Poll: Starting Point for Campaigns

[Mattachine]

In what level range do you usually begin a campaign (as a DM or player)?
I decided not to give level ranges for each category, since I am aware that some folks' conception of a given level range overlap. I am going with the idea that the game provides rules for characters up to about level 30 (AD&D, BECMI, and 4e; 3e has epic level play, and 2e had "high level option").

P.S. Like my other poll, I am going for "usually". If you have a different starting point for each game, go with whatever choice best matches your previous three games. If still nothing matches, then you would be "something else".

 

[Mattachine]

I am asking this poll in that should the new edition of the game explicitly take into account different game styles. Not everyone plays an ongoing campaign starting at level 1. Most editions of the game made that assumption, but I don't think it's generally true.
Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Minigiant]

If I am the DM and none of the players are complete newbies, I start the game at about level 3-4.

I personally hate envisioning 1st level, shiny armor, adventurer but I always go with whatever the DM states is the starting point.

My last 3 starting points as a player were 3rd, 20th, and 1st.

 

[Pheonix0114]

The only times I've started at level 1 have been because we've had a batch of new players that needed to be initiated, including when I was a new player myself. Other times we've started at level 3-6, depending on the experience level we wanted the characters to have.

The reason I as a GM avoid level 1 is as follows: I think it is unfun to play a character with very few options, both in creation and turn-by-turn. I feel by level 3 this problem has been mitigated, both in 3.x/Pathfinder and 4e.

 

[delericho]

I almost always start a campaign at 1st level. But I don't think there's anything particularly magical about that number - it's just what happens to suit me.

The game should probably assume that most people will start at 1st level most of the time - but should also support alternate starting points, both for individual characters joining an ongoing campaign and for entire parties starting a new campaign at a higher-than-first level.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I like t o start at about 3rd or 4th so the characters have some variety of powers or spells, and a bit more endurance.

 

[Leatherhead]

Mid level is when characters have all their ducks in a row.

Concepts start to properly gel, magic items become truly magical, characters have clout (or at least enough tangible power to make others notice), and you even get to see some fringe things in use because the players can finally afford to branch out without horribly hindering themselves.

 

[FireLance]

I usually start at level 1. Just because.

 

[Elf Witch]

I like to start at first level and give people a chance to get to know their characters and the world .

 

[Lord Mhoram]

3rd for me.

More survivability, and a greater mix of options, but still low enough that it feels like a starting point.