D&D 5E How many people start at 20th level?
- Thread starter Sacrosanct
- Start date
I play in 2 "start at level 20" game in 3rd edition. One was freeform and the other had "liferolls" where you rolled every level to see it bad stuff happened to you during your climb to 20. I climbed a PC from 1 to 20 too but XP was like candy in that game.
And I played a lot of of Neverwinter Nights Hordes of the Underdark mods.
Haven't played level 20 5th edition outside tests though.
And I played a lot of of Neverwinter Nights Hordes of the Underdark mods.
Haven't played level 20 5th edition outside tests though.
the Jester
Legend
I've started at 20th level once (well, actually, 21st- it was a 3e epic game), and I have run games with pcs into the 20s level-wise in 1e, maybe 2e (wouldn't swear that anyone broke into the 20s, but definitely high teens), 3e (up to the high-30s, actually) and 4e (up to the high-20s).
So far, the high level guys in my 5e game are 5th.
So far, the high level guys in my 5e game are 5th.
Fanaelialae
Legend
My group went to 20th level twice during 3.5. The second time we actually played for quite some time at epic levels.
We haven't done so in 5e yet, but they've made it to 10th level so far and I have high hopes that they'll go the distance.
We haven't done so in 5e yet, but they've made it to 10th level so far and I have high hopes that they'll go the distance.
S
Sunseeker
Guest
Not being a big fan of "builds" I've never started at level 20. Level 15 once, but several members had to bail suddenly so the campaign never really went off the ground. Our current campaign started with most members at level 10, but several of them are idiots so while we've gained levels overall, several have had to restart at lower levels.
Jester David
Hero
Like [MENTION=6762048]Ezequielramone[/MENTION] the game I ran that hit the highest level was Rise of the Runelords and even that was a single session at level 17. 3e and 4e were just unwieldy to jump that high for a limited campaign.
But I could imagine doing a high level 5e game, since the numbers are smaller and there's no assumed magic. Plus character abilities are more restrained.
But I could imagine doing a high level 5e game, since the numbers are smaller and there's no assumed magic. Plus character abilities are more restrained.
pming
Legend
Hiya.
Yeah, the 20th level "optimization theoreticals" are pretty much pointless. I liken it to a group of 8 year olds standing around the playground at recess, each trying to convince the others of who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman.
Starting at 20th level just to test out your "build" seems, to me anyway, a rather hollow endevour. I mean, the very idea that one "build" could be better at 'adventuring' than another is folly. Any DM worth his salt would be able to present challenging situations of all kinda (each column of gaming in 5e...Combat, Role-Play, and Exploration)... effectively reducing said "build" to the zero-sum game that D&D (and most RPGs) tend to be.
My highest level character was Denakhan. He originally was an Elf and got to 5th level before we switched to AD&D (1e) where he became a Fighter/Magic-User. At about level 8/14 or so, on player was "jealous" of Denakhans ability to wear armor and cast spells, so when it was his time to DM he had Istus (we play in Greyhawk for our 1e to this day) make me choose Fighter or Magic-User. I choose MU. After that, advancing to his highest level of 20th was faster. I think he's about 80k to 100k or so away from 21st. Of course, getting him to level 20 took 6 years of real time, playing an obscene amount of time (kids; no school during summer, after school, holidays, etc....10 to 14 hour sessions were the normal on ever weekend). Back in those days, anyone saying they just "made their character at level 12" (or 15, or 20, etc) would have been laughed at heartily and given "The Black Mark" (meaning that anyone playing with said person was instantly suspect in their RPG'ing pedigree). Hell, starting at any level above 3rd would get you the stink eye...
For the last couple of decades and a half, I (we) haven't really put much stock into character level. We just have fun playing together, eating junk food, laughing and rolling dice. It's generally easier to do that with less "character stuff" (be it system or level) as there is less to keep track of and look over during the game. Highest we've played to recently was a Dark Dungeons (RC/BECMI clone) where everyone got to about 14th level (that system goes to 36th...so I guess 14th is the equivalent of around 8th or 9th maybe). For 5e...highest character so far has hit level 4, halfway to 5th.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Yeah, the 20th level "optimization theoreticals" are pretty much pointless. I liken it to a group of 8 year olds standing around the playground at recess, each trying to convince the others of who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman.
Starting at 20th level just to test out your "build" seems, to me anyway, a rather hollow endevour. I mean, the very idea that one "build" could be better at 'adventuring' than another is folly. Any DM worth his salt would be able to present challenging situations of all kinda (each column of gaming in 5e...Combat, Role-Play, and Exploration)... effectively reducing said "build" to the zero-sum game that D&D (and most RPGs) tend to be.
My highest level character was Denakhan. He originally was an Elf and got to 5th level before we switched to AD&D (1e) where he became a Fighter/Magic-User. At about level 8/14 or so, on player was "jealous" of Denakhans ability to wear armor and cast spells, so when it was his time to DM he had Istus (we play in Greyhawk for our 1e to this day) make me choose Fighter or Magic-User. I choose MU. After that, advancing to his highest level of 20th was faster. I think he's about 80k to 100k or so away from 21st. Of course, getting him to level 20 took 6 years of real time, playing an obscene amount of time (kids; no school during summer, after school, holidays, etc....10 to 14 hour sessions were the normal on ever weekend). Back in those days, anyone saying they just "made their character at level 12" (or 15, or 20, etc) would have been laughed at heartily and given "The Black Mark" (meaning that anyone playing with said person was instantly suspect in their RPG'ing pedigree). Hell, starting at any level above 3rd would get you the stink eye...
For the last couple of decades and a half, I (we) haven't really put much stock into character level. We just have fun playing together, eating junk food, laughing and rolling dice. It's generally easier to do that with less "character stuff" (be it system or level) as there is less to keep track of and look over during the game. Highest we've played to recently was a Dark Dungeons (RC/BECMI clone) where everyone got to about 14th level (that system goes to 36th...so I guess 14th is the equivalent of around 8th or 9th maybe). For 5e...highest character so far has hit level 4, halfway to 5th.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
FormerlyHemlock
Hero
I'll bite. I've never played at 20th level, but I also wouldn't want to play a character who doesn't have a future. If the character makes short-term choices that lead to a long-term dead end, that wouldn't be fun for me, even if he's powerful early on. So having a good twenty-level build for my guy is an important part of my fun.
As an aside, I don't think getting to 20th level in 5E would take a Mony Haul campaign, since 5E levels about 10x as fast as AD&D. According to the 5E "adventuring day" guidelines (which, I will admit, I happily ignore), a single day's adventuring at each level from 1 to 20 yields 249,300 XP, whereas getting to 20 takes 355,000 XP. Ergo, getting to 20th level could probably be accomplished in about 1.5 to 2 days per level, no Monty Haul required.
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Cyan Wisp
Explorer
Exactly once: in 3.5e. The campaign was over the course of years. Started with a duskblade from lvl 1-10, then switched to a new character - a sorcerer - from 10 to 20. Felt pretty good to be there, I have to say! Campaign ended in a PC free-for-all, each trying to claim a nasty, beguiling artifact.
Even my beloved, played-for-years 1e monk never made it past 9th.
Current spirit shaman is 10th (3.5e, Shackled City) and I doubt I'll swap out classes, so might just make it to 20, though the group (me included) is pretty keen to move to 5e where spirit shamans are no more.
Even my beloved, played-for-years 1e monk never made it past 9th.
Current spirit shaman is 10th (3.5e, Shackled City) and I doubt I'll swap out classes, so might just make it to 20, though the group (me included) is pretty keen to move to 5e where spirit shamans are no more.
GameOgre
Adventurer
Back during 2nd edition I ran a game that lasted a long time. The top end characters reached 26th level with the bottom end reaching 18th or so. We started at 1st and even on death you got resurrected or rolled up another 1st level character. Still, you play the same game for a decade or more and levels pile up.
It's strange because since then we play games that comparatively level much faster but we never reached those lofty heights again. Our highest pathfinder characters were 12th and so far for 5th edition it's 8th.
Oh and back when we did reach those levels...nobody planned out their character ahead of time.
It's strange because since then we play games that comparatively level much faster but we never reached those lofty heights again. Our highest pathfinder characters were 12th and so far for 5th edition it's 8th.
Oh and back when we did reach those levels...nobody planned out their character ahead of time.
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