If most DMs prefer low-mid levels...why have levels?

[Gundark]

I know that the title is a bit wierd. I admit that I havn't really done any research on this...this is basically observation. It seems that the majority of DMs prefer low to mid levels to run games (I think I've seen a few polls on this) . The vast majority of the published adventures that we see are for low-mid level characters.

Almost seems like higher levels are shunned. If most DMs prefer lower power adventures then......why bother having levels to begin with? Shouldn't D&D be front loaded instead? I'm thinking something like shadowrun where characters do improve as time passes...just not in leaps and bounds like D&D. That way the characters stay relatively in the same power range.

Discuss...


PS. This isn't really a Harp on level systems. I have no problem with levels. The above was something I was recently thinking.

 

[Crothian]

Well, D&D isn't about limiting itself to what some of the people want. It is a game of options.

 

[Agent Oracle]

So that people at low-mid levels have something to strive for? Duh.

I mean, more than once, I've been in a game with a DM who thought a story should carry you all 20 levels. Now, none of these GM's have ever actually FINISHED their campaigns. but it was a valiant effort... or a less-than-valiant effort, every time.

Incedentally, i don't think characters improve by leaps and bounds in D&D levels. I mean, a level 10 fighter only has 5% difference in his combat ability from a level 11 fighter. And a 14th level wizard gets, what, one more spell than an 13th level one? (feel free to correct me)

 

[Lanefan]

You need levels, even if only to quantify what the party's powerful opponents can do.

Lanefan

 

[Varianor Abroad]

The alternative is GURPS. Where you give out points to raise abilities. Levels are a more concrete reward. Also, as a DM who used to prefer low to mid-level games, I can attest that I'm wide open to anything from level 1-25 now!

 

[jeffh]

Basically, because advancement and having something to strive for play a huge role in the psychology of most players.

 

[seans23]

I mean, more than once, I've been in a game with a DM who thought a story should carry you all 20 levels. Now, none of these GM's have ever actually FINISHED their campaigns. but it was a valiant effort... or a less-than-valiant effort, every time.

I've been in a campaign that's lasted for almost 3 years... we're now level 16-17. I'd be disappointed if we didn't make it to 20.


I've been DMing a different campaign for a little over 2 years. They're at level 10-12. But there's been lots of death. I doubt we'll get to level 20. Hell, I'm just hoping we actually finish RTTTOEE.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Im nearly finished with a game that ran from 3rd - 18th. It has cured my desire to run a 1-20 lvl game. The upper levels are not as much fun, too much record keeping, buffing and finagalling challanges.

As for starting in the middle and staying there it would be important to drastically cut monsters, demons and high level challanges from the game world.
point buy games such as Gurps, Champions, even WoD start at a higher power level, and only small changes happen, realtive to the stating strength. D&D would need some incremental award system, so that some change was possible. Preferably this would not involve quite so much looting of corpses.

My favoriate MMORG Guild Wars sets it up so that getting to lvl 20 is not that difficult, but once there you only change by getting more skilled (as a player) or picking up a few rare spells, or slightly better items (like getting the +30 hp item instead of the cheap, avalible +23 hp item), until the end of the game. Over 75% of the game your character is 20th level while monsters slowly go up to about 28th.

 

[Nomad4life]

As a young gamer, I hated “high-level” gaming because I thought it was too munchkiny.

As an adult, I simply hate high-level play because it is too cumbersome and wonky to mess with.

One thing that I’m really looking forward to is getting to some of the higher levels in True20. Heck, I may even actually get to use some of those big nasties I’ve only read about for the past 15 years, only with the “low-level” speed and ease of gameplay.

In any case, there are plenty of level-less systems on the market that can run fantasy settings, with wide power gaps between them depending on what you are looking for. Exalted and Warhammer FR, for example. If levels aren’t your thing, you’ve still got a lot of great alternatives out there.

Sure, leveling systems have problems, but you gotta admit- They make it a heck of a lot easier for the GM to pit “appropriate” challenges against the players!

 

[Odhanan]

"Some" or even "a majority" does not mean "all" nor "everyone".

Even more so when thinking about potential customers rather than the ones you already get.

Nor is the game only played by DM.

Nor is the evolution of characters a neglected interest for most players of the game.