The ultimate goal, for DM and Player alike, is to get to the destined and not often achieved 20th level. You might be asking yourself, “why can’t we, as players, start the campaign blasting through your enemies”.
It is a valid question. You can keep the theatrics of meeting in the tavern, followed immediately by dismantling the BBEG. But, just like that last sentence, the game would end quickly, with no character growth or storytelling along the way.
So now you can see why most DMs do not let their players start off at such a high level. The players are powerful, which gives a serotonin boost, but the game lacks engagement and overall fun.
We’re going to go some advice on how to keep your players determined to grow, and enjoy the xp (experience).
High-Level D&D Power Curve
There is a correlation that should be followed based on the level your players. The best way to figure out where your players are at on this high-level D&D curve is to simply have them start out with a mock battle.
Most games start out with introductions, explaining who they are and what class they’re playing. Sometime during the first and second game, a small battle should also be introduced. It will give you a birds-eye-view of the players, how they interact, and possibly how quickly they finish the battle.
While you can choose to make this interaction deadly, you may be surprised at how quick it comes to an end. It casts a wide net, those who are newer probably will not know how to min/max their characters like veteran D&D players do. For us, the first battle is not meant to be a challenge but a resource for the DM to understand how powerful their players actually are.
Dungeon Masters Beware
During the battle, you might have noticed a few players causing you grief (to their joy). Spells, magic items, along with class abilities can make your players seem like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Being aware of what they could do should be as important as knowing what your NPC’s can do. If your NPC has no possible way to counter your players one shot, then the battle is over before it has even begun.
High-Level D&D Realism
Adventuring
Gygaxian Naturalism (oh look we wrote an example about that too – here) is, in our opinion, the most streamlined way to create a realistic environment for your players.
A quick rundown? Gygaxian Naturalism really helps build the complex ecosystem that can be found in any world. For example, you find a herd of goblins in a dungeon or cave. Well great the first step is complete. You are now tasked with creating an ecosystem around these goblins.
There are a few questions that you can ask yourself to help create that sense of realism. How do the goblins hunt and get food? Are they the apex predators of this cave system or do they have to look out for more ferocious foes? Think of it as a fantastical food pyramid. With just this basic information, you can think of what weapons they might have, what the players might run into inside, and even something totally unexpected that only resides in that cave.
Once the DM can tell where your players are in this ecosystem, then you can plan your games around it.
Political World
While the game can and should be played any way you and your players deem fit, in the real world the bard singing a diss song to the king usually does not work out.
Within the walls of a castle or any political capital there are firm guidelines in how to act, along with a set hierarchy of those who help run the kingdom. One wrong step and the players could find themselves in a different type of dungeon.
If you would like to find out exactly how a castle is run and who runs it, check out – The Sovereign’s Circle: Secrets of Castle Life Unveiled.
A list is attached at the bottom showing everyone that is involved, from the king to the stable boy!
Political intrigue, rival factions, and the church with their divine often pop up in campaigns. These are the people with power and influence. Hence, they should influence any major going-ons of your players.
Realistically, high-level D&D campaigns should be more of a long term plan. This way the connections and build up of power align with story points. After a difficult journey, nothing is better than a “level up” from your DM.
High-Level D&D Battles and Encounters
Action Economy
Even for higher levels, groups of weaker enemies can still be difficult for the adventurers. While the BBEG is key for the antagonists to fight against, why can’t they fight through a hoard of orcs on their way? This will require actual thinking on behalf of your players. They won’t simple use their high level spells on low level bad guys.
But you can force them to use it, if need be. Most players ration that they have to save it for their big battle coming up, but may have to use their high-level healing to save one of your critically unlucky party mates. This is a great use of action economy that you can use in your favor.
Encounters
There is a tendency to create an encounter and think of it simply as placing a few minis around a battle map. But this is not true! There are many tools a DM can use to help get your players thinking on their feet.
Interested in our favorite D&D tools? Check out The Best Dungeon and Dragons Tools for Dungeon Masters 2024
Tools such as traps, changing battle maps, or even multi level fighting grounds are all good options to sprinkle in. It transforms more into just hitting as hard as you can to hitting as hard as you can safely. It is surprisingly very hard to get to your enemy if there is rough terrain or if you are halfway down a surprise trap door.
The enemies themselves can also have their own intelligence. A single goblin wouldn’t even give a level one player much trouble. Now, if you were a player in a goblin dwelling with no layout of the land with traps around every corner, then you might be in a pickle. Grouping up the bad guys is not fighting unfairly, they are defending and fighting for their lives from a group that 1vs1 are levels ahead of them.
Speaking of intelligence, you might not be fighting monsters, but an intellectual equal. They are going to be able to strategize at a completely different level compared to other creatures. Counter spells, persuasion, and time crunched scenarios can appear top throw off your players games.
Time crunch battles are pivotal if you are trying to sway your players in making a difficult choice. What if they are able to save the lives of their beloved NPC’s but in return the BBEG has time to escape? How will your players react?
The worst enemy can actually be a split party, half wanting one solution and half wanting the other. Each round is 6 seconds real time, that might not always be enough to make an accurate and the most “correct” choice.
Rewarding Your Players
We have gone on and on about how rewards in D&D do not have to be just loot or magical objects. This for several reasons. One, the campaign might last a while, and sadly some players just forget that they have it. Two, at a certain point high-level D&D players might become more powerful than the loot, causing them to have no need for it. Finally, it can just be boring.
Try these options instead. Title and influence over the land, as stated previously, comes with a lot of power. However they might have achieved it, becoming rulers (or warlords) of a domain can give long term benefits. Meeting others of this criteria can help your influence, as you are no longer a meager adventurer.
Names written in legend can also have the desired effect. Your name is known amongst the lands, those that you come across praise you for your help in protecting the kingdom. Possibly your players actions can even be rewarded with world-altering effects, shifting reality to their own liking.
Conclusion
For those who are ready to get planning their own high-level D&D game, here is a quick rundown. Use an encounter/battle that helps gauge how strong your players are. With this, you will see them in action and will be able to understand their playstyle. This with the knowledge of your players character sheets will turn you into a prepared DM.
If you want the world you present to feel real, then add realism to the game. This includes the Gygaxian Naturalism aspect along with people that feel real and have roles in the game. Take the campaign slow and build the connections that will influence the game dramatically.
Do not be scared for your players. They can hold themselves up and will do everything in their power to demolish enemies coming their way. Finally, make them feel powerful – but make them earn it.
