Adding several players to old campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adding several players to old campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Stalwart
07-18-05, 09:46 PM Here's the situation: I'm running a fairly developed game, for five players characters around level 6 and 7, who leveled up slowly and deliberately.

Well, two players are making new characters to replace retiring characters. Also, I've got two new players looking to join.

The three remaining seasoned characters are 7, 7, and 6th level.

I don't want to abandon the seasoned characters' storylines and have everyone again start at first level. They've worked too long and hard to get where they are. I'm trying to decide at what level to place the new characters.

I'm thinking around level 4. If you would do differently, why? Would you give the players who've been in the game with other characters higher levels than the new players?

Thanks in advance.

Stalwart
Dreaming_in_the_void
07-18-05, 09:55 PM The fourth level characters would be a little bit low; the new characters will spend a good amount of time watching the seventh level characters and commenting on how cool the regulars are, and how cool the new guys aren't.

Let the players who want to make new characters start with the minimum amount of xp needed to make them one level below thier previous character. This is a sizable penalty for switching, but keeps them viable.

Let the new players all start out halfway between (i.e. half the experience to gain the next level) one level less than the already existing lowest level character, and the lowest level character's level. (So if the lowest level character in your party is 6th, the new guys start at fifth level... halfway to sixth.) They should still be able to make a meaningful contribution without too much of a level discrepency.

A two level spread isn't usually a problem for long since the lower level characters will earn more xp for the same encounters.
LuciusT
07-18-05, 09:59 PM I tried something like this myself once and it went badly. The lower level characters were completely outclassed by the abilities of the higher level ones, the new players were totally frustrated and the game nearly fell apart. Then, I lucked my way into a solution.

We started a new game, with first level characters, which ran for a few sessions and then stalled. I got the bright idea using those sessions as "backstory" for the new player's characters, jumping them up to 7th level so they matched the old existing characters and moving forward again with the old game.

It worked perfectly. The new character's had some background formed out of actual play experience (though we glossed over the jump between levels 2 and 7) and they were on the same power level as the old character so they new players didn't feel left out.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Stalwart 07-18-05, 09:46 PM	Here's the situation: I'm running a fairly developed game, for five players characters around level 6 and 7, who leveled up slowly and deliberately. Well, two players are making new characters to replace retiring characters. Also, I've got two new players looking to join. The three remaining seasoned characters are 7, 7, and 6th level. I don't want to abandon the seasoned characters' storylines and have everyone again start at first level. They've worked too long and hard to get where they are. I'm trying to decide at what level to place the new characters. I'm thinking around level 4. If you would do differently, why? Would you give the players who've been in the game with other characters higher levels than the new players? Thanks in advance. Stalwart
Dreaming_in_the_void 07-18-05, 09:55 PM	The fourth level characters would be a little bit low; the new characters will spend a good amount of time watching the seventh level characters and commenting on how cool the regulars are, and how cool the new guys aren't. Let the players who want to make new characters start with the minimum amount of xp needed to make them one level below thier previous character. This is a sizable penalty for switching, but keeps them viable. Let the new players all start out halfway between (i.e. half the experience to gain the next level) one level less than the already existing lowest level character, and the lowest level character's level. (So if the lowest level character in your party is 6th, the new guys start at fifth level... halfway to sixth.) They should still be able to make a meaningful contribution without too much of a level discrepency. A two level spread isn't usually a problem for long since the lower level characters will earn more xp for the same encounters.
LuciusT 07-18-05, 09:59 PM	I tried something like this myself once and it went badly. The lower level characters were completely outclassed by the abilities of the higher level ones, the new players were totally frustrated and the game nearly fell apart. Then, I lucked my way into a solution. We started a new game, with first level characters, which ran for a few sessions and then stalled. I got the bright idea using those sessions as "backstory" for the new player's characters, jumping them up to 7th level so they matched the old existing characters and moving forward again with the old game. It worked perfectly. The new character's had some background formed out of actual play experience (though we glossed over the jump between levels 2 and 7) and they were on the same power level as the old character so they new players didn't feel left out.