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<blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 2228595" data-attributes="member: 463">Re magic and power levels - long term games do suffer when the PCs' advancement causes them to outgrow the environment.&nbsp; The most successful/easiest to run long term games I've experienced I ran on Mystara, the ultra-high-magic D&amp;D world where the main empires have hundreds of 36th level magic-users...I recommend having a large-scale world, 1st level PCs can start out doing meaningful things on a small scale (save the hamlet) while 20th level are doing equally meaningful things on a large scale (save the planet).&nbsp; A standard-magic, standard power game should have meaningful challenges for PCs from levels 1 to 20.&nbsp; You don't need to accommodate Epic PCs on the same campaign world unless you wish to do so, I tend to think Epic is a good point to widen the scale of conflict to the multiverse - tackling demon princes in their home layers, that kind of thing.&nbsp; But an epic campaign could run years at levels 1-20.&nbsp; As GM you may wish to tweak the advancement rate - D&amp;D as written is best suited to PCs around 4th to 8th level, but the current XP system rushes PCs through these levels.&nbsp; Conversely PCs in the 10th-14th range tend to die a lot, get 'raised' and lose levels, sticking them at this level a long time.&nbsp; This problem eases off at 15th+.&nbsp; If you're wanting a novel-style feel, I'd recommend that the heart of the campaign take place at the 4th-8th range, with 2 alternate approaches to level 10+:1.&nbsp; Slow advancement to 10th, have 10th be &quot;epic hero&quot; territory.&nbsp; When the PCs get to 10th let them be saving the world, like in 1e.2.&nbsp; Let PCs get to 10th as normal, but let the PCs progress through to 15th without being killed a lot, or if they do die, omit the level loss for raise dead.&nbsp; Avoid matching 10th-12th PCs against monsters of CR higher than party level.&nbsp; Let 15th-20th be epic hero territory.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="S'mon, post: 2228595, member: 463"] Re magic and power levels - long term games do suffer when the PCs' advancement causes them to outgrow the environment. The most successful/easiest to run long term games I've experienced I ran on Mystara, the ultra-high-magic D&D world where the main empires have hundreds of 36th level magic-users... I recommend having a large-scale world, 1st level PCs can start out doing meaningful things on a small scale (save the hamlet) while 20th level are doing equally meaningful things on a large scale (save the planet). A standard-magic, standard power game should have meaningful challenges for PCs from levels 1 to 20. You don't need to accommodate Epic PCs on the same campaign world unless you wish to do so, I tend to think Epic is a good point to widen the scale of conflict to the multiverse - tackling demon princes in their home layers, that kind of thing. But an epic campaign could run years at levels 1-20. As GM you may wish to tweak the advancement rate - D&D as written is best suited to PCs around 4th to 8th level, but the current XP system rushes PCs through these levels. Conversely PCs in the 10th-14th range tend to die a lot, get 'raised' and lose levels, sticking them at this level a long time. This problem eases off at 15th+. If you're wanting a novel-style feel, I'd recommend that the heart of the campaign take place at the 4th-8th range, with 2 alternate approaches to level 10+: 1. Slow advancement to 10th, have 10th be "epic hero" territory. When the PCs get to 10th let them be saving the world, like in 1e. 2. Let PCs get to 10th as normal, but let the PCs progress through to 15th without being killed a lot, or if they do die, omit the level loss for raise dead. Avoid matching 10th-12th PCs against monsters of CR higher than party level. Let 15th-20th be epic hero territory. [/QUOTE]

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