GrumpyOldMan said:
Congratulations, you've asked the question I asked 15 years ago. The lack of sensible and reasonable answers made me drop AD&D (as it was at the time) and look for a non-level based system. I can only suspend disbelief so far and it seems that the latest DnD/D20 system still has not resolved this problem.
Out of curiosity, how does the level-based nature of D&D have
anything to do with the question at hand? You can substitute a group of beginning PCs from Shadowrun and get the same results. There are always going to be more powerful people in the world, regardless of whether that power is expressed in levels or greater skills (Shadowrun), or whatever.
There have already been a lot of good ideas for reasons why the higher-ups don't handle the task at hand. Here are some I like to use (possible overlap):
* Make it personal. If the BBEG is a PC's father, that PC is likely to want to try and reason with him, possibly even redeem him. The PC will
want to go after the BBEG, rather than asking his more powerful Master to do so.
* Chain of command. Higher-level characters, PC and NPC alike, are going to have more responsibilities. A 12th-level warrior, who is also a general in the Royal Army, isn't going to be able to just abandon his duties to chase after a rogue wizard rumored to be trying to create a portal to the Abyss. Not only is he unsure the threat is genuine, but somebody needs to run the army. So instead he sends out a band of expendable mercs....the PCs.
* Rite of passage. The way that low-level folk prove themselves in the eyes of their betters is by accepting challenges and overcoming them. It may be more expedient for the High Priest to hunt down the dracolich himself, but this sort of task would be a good chance for Phil the Underpriest and his buddies to prove themselves to the Church. Phil & Co. gain experience, and the problem is solved at the same time.
* More important business. Yes, Mugwort the Mage studied magic at the feet of Alvin the Archmage, and Alvin the Archmage could easily deal with the dragon that is terrorizing the townsfolk. But unfortunately there is the small matter of a planar incursion from the Far Realms that he has to deal with, so ready or not, Mugwort is going to have to handle that dragon...
* Nobody else cares. A village of kobolds is in dire need of protection from a tribe of bugbears that have moved into their mountains. Unfortunately the local human population is perfectly happy to see the two bands destroy themselves. Only the PCs have the compassion to intervene, even if the 10th-level city constabulary could have handled it easily.
* Right time, right place. Yes, Trueheart the Righteous and his 20th-level companions could easily storm the Temple of Anguish before the portal into the Negative Material Plane is fully operational, but unfortunately they aren't around. Instead the PCs have stumbled upon the Temple, and they'd better do something about it, fast, or there's going to be a lot more negativity on the Prime than people are used to.
