Quick survey

[Galen]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?

[Thurbane]

1. None.

1a. Highest I've gone is about 1 to 11.

2. Never.

2a. Around 9th (we swap DMs a lot).

[weckar]

1. Never. 4.

2. Never. 7.

This said, I hardly ever play from 1. I find 3 a far more attractive start point.

[torrasque666]

1: yes. past it even.

2: Don't DM much but I did help my current DM handle high level characters by finding holes and weaknesses in their builds. So I guess.... 15-21.

[Toilet Cobra]

1. No.
1a. ~6th.
2. No.
2a. 14th.

[Eldonauran]

1. I have played about 5 games where I have taken a character from level 1 to 20.

2. I have successfully ran two games where the characters have started at level 1 and at least one of the original characters survived to become 20th level. I have one game where they started at 3rd level and are approaching 26th level.

[Malimar]

1. Never

1a. 17

2. Never

2a. 10

[EvilAvocado]

1. Never

1a. 16th, so not too far off

2. Never

2a. 6th, I don't get to DM much.

[LoyalPaladin]

1. Never (working on it now >:D)
1a. Level 14
2. Never
2a. Level 9

[Droningbass]

1. Yes, into a couple epic levels even.

2. Once, but I have led several campaigns that rose to mid/high levels.

[Coidzor]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?

1. Never.

1a. Level 9, IIRC.

2. Never.

2a. Undefined. Never started from level 1.

[nyjastul69]

1) Never

1a) 6th

2) Twice (actually one these I took over Dming at 6th level. It started at 1st level, although I was a player.

[YossarianLives]

1. None.

1a. 1-9.

2. None.

2a. 1-8.

[Lathund]

No

1-13

Never DM'ed

[Hand_of_Vecna]

1.No
1a. I've played in several gaes that started at 1 and achieved 9th level casting.
2. No
2a. 15

[Judge_Worm]

I don't count these things so instead I'll give percentages.

1. About 5% of all campaigns, highest went from 1-38

2. As above, highest 1-greater deity

[Hiro Quester]

1 yes. Once to level 21. Most of the original group survived to level 19-21.

Never DMed.

[yellowrocket]

Never only lvl 5

Never. Only made it to lvl 3 before we couldn't play any more

[Zweisteine]

1. Never.
2. Level 5
3. Never
4. Level 3 (currently ongoing adventure, should hit 4 or 5 at least)

[bjoern]

1. Never
1a. 14
2.never.
2a. 9

[Blackhawk748]

1. Nope

1a. 13 i believe

2. Nope

2a. i believe 12

[justiceforall]

1a. Got to 15 and the campaign ended gracefully.

2a. As a GM my remaining players have made it to 13 and are still going.

[Lightlawbliss]

3 times from 1-20+, many more started above 1 and went past 20, and a few that started above 20.
Only DMed 1-20 once.

[CGNefarious]

1) Never. Highest I've gotten to was level 11.

2) Never, but I have very limited DMing experience. Highest I got my party to before we've had to quit was level 5.

[Doctor Awkward]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?


Twice, technically.

First time was my first character in 2nd Edition D&D. Halfling Thief from 1 to 18 (the cap for them)

Second time was part of a round-robin game where we rotated DM's. I played an Artificer from 1 to 20.


1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?
2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?


Once. I was one of the DM's in that round-robin game. Everyone hit 20.

[Naez]

1. Never

2. Never

1&2a. The group I play with refuses to start at level 1 under any circumstances due to the fact it is way too easy to die. A few examples to illustrate my point.

Ex 1. The Fighter charges in and murderifies an orc. The orc's buddy swings a greataxe at the fighter's head. Oh he rolled a 12 goodbye fighter.

Ex 2. The sorcerer is a mean spirited prick and kicks a housecat as you walk through the city. The cat logically pounces on his ass. Claw, Claw, Bite and now you're on death's doorstep.

[HolyCouncilMagi]

Wait... Does it have to be the same character?

Because I've played in a bunch of games that went 1-20, but I've never had an individual character make that whole trip... I always get bored and retire whatever character I happen to be playing several times during any campaign that long.

[justiceforall]

Because I've played in a bunch of games that went 1-20, but I've never had an individual character make that whole trip... I always get bored and retire whatever character I happen to be playing several times during any campaign that long.

I would hazard a guess that the question is actually about campaigns and not necessarily characters since those can continue regardless of deaths, etc.

I have a question for the OP as well - are you collating the responses? If you are, do you mind posting them at the end (whatever you decide that to be). Be curious to see figures.

[Sir Chuckles]

1) Once.
3) Once.

[PlatinumVixen]

1. Never

1a. Something like twelve I think. A lot of campaigns I've been in end around twelve for some reason.

2. Never

2a: I haven't started a party at level 1 in so long I don't remember.

[jjcrpntr]

1) Never
2) 12 I think. We may have hit 13 I can't really remember.
3) Never, but I've only been DMing about a year and a half and they are only into their second campaign.
4) They hit level 9 I believe last campaign.

[Vhaidara]

1. None
1a. 4, then a timeskip to 7, IIRC. However, I have gone from 4 to 10 and from 5 to 11
2. None
2a: 1 to 3 (still running), 5 to 8 (became the 5-11 game I was in)

These numbers are biased by the fact that I hate starting at 1 unless it's a published AP.

[Telonius]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?

1. Twice.

2. Two completed games; in the process of number 3. (Level 14 currently).

[Sewercop]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?


1: 2 times, would have been three but one character was overpowering compared to the others and got retired at lvl 12. (druid,wiz, arch hierophant early entry)

2: one time, very low powerd game. Most of the players i dmd for had a hard time grasping high level playing and tended to fail amazingly fun for us all.


Outside of d&d 3.5, alot of campaings have gone into high levels. But it always require a good gentlemans agreement and a cunning game master.
Know what to keep and know what to ban. In every game we have a simple rule: Break it once, then we fix it.

[manyslayer]

Playing 3.X from the start:

1. Once. Finished off at 24th I believe.

2. Never

2a. 14th level. Just finished it last Saturday, actually.

[rmnimoc]

1. Eight times, with the highest level I've hit from level one being 32.

2. Six times, with the highest level they have reached at 40 before they got bored and I ran out of legitimate threats to throw at them.



I'm a bit surprised by these answers honestly, I've only had a few campaigns that didn't hit twenty.

[OldTrees1]

1. Never. Usually a campaign lasts 9 levels.
1a. 1-5th. My first campaign, run by my dad. Only time I ever started at 1st level if I recall.

2. Never. I find 1st level annoying as a DM and usually start at a level with a double benefit(6th, 9th, 12th, 16th).
2a. N/A. Never used 1st level although have run past 20th once.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

1. Once, currently working on making it twice.

2. Once.

[Pluto!]

1. Never. My dude was L13, but was the highest in the party.

2. Never. L9 was the highest.

[Madhava]

1. Never.

1a. 1 to 18.

2. Never.

2a. {}; null set; I have not DM'ed since the days of 2E.

[Kol Korran]

1. Never.
1a. Level 13-14 (Can't remember)
2. DMing such a campaign now, where "we want to play till level 20" was one of the motives. Wrath of The Righteous AP. Currently level 10/ mythic tier 3 (alaid mythic rules)
2a. The highest I DMed before was Level 13.

[Anxe]

1. No.
1a. 8th
2. Nope!
2a. 9th

[Oddman80]

The questions below refer to D&D 3.x, Pathfinder, and similar games.

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?

1. Once
2. None
2a. Level 3

[snailgosh]

1. How many times have you played a character from level 1 to level 20?
never

1a. If the answer to 1 was "never", what's the highest level you achieved playing from level 1?
level 4

2. How many times have you DMed a game with characters going from level 1 to level 20?
never

2a. If the answer to 2 was "never", what's the highest level your PCs achieved playing from level 1?
level 1

[Windrammer]

1. Never
A. 16, but we had skipped a substantial number of levels fire lore reasons. Naturally leveling we only got to 6 or 7.

2. Never
A. 11, fair and square.