Tiers of play, let´s see if I can explain myself

[OldTrees1]

Hello everyone,

I keep reading on these forums that "most campaigns end at level 10-12" or very similar examples. First question is: is this true? Do people keep "restarting"? Nobody playing a years-long story with the same character? Why epic levels are less interesting? (I know they are way harder to DM, usually for lack of experience).

In 5E our group has been running modules. We have had 1-10, 1-15, 1-15(with plans for 15-20), and currently in a 1-15. 5E has an anchoring effect due to it being harder to start at higher that 1st.

In 3E our group regularly went from ~5 to ~15 but we still used the levels 1-4 and 16-20 on occasion.

It seems to me that, for whatever reason, the second half of the game is not often played, yet a lot of the discussions about balance, dpr, etc. while interesting in a vacuum are hardly relevant to the majority of players, because if classes gain and lose terrain while they level up, either they are comparable only at 20 or they are perfectly calibrated level by level (and we don't see it ;) ).

I mean: I played D&D´s every edition since the 80s, I also played several MMOs, I'm not a stranger to theorycrafting or discussions about classes (one could argue what's the point in a game like D&D, but that's another topic completely), but certainly discussing over an incomplete set of data seems moot, doesn't it?

While knowledge of higher levels is not as precise/widespread as knowledge about lower levels, it is not incomplete.

Another point: do you believe that multiclassing seems way more than an option in this edition? I remember (wrongly?) that in the past one traded power for versatility, but in 5e I have the impression that one trades just a bit of time, by delaying access to some features, for quite a lot of power, because 1 to 3 level "dips" offer so much.

Multiclassing in 5E is better designed than in 3E. It is another valid option, just like single classed characters work.

You are trading one feature for a different feature. If you multiclass you gain a (presumably synergistic) lower level ability at the opportunity cost of the higher level ability you would have gained. A character than is split A7/B3 traded the features of A8-10 for the features of B1-3. This is the desired structure of a level by level multiclass system. All you need to do is make every level, or at least most levels, worthwhile and level appropriate. Then multiclassing becomes selecting a synergistic lower level ability at the cost of a higher level ability. For Tiers 1-2 this seems to work in 5E.

Spoiler: For example Warlock

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2nd level gives Innovations.
3rd gives pacts and 2nd level spells.
4th is an ASI
5th is 3rd level spells
7th is 4th level spells
8th is an ASI
9th is 5th level spells

Spoiler: For example Ancients Paladin

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2nd is 1st level spells and a Fighting style
4th is an ASI
5th is extra attack and 2nd level spells
6th is Aura of protection
7th is Ancients aura
8th is an ASI
9th is 3rd level spells