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<blockquote data-quote="Mort" data-source="post: 5563348" data-attributes="member: 762">Great point! (I'd give you xp but have to spread some around first)The overhear something at a local watering hole is something that should be passé by the time characters get to 11th or so level (unless the DM is feeling he just hasn't gotten that particular cliché out of the way and feels an urgent need to do so).Lazy adventure design is exactly the right word for it. Now, I suppose there could be circumstances, the PCs are deliberately trying to go unnoticed, they are far from their normal area of influence, etc. But it should not be the default assumption.You're also correct that this kind of situation can easily lead to a stagnant campaign. PC (and more importantly the players) need to feel a sense of accomplishment, it doesn't have to be world shattering (though often it should be, depending on campaign), but it should be there. If the PCs encounter the same adventure hook at 11th level that they did at levels 1-5 it can really take away from that sense.In the last big campaign I ran (D&amp;D 3e-3.5e) one of the things that went over best was the PCs obtaining land at about 10th level. The shift from wandering heroes to ruling nobility was 1) tangible 2) a big change of pace and perspective. If I had kept the same format as prior levels, I don't think the campaign would have progressed nearly as successfully as it did (finally concluding at 21+ level).&nbsp; The change allowed me to run completely different sets of adventures and challenges, ones that would not have made sense prior to the character’s shift in status – it was key to keeping things fresh both for the players and for me as the DM.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mort, post: 5563348, member: 762"] Great point! (I'd give you xp but have to spread some around first) The [i]overhear something at a local watering hole[/i] is something that should be passé by the time characters get to 11th or so level (unless the DM is feeling he just hasn't gotten that particular cliché out of the way and feels an urgent need to do so). Lazy adventure design is exactly the right word for it. Now, I suppose there could be circumstances, the PCs are deliberately trying to go unnoticed, they are far from their normal area of influence, etc. But it should not be the default assumption. You're also correct that this kind of situation can easily lead to a stagnant campaign. PC (and more importantly the players) need to feel a sense of accomplishment, it doesn't have to be world shattering (though often it should be, depending on campaign), but it should be there. If the PCs encounter the same adventure hook at 11th level that they did at levels 1-5 it can really take away from that sense. In the last big campaign I ran (D&D 3e-3.5e) one of the things that went over best was the PCs obtaining land at about 10th level. The shift from wandering heroes to ruling nobility was 1) tangible 2) a big change of pace and perspective. If I had kept the same format as prior levels, I don't think the campaign would have progressed nearly as successfully as it did (finally concluding at 21+ level). The change allowed me to run completely different sets of adventures and challenges, ones that would not have made sense prior to the character’s shift in status – it was key to keeping things fresh both for the players and for me as the DM. [/QUOTE]

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