D&D 5E Is WotC ever going to release something high level? Even as UA test material?

[DEFCON 1]

Still no answer as to why some forumists let WotC get away with poor to non-existent support for the levels they advertise the game as having.

I let them get away with it because it's not their job.

Their job is to produce material. Which they do. It's their job to decide what material to produce. Which they do. It's NOT their job to produce the material that SEVEN PEOPLE (yes, that's hyperbole) want them to produce. So they don't.

You don't like it? Tough crap. You want to complain on EN World about it? That's fine, go nuts. You don't want anyone to point out how fruitless and ridiculous your complaints are? Tough crap.

We all do what we want to do. WotC wants to not produce material that few people will buy. You want to complain that they don't want to produce that material. I want to point out how asinine your complaints are. And we all get what we want!

 

[DEFCON 1]

Capn's complaints are the same as they've always been...

He wants adventures that will challenge his band of min-maxer powergamers, adventures which are ONLY produced by Wizards of the Coast, and for which he has to do absolutely no work on whatsoever.

And he'll keep banging his drum until it finally happens.

Personally, I find his devotion to such a fruitless cause quite amusing.

 

[guachi]

What's the top tier called? Epic?

Call the book [Name's] Guide to Epic Play and include all sorts of stuff for gaming at high levels. At some point, supplements exist to drive sales of the base product or other accessories. Such a supplement might encourage people to play longer rather than stop playing D&D. It might drive production and sales of a line of miniatures of high CR monsters and a board game where heroes face harder challenges.

At some point, having yet another 1-11 level adventure doesn't add much to the game. It adds breadth, but not depth. It's like adding another class. To some extent, it's the path of least resistance.

 

[Mistwell]

It doesn't show much faith in your product if you don't support basic parts of the game.

I would welcome a 11-20 or 11-17 AP if only to provide examples of higher level encounter design. If the makers of the game aren't bothering, what hope do I have to create something balanced and fun?

I think it's because if, as I speculated, high level challenges are incredibly reliant on specific party and player composition, then it's rather the opposite question: what hope do the makers of the game have in creating something balanced and fun for your group when you are the one most competent to do that task for your group given you're the only one who knows them?

 

[Mistwell]

No, if you think the support is sufficient, you simply haven't tried it.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

Have you? Because I think the core books have all that's needed to go to level 20.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Seeing as how the first few hardcover adventures went to level 15 and then the last few have only gone to 10 or 11 tells me that WotC is probably getting a lot of direct feedback from players and DMs, and probably AL and game stores too, that once things get into the teens for level, that the games are breaking down or that people are not even finishing the higher level content.

 

[akr71]

I would ask why does it have to be a WotC release? There are a bunch available through DM's Guild ranging from free to $6.99, so it won't break the bank if it isn't that good.

... or write your own adventure.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It adds breadth, but not depth. It's like adding another class. To some extent, it's the path of least resistance.

And yet... the thing people demand more than anything is more crunch like new classes. Almost as though breadth is what they actually want.

Funny that.

 

[Jester David]

You would think they'd get it right the FIFTH time around... but nooo

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Sixth if you include Basic.
Well... seventh if you include OD&D...

 

[S'mon]

It doesn't show much faith in your product if you don't support basic parts of the game.

I would welcome a 11-20 or 11-17 AP if only to provide examples of higher level encounter design. If the makers of the game aren't bothering, what hope do I have to create something balanced and fun?

Sly Flourish's guideline is the best I've seen for high level 5e - use # of monsters equal to # of PCs, with CR = 1/3 PC level for an easy fight up to CR = 2/3 level for a nasty Spike encounter.
For one monster to 2 PCs, CR=Level gives a tough fight. For solo monster vs 4 PCs CR = 1.5 level
gives a tough fight, eg 4 level 20 PCs vs CR 30 Tarrasque (assuming appropriate environment).