Missed session catch-up XP

[Oofta]

The infiltration of the keeps of the Storm Giants does not require everyone to be the same level, which seems to be your big sticking point. Maybe the first level character that is in tow with the mostly 6th level party is the key to overcoming some arcane locked door - only a fresh drop of their blood will open the door that gets the party to the McGuffin which is the goal of the infiltration. See what I did there? I came up with a fun way to include that player. The other PCs better do their best to protect their first level companion, or the quest will fail. Maybe that’s not your style of game, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be pulled off at most tables. The campaign can be long enough to give that PC a chance to shine in combat against tougher foes... if they survive... just like any other PC.

The storm giant's keep is one simple example. In others I've had PCs going into areas where they were expected to take on the leadership of the enemy army, or infiltrate the cult that had the power to transform into demons, etc. I gave a sample encounter for level 10 party a while back and explained why I didn't think a low level PC would survive. I can go back to my notes for the level 18 party that had to replace a PC after a heroic sacrifice if you want.

So if they just need that fresh drop of blood, great. But what happens when the flying nalfashne that likes to ignore the front line and go for the guy in the back (stated tactics in the MM) pops in? What happens when the invisible wizard casts chain lightning? There's little or nothing the group can do. In a post by he-who-does-not-want-to-acknowledge-my-existence-any-more, he talked about a low-level fighter in the back who eventually ran up to help. That's great. But why was that low level fighter never targeted with an attack? When I asked I got something about two PCs going full defensive (unless I missed a post but he refused to clarify). So? Two tanks are going full defensive. At best the low level fighter has a +2 to AC. If I were a PC in a game, I'd ignore the tanks and target the enemy I could hit. I may even provoke an opp attack to do it. Why would the enemy do any different?

Simply put, there's not much you can do to protect a low level PC short of having parallel encounters and plot armor especially once you throw in AOEs. If they're having parallel encounters and only joining up for social and exploration time, it feels like separate campaigns where I'm super-leveling the low level guy artificially just to get them to a point where they won't die. If I'm doing that, why bother?

I can re-post my sample encounters from a random level 10 game if you want. Tell me what the party would do to protect someone with a dozen hit points or less other than leave them home at the tavern. I would like to know because I keep hearing a lot of claims. Maybe there's just something I'm missing but 5E doesn't have a whole lot of ways to defend others from attacks other than plot armor.

 

[Seramus]

I can re-post my sample encounters from a random level 10 game if you want. Tell me what the party would do to protect someone with a dozen hit points or less other than leave them home at the tavern. I would like to know because I keep hearing a lot of claims. Maybe there's just something I'm missing but 5E doesn't have a whole lot of ways to defend others from attacks other than plot armor.

Now I'm imagining a high level party paying for a bunch of Crown Paladins to protect their Level 1 Nephew for an entire adventure.

 

[Oofta]

Now I'm imagining a high level party paying for a bunch of Crown Paladins to protect their Level 1 Nephew for an entire adventure.

Do they all wear dark colored suits, sunglasses and have their ear in their finger for no reason?

 

[Oofta]

Okay ... so this is an interesting challenge. How would you protect the innocent?

Options?

• The Oath of the Crown could take the damage as a reaction, but you would frequently need multiple paladins for monsters that have multi-attack.
• Warding bond would help, but that only lasts for an hour and my not be enough since it only reduces damage by half.
• hamster ball globe of invulnerability them, but that only lasts a minute.
• Sanctuary is a bonus action, but it doesn't help for AOEs, enemies still get a save and again only lasts a minute
• Increase AC using things like Shield of Faith for 10 minutes.
• Interposing yourself in front of the enemy for +2 to AC. Possibly block access from melee if you happen to be in 10 ft corridor.

Anything else? The oath paladin does it for 1 attack, nothing else buys all that much. Except for the hamster ball.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Simply put, there's not much you can do to protect a low level PC short of having parallel encounters and plot armor especially once you throw in AOEs. If they're having parallel encounters and only joining up for social and exploration time, it feels like separate campaigns where I'm super-leveling the low level guy artificially just to get them to a point where they won't die. If I'm doing that, why bother?.

You need neither plot armor or parallel encounters to make it work.

As a DM, I can think of many, many ways to kill any PC in a combat regardless if they are a mixed level group or a same-level group. A group of cooperating players can probably come up with many, many ways to all survive an encounter as well (and I see you have actually started to explore that in another post - good for you!)

It seems you are stuck in your paradigm of "all PCs must be the same level for the game to be fun". There really isn't anything wrong with that for your table if that means everyone is having fun. In that case you probably employ "catchup-XP" or else you only play when everyone can make it. I've done that at my table.

I'm saying that isn't the only way. You can play with a mixed level group of most any combo and still have fun. I've done that as well. We don't need the concept of "catchup-XP" for this style, nor do we need plot armor or parallel encounters. I will take it on good faith that you are not calling this type of play badwrongfun.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Okay ... so this is an interesting challenge. How would you protect the innocent?

Options?

• The Oath of the Crown could take the damage as a reaction, but you would frequently need multiple paladins for monsters that have multi-attack.
• Warding bond would help, but that only lasts for an hour and my not be enough since it only reduces damage by half.
• hamster ball globe of invulnerability them, but that only lasts a minute.
• Sanctuary is a bonus action, but it doesn't help for AOEs, enemies still get a save and again only lasts a minute
• Increase AC using things like Shield of Faith for 10 minutes.
• Interposing yourself in front of the enemy for +2 to AC. Possibly block access from melee if you happen to be in 10 ft corridor.

Anything else? The oath paladin does it for 1 attack, nothing else buys all that much. Except for the hamster ball.

Hide action
Invisibility
Rope Trick
Loading up the low level party member with the best defensive magic items
Revivify scrolls (juuuuuust in case)

These are just a handful of obvious things off the top of my head. My players never cease to surprise me with other creative ideas, too.

 

[Oofta]

Hide action
Invisibility
Rope Trick
Loading up the low level party member with the best defensive magic items
Revivify scrolls (juuuuuust in case)

These are just a handful of obvious things off the top of my head. My players never cease to surprise me with other creative ideas, too.

I'm trying to be fair, but all of these seem like "the low level PC avoids all combat but still gains XP". Hide only works if there's warning, someplace to hide and the PC is good at it. Invisibility only lasts an hour. Rope trick is stationary and only lasts 8 hours.

The only solution that seems to work is revivify and I'd think that one would be a little iffy if the PC was immolated/squished/eaten but I guess that's a DM's call. [EDIT: it also assumes you can buy/make scrolls of revivify]

In other words, you might as well leave the low level PC back in the tavern and do a training montage with the high level PCs. [IMHO]

The thing is, I want the story to be appropriate and challenging for the majority of the group. In most cases in my campaigns it wouldn't make sense for the story for the group to be fighting dragons one day and goblins the next.

Anyway, I was just wondering if I missed something. I don't see it working for my campaign or DMing style because I put story first and no one has plot armor, the enemies don't care if a specific PC is supposed to survive, AOEs happen, and not every encounter is in a traditional "dungeon" with 10 ft wide corridors.

If I haven't said it often enough, I'll repeat it. It's OK if you run your campaign differently. If it's rules-first or plot armor or the guy hiding half a mile a way still gains XP because they're "part of the group". I just have a problem with the vague "you're a bad DM if you don't run the game like I would and allow a low level PC to survive all encounters" with no concrete examples of how to do it that some people who shall not be named kept repeating.