What level do you start your campaign at?

[Sqwonk]

DMS: What level do you start your PCs at for a campaign? Not just "one-shots" or such, but true "long-term" campaigns.
And why.

 

[Talmun]

We always start long term games at 1st. There is something undeniably fun about playing a low-level PC…the thrill of knowing that you and the orc can both do waaay more damage to each other than you each have in hit points, the planning and pining for higher level abilities, the excitement of getting that first +1 weapon (usually about 4th level in games I run), etc.

We just recently started over at 1st level after the long term campaign ended with the ascension of the 30th level PC’s to god-hood (divine rank 1). Three of those PC started as level one in Sunless Citadel, the month the 3.0 DMG was released.

 

[Sqwonk]

I voted for L 3-4. I like my PCs to be heros. Heros don't die from one lucky crit roll by the monster. At 3rd level, the PCs are starting to develop their powers - especially Divine and Arcane casters. I believe this this allows for more intersting foes.
I understand the "they (the players) should no the fear or 1st level." But, for me, starting at 3rd makes the story easier to tell and keep rolling.

 

[Crothian]

I start at level one. Even if I wanted the characters to start at a higher level I'd start them at level one. It's the beginning and I can have them advance fast through the low levels but give them a feeling of growth and charcter developement.

 

[milotha]

I voted for first, but the last campaign started at 3rd level to give people the opportunity to play a monstrous race or one of the other races that has an ECL +1 or greater.

 

[Wombat]

Last two campaigns have started at 3rd level.

This is mainly because first level characters are excessively fragile and to craft adventures for them in a wider world leads to a level of artificiality that our group doesn't care to deal with.

 

[am181d]

You should have included the option "varies by campaign." My last campaign started at 1st and ran through 20th. My next campaign will probably run 3rd through 8th. Maybe it's just me, but I like to customize for each campaign.

 

[iwatt]

I voted for L 3-4. I like my PCs to be heros. Heros don't die from one lucky crit roll by the monster. At 3rd level, the PCs are starting to develop their powers - especially Divine and Arcane casters. I believe this this allows for more intersting foes.
I understand the "they (the players) should no the fear or 1st level." But, for me, starting at 3rd makes the story easier to tell and keep rolling.

Amen.

I don't enjoy Dming combat against rats either.
I also like my characeters to have some survival ability. I've seen alot of potentially fun characetrs go down the drain due to a lucky critical hit al first level. There really is no reason to raise one of these characters (storywise) and you've klost a chracetr with tons of plot hooks (generated by good players usually).
Also, the extra feat help characetrs flesh out their concept slightly more.

 

[kigmatzomat]

You should have included the option "varies by campaign."

Ditto. Every time I start a new system (or edition) I start at 1st level. Once we get our main characters 5th or 6th and comfortable we tend to have pick-up games at various levels to see which feats act odd, find strange spells, and generally play-test the system. After that any serious campaigns get started at a level appopriate for their plotline.

Fortunately my "let's try 3.0 and make 1st level characters" campaign is still going strong 3 years and 14 levels later.

 

[Arnwyn]

1st, and only 1st. I like the opportunities for character growth and development over the long-run (not saying that these opportunities aren't there when starting at other levels - I just like the additional length of time during which the characters can further develop). And the fear that being 1st level which allows for the players to learn about "prudent behavior"...