D&D 5E What, if any, is the most fun level range in 5e? Has my XP mistake cheated players out of particularly fun levels?

[kagayaku]

During my D&D 3.X days, one of my pet peeves was how our group kept getting up to Level 4 or 5 and then quitting! This drove me crazy because IMO that was just when the game was starting to get interesting. So I would like the fact you are speeding through the low levels quickly.

5th level represents the first major power jump for 5E player characters. The proficiency bonus rises from +2 to +3 (no small thing in a system with bonded accuracy). By this point, the PCs have settled into a subclass path and enjoyed one ASI (automatic stat increase)/feat. Fighters and Paladins gain the ability to attack twice per round. Casters gain access to powerful 3rd level spells like fireball (wizard/sorcerer), hypnotic pattern (wizard/sorcerer/bard), spirit guardians (cleric) and conjure animals (druid). Rogues gain the useful uncanny dodge ability. IMO, this is an excellent time to slow down advancement and experiment with different types of encounters to test the PCs expanding capabilities.

Xena Warrior Princess is available on Hulu. The show was a lot of fun and in the 1990s Xena helped pave the way for the female antiheroes we have seen on TV in more recent years. Gabrielle was a good example of a bard character.

Unfortunately Hulu isn't particularly UK friendly, but thanks for the tip! Even if I can't get it on a subscription I already have, I can watch it pretty cheap (and I just well might since I've ran out of Critical Role xD). I've only watched a couple of episodes before but I remember it being fun.

And I sure hope we don't all stop soon! What do you think caused the quits, or was it a range of things?

 

[Ogre Mage]

Unfortunately Hulu isn't particularly UK friendly, but thanks for the tip! Even if I can't get it on a subscription I already have, I can watch it pretty cheap (and I just well might since I've ran out of Critical Role xD). I've only watched a couple of episodes before but I remember it being fun.

And I sure hope we don't all stop soon! What do you think caused the quits, or was it a range of things?

It was a range of things. That group did not have much fortitude for sticking with things over the long haul. The very first 3.X campaign I played in actually ran all the way up to Level 12. It was great fun and I thought all our campaigns would be like that. Unfortunately ...

In the next campaign, the group was 3rd level and we all walked into a sphere of annihilation by mistake. OOPS

That was followed by a campaign based on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. When we were 4th level, our DM got his girlfriend pregnant. There was a nasty falling out and he left the state to get away from her. That ended the Wheel of Time campaign. There was no Skype back in those days (2001-2002).

In the next campaign I was playing an Air Genasi wizard. DM lost interest and it disintegrated at 4th level.

The next campaign was an exercise in boredom. We would show up and sit around doing nothing. The DM would never plan anything. One player said flat out to him that doing nothing was boring and a waste of time. Nothing changed. People began dropping out. My cleric was 4th level when I dropped out.

Then the DM who had run the game with my Air Genasi returned. In the new game I was a spiked chain wielding psychic warrior. This time we got up to 5th level before he lost interest and quit again!

And so my intense dislike for the low levels of D&D was born. I had ideas about where those characters would go but never got the chance.

 

[Wulffolk]

I enjoy the early levels, but it usually takes until 3rd-5th level for me to feel like my concept is realized. Then it becomes really fun to see what kind of foundation I can set down between 6th-10th level for the Bards to sing of my hero's exploits. Oh, wait a minute, i am usually the Bard . . . Errr, Skald.

Beyond 10th I lose interest. Things become too easy, the power level becomes ridiculous, and my suspension of disbelief starts to suffer. In 3.5e I preferred what was called e6 or e10 games. That meant that level progression would stop at 6th or 10th level, but character's could improve laterally, by adding Feats or Ability increases by spending XP, without gaining more levels/HitPoints/spells/powers/etc.

 

[kagayaku]

It was a range of things. That group did not have much fortitude for sticking with things over the long haul. The very first 3.X campaign I played in actually ran all the way up to Level 12. It was great fun and I thought all our campaigns would be like that. Unfortunately ...

In the next campaign, the group was 3rd level and we all walked into a sphere of annihilation by mistake. OOPS

That was followed by a campaign based on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. When we were 4th level, our DM got his girlfriend pregnant. There was a nasty falling out and he left the state to get away from her. That ended the Wheel of Time campaign. There was no Skype back in those days (2001-2002).

In the next campaign I was playing an Air Genasi wizard. DM lost interest and it disintegrated at 4th level.

The next campaign was an exercise in boredom. We would show up and sit around doing nothing. The DM would never plan anything. One player said flat out to him that doing nothing was boring and a waste of time. Nothing changed. People began dropping out. My cleric was 4th level when I dropped out.

Then the DM who had run the game with my Air Genasi returned. In the new game I was a spiked chain wielding psychic warrior. This time we got up to 5th level before he lost interest and quit again!

And so my intense dislike for the low levels of D&D was born. I had ideas about where those characters would go but never got the chance.

Sounds like you've had a bit of bad luck with it over the years. Good to see you stuck at it though! And the Sphere of Annihilation one does sound like a funny ending at least.

I enjoy the early levels, but it usually takes until 3rd-5th level for me to feel like my concept is realized. Then it becomes really fun to see what kind of foundation I can set down between 6th-10th level for the Bards to sing of my hero's exploits. Oh, wait a minute, i am usually the Bard . . . Errr, Skald.

Beyond 10th I lose interest. Things become too easy, the power level becomes ridiculous, and my suspension of disbelief starts to suffer. In 3.5e I preferred what was called e6 or e10 games. That meant that level progression would stop at 6th or 10th level, but character's could improve laterally, by adding Feats or Ability increases by spending XP, without gaining more levels/HitPoints/spells/powers/etc.

I've not heard of e6/e10 games before, that's a cool concept. I have a hunch some of the players at the table are quite looking forward to their demi-god days though xD

I'm sure the bards have sung many tales of your own heroic barding! Errr, skalding! Maybe you inspired them to become bards in the first place!
Shame neither of them can be verbed without taking on a new meaning >.<

 

[Satyrn]

I've not heard of e6/e10 games before, that's a cool concept.

It appeals to me, too, but it's rather irrelevant as I've never played a game past 12th level anyway.

 

[ad_hoc]

Levels 1 and 2 are designed to last 1 session each. Indeed level 1 might just last 1/2 session ~ character creation and then a couple hours for level 1.

Tier 2 is the sweet spot. Your poll shows that you don't know about the tiers. Levels 5-10 are tier 2. There is a big power jump at both levels 5 and 10.

Tier 1 is 1-4, though levels 1 and 2 are a bit special as characters have low survivability and few class specific abilities.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Tier 2 (levels 5-10) is the best phase of the game.

The funnest levels in 5e are about 6-9. Heh, same as it ever was.

Maybe even 4-10 or 5-12. The genius of 5e wasn't to widen the 'sweet spot' (it's been comparable in the classic game - I'd personally put 1e at 3-8th), and in 3e (E6, though with a good enough DM, 1-10 wasn't out of the question), in fact, the first couple levels fell out of it, again, after being shored up in 3e & 4e, but in actually salting exp progression to speed through the lack-luster early levels and slow down and savor that sweet spot - before speeding up to get the double-digits over with...

Xena Warrior Princess is available on Hulu. The show was a lot of fun and in the 1990s Xena helped pave the way for the female antiheroes we have seen on TV in more recent years. Gabrielle was a good example of a bard character.

She didn't exactly cast spells, though, the equivalent of reading a ritual or scroll now and then...
...actually, she could've been a fairly typical 1e Bard. Start as a Thief (can use magic scrolls) for 5 levels or so, then train as a Fighter (Gabrielle did train with Xena and get pretty good), for up to 8 levels (IIRC), then the campaign ends before you actually become a Bard... perfect!

 

[Satyrn]

She didn't exactly cast spells, though, the equivalent of reading a ritual or scroll now and then...

The only magical scrolI I remember Gabrielle using was the one that worked as a Summon Joxer spell.

"Xena woke with a jerk . . ."

 

[Ogre Mage]

She didn't exactly cast spells, though, the equivalent of reading a ritual or scroll now and then...
...actually, she could've been a fairly typical 1e Bard. Start as a Thief (can use magic scrolls) for 5 levels or so, then train as a Fighter (Gabrielle did train with Xena and get pretty good), for up to 8 levels (IIRC), then the campaign ends before you actually become a Bard... perfect!

This is inspiring me to make Gabrielle as a 5E player character for a future campaign lol. She would be more (magically) powerful than she was on the show of course. I suppose either College of Lore or Valor could work, depending on what one wanted to emphasize.

 

[Monayuris]

As a player I prefer the lower levels 1st-4th level. I appreciate the fragility of low level characters. It kind of forces you to engage with the game world in a meaningful way (I feel I can't just rely on the number's on the character sheet.) Although, I probably enjoy higher levels if there is an actual risk of death/defeat.

Of course, I also don't get all too upset if a character dies (maybe a little disappointed in myself for making the mistake that lets it happen). Its just a game.

I don't mind too much that 1st and 2nd level are quicker (its kind of nice to get to your second level a little faster) but I think they go by too fast.

As a DM, I like 4th to 7th level... characters get a little tougher and start showing some real staying power... they can delve deeper into the dungeon/wilderness, adventure longer between needing to rest/retreat, and are able to tackle some of the more interesting higher CR monsters out there.