High level adventuring. Doable or not? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

High level adventuring. Doable or not?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Nov 21, 2003 11:15:41 Hey all,

I'm starting a new Ravenloft campaign. After extensive DMing in the FR for years now, from which I know the ins and outs, I wanted to feel the gothic horror of RL. And after doing my homework on the RL setting its rather clear to me it kinda designed for low to mid level play. I think I can say I got the mood thing down, its just the overall challenge the heroes need, that bothers me a bit. Still I want to try to get a high level (15+) campaign started. In Darkon it seems.

Now I was wondering if any of you guys/girls had any experience in the high level adventures in RL. How did it work out, if it even did? Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.
#2
The_Jester
Nov 21, 2003 12:24:46 There is trouble playing with charactrs that high. Unless they're Outlanders getting them up that high without them attracting the wrong sort of attention is difficult to justify. Many Darklords would feel threatened and try to have them killed.

The tricks are to give them powerful enemies or ones that cannot be defeated by raw power. Or enemies they just don't know exist. They know there's the Big Bad, but they don't know who.
The other problem is Darklords, you have to put them in a place where they're not going to walk all over the main bad guy easily.

It is hard because most of the horror and fear comes from facing something that can hurt or kill you, the unknowns and weakness. Feeling vulnerable.
This gets slightly lost with high level. Unless they're playing aged, jaded and weary heroes who have seen too much and lost too many friends and lovers. That might be interesting.
#3
scipio
Nov 21, 2003 19:23:11 I did pretty well with high level characters in the 'loft. I just had the Kargat kinda declare war on the PC's for defying them, and they got holed up in the Darkonian wilderness with the K on one side and the border, of course guarded by an endless supply of zombies, on the other.
#4
platinumwarlock
Nov 21, 2003 22:27:28 It's definitely possible, but it'll be a struggle.

When you have PCs that are approaching epic level and can take down Strahd in his own castle, it gets very difficult to scare them. As such, you have to be sure that a sense of vulnerability is still around....Scipio seems to have succeeded in this, but that has to be continued, particularly if you don't end up cornering the PCs somewhere.

I recommend you give it a try--if nothing else, you'll learn what works and what doesn't. But, if things are falling through, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the plug and put them all back down to 4th level.
#5
scipio
Nov 21, 2003 22:37:37 But you have to be careful with the "vulnerability all around" bit, the PCs can get sick of it and go a bit nuts. Mine finally decided to try and cut off the Kargat at the source. Long story short, Azzy now has 4 new meat puppets.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Nov 21, 2003 11:15:41	Hey all, I'm starting a new Ravenloft campaign. After extensive DMing in the FR for years now, from which I know the ins and outs, I wanted to feel the gothic horror of RL. And after doing my homework on the RL setting its rather clear to me it kinda designed for low to mid level play. I think I can say I got the mood thing down, its just the overall challenge the heroes need, that bothers me a bit. Still I want to try to get a high level (15+) campaign started. In Darkon it seems. Now I was wondering if any of you guys/girls had any experience in the high level adventures in RL. How did it work out, if it even did? Any comments or thoughts would be appreciated.
#2 The_Jester Nov 21, 2003 12:24:46	There is trouble playing with charactrs that high. Unless they're Outlanders getting them up that high without them attracting the wrong sort of attention is difficult to justify. Many Darklords would feel threatened and try to have them killed. The tricks are to give them powerful enemies or ones that cannot be defeated by raw power. Or enemies they just don't know exist. They know there's the Big Bad, but they don't know who. The other problem is Darklords, you have to put them in a place where they're not going to walk all over the main bad guy easily. It is hard because most of the horror and fear comes from facing something that can hurt or kill you, the unknowns and weakness. Feeling vulnerable. This gets slightly lost with high level. Unless they're playing aged, jaded and weary heroes who have seen too much and lost too many friends and lovers. That might be interesting.
#3 scipio Nov 21, 2003 19:23:11	I did pretty well with high level characters in the 'loft. I just had the Kargat kinda declare war on the PC's for defying them, and they got holed up in the Darkonian wilderness with the K on one side and the border, of course guarded by an endless supply of zombies, on the other.
#4 platinumwarlock Nov 21, 2003 22:27:28	It's definitely possible, but it'll be a struggle. When you have PCs that are approaching epic level and can take down Strahd in his own castle, it gets very difficult to scare them. As such, you have to be sure that a sense of vulnerability is still around....Scipio seems to have succeeded in this, but that has to be continued, particularly if you don't end up cornering the PCs somewhere. I recommend you give it a try--if nothing else, you'll learn what works and what doesn't. But, if things are falling through, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the plug and put them all back down to 4th level.
#5 scipio Nov 21, 2003 22:37:37	But you have to be careful with the "vulnerability all around" bit, the PCs can get sick of it and go a bit nuts. Mine finally decided to try and cut off the Kargat at the source. Long story short, Azzy now has 4 new meat puppets.