How high have you started?

[BronzeDragon]

Level 1. all new PCs start at lvl 1.

And I have to agree 100%.

Even though I do not play OD&D...

 

[yennico]

I start most of my campaigns at 1st level. One shots can be startet at higher levels, but never on epic level .

 

[Bloodstone Press]

Level 1. all new PCs start at lvl 1.

The first group I joined back in 1e were all 5th-8th level. Because of that rule, I had to start at 1st level, and keep getting killed. And keep starting over at first level..... but it was fun for some reason

I've played in one game where we started out at near epic levels, using the savave species rules playing angels. It was cool.

I've also played a near epic game from WotC. I forget the name of it now... I played a 20th level monk with rediculous saving throws.

 

[BronzeDragon]

The first group I joined back in 1e were all 5th-8th level. Because of that rule, I had to start at 1st level, and keep getting killed. And keep starting over at first level..... but it was fun for some reason

This is a completely different matter AFAIC.

When I start a new campaign, I start everyone at 1st level.

When someone joins a running campaign, I get them to join at 1 level lower than the lowest level currently in the party.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I went with 4-6. The new game I'm in the process of starting will begin at level 5. While I can understand the "level 1 and only level 1" mentality--and the game I'm currently a player in began at 1--I personally like a slight bit of leeway, even at the start. Level 5 means the characters don't get blown over by a stiff breeze, and have a few more options in combat other than "I hit it with my sword/light crossbow/1 magic missile."

Sometimes I slow down xp a bit at the very start to give the players a chance to get used to their abilities in the same way they would have had they earned their 5 levels organically, but I like those levels to be there. Makes the beginning of a campaign more forgiving and interesting, IMO.

 

[diaglo]

How high a level have you used to start a running game?

of course, there was this one time when i ... but that was in my younger more experimental days.

i don't touch the stuff anymore.

i'm strictly a beer & pretzels D&Der now.

 

[The Amazing Dingo]

We've started at 11th-13th but I prefer lower levels, usually 2nd to 5th.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I usually start d20 at 3rd level. That gives players a chance to hit all the bases of a typical multiclass, gives the PC time to have accrued an interesting background, and leapfrogs the "one non-critical hit, one kill" levels.

I've also started at as high as 10th level. That's fun in Conan or Modern, but in D&D, never again.

Well, probably.

 

[Davelozzi]

I voted level 1 because I always start at the beginning for a full fledged campaign (or level 3 fro Dark Sun back in the day).

For one shots or short story arcs we'll start higher if needed, generally in the 4-6 range.

 

[KB9JMQ]

As a DM all games I have started have begun with 1st Level PCs.
I have played in a game that started with 6th Level that I still play in occasionally and it is fun but I miss the things that happen to a character from first to whatever that help define who that character is or items that character has or had.