What level do you start at and why?

[Raven Crowking]

Overall, I prefer to start at level one, especially with new players. Sure, the characters are a bit more vulnerable, but at least you get to make certain that they know how to use their abilities before throwing heavier challenges at them. Progress in 3.X is quick enough, anyway, for them to grow out of 1st level fast...even with me giving them only 1/2 suggested XP!

For online games, though, I find 3rd level optimal. An online game is likely to have a lot more politicing than combat, so it makes sense (to me) to allow the PCs to have fairly established characters.

This is, of course, assuming that neither game is a one-shot. As Li Shenron noted earlier, for a one-off adventure, any level is fine.


RC

 

[The_Universe]

For D&D, unless its going to be a very short campaign, I always start the campaign at first level. Having a low-level character is essential for appreciating the power of mid- and high-levels.

Starting at first level gives people ample time to learn their own abilities, and to plot out where they want to see their character go, and what they want him or her to do.

A first level D&D character is guaranteed to have at least 1 cool ability, and having only the one cool ability forces the PCs to use what few resources they have in creative ways - also preparing them for the greater changes at higher levels.

Besides - most of the fun isn't in being high level. The fun is in getting to high levels.

Now, that philosophy is totally different for other D20 games (for me). In D20 Modern, I try to start characters at 3rd or 4th level. The classes are well balanced and everything, but not nearly as fun as the less realistic D&D archetypes. And the nature of firearms means you can have higher level characters who still have to worry about low-level opponents.

 

[Piratecat]

1st level for new PCs, about one level under party average for new PCs in an ongoing campaign.

 

[Thanee]

Starting at 2nd level pretty much always.

You still have the same character building experiences of low-level play, but you lack the incredible and annoying weakness of 1st level characters (at least you have double hit points).

Also you can immediately start off with 2 classes, making it easier to write a background for a multiclass character concept.

Bye
Thanee

 

[The_Gneech]

Varies from game to game; my current campaign started at 1st level with Sunless Citadel, got up to 8th, hit a snag and rebooted down to 4th with the release of 3.5, and is now at or knocking on 6th. (Alas, we don't get to play very often.)

I think that if you have inexperienced players, starting at 1st is almost essential, because they need to learn the rules in small, easy-to-digest pieces -- even fighters are pretty complex characters at 5th level. ("Power Attack does what again? Oh, I thought that was Expertise.")

If you've got a table of grizzled old D&D veterans, on the other hand, you've got a lot more leeway. It might be fun to hand out some epic characters for a tournament style adventure sometime ... but if the game is supposed to last a while, I wouldn't really want to start at that level.

-The Gneech

 

[Rel]

I always start them at 1st. And I was recently reminded why.

I got to play The Burning Plague (free 1st level adventure from Wizards) run by ENWorld's own Belen Umeria last weekend at the 30th Anniversary celebration at a local game store. Some minor spoilers may follow...








There is just nothing like the excitement of a Dire Rat, Kobold or Zombie being an "edge of your set" challenge. And a Dire Weasel is like unto a Dragon at those levels. Fantastic fun for me and I like games where those kinds of challenges are meaningful to the PC's, if only for a little while.

 

[was]

I like them to start at 2nd.

 

[wedgeski]

First for 'straightforward' campaigns (whatever that means) but various if any ECL'd races are coming into play. Given the option, 1st level all the way. Also, every character I've played started at 1st, and very few have survived to the likes of 10th or the giddy heights of 15th or more. Because high level play is such a rarity (one-offs notwithstanding), reaching the high levels is absolutely delicious.

As a player, I certainly wouldn't feel as connected to a PC that I forged at anything other than 1st level. Progression is so fast at the lower levels as well, that you may as well start at the start.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Normally 1st...

However the last 3 or 4 D20 campaigns we started got to around 5th level before winding up... different GMs running ~6 month games.

So to change the pace, I started my new one at 7+1/2th. We're all experienced players and know what characters are capable of...

First few sessions have worked out well, hopefully it'll carry on behaving!

 

[Afrodyte]

As a player and GM I prefer starting between 5th and 7th level. Starting at very low levels all the time is very boring because I can't make a character that is consistently competent at anything. Not that I can't make or enjoy incompetent characters, but I don't want to go through all the drudgery before I get to the part I actually enjoy.