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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5394383" data-attributes="member: 3192">Meek has a pretty good explanation as to why spell levels are what they are.  Most of 3E and all of 4E spells are balanced by damage output and more powerful maneuvers for combat.  3E and pre-d20 D&D special abilities or spells, powers really, are balanced by the environment, which is also divided up into levels.  Starting dungeon levels are overland and 1st level tunnel-based with higher level powers enabling greater success in and access to more dangerous dungeon levels.  So communication becomes easier as does travel.  Building things is more cost effective with certain powers.  Manipulating and controlling NPCs and creatures gets easier.  It really depends upon the power in question and the manner in which the world is divided into level appropriate regions as to how a power's level is determined. Think of it like the monster ladder: Kobolds to Orcs to Lizardmen to Hill Giants to Stone Giants to Cloud and Storm Giants at the hardest to reach levels.  The plains are fairly easy to fight in, hills and forests more difficult with higher level monsters, swamp are pretty difficult terrain, underwater adventuring comes in after ship costs are reached, mountain travel is easier with wind walking and teleporting, but the monsters there are incrementally more powerful too.  Clouds hold Giant castles and mountain peaks have Roc lairs and dragons as well.  It's the typical 1 thru 10 increasing power level dungeon, but the dungeon is the whole multiverse.PS: This works in reverse too.  Lawfully-aligned creatures are higher in level as you progress deeper into their dungeons (cities / civilized lands) as well.  The power center would be the bottom of that dungeon, peak of the pyramid, or center of that onion.</blockquote>

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