Some of my PCs have asked me about using the slow xp methid of gaining levels. The reason is they know I am unwilling to DM at higher levels most due to the fact i have bettr things to do with my time than spending an hour or 2 to design a 30 minute encounter. I normally have PCs retire around level 10 and our Kingmaker game kind of fell apart at level 10 when they won initiative and killed everthting before it got to act. At that point I did not want to keep running a game.
Anyhow has anyone else tried slow PC progression tables? Some people in the group have also mentioned letting monks use the fast one while Druids, Clerics and Wizards/Sorcerers use the slow one.
It depends what you want to do with your game.
Some groups only meet once per month, so if you wanna go to mid levels for a great climatic endboss fight you gotta use a faster progression or it will take years to get anywhere.
If you meet weekly or more often, the slow progression allows you to stay in the low level area that many seem to enjoy for a longer time, while you still get to higher levels quickly.
Also if you play a character in two different groups you could use the slow progressing to stay at par with the others that play only half as much.
Currently I am GMing a game on the fast progression. This has two reasons.
1) I GM at a RP club where the players hop on and off. I never know how many players I will have when I go there. Somethings I have completely new and inexperienced players as well. The fast progression allows others to catch up faster.
2) Pathfinder is new in the club (3.5 is known by a few) and I want to rush them through level 1 to ~15 to show them low, mid and high level gameplay.
I usually don't play with slow progression since I play in many different groups and enjoy low, mid and high level play roughly equally. If I would play slow then it would take longer to reach mid and high levels. Also where I am groups mostly fall apart due to time restraints. Faster leveling is sometimes to only chance to get above level 5 at all.
|
You could also look into Epic 6 rules as an alternative solution.
Basically, people don't level beyond level 6; instead, every (5000) XP, you gain a feat. It's a way of staying in the "sweet spot" levels that many people enjoy a lot. Full BAB classes have their first extra iterative attack, full casters have level 3 spells (fireball!), but no scry-'n-fry craziness yet.
There are some collections of additional feats out there to get to some "just out of reach" features, like a feat to get your level 8 domain/school power. Basically, some of the features from levels just above 6 are transformed into feats that you can only take with the feats gained after becoming "epic".
with my time than spending an hour or 2 to design a 30 minute encounter. I normally have PCs retire around level 10 and our Kingmaker game kind of fell apart at level 10 when they won initiative and killed everthting before it got to act. At that point I did not want to keep running a game.
Advice 1: Use an AP. Saves you HOURS and you can still give it your own twist (eg Kingmaker)
Advice 2: Budge.. You're the DM, and I'm not saying you should play against your players, but who knows how much DR/HP your guys have. It sucks that they die, but from players' perspective it makes sense to try and kill everything asap.You have to have fun too :)
Also: cover, DR, preparation, zone of silence, darkness, flying/burrowing/teleporting monsters, traps, mindfuzzle,... Make it harder for your players, make them think outside the box..