How High Level Should the Core Book Go?

How High Level Should the Core Book Go?

  • Level 20

    Votes: 41 48.2%
  • Level 30

    Votes: 16 18.8%
  • Other (Please Specify)

    Votes: 28 32.9%

20 minimum. Anything less is IMO, an incomplete resource. Anything greater runs into the realm of "how often do people really do this?" And is better suited for an "Epic Adventures" addition.
 

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I'm still holding out hope for a "starter set/box", with additional modules/modes of play to direct the game in the variety of ways people want to play, a la BECMI (or at least B, E, and a C/M mash up) so I would be more than happy for the initial release to only go to level 5 (I do think the B/X, BECMI, 1-3 "Basic" is too few).

So I voted "Other."

I want to start at the very beginning and see how it goes. Getting from 1st to 5th level gives everyone (new and old players and DMs) a nice easy taste of how things will/should progress. Not to mention keeping page count down in the initial books.

If you get to level 5 before the "Advanced" material comes out, you should be able to easily extrapolate how to continue beyond that on your own.

That said, but in the same vein, going to level 10 would be a nice round figure that could be considered the "end" of the first "tier" of play. You get to 10, build your fortresses and retire from adventuring life a happy wealthy lord.

Then, the "Advanced" hard cover material can go, I would say, up to 20. Which itches the scratch for those who want to play "high" level (meaning, for the purposes of this hypothetical post, 10+). With details for players and more info for DMs on how to effectively create and run challenging adventures of that caliber (not just, "Ok so, you're going to go kill this god" kind of stuff).

If they don't do that boxed/tiered route, or even if they do but also have the "Advanced" materials coming out in the "holy triad" of hardcover books, then yes, 20 all together in separate Player/DM books makes sense.

Then a later/additional book with the more complex optional rules and modules for 20+ "epic" play...which as someone here stated strike me as 'Just how many people really do this/get there?".

A "Dungeons & Dragons Highlords/Masters of the Universe" kinda book...preferably with the info for Players and DMs in the same volume...Followed up, naturally, with the additional mataerial of a: "Creatures of Legend" monster vault, containing all kinds of incredibly rare and impossible-to-beat critters and extra-planar entities, a "Lords of War" supplement for non-caster types and full on tactical/country creating/world conquering type wargames play, and a "Tome of the Archmagi", with all of the rules and listings for "epic" level spells, caster classes, magic items, and the creation thereof. :)

<comes back down out of the clouds and the point of the post> So, yeah. 5th or 10th level in the first release material works for me.

--SD
 

10.

I'd prefer to have a well thought out handbook, without trying to fit all the rules for all levels and tiers in one book.

Also, I never got past 7th or 8th level. Few campaigns do the entire level range, so have paragon and epic as expansions (or modules, so that it doesn't sound like a MMO)
 

10 levels in basic set - 5 minimum, but I would prefer 10. More options for those + another 10 up to 20 in advanced (PHB). Epic levels in their own book.
 

I say 10. Adding 10 more later as an additional supplement for superhero level is always possible later than. And 10 more for quasi-deity stuff. Maybe even -10 for those who want commoner games? "I'm a linkboy and you're only a lackey!"
 



Basic information in the main/core book(s) should go from 1 to 20, but would only detail levels 1-10. Levels 11-15 could be empire building with strongholds and such, but should also cover planar adventuring. Levels 16 to 20 are where you get into the realm of superheroes and godhood. Anything past 20 is in the realms of Immortals.

1- Basic box, levels 1-3 or 5
2- Core book(s), levels 1-10
3- High Level Options, 1,2, or 3 books detailing above

If they spread the levels out too far they have to pad them out with Schtuff to avoid having dead levels. I like to avoid Schtuff whenever possible.
 

What is level?

I'm having a little trouble actually determining a specific answer. I don't see level as a stable enough concept to judge well. 15th level means quite different things between 1, 2, 3, and 4 e's.

So, to me, this is about power level. What kind of power level should the core book "top out" at? I think maybe at that point where you have to start seriously considering whether the PCs will be challenging gods or not. Let the base run 'em up to the maximum mortal heroicity, then choose modules from there. Perhaps Corporeal power (kingdoms, armies, etc.) or Supernatural Power (Demigod 2) or something else. (Basic idea cribbed from others.)

Now what level is that? Who knows? They say they are flattening the power/level slope so maybe they can stretch it to 20. However, I'd be happy with 10. Then when you get into the "Expert" level play from 11-20, the group can choose how they want to proceed. Maybe make another choice at levels 21-30, for the groups that like that sort of thing. I rarely participate in campaigns that make it too far past 10th anyway, my guess would be that new gamers would be itching to restart before they got much higher. (Of course they could also drastically change the pace of leveling so...)

As long as the high-end flavor elements are user-selectable, I think it will work out somehow.
 

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