Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="dok" data-source="post: 1010568" data-attributes="member: 12780">Good Lord yes it's harder!I really hope I'm replyin to the 'high-level campaign' thread and not posting a new message, since the subject line looks too much like some of the spam emails I've been getting...Yes, it's tougher to DM a high-level game.1.) Adventure planning is made more challenging by high level magic, as already pointed out. The Scry-port combo is ugly, Divinations require some forethought, etc. etc.Yes, it was M. Cook who said "embrace, don't negate", and it's a good policy. Walls without doors & chasms without bridges require some problem solving on the PCs part, as well as helping preserve some continuity aspects. Suddenly, it's easy to understand why The Temple of Icky Black Nastiness hasn't been explored before now: it takes certain magic to enter. Murder mysteries are still possible with Divination, but they have to transcend the "Scooby-Doo" mystery mode. A possessing ghost, victims killed from behind without seeing their attacker, assassins hired by proxy, with only a letter & a sack of coins to tie them to their employer, all of these tricks become essential.The 'front-line' enemies are usually dupes, or at the least know only one or two layers above them. Plans within plans within plans...2.) Game session planning takes longer. Higher level monsters often have hosts of spell-like abilities that have tactical applictions. 3.0 monsters have their spell like abilities listed, but not the DCs (because those five extra characters would have been too much). 3.5 wisely added the Grapple line for all monsters, but many 3.0 monsters have Improved Grab. IMC, most high level monsters aren't up to the task. (my game is presently lvl 18) So I find that advancing monsters to x2 & x3 HD puts them in a better challenge range. But that's also more work, to recalculate their hp, attacks, saves, skills & feats. High level NPCs are even more work, even using the 'generic NPCs' in the DMG, and the 'generic' spell lists from the T&B enhancement. (A special thanks to the 3.5 team who eliminated those features in the 3.5 DMG)  And the sad reality is that at high levels, magic items make a huge difference. A 4th level fighter might be CR 4, but a 15th level NPC fighter just isn't CR 15. Not even remotely. 3.) I mentioned magic items making a difference? Magic makes a huge difference. Some of the 3.5 changes were done, I suspect, simply because a high level encounter pretty much required the use of Greater Dispelling.  1 hour/lvl buffs weren't just a good idea, they were the standard. After 12th level, two lasts a character the whole day. Or just one with Extend Spell. And I don't see this as 'power gaming', it's just the smartest choice. 3.5) A side note on Extend spell & other metamagic feats: IMO, metamagic is 'balanced' only if you look at 20 levels of usage. At low levels, it's too costly. A feat + spell slots = too big a drain on resources for too small returns. At mid-levels, it's about right. A 10th level caster can afford to spend the 4th level slot for a longer Lightning Bolt or an Empowered stat-buffing spell. It's a trade-off, but it's not impossible. It's at high levels that the wheels start coming off the cart. Now casters have lots of slots, so why not use them? There aren't many 7th level spells that are as damaging as an Empowered Cone of Cold or double-empowered Fireball. So "too weak at low levels, OK at mid levels, too powerful at high levels" averages to "balanced", sort of. Sadly, 3.5's "no multiple applications" fix of metamagic only addresses the high level issue, and leaves it too poor at low levels.4.) Because of the factors above, an amazing number of things become less useful. Disease & poison are worthless at high level; a cleric doesn't have a lot of good choices for 2nd level spells, so Delay poison lets the cleric wait until after combat and then neutralize all the accumulated poison. Spell-like abilities of monsters are usually weak, because the creature has an average Charisma. The lone BBG simply doesn't work at high levels. He needs multiple allies to protect him. Or, you simply have to use two or three BBGs.Because of the design of the Turning Mechanic, templated undead (vampire, lich, ghost, etc) are all but useless, with the turn resistance being offset by the CR modifier and the mistaken assumption that +1 character level = +1 CR. Other undead at high levels actually are MORE powerful than they appear. In addition to ignoring the cleric's turning because of buckets of HD, they also ignore the flanking rogue and the keen, Improved Critical weapon's master.  5.) I'll second another point: the CR/EL system gets wonky at high levels. A template that adds +2 to CR but doesn't increase AC or Hit points substantially isn't really +2 to CR. 6.) If it doesn't have SR, it's probably dead. I'd say high level games are more challenging for a DM, without a doubt. I'd say that it takes longer to write & prepare for a high level game. And I'm man enough to admit that I simply can't continue my current game into Epic levels.</blockquote>

Verification