Pathfinder 1E How much time between Level 3 and Level 15?

[koesherbacon]

Some of the other players in a group I'm playing in have asked me to DM a similar game for them with fewer characters and higher level.

They'd like to use their same characters but have the game set in the future where instead of being Level 3's they wanted to be Level 15's.

I'd like to accurately set the game the proper time in the future. How much time would you estimate it took them to advance from Level 3 to 15? I was thinking of setting it 10 years in the future. Think that's appropriate? Think more time has past? Or less? Help me out here!

Thanks a bunch

 

[Nagol]

Depends on how active the PCs are and where the xp award dial has been set. My last D&D campaign went from 1 - 20 in less than 5 years in-game using the 3.5 default xp curve but requiring training time house rules. Getting to 3rd took a few weeks. The group could have shaved a year of that easily, but had a period of death/leveling pain around 12rh level. The training house rules added about another year all-told to the duration.

 

[radja]

I wouldn't worry much about the time, but I would put the whole 15th level campaign in a parallel universe. You can branch it off from the "original" universe at any time before 15th lvl, although I'd branch it off either at 3rd level, or even before that with some slight differences in the setting (and there will almost certainly be differences, since you are 2 DMs).

 

[steeldragons]

As noted above, there is no "right amount" of time. Mybe it takes 3 years to get to 5th, then they started taking on bigger jobs/challenges, maybe they took a year off to start strongholds or research magic items...maybe their hypothetical DM from levels 3 to 15 was stingy or overly generous...

The most important thing in such a jump, what can they do?! How many magic items are they going to have? What "super-powered" items and signature weapons will they be allowed to choose...that they found somewhere around 5th-10th level and have used ever since...or re you going to assign them? I will second the suggestion to make sure its understood this is "alternate reality/possible universe" future...and definitely not "you will have/get all of this stuff in the other game by the time you get to 15th."

So the obvious answer to the question at hand, as proper for most things, is 42.

I'd say just take a year a level and be done with it. So, age them 12 years.

 

[brvheart]

The other question is what is the chance that these characters would even survive to make it to level 15? Level 3 is a tough level to start and make it to 10. The chances could be as low as 1 in 6. Which is why I don't like the idea. Why not just suggest they create new characters at level 15 instead?

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I significant factor to figuring this answer would be what they were doing within this time.
-Do they retire from adventuring?
-If they retire, are they still utilizing their skills?
-Or, do they continue adventuring non-stop between level 3 and 15?
-Is the region where they would live dangerous? Is there a war going on that they'd participate in, or wild animals or monsters threatening the general population that they would hunt or defend against?

The context of their choices and the environment determine the ranges for your answer.

I had played a campaign that ended at level 6. I went on to write for fun the year my character spent getting from level 10 to level 11. He had worked some odd jobs, ended up working for a wizard academy, took a sabbatical to apply his skills to designing and enchanting a fortress in the wilderness. He used spells every day, had occasional crises to tend to, hunted for food and safety, used skills for mundane and magical crafting. He wasn't adventuring, but he was using his class abilities. I determined this to take him the year.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Ten years is fine. Too long and human PCs are going to have to add uncomfortable modifiers to their stats. (Or very comfortable, possibly, if they're casters.)

I've only seen two systems suggest what rate you should gain levels. GURPS suggests you gain a "level" every 4 years (this is as part of character gen though, not after), and another (d20 Modern?) suggested gaining your 2nd-level takes 1 year, then 2 years for 3rd, 4 years for 4th, and so forth. Both systems seem to peak at early middle age around level 7. All these seem to imply the characters were not active adventurers at the time.

 

[S'mon]

I would use 6-12 years, but my actual 4e campaign went from 3rd to 15th in just under a year of game time.

 

[Ramaster]

"Heavy" adventuring amounts, on average, to one level every seven days more or less.

"Light" adventuring adds up to one level every month.

Very spaced or very light adventuring might be one level a year.

Decide how where they spending their time and award XP accordingly.

So maybe they had a very busy week when they got a level right there, a less busy but nonetheless quite agitated month when they got another level, and then 10 years worth of peace and the up keeping of a business/fortress/household/organization/etc… with a couple adventures in between when they got the other ten.