Are high level adventures really more fun?

[Dr Zaius]

I was looking through the latest (and final) issue of Dungeon magazine and found the big adventure in there pretty interesting. But make no mistake, this adventure is for really powerful characters. Even fairly high level characters would probably be destroyed without a little help from the DM in this one.

And that got me thinking about high level adventures vs. low level ones. Do you find adventuring with a high level group to be more fun?

 

[dwardzala]

That adventure that you mention is the capstone adventure to a campaign. I think it is designed for 20th level characters.

As to answer your question - I prefer lower level adventures. The game is more suspenseful when your character's life hangs in the balance on one roll of the dice. I also struggle with D&D's hit point model (i.e. a character can take more damage because he is more experienced).

As a DM it is much easier to run a low level adventure. All the high level encounters that I have run in the past have either been cake walks or TPKs (maybe its because I am not a very good DM?).

 

[freightshaker]

I've always liked mid-level (6-8th) adventures. There's enough out there to keep you interested in progressing, mages are MUCH more interesting and survivable, your character is making a name for themselves and might already be a prominent member of a community, and it's my personal feeling 20th level characters would be removed by the gods since they would've become threatening to them.:devious:

 

[Dr Zaius]

To be completely honest, I don't see any way that a party of 20th level characters is going to prevail against the odds in that adventure. Just about any of the demon generals mentioned could wipe out a small army single-handed, let alone their ability to gate in powerful reinforcements. And facing down Demogorgon on his home turf...I don't see how any human mortals could do it. He starts out with nearly 900 hit points and actually gains temporary hit points for the damage his tentacles inflict. I don't know what spells or powers even a 20th level archmage could throw against Demogorgon that would seriously harm him. He's virtually invulnerable to, well, everything. And he certainly won't be fighting alone.

Nevertheless, that was a fun adventure to read. Perhaps a party of all duel-class 20/20 level characters might have a chance, albeit a small one.

 

[Aries]

Most of my gaming time has been between 1 through 12 it seems.

I have to say that by 6-10 level of D&D that is, the game starts to be a bit hard for the DM to make it possible and interesting for the players to always prevail "logically" as just the usual intrepid group of 5 or 6 heroes.

And I have never played in a game where the DM was into letting the players wield large "armies" as well.

So playing something in the 20th level range, hmm, not sure I can say, never happened in my experience.

 

[jwb3]

I've never played above 15th level, and rarely above 10th level. I personally prefer low-level stuff, although I agree spell-casters get much more interesting at 5th and up.

I think I just find low-level adventures more inherently believable, especially the monsters.

To be completely honest, I don't see any way that a party of 20th level characters is going to prevail against the odds in that adventure. Just about any of the demon generals mentioned could wipe out a small army single-handed, let alone their ability to gate in powerful reinforcements. And facing down Demogorgon on his home turf...I don't see how any human mortals could do it.

I gather that one or two of the adventures before it in the sequence involve going to other parts of the Abyss to enlist help against him -- help from other demon lords almost as powerful as he is. This would hypothetically make the challenge much more doable.

But then, reading about those adventures, I got the impression that the obstacles to overcome on the way to having these negotiations are very nearly as deadly as actually fighting Demogorgon would be! IOW, it all seemed like a rather unlikely proposition to me, too! :crosseye:


John

 

[Palantir]

Long ago I played in a game of "high" lvls. I started out at 1st and by the end of the evening I was 23rd.

When I couldn't decide what to do with my first wish I knew I was in the wrong group of players.

 

[freightshaker]

Long ago I played in a game of "high" lvls. I started out at 1st and by the end of the evening I was 23rd.

When I couldn't decide what to do with my first wish I knew I was in the wrong group of players.

WOW, talk about Monty Haul Syndrome. I did enjoy Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and the one with the Demi-lich in it, can't remember the name. The older (AD&D and 2nd ed) high level modules were fun but it was a different game then.

 

[Count_Zero]

WOW, talk about Monty Haul Syndrome. I did enjoy Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and the one with the Demi-lich in it, can't remember the name. The older (AD&D and 2nd ed) high level modules were fun but it was a different game then.

You're either referring to Tomb of Horrors or the Vecna series. Both good.

 

[freightshaker]

You're either referring to Tomb of Horrors or the Vecna series. Both good.

Tomb of Horrors. Yeah, that's it. Lots of traps and riddles and it included pictures to help the players visualize. I still have it somewhere at home.

 

[llre]

If you want to try a high level module get Throne of Bloodstone, it was designed for something like 20-100 level characters. I do remember it mentioning in the text that 100 lvl characters weren't 5 times more powerful than ones of 20 lvl. Its been about twenty years since I last saw the module, but if I remember correctly a most if not all of a character's stats and abilities had plateaued long before they reached 100 lvl.
Robert