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Message: <blockquote data-quote="THEMNGMNT" data-source="post: 9794128" data-attributes="member: 6809274">I've run a 5E campaign from 1st to 20th level with 7 epic boons. Basically, 27th level. It lasted 122 sessions and had 5 player characters.I have also run two campaigns from 1st to 13th level. Both had 3 player characters.There's a few things I learned.First, the game works really well with 3 PCs at any level. They feel heroic but always at risk. With 5 PCs they come on strong at level 5 and it just gets worse from there. It takes a lot of work to challenge them. So action economy matters a lot in 5E.Second, to challenge a larger group of players, I set a minimum threshold for monster damage and accuracy by tier. Minimum to hit bonuses are +3, +6, +9, +12. For damage I take the average damage roll and multiply it by tier -- so 2x, 3x, and 4x. This allows me to throw a horde of goblin minions at Tier 2 characters, or ogres at Tier 3 characters, and still have them be effective. I also use a variety of legendary actions that "break the rules" -- Legendary Damage, Legendary Accuracy, Legendary Resistances, Legendary Saving Throws, etc. They all basically do what you expect they would do.Third, my sense of immersion starts to break at about 13th level due to 7th level spells. They just take the game in a more fantastical direction. For future campaigns, I'll be curating the spell list to ensure the PCs don't start plane hopping if the campaign is about the survival of Shadowdale.Fourth is related to third. Reskinning monsters allows me to tell a wider variety of stories at high level. For example, I found the Pit Fiend stat block to be very effective. But it can also be reskinned as an evil king, for example, if I want to keep the campaign more grounded and less planar.Fifth and most importantly...campaign pacing. No one talks about this, but it's hugely important. In my experience, Tier 1 goes by in about a dozen sessions. So does Tier 4! A high level campaign needs to be paced with the assumption that high level play will come to a quick end. It's not something meant to be drawn out. It's concise, decisive, and epic. It's...well, it's the climax. Even if high level play is extra work for the DM...the good news is that it won't last forever. Make the most of it.</blockquote>

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