A maximum level and CR and my PC's reaction [Archive] - Wizards Community

A maximum level and CR and my PC's reaction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Prince_of_Parkness
10-07-07, 10:37 AM I annouced to a group of temporary PCs (we went to the same festival, so we played for a week, now well prob never see eachother again) that in my world the maximum level and CR is 40 (gods excluded). Graz'zt and Mephistopheles are at this level and the closest thing next is the leader of the Dawn's End Guild who is a Necromancer30/Archmage5. I asked them what they thought of it and they were two types of response: those implied that it would ruin my game and those who blatantly said i should scrap it. I asked what the problem was, since none of my characters are ever gona reach lv 40, and none of them could answer aside from mutter about how it just would and gut feeling. So why did they hate this idea of a non-devine power limit? Have any other DMs ever tried this?
BillTheManiac
10-07-07, 11:36 AM I annouced to a group of temporary PCs (we went to the same festival, so we played for a week, now well prob never see eachother again) that in my world the maximum level and CR is 40 (gods excluded). Graz'zt and Mephistopheles are at this level and the closest thing next is the leader of the Dawn's End Guild who is a Necromancer30/Archmage5. I asked them what they thought of it and they were two types of response: those implied that it would ruin my game and those who blatantly said i should scrap it. I asked what the problem was, since none of my characters are ever gona reach lv 40, and none of them could answer aside from mutter about how it just would and gut feeling. So why did they hate this idea of a non-devine power limit? Have any other DMs ever tried this?

Dicefreaks has strict HD caps, as well as ability scores. This is in part to keep setting consistency. That overdeity with the Strength domain has maxed out Strength - nothing, anywhere, is stronger than him.

It works fine. If your PCs will never reach level 40, you don't even need to tell them. Just end the campaign when they get there, or grant them divinity.
rob_douglas
10-07-07, 12:54 PM It shouldn't be a problem, and I recommend doing something like that. I am still working out the cap in my campaign - but I suspect there is one. That helps you develop the rest of the world. Knowing there are no 40th level characters means you know what not to expect and what to expect exists in the world.

Core D&D suffered the problems of not having a proper cap with Deities stats. They made deities that are compatible with a cap of 20th level, then the ELH came out and made the deities seem like wimps.

I believe campaign worlds are built by squeezing - you start with the lowest powered creatures (PCs and the commoners they interact with at 1st level) and then work out the most powerful aspects and squeeze in on the middle.

ROB
Prince_of_Parkness
10-07-07, 04:54 PM In some ways I was more interested in my PC's reaction about being "limited" to lv40 even though they knew and accepted that they would never reach it
Tequila_Sunrise
10-07-07, 06:51 PM That is pretty bizarre that they would all complain about it. Maybe they all just really want to play a level 100 campaign? Even so, I'd think they would have mentioned so instead of just complaining about a hypothetical level cap.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Prince_of_Parkness 10-07-07, 10:37 AM	I annouced to a group of temporary PCs (we went to the same festival, so we played for a week, now well prob never see eachother again) that in my world the maximum level and CR is 40 (gods excluded). Graz'zt and Mephistopheles are at this level and the closest thing next is the leader of the Dawn's End Guild who is a Necromancer30/Archmage5. I asked them what they thought of it and they were two types of response: those implied that it would ruin my game and those who blatantly said i should scrap it. I asked what the problem was, since none of my characters are ever gona reach lv 40, and none of them could answer aside from mutter about how it just would and gut feeling. So why did they hate this idea of a non-devine power limit? Have any other DMs ever tried this?
BillTheManiac 10-07-07, 11:36 AM	I annouced to a group of temporary PCs (we went to the same festival, so we played for a week, now well prob never see eachother again) that in my world the maximum level and CR is 40 (gods excluded). Graz'zt and Mephistopheles are at this level and the closest thing next is the leader of the Dawn's End Guild who is a Necromancer30/Archmage5. I asked them what they thought of it and they were two types of response: those implied that it would ruin my game and those who blatantly said i should scrap it. I asked what the problem was, since none of my characters are ever gona reach lv 40, and none of them could answer aside from mutter about how it just would and gut feeling. So why did they hate this idea of a non-devine power limit? Have any other DMs ever tried this? Dicefreaks has strict HD caps, as well as ability scores. This is in part to keep setting consistency. That overdeity with the Strength domain has maxed out Strength - nothing, anywhere, is stronger than him. It works fine. If your PCs will never reach level 40, you don't even need to tell them. Just end the campaign when they get there, or grant them divinity.
rob_douglas 10-07-07, 12:54 PM	It shouldn't be a problem, and I recommend doing something like that. I am still working out the cap in my campaign - but I suspect there is one. That helps you develop the rest of the world. Knowing there are no 40th level characters means you know what not to expect and what to expect exists in the world. Core D&D suffered the problems of not having a proper cap with Deities stats. They made deities that are compatible with a cap of 20th level, then the ELH came out and made the deities seem like wimps. I believe campaign worlds are built by squeezing - you start with the lowest powered creatures (PCs and the commoners they interact with at 1st level) and then work out the most powerful aspects and squeeze in on the middle. ROB
Prince_of_Parkness 10-07-07, 04:54 PM	In some ways I was more interested in my PC's reaction about being "limited" to lv40 even though they knew and accepted that they would never reach it
Tequila_Sunrise 10-07-07, 06:51 PM	That is pretty bizarre that they would all complain about it. Maybe they all just really want to play a level 100 campaign? Even so, I'd think they would have mentioned so instead of just complaining about a hypothetical level cap.