Nebulous
Legend
nope, this exactly. historically D&D has always broke at higher levels, and i expect 5th edition to be about the same. I would not run characters higher than 14th probably.
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D&D 5E How many of your campaigns ACTUALLY ever get to 20th level?
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nope, this exactly. historically D&D has always broke at higher levels, and i expect 5th edition to be about the same. I would not run characters higher than 14th probably.
pkt77242
Explorer
What is this mythical 20th level of which you speak?
MarkB
Legend
About ten years ago we had a 3.5e campaign that lasted from early teen levels up to 20th level. I found that the high-level play was somewhat boring due to the ridiculous power levels of the spells.
More recently, though, we've had an ongoing 4e campaign running on alternate Tuesdays that started not long after 4e came out, running Keep on the Shadowfell, and has progressed all the way through the subsequent modules up to 30th level. Myself and the DM are the only remaining players who were in it from the start, but the rest of the current group all joined no later than the beginning of Paragon tier. This Tuesday we'll be facing off against Orcus in the climactic battle of the entire series.
More recently, though, we've had an ongoing 4e campaign running on alternate Tuesdays that started not long after 4e came out, running Keep on the Shadowfell, and has progressed all the way through the subsequent modules up to 30th level. Myself and the DM are the only remaining players who were in it from the start, but the rest of the current group all joined no later than the beginning of Paragon tier. This Tuesday we'll be facing off against Orcus in the climactic battle of the entire series.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
None. Not even a one-off.
Major campaigns I've played in (some overlapped, and I wasn't around for the entire duration of some):
1e - highest level PC = 11th, highest party average about 9th (ten years) {my highest = 11th}
1e - highest level PC = 7th, highest party average about 5th-6th (seven years)* {my highest = 6th}
3e - highest level PC = 15th, highest party average around 13th (ten years)* {my highest = 11th}
1e - highest level PC = 10th, highest party average around 8th (seven years, still going) {my highest = almost 9th}
Major campaigns DM'ed:
1e - highest level PC = 10th, highest party average about 9th (ten years)
1e - highest level PC = 12th, highest party average close to 10th (twelve years)
1e - highest level PC = 9th, highest party average about 7th (six years, still going)
* - these were single-party linear campaigns with few if any spin-offs or side parties. The other campaigns all had multiple parties being played alternately, sometimes interweaving, merging, splitting, side parties being played now and then, etc.
Lan-"10th level and counting"-efan
Major campaigns I've played in (some overlapped, and I wasn't around for the entire duration of some):
1e - highest level PC = 11th, highest party average about 9th (ten years) {my highest = 11th}
1e - highest level PC = 7th, highest party average about 5th-6th (seven years)* {my highest = 6th}
3e - highest level PC = 15th, highest party average around 13th (ten years)* {my highest = 11th}
1e - highest level PC = 10th, highest party average around 8th (seven years, still going) {my highest = almost 9th}
Major campaigns DM'ed:
1e - highest level PC = 10th, highest party average about 9th (ten years)
1e - highest level PC = 12th, highest party average close to 10th (twelve years)
1e - highest level PC = 9th, highest party average about 7th (six years, still going)
* - these were single-party linear campaigns with few if any spin-offs or side parties. The other campaigns all had multiple parties being played alternately, sometimes interweaving, merging, splitting, side parties being played now and then, etc.
Lan-"10th level and counting"-efan
so a bit of a long story; we had a D&D group in high school started in 1994 (we graduated in 1996). Our english teacher was the DM. We played about 2 hours every thursday after school. During the summer/xmas holidays, we went to his house to play a full day session.
After we graduated, till about 2006, we continued playing 2-3 times/year @ his place. But then after he retired, we had to stop; he got very busy with other retirement activities. In 2011, friends and i suggested playing again but they voted to continue that old campaign. So i got our characters (2e) and I took over that campaign. It started with 12 players in high school...now we have 5 (8 characters). We converted the characters into 3e/pathfinder and I have continued to DM it ever since (3-4 times/year).
The hard part - @ the time we had finished the frost giant lair in the Against the Giants and our old DMs plan was to travel to the underdark and fight lolth. Friends wanted to continue this story. When converted in, everyone was levels 11-12. Now, levels 20-22. THe issue is, gods in 3.XE are more like actual gods (lolth in 1e's adventure really isn't anywhere close).
So we continue to play; friends are having a blast but DM'ing it is a lot of work. We've had to add tons of customizations (on top of the 1000s that 3.XE/pathfinder has), house rules of new abilities, etc.
I expect game to reach levels 50-60 range before they can actually fight actual epic gods. I've added to the background story now so there are much worse things than just Lolth to worry about (that they are just getting hints at).
Sanjay
After we graduated, till about 2006, we continued playing 2-3 times/year @ his place. But then after he retired, we had to stop; he got very busy with other retirement activities. In 2011, friends and i suggested playing again but they voted to continue that old campaign. So i got our characters (2e) and I took over that campaign. It started with 12 players in high school...now we have 5 (8 characters). We converted the characters into 3e/pathfinder and I have continued to DM it ever since (3-4 times/year).
The hard part - @ the time we had finished the frost giant lair in the Against the Giants and our old DMs plan was to travel to the underdark and fight lolth. Friends wanted to continue this story. When converted in, everyone was levels 11-12. Now, levels 20-22. THe issue is, gods in 3.XE are more like actual gods (lolth in 1e's adventure really isn't anywhere close).
So we continue to play; friends are having a blast but DM'ing it is a lot of work. We've had to add tons of customizations (on top of the 1000s that 3.XE/pathfinder has), house rules of new abilities, etc.
I expect game to reach levels 50-60 range before they can actually fight actual epic gods. I've added to the background story now so there are much worse things than just Lolth to worry about (that they are just getting hints at).
Sanjay
Yes, Twice.
First was a 2ed- 3rded where i played a cleric of Thor that would only heal damage from combat. Drove the rogue crazy as he was not as successful with traps as he should have been.
- got trapped in Carceri at level 4, 11 levels later managed to get out using an artifact we "borrowed" from Cronos.
- we went into a dungeon for a rumored artifact greataxe that might there. Played for almost 2 days straight, found the axe before the fighter and rogue died to death traps.
- axe was really powerful, as was its ego, and it really hated giants. we were flying overhead when i saw frost giants walking around below. Axe proceeds to dominate me and we kill them, ends up kicking off an epic war with the giants.
second was a true Sigil Planescape game, my DM's magnum opus. I played a Fated rogue/fighter/gate crasher. Started as a low level noire Sigil campaign, before we eventually visited every plane. There are to many amazing things that happened in this campaign to list. We made war on the 9 hells, worked with Angels, made deals with demons, fought an emperor on Acheron that had a device that could launch cubes at each other, and my character eventually became a God.
played the first through college, the second started while we were in college but finished a couple of years afterwards.
First was a 2ed- 3rded where i played a cleric of Thor that would only heal damage from combat. Drove the rogue crazy as he was not as successful with traps as he should have been.
- got trapped in Carceri at level 4, 11 levels later managed to get out using an artifact we "borrowed" from Cronos.
- we went into a dungeon for a rumored artifact greataxe that might there. Played for almost 2 days straight, found the axe before the fighter and rogue died to death traps.
- axe was really powerful, as was its ego, and it really hated giants. we were flying overhead when i saw frost giants walking around below. Axe proceeds to dominate me and we kill them, ends up kicking off an epic war with the giants.
second was a true Sigil Planescape game, my DM's magnum opus. I played a Fated rogue/fighter/gate crasher. Started as a low level noire Sigil campaign, before we eventually visited every plane. There are to many amazing things that happened in this campaign to list. We made war on the 9 hells, worked with Angels, made deals with demons, fought an emperor on Acheron that had a device that could launch cubes at each other, and my character eventually became a God.
played the first through college, the second started while we were in college but finished a couple of years afterwards.
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Maggan
Writer for CY_BORG, Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane
Yeah, but my players are "slow" to engage the fixed plot. They keep on doing a lot of other stuff not covered in the official adventures, so they level differently.
It's both fun and frustrating at the same time.
Me as DM: Yeah, well all clues points in this direction ...
Players: Let's go somewhere else!
/M
nerfherder
Adventurer
No.
The two nearest were AD&D where we reached about 16th level, and 3e where we got to around 14th level. We just found that we preferred playing around 4-8th level.
The two nearest were AD&D where we reached about 16th level, and 3e where we got to around 14th level. We just found that we preferred playing around 4-8th level.
I have seen two games get to 18 (ran one, played one). Most games stop way before that.
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