D&D 5E Looking for Campaigns for 14+ level PCs

[S'mon]

I thought one of the advantages of the bounded accuracy approach was that you could use (say) 12 CR 3 monsters to challenge a high level party. A band of CR 3 monsters doesn't need a world-shaking agenda (although they will presumably be doing more than stealing cows).

I've no idea if it works in practice, since I don't play 5e, but it seems to work for S'mon.

Yeah it works fine - I'm not using any CR 20 creatures vs my level 14 Primeval Thule PCs. 12 CR 3 plant zombies with AC 13, 52 hp, +5 to hit & 3 attacks (grappling vines & 2 slam) for 8 damage/hit worked fine on Wednesday.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I've no idea if it works in practice, since I don't play 5e, but it seems to work for S'mon.

It doesn't.

Lots of weak foes make for slow battles that don't really threaten the party.

 

[S'mon]

It doesn't.

Lots of weak foes make for slow battles that don't really threaten the party.

So increase damage while reducing hp.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

No, they hang around in evil dungeons, evil wizard towers & such.

Exactly. Surrounding themselves with minions and traps whilst hatching their evil plots.

Which makes them main-quest not sidequest.

 

[S'mon]

Exactly. Surrounding themselves with minions and traps whilst hatching their evil plots.

Which makes them main-quest not sidequest.

A lot of demons ARE the minions. And a Lich can be a side quest, side-quest/main-quest seems to be a different issue. I had a one session side quest where a bunch of Volo's Warlocks of the Great Old One (level 14 casters) were summoning a Great Old One.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So increase damage while reducing hp.

Resulting in:

1) They all die in a fireball. (more probable)

or

2) TPK. (less probable)

 

[S'mon]

Resulting in:

1) They all die in a fireball. (more probable)

or

2) TPK. (less probable)

Re #1, have staggered entry.
Re #2, them's the breaks!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A lot of demons ARE the minions. And a Lich can be a side quest, side-quest/main-quest seems to be a different issue. I had a one session side quest where a bunch of Volo's Warlocks of the Great Old One (level 14 casters) were summoning a Great Old One.

No, sidequest/mainquest is the whole issue.

The low level game has lots of sidequests, and can therefore be a sandbox with lots of player freedom. The high level game is pretty much completely focused on mainquest (plus petty management issues) and is thefore much more of a railroad.

Basically, two completely different styles of play.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Re #1, have staggered entry.
Re #2, them's the breaks!

#1 So they all die in 2, 3 4 fireballs. No shortage of fireballs at level 14.

#2 14th level characters, built up from level 1 over a couple of years, dying to a bunch of mooks with artificially inflated damage numbers is not a satisfying way to end a campaign.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

By the time characters are 14th level, they should have goals of their own. Their pursuit of those goals is the main quest. Whatever nonsense that comes up in the meantime (Ultron wants to take over the world, blerg) is a side quest.