I refuse to DM 3/3.5 past 7th level. How about you?

[lukelightning]

I think around 11-12ish is my cap.

 

[interwyrm]

As a player, once I get to around 12-13 I want to build some sort of stronghold or organization.
As a GM, at high levels, I like to try to challenge players by making low CR monsters a threat. I don't mean by adding class levels. If players don't take proper precautions, goblins might follow them around, steal their stuff, attack and then run away past traps, and then fire at the pc's with ranged weapons.

I'd like to run goblins like that all the time, but then they aren't really an appropriate challenge for low level players

I dunno. I think high level play is cumbersome when you use unfamiliar high level monsters... and oh god is it terrible when you decide to use enemies with class levels. You can waste an entire week preparing for a session if you do that.

 

[kigmatzomat]

As a player, once I get to around 12-13 I want to build some sort of stronghold or organization.

That is a reflection of your base assumptions about the power level of the game. Which is neither good/bad/right/wrong but it does imply you think 12-13th level characters are worthy of having strongholds simply by dint of their deeds.

IMC if you make friends with the nobility and fight several (public) battles for good, gods & country you might be granted lands and the right to build a fortified structure around 15th level or so.

Organizations are different and a cunning individual can start agitating for that at much lower levels.

I think high level play is cumbersome when you use unfamiliar high level monsters... and oh god is it terrible when you decide to use enemies with class levels. You can waste an entire week preparing for a session if you do that.

I try to introduce new monsters at higher levels simply to keep up the mix; running a campaign with a "chaos land" helps out a bit on that front. Class levels aren't that bad as long as you don't go PrC crazy. I try to come up with a theme for my classed NPCs and grab the most common appropriate classes.

Using PCGen doesn't hurt much either, especially when it comes to spell selection for casters and applying magic items.

 

[Beale Knight]

The only 3.x game I've run is still going and the PCs have just hit level 5 (with one at 6). So far no problems, but I hope to get back to vote in the next year or so - at which time I hope to vote for any level's okay!