What is the minimum level would you play if you were never to gain xp again?

[Kuld]

18th, like the old DL campign.

 

[genshou]

Are you crazy?

It's not so much that all of my characters HAVE to earn XP and rise in level, it's the feeling that a person, knowing they couldn't get any stronger, would no longer have any reason to adventure. So, they would retire, and that would defeat the purpose of your idea by making into just another level cap.

 

[lordcloaker]

I would say level 12 is the one. 3 stat ups, nice spell casting lvl, 5 feats, Sorcerer has 6th lvl spells and probably a few people can complete a PrC or at least almost complete one. Characters are a bit tough but not too much, so you can send alot of stuff on them. I guess at level 12 you can build the character you dream of and really want to play. 12th levels seem the best pick in this situation.

 

[Aus_Snow]

I was undecided before reading all the posts. Now, I believe 6th has the most persuasive backing. So: 6th it is, for me.

 

[Ron]

First level, of course! Level advancement is overrated anyway.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

It's not so much that all of my characters HAVE to earn XP and rise in level, it's the feeling that a person, knowing they couldn't get any stronger, would no longer have any reason to adventure. So, they would retire, and that would defeat the purpose of your idea by making into just another level cap.

Generally, the reason for adventuring in such a situation would be to defeat the gigantic evil that threatens your land. And your power can still increase with magic items, better information on your foes, and additional allies. "Retiring" might not be possible, either because the evil is coming to the whole land and no place is safe, or because it's coming specifically after you because of what you've done in your adventuring career.

Partly playing Devil's Advocate here. I do like leveling, though I don't think it's essential that it be infinite.

 

[Conaill]

It's not so much that all of my characters HAVE to earn XP and rise in level, it's the feeling that a person, knowing they couldn't get any stronger, would no longer have any reason to adventure. So, they would retire, and that would defeat the purpose of your idea by making into just another level cap.

So you're saying your PC's go adventuring to gain XP?

 

[Bloodstone Press]

I voted 3rd, as that is the bare minimum. However, I'd prefer 5th.

In fact, this is something that one of my players and I do once in a while. One of my players has a character that is always 5th level (though he is really the equivalent of a 6th level character). We play with that character only once in a while, when other players can't make it to the regular game. So his adventures are always one shot episodes, and are not related to each other. We ignore XP as that keeps it easier to maintain. Games with that character are all about the fun and heroics, not the xp.

 

[genshou]

Generally, the reason for adventuring in such a situation would be to defeat the gigantic evil that threatens your land. And your power can still increase with magic items, better information on your foes, and additional allies. "Retiring" might not be possible, either because the evil is coming to the whole land and no place is safe, or because it's coming specifically after you because of what you've done in your adventuring career.

Partly playing Devil's Advocate here. I do like leveling, though I don't think it's essential that it be infinite.

The problem is that the idea of creating a level cap on PCs is not internally consistent unless that same cap exists for all NPCs in the world. Once you become a 5th-level Fighter, if that's your level cap then why keep adventuring? You could just retire and let one of the other thousands of 5th-level Fighters out there mop up your messes for you.

If you look at a quote from the TV series Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles in a slightly different context...
Doc: "We're fighting giant bugs on freakin' Pluto, man! We're all insane!"
Adventurers are insane to begin with for doing everything that they do. If you were never going to rise in level again, well, that's taking out the one truly important reward factor present in the game, and leaving all the risk. If there's a certain level that's the cap, and you hit it, why keep adventuring when someone else is just going to catch up with you pretty soon? Let them deal with the bulette while you live off of the spoils of your former career.

 

[genshou]

So you're saying your PC's go adventuring to gain XP?

Magic items and "serving the greater good" are so overrated. We all know what the real reward is for the risks the PCs face. Loot can be taken, disjoined, damaged or destroyed. XP can only be taken by death and level drain (and level drain can be restored within 1 day per caster level of a restoration). Experience points are the real driving force behind adventuring. Once they're gone, it's all about the money and magic items, and those don't provide as much allure to players or characters.