Monday, August 31, 2020

The nuts and bolts of it - D&D Levels


        By Christopher Robin Negelein

D&D Beyond's mined data gives further evidence to an old WotC survey that it's mostly lower levels that see play. 

Instead of trying to waste my time explaining to a bunch of indifferent strangers why that matches up not only with my observations, but a recent game design I'm working on. I'll share it with you.

The 12 levels you've seen of the Silver Sentinel is not a teaser, but the full spread of growth in Silver and Steel - for several reasons:

  • The aforementioned wisdom that most games don't last long beyond Level 10 (Or Tier 2 for 5e/4e fans)
  • Unlike old school D&D, the game doesn't live in a vacuum, thus GMs can the higher-level resources to challenge their groups
  • You get a much less intimating looking book because less levels and less classes also means a much smaller Magic chapter which -- let's admit it -- is always the thickest part of a core D&D PHB. 
  • Wizards producing a similar 1-12 levels game is too much of a risk - along with the  past failures to re-enforce that impression (Basic D&D/AD&D splitting an audience and 4e Essentials not bringing back enough fans.) 
  • Personal taste, I always felt that a 5-level starter set was too much teaser*


Oddly enough, I know that some gamers will see it as an incomplete game without 20 levels, even if they never, never reach those levels, they still want them there "just in case" their current campaign beats the odds of surviving the challenges of RL.

But that's the joy of RPGs, there's no wrong way to have fun.


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