High(er) Level Play

[Scott]

I have three regulars in my campaign now, DJ, Mike, and James.
DJ's main character, Maylin, is a human magic-user that recently made it to 9th level. He has 3 henchmen that are all 6th level, Garth (human fighter), Bertrim (human cleric), and Fentin (halfling thief). He's getting to the point where he could become a force in the campaign, but he doesn't think on that level.
Mike is playing a gray elf named Elros, a cleric/fighter/magic-user whose levels are 5/4/4. This character has advanced quickly due to adventuring with higher level characters. Elros is probably the first demi-human PC that has been a part of this group. I think this is the first spell caster Mike has got past 1st level, so Elros is stil establishing an identity. Mike was playing a monk character that he put on hold to try this character. The monk was just getting to the point where he could hold his own.
James is playing Arthus, a 5th level human fighter. Arthus is pretty much a utilitarian character. James is a regular of computer games like Diablo II and World of Warcraft, and he handles his PCs in a similar fashion.
Elros and Arthus are still playing catch up, but with Maylin in the party, the group is getting to the point where they are ready for a higher level style of play. I haven't really DMed higher level characters in a long time. Any suggestions for bridging into a higher level style of game?

[geneweigel]

I don't know what exactly you're referring to.

Governments?

[Scott]

Anything really. Just ideas for higher level characters to interact with the campaign on a grander scale.

[geneweigel]

Here's some examples of things that I've considered off the top of my head:

Use the technique in the DMG for clearing the land for settlement.

Try to award xp for staging second hand "victories". For example, (A)sending an assassin(s) to do everything off screen - nothing. (B) Sending assassin(s) to collect data and then the character establishing a plan based on that data and flexing some power to set the stage for the assasination (find old favors etc.) - full xp for indirect involvement.

Have them play solo as henchmen every once in a while. Give xp for differentiated behavior.

Have desperate pols looking for a strongman to force change.

Never play governments as "aligned" to good or evil. They're all fighting over cheese no matter what the majority is.

[Falconer]

My idea with my campaign was something like this:

1) The first character to turn name level was a fighter. He immediately wanted to know where he could build his castle. I put out rumors of a nice spot on top of a hill, though there were rumors of a dungeon under the hill. The players "bit," and all set off to clear the dungeon so as to make ready to build the castle.

2) Once the dungeon cleared and the castle was ready to be built, most of the other characters were at or near name level as well. So we all sat down together and mapped out what we thought the world looked like, based on past travels and adventures (when the geography had always been left rather vague). The players all carved out different areas where they would build their strongholds and establish their baronies.

3) The next step would have been to put the AD&D campaign on hiatus and switch to Chainmail on the premise of a big war having broken out, and the players would each raise armies and fight each other and me (as Iuz). Alas, I moved away before this ever happened. My idea with this was based on the early sections of FFC.

4) Eventually, the big war would have died down, the PCs would all have been friends again, and gone dungeoneering or campaigning as they please.

For my next campaign I'm really thinking a big campaign a la the original Greyhawk campaign. Since I'm in the bookstore all day, I'll have multiple regular groups, plus anyone can come in at any time of the day and game. All in the same world. Time progresses such that 1 day of real time = 1 day in the campaign world. Characters always start out at 0 XP. So the only "celebrities" and rulers etc in the world are other, higher-level PCs that you may or may not have ever met. Very exciting. Regards.

[Scott]

None of the PCs have discussed territory development yet.
I think I am going to finish off this campaign year dungeon crawling, and move to a more setting tied campaign come spring of the next year.

[GRWelsh]

I think characters in that level range are the most fun, as both player and DM, because they can do just about anything. They have some power, but not too much, and are still hungry. To have them interact with the campaign on a larger scale, maybe have them travel more across the Flanaess. They might get a quest that takes them far over land and sea. Perhaps they escort a merchant caravan and have to guard it, or take a merchant ship on the sea and get attacked by pirates, slavers or get shipwrecked. You could get them involved in some kind of tactical fighting, like trying to break a siege, or defend a besieged castle. Or, maybe they try to sneak into some heavily guarded fortress to steal something, rescue someone, etc. In all of these cases, I think it would probably be better to throw out hooks and see what interests them, rather than just handing them a goal.

[geneweigel]

Way before I started detailing castle battles, I made the adventures more flexible first. The way that I pulled it off was to have the player's characters become more noticeable at higher levels. It was no longer about the adventure but the adventure was about them. Sort of a reverse of the concept of going to a dungeon. I brought the dungeon to them. Its a good way to make everything seem more dynamic and you won't have to stage the "mega-sized battles" yet.