would have had to wait for three weeks or do some brekaing and entering to physically shift the papers our selves.
I don't know if I prefer high level games or mid level ones. I like the possibilities of the epic but I also like the limitations of the mid level game. One problem I have with the high level game is that you don't have as much to look forward to. On the other hand it's nice to have that Limited Wish1) spell at your fingertips.
1) I used a limited wish to circumvent bureaucracy. We handed in our application forms and learned that it would take three weeks to process the paperwork. I wished (in a limited sort of way) that our application should be moved to the top of the pile. Works wonders on red tape!
In a mid level game we would have had to wait for three weeks or do some brekaing and entering to physically shift the papers our selves.
Thanee
First Post
High level games are a lot harder to DM than low level games. For some this is a challenge, for others an annoyance.
For the players, high level characters grant a lot of options, which would generally be more appealing to most people, I suppose.
One thing I notice about higher level games, is, that magic is taking over. Magic easily becomes the focus of the whole campaign, while the simple fighter types are pushed into the background. This does not have to be, but often will be the case.
If there's only a single high level spellcaster present, the DM has to carefully consider the magical options (especially divinations) when creating the big plan for the adventure, so that magic will not easily foil everything.
I personally like both, low and high level, but I definitely prefer mid level (not too low and not too high).
Bye
Thanee
For the players, high level characters grant a lot of options, which would generally be more appealing to most people, I suppose.
One thing I notice about higher level games, is, that magic is taking over. Magic easily becomes the focus of the whole campaign, while the simple fighter types are pushed into the background. This does not have to be, but often will be the case.
If there's only a single high level spellcaster present, the DM has to carefully consider the magical options (especially divinations) when creating the big plan for the adventure, so that magic will not easily foil everything.
I personally like both, low and high level, but I definitely prefer mid level (not too low and not too high).
Bye
Thanee
Zappo
Explorer
Me too. As a player, I enjoy it more when "being in danger" means "one bad roll and you're dead". Call me masochist if you want.ThomasBJJ said:
It certainly encourages me to find creative ways to avoid danger and to minimize risks. As a DM, well, I just hate preparing high level encounters. It takes ages and it's extremely difficult to think about everything the players could do.But I like high-level gaming too! There's something about high-level classed monsters that just charms me. Whenever I think that the MM monsters are too weak, I remind myself of the little sentence in that book that states "all the monsters presented as examples here represent the weakest and most common of their species". Hmmm... 12th level frost giant fighters? 17th level Balor cleric? 7th level rogue/3rd level barbarian/5th level blackguard half-red dragon 12 HD troll with above-average stats? How do you want to die today?
Desdichado
Hero
I don't hate high level games, but because it's the only option that allows me to dislike them...
I don't think the system works well at high level. I don't like how the modifiers mean more than the dice roll. I don't like the overarching complexity. I don't like the greed for more power that high levels can encourage. All in all, I prefer playing up 'til about 10-12 and then stopping. But I don't really like ultra-low level that much either: I can't wait to get past level 2-3 or so and into "lower mid-level" gaming. That's what I really prefer.
I don't think the system works well at high level. I don't like how the modifiers mean more than the dice roll. I don't like the overarching complexity. I don't like the greed for more power that high levels can encourage. All in all, I prefer playing up 'til about 10-12 and then stopping. But I don't really like ultra-low level that much either: I can't wait to get past level 2-3 or so and into "lower mid-level" gaming. That's what I really prefer.
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