Your favourite level to PLAY at?

[S'mon]

Did they? ENWorld is a community where most of us have a lot of exposure to earlier editions of D&D, and preconceptions that can't help but affect us. Despite that, ~30% of the respondents said they favored gaming in the 10-20 range, which was pretty much unplayable in 1e/2e.

Well I GM'd up to 117th (Upper_Krust's PC Thrin), I don't agree with the idea that 1e/2e was un- or less-playable at 10+, my experience has bee the reverse. After all in 1e I had my copy of Legends & Lore to challenge PCs with.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Of cousre, levels are an artificial construct, and a bizarre one at that. The best games don't use levels.

GOM

 

[TerraDave]

And if get a little confused by the subtext you go to the title. End of confusion. Personally, I don't think the threads are confusing, I think people are just over thinking and purposely making them confusing for themsleves.

I only said "somewhat"...but good point

 

[Psion]

You can stat demons & liches to be fightable at 6th or so, though.

Er, demons, if you count the pucky ones.

Liches... not if you want the party to survive and prevail, considering you typically need not apply for lichhood until 11th level... and they really pumped up their DR in 3.5.

10th-12th I always call the Death Levels due to the extreme PC mortality rate.
I'm sick of seeing cool, well-developed PCs fed into the Death Levels meatgrinder. A political type game might be fine at 12th, but I do not enjoy 12th level dungeoneering.

Okay, we live in a different reality or something. See my recently posted "turning up the lethality" post. My problem is that it's not lethal enough.

My games involve intrigue and investigation, but are not political.

 

[TerraDave]

sweet

In terms of bulges, flatness and sweet spots

In 3rd edition it seems that a very conscious effort was made to improve game play at lower and higher levels. At lower levels PCs have more options then in the past, and--as an aside--skills can still play a big role. At higher levels there was an effort to have more balance across classes and in terms of encounters.

Still, the mid levels remain where it is at..at least for many...

There is a smaller buldge in the low teens. But only about 7% consider 16+ (including the epics) to be "sweet". So maybe that is the "high mids" or maybe the "low highs".

 

[Darkness]

As DM, ca. 4-12.

 

[Michael Tree]

To play, I like the spot between 7th and 10th level. At those levels the characters all have enough abilities to make things diverse and interesting, but not enough that it bogs down play. Magic users are balanced with warriors and skill users, and combat hasn't yet devolved into "first person to fail a saving throw loses." I'd like those levels even more if Teleport and Raise Dead were removed.

To GM... I don't GM d20. I prefer to GM games that are simpler, require less prep time and less bookeeping, and are more conducive to improvisation.

 

[S'mon]

Liches... not if you want the party to survive and prevail, considering you typically need not apply for lichhood until 11th level... and they really pumped up their DR in 3.5.

You can apply a Lich template to a 6th level Wizard, and cut the DR if you like.

 

[Driddle]

As a player I love 12th to 18th the most. As a DM I love the higher levels so I can throw the heavy stuff against the wall an see what sticks.

To play - About 5th-9th. ... To DM - probably 4th-12th.

As DM, ca. 4-12.

More examples of why this poll is less than useful for ... for ...

What the heck was the expected use for this poll anyway?

Anyway, it's impossible to sort the responses of players and DMs. And then there's the small matter of people who like ranges. Or those who say one thing in thier messages and evidentally pick something else entirely...

I picked 12th level as I like the high end of the "sweet spot" in 3e. I agree though that about 4th or 5th to about 12th level are the most fun.

Oh, yeah! I remember the planned use of this poll now!: To disparage some other pollster's efforts as worthless and prove it could be repeated better.

Glass houses, Golden Rule and all that rot. Karma'll come back to bite you in the butt sooner or later. And there will always be someone petty enough to remind you of it.

 

[TerraDave]

Driddle, that first post of yours wasn't enough?

This poll compliments your poll...you have starting in your title, I have play. And we have different results.

I am sorry that "somewhat confusing" was so insulting for you. In any case, I think you made your point the first time.