I'm *so* looking forward to high-level D&D

[Psion]

1- Use more than one beholder (if party is high enough)

2- Have a meat wall surrounding the beholder, filling the slots where the PC's could stand next to it in melee.

If you are looking for interesting challenges with beholders for high level parties, there is one I yoinked from here:

A beholder in a room full of reverse gavity fields in a checkerboard pattern.

The beholder, who levitates, can navigate the fields easily.

The reverse-gravity field tends to take care of the "quick charge" type assailants.

And the beholder's eye beam tends to shut off reverse gravity fields (and when it is points elsewhere, they turn back on) for more mayhem!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

If you are looking for interesting challenges with beholders for high level parties, there is one I yoinked from here:

A beholder in a room full of reverse gavity fields in a checkerboard pattern.

The beholder, who levitates, can navigate the fields easily.

The reverse-gravity field tends to take care of the "quick charge" type assailants.

And the beholder's eye beam tends to shut off reverse gravity fields (and when it is points elsewhere, they turn back on) for more mayhem!

That's really, really nasty! Consider it stolen!

 

[Shadeus]

My group that I've played with since high school has been in the same boat as most people here: level 10-11 at the highest and then retire. Since 3E came out, we've actually been playing the same characters for the last 3 years or so. They are all around level 17 now on the cusp of level 18.

I'm curious what challenges DMs and players have faced moving from low-to-mid level play to high level characters. A few that I've noticed are the DM limiting the usefulness of divination magic. Just last session, we noticed a flamestrike spell go off in the night a few hundred yards ahead. Instead of taking several rounds to run up there, we teleported there without a second thought (when usually you save that teleport for when you are REALLY in trouble and need to get out).

Do DMs find it difficult to use the higher level monsters to their fullest effectiveness? I really wish WOTC would have done tactics for all creatures and not just the pit fiends and balors.

 

[The Serge]

It's been my experience that the most fulfilling high level games are those that occured after starting the PCs at 1st or 2ed level. This has been the case for me since 2ed in which I ran a four year college campaign that took the PCs from 1st level through to the mid 20s by the time we finished.

My 3ed experience was great for a variety of reasons (largely because I'm more mature and was playing with more mature and sophisticated folks than in college), but it was wonderful to start at 1st level and allow the PCs to sort of develop and be impacted by the environment while the environment simultaneously developed and was impacted from their actions. Thus, the PCs developed an internal history as time progressed that had reprocutions for mid and high level interaction and allowed me to introduce high level NPCs/monsters without them ever knowing it, but slowly releasing information that would come back (usually to haunt) them later.

For example, I introduced a pit fiend when they were like 3rd level. He was polymorphed and had on an amulet that masked his alignment. He would offer them assistance and information and send them down what appeared to be the right path. Over time, with clues that they picked up on, the PCs began to get suspicious of the friendly NPC, but it still took time before they added everything up and realized what they were dealing with... and that happened around 12th level or so. It wasn't until they were like 14th or 15th level that they actually defeated him. And this was just one example of how "novel" type of play occured in this two year period. They exorcised Devils, they got involved with local and regional politics, they took over a town, and they've made a lot of enemies and a lot of allies. And they've only really involved themselves in a small bit of the world (my homebrew). This only really happens, IMO, in games that begin between 1st and 3rd levels.

Now the PCs are all about 20th level. They've already took on an epic monster (stone colossus... there were six or so of them, so they equaled the CR of the thing). They know of all the enemies and potential allies out there and are really ready for some earth shaking stuff.

 

[Ferox4]

High level can be fun, but it's initially a bit cumbersome. LOTS to track, lots to remember. The other thing is that random encounters are essentially eliminated - the players rarely (if ever) travel overland in any conventional manner. But still, high level campaigns are frought with danger and dying at every turn. They can be a lot of work for a DM, but rewarding as well.

 

[frankthedm]

being a DM who has players drop like flies [ one wounded and poisoned forth level ranger and a third level rogue chased after a wyvern who took an different uncounsous character to its nest last weekend], getting to higher levels was getting difficult. My group does not like to be spared In game so taking it easy on them was not really an option. I decided to just let them kep thier XP totals between new characters when the deaths are "In Character"

Most issues with spells can be solved by choosing spells for the game world on a case by case basis.

 

[DM_Matt]

High-level DND is awesome when you get the hang of it, particularly if you like high fantasy. My highly-optimized party just got to 15th level, and they are roughly as powerful as the Justice League. I've gotten to the point where I can set up encounters that push them to the edge of TPK and in the end everyone survive...with open die rolls.

Stuff to remember:
1. Make sure your characters have everything calculated out ahead of time. Every reasonable combination of buffs must be listed on the character sheet.
2. To keep high-level play less especially deadly, consider making characters die at -Con instead of -10
3. Embrace divination. If they use it, design mysteries to require it, and cause baddies to take countermeasures. Not only lead shielding and such, but rather deeds that will mislead the PCs when they asks obvious questions or scry.
4.Don't be shy. Especially if your players are really good at strategy and making versatile characters, what they will be able to beat will surprise you.

Some of what my party has done in the last few sessions:
1. Activated an ancient artifact that allowed them to see anywhere in space and time, but that in return awakened the tarrasque. Meanwhile, the descendants of its creators, ancient extraplaner beings of great power, come back to claim it.
2. Used Control Weather to hold the Tarrasque in check with tornados for three days while an island was evacuated, but not before defeating a Cloud Dragon that was using its own weather control to counter them in an entirely aerial battle.
3. A monk disguised as a mage defeated a Dark Ghale Eldarin solo while only being able to use Freezing the Lifeblood while saying the words for hold person, so as not to blow his cover.
4. Defeat a Master of the Unseen Hand (Telekinesis Specialist), a Fire Shujenja, and a Werebear Reaping Mauler, all with Imp. Invis. on them, ravaging a naval shipyard with all sorts of throwable boxes, exploding powder magazines, civilians, and water hazards.
5. Fought a dragon in an ice cave. A frost worm was in the cavern, which was barely big enough to contain its death explosion. If the dragon hit the ceiling, stalagtites would rain down on the party. If he hit it again, it would crack and an Elder Black Pudding will fall down. When the pudding started eating the Worm, the cleric stood her ground, cast protection spells, and let the cavern collapse on her and the dragon...She lived, it didn't.
6. Tricked a devil of extreme power (CR21 v L14 party, with reenforcements making there 8 of them) to come to a specially prepared building to assassinate someone who wasn't really there, then ambushed and killed her, altohugh not before 3 of their 4 allies were slain.