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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lkj" data-source="post: 7497211" data-attributes="member: 18646">Currently running a campaign where the PCs are 19th level. Started at 1.It has been extremely fun and easy to run. The best part has been going gonzo on them with using various high level creatures from several books. Lately they've been having to tangle with multiple demon lords. Here's my observations. -- Despite a lot of discussions on these boards about high level characters being too resilient, I have had no issues challenging them during battles. It's true that I don't worry too much about CR.  I consider it a rough guide that gets me in the range. I also don't worry about over or under shooting a challenge. Some fights they just own. Other fights they are scrambling to escape (because fighting multiple demon lords and their minions at the same time is scary). Which leads to . . .-- Part of the fun is not having to worry too much about the party.  I can create an epic situation in which their choices decide how hard it is. At this level, they've got the capacity to handle some mistakes in hilariously fun ways. Currently the party is in a world where an old civil war at the heart of a mageocracy resulted in a rift to the Abyss. It alllowed multiple demon lords to set up camps (I call them 'vacation homes'). The world got locked down to stop the spread of the Abyssal legions. The party has inadvertantly put that lock down at risk (because of a desire to collect artifacts and some foolish but funny choices). So they're matching wits against Graz'zt as they try to gain control of the planar portal machine at the center of an abandoned city. If they make poor choices or are too slow, they might find themselves facing off against multiple demon lords, as others gain access to the city. This lets me throw balors around like candy. Have demon lords pop up at inconvenient times. And everyone has a good time. Even if they are running for their lives half of it. In other words, enjoy yourself. You can calibrate as you go. I could NEVER do that in any other edition. Without hours of prep and intimate knowledge of the party's abilities, I'd either annihilate them or everything would be a walkover. And combats would take hours upon hours. In 5e, it's not much more prep than at lower levels and the combats are only modestly longer. Couple bits of Advice:1) High level parties will occasionally completely nullify a fight that you thought was going to be epic. Be ok with that. Enjoy it. Let them have their clever moment. Just make sure your storylines are flexible enough to handle those kinds of set backs for the villains. 2) As you learn your party, be comfortable modifying hitpoints and damage outputs to get the effect you want. Don't be a slave to the stats. I mean, it works if you run things by the book. But if Baphomet having an extra 100 hp makes the fight more fun, go ahead and do it. AD</blockquote>

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