How many levels?

[B.T.]

How many levels should 5e have? Thirty, twenty, ten?

 

[Steely_Dan]

How many levels should 5e have? Thirty, twenty, ten?

I heard it was 20.

20 seems to be a theme (ability scores, AC).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I liked 4E 3 Tiers of Heroic, Paragon and Epic, but I don't think Epic really needs to be part of the core rule. 20 levels are plenty, and very few campaigns will make it beyond there, so "EPic" will rarely see deep support. It happened neither in 3E, where Epic Levels were pretty much a broken concept (well, IMO), nor in 4E, where it was core and pretty much worked mechanically. Groups fall apart and interest in the same same campaigns wanes too quickly to really have much of a chance to get to Epic.

 

[was]

20, with an epic handbook for those so inclined

 

[mach1.9pants]

Yup as above 20 plus 21-30 as an extra module/book for those into super epic levels.

 

[GX.Sigma]

They've said they're supporting progression up to level 20, with options for uncapped advancement past that. That works for me.

 

[Yora]

How many levels it should have depends on what things are possible at a given level. Mostly what spells are available and what monsters PCs can handle.

In 3rd and 4th Edition, I think 10 is enough. After that PCs have powers and fight monsters that have no place in the campaigns I usually play.

 

[Obryn]

36, obvs.



-O

 

[Lanefan]

It should be designed to have an open-ended number of levels of which only the first 12 or so are expected to ever be played. The higher levels are for villains, overlords, and play groups/DMs who want to play at very high levels and are willing to work to bend the system to make it playable there.

To make the game last, design for a very slow progression through those 12-ish levels.

Lanefan

 

[RangerWickett]

I'd prefer 20 to _be_ epic. I mean, you're throwing meteor swarms. That's fairly epic. What, do you need to be able to stand next to mountains and chop them down with the edge of your hand?