Goodman Games

Greetings, I am preparing to run Sailors on the Starless Sea for the first time and was wondering what folks do in terms of leveling up characters. Do you wait until the adventure is completed before raising the survivors to level 1 or do you level them up in the midst of the adventure (between the levels perhaps) in order to improve their chances of surviving the lower level? Many thanks in advance for your thoughts and tips.

Don't go soft on them. This adventure was built for zeroes. I've ran it three time,s and all groups succeeded with at least half the adventurers surviving. Casualties can be replaced too mid-adventure when they release the prisoners. Also, what's the point in running a funnel adventure if you only run half of it as a funnel? The whole adventure is about fearing for their lifes, going against impossible odds, using their creativity and poor resources. Leveling up midway would deprive from the full experience of going through Sailors on the Starless Sea.

I advocate leveling at 10 XP....but I advocate doing what feels best to you even more.

I typically run a lot of con or gameday games, so if you don't level midway or 3/4 then you don't level at all. So, I let them level. I kill about 2-3 of their 4 starting, then they level one they can play from then on.

Thanks for the replies. I had intended to level up after but then read a number of after action reports in which folks stated they allowed the characters to level up before the conclusion. For those who do allow leveling up, how do you handle spells for now-first level wizards and elves? From where do they supposedly get these new spells and spell-casting abilities? Thanks again

Froggie5 wrote:Thanks for the replies. I had intended to level up after but then read a number of after action reports in which folks stated they allowed the characters to level up before the conclusion. For those who do allow leveling up, how do you handle spells for now-first level wizards and elves? From where do they supposedly get these new spells and spell-casting abilities? Thanks again

I follow the suggestion in the book, and make them study to get those spells. BUT I also use a house rule to let them get them early AND I try to include items to make a wizard or elf useful before he/she gains spells. Sometimes. Life as a wizard is hard sometimes...and also easy at others.

http://ravencrowking.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... ls-on.html

I've run it 3 times and did not level until after on each occasion. I had really smart and successful players the first time. The 2nd and 3rd times were blood baths (we had 20+ PC deaths the 3rd time) -- I was basically shoving new character sheets at the players after each encounter the last two times.

One thing to keep in mind with leveling during the funnel is that your players may not be familiar with all of the class abilities that kick in at first level. For experienced players that isn't an issue, but you could really bog the game down trying to explain all of the class abilities mid-session.

One hybrid approach would be to allow PCs to get the 1st level hit point bump, but reserve class abilities until after the session is completed.

Buttmonkey wrote:...One thing to keep in mind with leveling during the funnel is that your players may not be familiar with all of the class abilities that kick in at first level. For experienced players that isn't an issue, but you could really bog the game down trying to explain all of the class abilities mid-session....

On the flipside, demihumans have no choice to make... and humans have to pick one of four distinct options. I know there are various 'quicksheet' type Class summaries out there on the web, too, to make this process even faster.

Thanks all for the tips!

i have slowly developed quite a dislike for leveling up during any given 'module' or 'active play'. now it seems to me that it should be 'downtime' activity. cue in montage of a hero practicing kung fu.