Is there any point in getting hung up over how 'believable' a character backstory is for their starting level, when their adventures in the campaign make them gain levels every few days?
Doesn't that completely shatter the concept of needing years of experience to be mid-level?
>>45770987
That assumes that you will be gaining levels every few days.
It really depends on the scale and scope of the game. There isn't really a "correct" answer so long as it all remains internally consistent.
>when their adventures in the campaign make them gain levels every few days?
>Assuming people are running Monty Haul 'adventures'
I see you pulled out your biggest bait to start with, OP.
>>45771008
This would be your answer, if you were serious.
>>45770987
Look, at level 1 you are weak. Very weak. Three housecats could kill you.
That, alone, is why it doesn't make sense for a level 1 rogue to be a former master assassin or whateverthefuck
>>45770999
Travel times are the biggest cause of slowdown in levels-gained-per-day.
In 5e, it takes 300 XP to get from level 1 to 2, then another 600 XP to get from level 2 to 3.
Suggested XP budget per day is 300 XP for each level 1 character, and 600 XP for each level 2 character.
Literally two days to get from level 1 to 3.
>>45770987
Stop writing background stories. Your catperson rogue picked up some shady skills at some point and is off to seek adventure/save the world/whatevs. Literally nobody cares.
>>45771102
Shady skills? From who? What drove you to that? Where was this? How old were you? Where was your family at this point? Why are you seeking adventure? Has being catperson shaped anything about your personality? Do you have any contacts or friends? Who or why not? What do you do besides fighting? Do you know any of the party already? Where'd you get your equipment from? How many cocks have you sucked?
That's why I prefer systems where you gain exp as currency to buy abilities, with training times spacing out the purchasing. A single day of incredibly terrifying combat that spans several sessions could give the players a massive bump in power, but they have to space out buying these abilities over a large downtime spent applying what they learned, sparring, practicing magical theory, etc.
>>45771172
Does "killing shit in the wilderness" count?
Because that's what adventurers can do to gain levels in a matter of days.
>>45771023
I had to bring up the housecat thing to one (potential) player whose backstory had them, in Pathfinder, being from the celestial planes, regularly channeling 9th-level spells for teh lulz, and breaking the rules of magic over their knee 'cause they could. It didn't stick, either.
>>45770987
>when their adventures in the campaign make them gain levels every few days?
What kind of shit game does this?
>>45771388
...I'm sorry, did you come straight from playing fucking Final Fantasy to /tg/ with no other input?
>>45771082
So the whole point of experience is moot now?
Good to know, I'll keep not using it.
>>45771023
three housecats, if properly motivated, could kill most people
In that sense anyway, why does being more experienced give you more hitpoints?
>>45770987
This is why you generally start games already at level 4 or 5.
There's also the method my DM uses:
>discard the concept of XP
>give out level-ups as the end of every story arc
>PC backstories include a number of escalating events or experiences equal to their starting level
>>45772038
Have you tried not playing DnD?
>>45772125
Hit points are usually an abstract concept. If you've been stabbed more daily than a pincushion has over a year, you'd probably grow more accustomed to being stabbed. Sure, it'll hurt still, but not as much.
Stop playing DND starting at level 1. ESPECIALLY 5e.
Nobody cares about level 1. Level 1 isn't fun. Start playing from the fun levels.
Also, the main characters are the main characters. They have destiny shining on them. They get as powerful as they get because of the rules of story, not the rules of reality. Because it's a game about playing characters and making a story.
>>45772276
I have.
It's a nice feeling.
>>45772377
Okay, why did you respond to a topic clearly about DnD? To shitpost?
>>45772327
>Also, the main characters are the main characters. They have destiny shining on them. They get as powerful as they get because of the rules of story, not the rules of reality. Because it's a game about playing characters and making a story.
I hate this concept. I don't care about playing a group of chosen ones. I just want to have adventures with my rag-tag group of companions and it doesn't really matter if we're going to save the world or never even leave a mark on history. In fact, I prefer when adventures are normal thing, when all the conspiracies, wars, plots and discoveries are just another part of the world - vast, yet not unexplored and unknown. We're not some god-chosen heroes that are meant to be the best of the best, but just a small gathering of weirdos that are easily overshadowed by the actual heroes and champions of the realm, but have slim chance of maybe earning the right to one day stand among them.
>>45772399
If you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer.
Beyond that, I run Dungeons and Dragons games.
I just prefer different systems.
To please your autism, I'm going to explain why I said what I did in detail.
I don't use experience points because it's fiddly-number bullshit I'm not willing to deal with, and the claim that 5e metes out experience per day just completely removes the point of it anyways, which was why I said experience was moot.
If you're going to mete out experience per day, just list how many days of effort it takes to level up between levels and get it over with.
When i call for level-ups in Dungeons and Dragons, I do so when i feel the characters have advanced enough in their current goal or set of goals to warrant it, which makes more sense in my mind.
OP's assertion, that leveling up only takes a few days between levels, has a basis in a flawed interpretation of a method of keeping levels I already don't use.
I said it's a nice feeling to not play Dungeons and Dragons because
>1. A change in pace is usually nice
and
>2. I enjoy the different mechanics a different game provides without the restrictions of D&D conventions.
That enough of an answer for you?
>>45771023
I always found a flaw in this; why are housecats so strong that one of them could murder a dozen commoners? How did primitive man survive into medieval stasis if possums or rats could solo his ass?
>>45772502
What you're talking about isn't great for the more sandbox style games in my experience. Also I think the question was meant to be more along the lines of "Why do you think anyone in this DnD thread gives a shit that you prefer different games?" than "Give us in your expert opinion why you play other games"
>>45772502
>I don't use experience points because it's fiddly-number bullshit I'm not willing to deal with
>I don't use experience because I'm lazy and upset by math
>>45772536
well for a cat to attack a commoner the commoner would get an attack of opportunity since tiny creatures don't have enough reach to hit unless entering the targets own square, but they also are good enough at hiding that they could get around that
But the real answer is probably that they weren't started out for the sake of being a thing for humans to actually fight and the stat block makes more sense for something that kills rats or acts as a familiar
>>45772498
OK, cool, enjoy your game, but the back of my DnD books say "Create heroes to adventure!" on the PHB, so I expect the game to actually reflect that heroic nature.
>>45770987
Have you tried not playing D&D?
>>45771023
If you play a shit system, yes, but the majority I've come across this isn't the case.
>>45770987
I'd like to take a moment to talk to you all about pathfinder.
Specifically, Trask. Trask is the 'iconic ranger', an icon of all martials because at level 12 his favourite attack routine is firing a crossbow once for 1d10+3 (+1d6 fire) damage. That is his turn.
This utterly worthless dwarf, at level 1, for his backstory, has an absurdly ridiculous backstory. Giants are a CR7 creature, so fighting one at level one is basically off the tables because you will die instantly. Killing one alone is nuts. Wiping out an entire horde of them singlehandedly, with ease, as one of the most incompetent characters ever to grace the realms of D&D. when you are level 12 and hitting once for 1d10+3 damage? Absolutely fucking ridiculous from any and every point of view possible.
I have yet to find a character worthy of being complained about over their backstory compared to this.
http://www.pathfindercommunity.net/iconic-characters/harsk---iconic-ranger/harsk-iconic-ranger-12
>>45774791
Oh, and to clarify - my point with the level 12 is that he's still utterly worthless by that level. That's his level one backstory.
His level one statblock isn't actually that much worse than his level 12 one, though. I think he loses like... I dunno, two or three points of damage a round? Maybe up to five?
>>45774800
>>45774791
I can't even get his name right. But that statblock and backstory has been burned into my mind. It's horrifying.
>>45774791
Harsk highlights the over-all disconnect between the fluff-writers of Pathfinder and the actual designers of the game.
The fluff-writers want to make fantasy adventurers and heroes. The mechanics writers want to make 3.5 styled mechanics.
There is overlap, but it's not in the area of crossbow wielding dwarven rangers.
>>45771082
>>45772038
5e is different from previous editions in that level 3 is the new level 1, and levels 1 and 2 are like "tutorial levels" meant to ease new players into the game. Every campaign I've been in except the very first one, we've always started at level 3.
After level 3 your level-up rate normalizes a lot I've found and is more in-line with other editions.
>>45775680
>levels 1 and 2 are like "tutorial levels" meant to ease new players into the game. Every campaign I've been in except the very first one, we've always started at level 3.
Then explain why Lost Mine of Phandelver, Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Out of the Abyss, and Curse of Strahd ALL start at level 1.
>>45775684
They're written for new players
>>45775684
Not that anon, but modules are generally made to ease new players into the game.
>>45772498
Try Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e in that case.
>>45775684
Modules are for new dms presumably with new players
