4th level is great for OD&D one-shots

[Zulgyan]

Ok, so I might be the only OD&D referee in Argentina. People in the community know this and many, out of curiosity, ask me for GMing a game for them, just to see how the game was in the begging.

I have runed about 7 one-shots for different groups in this way.

I've always used the same home made dungeon, which I've been perfecting after each session, ammeding some thing I found boring or that needed to be better done.

Anyway, the point of this thread is that I've played all this games by making them create on the spot 4th level characters.

This level is very good for OD&D one-shots for a couple of reasons.

• As it is a 1 session (of about 5 hours net play) game 4 level characters are more durable and keep the game going.
  
• That level also lets them face a wider variaty of monsters, from orcs to even small dragons.
  
• The fighting men attacks the best, the magic user has a fair amount of spells to cast (6 spells, plus any scroll or wand they find in the adventure), clerics have some healing.
  
• It allows them to make some mistakes and yet live (thought punished) that is good for begginers not acustomed to the gaming style.
  
• They don't feel like complete crap compared to the power scale they are used to (3E and 4E)
  
• It seeds the desire for more. " Wow, I would love to keep gaming to the point I can start casting Fireballs!".
  
• I dunno, it just works very well.
  

Hope you enjoyed this small reflection

[snorri]

I was about to propose something like this for E&S (hey, what a bout clones in spanish?), starting at level 4th for heroic adventures and 8th for superheroic adventures. But I think this will be for the first supplement, as the layout is now finished.

Some characters of my PBP are now next to level 2, but for sure at level 1 they're still frail little things and it needs to use a lot of tricks to keep them alive with dangerous adventures. In E&S, I suggested as a game advice than, for a more pulp mood, killing characters was not the good way. Awake tied in the ennemy lair with a villain epxosing his plan to end the world is funnier.

[calithena]

I agree, Zulg. Adventuring at all levels can be fun in the old game, but there is a kind of 'sweet spot' between 3rd and 7th level that I find especially satisfying. Good job.

[chgowiz]

I've just pre-gen'ed about 50 odd 3rd level characters for people to use in my microlite74 game at WinterWar. I'm curious to see if 3rd level is a good spot to have a Tuckers Kobolds run...

[Fandomaniac]

Feb 5, 2009 9:34:15 GMT -6 @chgowiz said:

I'm curious to see if 3rd level is a good spot to have a Tuckers Kobolds run...

I'd rather face a Balrog than Tuckers Kobolds!

[coffee]

Feb 5, 2009 11:47:35 GMT -6 Fandomaniac said:

Feb 5, 2009 9:34:15 GMT -6 @chgowiz said:

I'm curious to see if 3rd level is a good spot to have a Tuckers Kobolds run...

I'd rather face a Balrog than Tuckers Kobolds!

Me, too! You can gang up on a Balrog, but Tuckers Kobolds gang up on YOU.



And in reference to the original post, I agree that 4th level is a good place for pick-up games. High enough level that you can do something (and Clerics get some spells, so they stop whining...) but not so high a level that you're invincible.

But for campaign play, I prefer to start at first level.

[tavis]

I've been running 3rd level OD&D games at our local convention, Recess. I chose that level based on Gary's house rules - he seems to have agreed that it's best to do a one-shot at higher levels! Fourth gets you the 2nd level spell for clerics, but I like 3rd because everyone has the same to-hit line on the chart, which lets me say "OK, everyone call out rolls you think might have hit."

My last group at Recess got through big chunks of Borshak's Lair, the Jaquays low-level dungeon from Dungeoneer. They took out two ogres (one at a time through a doorway) without a problem, although the fourth-level geased hero with +1 plate and shield was enough of a challenge that they found another way to defeat him. A clever group and one that included two pre-teen kids.

[Zulgyan]

Something special about 4th is that you give fighters the best comparative attack power.