Ongoing Campaign, New PC: What Level?

[Painfully]

If you look at the XP progression, lower level characters will tend to catch up to the rest of the group (assuming all characters receive the same XP each session). So, I have no problem making new characters below the level of the rest of the group.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

1 lower than lowest might sound good, but if you have a succession of joiners, you end up with huge level gaps, and probems ensue.

 

[haiiro]

Lots of good suggestions so far.

In terms of new PCs from current players in the campaign, what do you think about allowing them to start at the level of their previous character (whether dead or retired) once -- then at lowest party level subsequent times?

 

[Ylis]

I usually just start the new PCs at 1st level, except in the instance that it's a "replacement" PC to one that has died. In that instance, I usually start the replacement 2 levels below the highest PC's level.

To me, this makes sense for two reasons: 1) I'm a mean GM. 2) You are more likely to find a 1st level character wandering around than a 12th level <enter Prestige Class here>. In instances where the PCs are in a high-powered area (which I typically assume is the case when a person's character dies), I usually use the "2 levels below" method, simply due to the fact that a 1st level person typically wouldn't have survived to that point.

Lower level characters tend to raise quickly in level when running with high level characters, so they tend to catch up rather quickly. Just make sure they have the sense to "play wizard" and use spells/ranged weapons in any fights worth the high level PCs' time.....

 

[Kyramus]

I tend to do this.

New character, regardless of who. comes in one level lower than the lowest level in the party. and if this was a game that is over 5th level. Then the characters are made at one level lower than the party and has 0 xp. you need to make up for the xp.

 

[el-remmen]

When you say "new player" do you mean new to your group or new to D&D in general?

But anyway. .

A new member of the group starts a character at the average level of the rest of the group (rounded down).

A replacement for a dead character starts at the same level as the dead character, but with fewer XP - 3/4ths + XP for a written background (thus having to make up the difference before advancing but at the same power level as the rest of the group).

For a replacement for an abandoned character - one level below the average party level, but with the same XP penalty as above.