So your PC is dead eh ...

[Aries]

Ok it happens, no one's PC is forever.

But, how do you or your groups sort out the process of what to do about getting a new PC into a game group, where everyone has managed to get to higher levels?

Do you begin at 1st again, and suffer the catch up, and how does a 1st level PC survive in a game balanced for say 7th level activity?

Or do you simply make a 6th level PC (1 level below group) and speed forward the process of all those levels worth of building.

I find that players will off a PC very casually at 6th level, but at 1st level through say 3, they are more cautious, because making a new 1st level PC (at least in D&D 3.5) is not so thrilling.
But if they are told to make a 6th level PC, well the purchasing is more "plannable" and they can budget for exotic races more practically.

It's frustrating, but what do you do? You can't really dump a 1st level PC in a mid level campaign all that easily.

Anyone have any solutions they usually employ?

 

[Dion]

The way I do it is I give each player a raise in level every time the main objective is reached in an adventure. At the same time I give each player a number of experience points based on role playing or any other thing that the DM deems worthy, even if the adventure's main objective was never reached. Expierence points gained this way can be used as credit for extra level increases, but the player never really spends them they are just used as proof that he is worthy of extra level increases. When a new player comes along and wants to join the group he is given the same level as the other players, but he just doesn't have the experience points to use for extra level increases, thus the other players won't feel like the new player is their equal when in-fact he should be less than equal, and it doesn't unbalance an adventure when an unexpierenced PC joins an expierenced party. Most importantly the other players wont feel like new players are getting a free ride from their hard work from many death defying adventures that resulted in their level increases.

 

[Aries]

Interesting notion, I think I will bring that up with my group and see what they think.