Dragonlance levels

[schreier]

In AD&D books, the max level within Dragonlance was 18, and they made a point that the gods kept mortals at that level or below intentionally.

I can't find any indication of a similar restriction in the Campaign setting book (which I believe is official). I did not find anything in the other "3rd" party Dragonlance books either.

Considering that class tables list levels up to 20, I'm guessing all concept of a max level has been eliminated in 3.0/3.5, but I wanted to see if I had missed anything.

[Kelb_Panthera]

I think I vaguely remember something in ELH about not being able to cross the epic threshold to level 21 without doing something to earn it beyond simply reaching 210,000 xp. Beyond that, I don't think there's anything and I'm not even 100% sure that actually exists since I'm AFB.

[lylsyly]

Dragonlance was originally a 1e setting. I would have to climb into the attic to actually get the books but IIRC max level was 15. After that you "went to sit at the side of your god." Of course 1e also had max levels for classes that depended on your race!! ;-)

[schreier]

I pulled out my Dragonlance Adventures book (AD&D).

On page 13, it had General Limitations in Krynn

Player charactes in other worlds to unlimited levels, but not in Krynn. Once a player character advances beyond 18th level, the gods of Krynn feel that it is time to reassign him to some other world. Fortunately for the lovers of Krynn, advancement beyond 18th level is not mandatory. Your PC has the unique ability to refuse such advancement (and thereby stay within the world of Krynn). It is up to you.

Those few individuals who remain in the world beyond 18th level do so either by special permission of the gods or by unnatural means. The privileged few include such beings as the Dragon Highlord of the Queen of Darkness or Raistlin. Takhisis is always out to destroy the balance of the world. This is not to say that she grants such boons without great reason. The rule is that PCs who wish to remain in Krynn must forfeit any advancement beyond18th level regardless of class; if they advance beyond that, the gods remove them from Krynn.

[KillianHawkeye]

That's definitely not the sort of restriction that fits in with WotC's design philosophies. You should be free to ignore it if you're playing 3rd Edition D&D or later versions.

[Biggus]

I think I vaguely remember something in ELH about not being able to cross the epic threshold to level 21 without doing something to earn it beyond simply reaching 210,000 xp. Beyond that, I don't think there's anything and I'm not even 100% sure that actually exists since I'm AFB.

It is in the ELH (p.104) but it's just a suggestion, one of several options presented for a DM's consideration, not a general rule.

[ViperMagnum357]

It was not a hard and fast rule in Dragonlance 3.0/3.5, but a strongly implied one. I think you can count of two hands the number of characters in that setting that reached Epic. No statted npc, even at the height of their power, exceeded ECL 20 without one of two things happening; being an important servant of a Deity, or finding a way to seize that power, making you an avowed enemy of the entire Krynn cosmology. Masters of the Towers are nominally in the service to the gods, and every statted character save 2 either was or had been reliant on a God to reach that level; even Fistandantilus bargained with Takhisis for the Bloodstone before he reached Epic. Of the others, Ariakas and Vinus Solamnus were the champions of Greater Deities.

The two exceptions I can think of are the alternate reality version of the Kingpriest that succeeded in stealing the power of the Gods, and Raistlin Majere. The latter is the big question mark, of how he accomplished that; not only is he the highest leveled non-deity, non-Dragonlord caster in the cosmology, but he is the only individual period with access to spell slots over 9th level for metamagic, and the only one with access to Epic Spellcasting.

[lightningcat]

Raistlin basically highjacked Fistandantilus' power using time travel, prophecy, and other shenanigans. He almost got all of the power, ever, but was stopped before he destroyed the world.