Searching for powerful lvl 2 or 3 to go against my party

Hi, 

I’ve been playing DnD a couple times, I’m creating a new character and I have some questions! Basically, I’m joining a one day campaign, where we will all start as lvl 1 characters. The GM reached out to me suggesting I become a traitor to our group… the idea is I play the whole campaign with my group, but on the final battle I join the enemy side. Does this seem doable? I’ve never experienced with character vs character combat, I don’t even know if it’s doable? Since the GM doesn’t want me to die too quickly, he suggested I secretly start my character a couple levels higher, so that I don’t die too quickly. I’m searching for character suggestions to be able to be powerful in the last battle, but while staying balanced throughout the campaign, and still giving a winning chance to the rest of the team. I should probably take a martial class to be able to stay alive longer? I’ve just started considering my options and this is all overwhelming! Any suggestions towards characters, classes, anything balance wise or if all this is even possible would be greatly appreciated! 

Does the party know their is a traitor?  Aren't all of the character sheets shared?   Wouldn't the members realize you are higher level due to your to hit scores and your higher hit points?  If a mage, your spells you use as well.

A fitting class would be a Warlock.  Would this a be a 2014 character or one from 2024?   The 2024 character gets his subclass at 3rd level.  That results in a lot more abilities.

Yes you can do character vs character. I have never been involved and would not want to be involved in that type of game.

I’m using 2024, and I’m thinking of having the same level as the others during the campaign, but have a different character sheet I would switch to for the final fight. Thanks for the feedback!

Having a separate character sheet for the final fight would be cheating. If the plot is your PC turns against the party is must be your PC. Your former friends should know all the stuff you can do, including your strengths and weaknesses. Your character will be pummelled and not really stand much of a chance but that will be cathartic to the other players as a fitting retribution for your betrayal. Presumably there will also be some other enemy in the fight as well, it won't just be your character vs the party.

from what I understand of your situation it’s a one shot so I wouldn’t worry about it too much I would probably work with your dm to power build something that would make a interesting fight but still have a level one character my main advice is just have fun if it doesn’t work who cares it’s a game

Quote from Grungthebreed >>

from what I understand of your situation it’s a one shot so I wouldn’t worry about it too much I would probably work with your dm to power build something that would make a interesting fight but still have a level one character my main advice is just have fun if it doesn’t work who cares it’s a game

While you are 100% correct it is just a game, so yes it really doesn't matter.  However, that is total marlocky.  You go out for dinner, a meal you have been looking forward to for days, is not over a week and expect X, but instead get taken elsewhere & get inferior quality & service.

Who cares it is just a single meal.  As long as the establishment has your money for X it doesn't really matter.  Or change x from food to a concert merch.  Who cares it is just a t-shirt.

The problem is not the original poster, the problem is the other players.  They probably are not having fun and are feeling betrayed.  There is a chance they were not expecting this change.

Not only is a party member a traitor, but they are now multiple levels above you.

I would advise that you and the DM work to not have you increased in level, but to instead have the BBEG casting buffing spells on your character to make them more of a problem.

One of the issues with PVP in D&D is that characters are glass cannons - a barbarian, paladin, or fighter can reliably put out enough damage to cripple or even kill a wizard of comparable level in a single turn.

Now, having your character as a higher level does give the option for a cool reveal - spend the whole game casting level 1 spells, and then when the time is right, you can say something along the lines of Tai-Lung's "Shifu has taught you well..." *casts a level 3 spell* "but he didn't teach you everything!".

But, as others have said, having your character be higher level will result in imbalance and annoyance. Betrayal is often a bad-taste thing, too. I'd avoid the higher level.

Having the character be the same level as the party makes things easier. Having the enemies subtly avoid the traitor with big attacks en-route will arouse minor suspicion, and leave the traitor be in slightly better nick at the end, for the imbalance. Have your character not use resources in the fights for further suspicion - cast only cantrips, make statements like "I'm saving myself for the final fight".

If the DM makes the final boss hard to hurt but not offensive, and they then buff your character up as their champion, casting healing spells and such, then it could - COULD - work. The problem with PVP is that it generally depends on who goes first - spellcasters can hold monster, monks can stunlock, barbarians can rage to sort-of-double their hitpoints, to name a few. Whoever goes first usually goes last.

You could also have magic weapons/armor that you haven't revealed. A secret character sheet would be cheating, but in my games I wouldn't require you to share the contents of your backpack. You could have a powerful tattoo that you kept covered up, or your armor could actually be +X armor that you've disguised, or you could have a powerful wand of summoning that you pull out, etc. (Honestly, even in a normal game I usually over-tune the party with magic defensive gear just to try and make them less squishy. Otherwise it feels like they spend half the campaign one bad roll away from getting one-shotted.)

Just make sure to account for this during play. For example, if someone casts Detect Magic, be ready with an explanation for why you lit up like a Christmas Tree. 

Quote from FiddlinElf >>

Hi, 

I’ve been playing DnD a couple times, I’m creating a new character and I have some questions! Basically, I’m joining a one day campaign, where we will all start as lvl 1 characters. The GM reached out to me suggesting I become a traitor to our group… the idea is I play the whole campaign with my group, but on the final battle I join the enemy side. Does this seem doable? I’ve never experienced with character vs character combat, I don’t even know if it’s doable? Since the GM doesn’t want me to die too quickly, he suggested I secretly start my character a couple levels higher, so that I don’t die too quickly. I’m searching for character suggestions to be able to be powerful in the last battle, but while staying balanced throughout the campaign, and still giving a winning chance to the rest of the team. I should probably take a martial class to be able to stay alive longer? I’ve just started considering my options and this is all overwhelming! Any suggestions towards characters, classes, anything balance wise or if all this is even possible would be greatly appreciated! 

This sounds like a terrible idea on several fronts. 

First of all, every time you lie, every other player should get a passive insight check against your deception skill check. If any player starts to actively say to the dm that they dont trust or believe you, they should get an active insight check.

If the dm fails to do this, the players are being railroaded. If the players do discover you are lying, they may very well kill your character on sight. Which means PVP. Which also means thr DM should alert all players before the game starts that PVP is on the table and allowed, since many players will assume pvp is NOT an option.  The dm should define the boundaries of the game that the players are expected to play within, and whether pvp is allowed or not is a big one. 

And as soon as the dm says pvp is allowed and expected, some players may completely lose interest in playing and thats why players should be given a heads up BEFORE the game starts, cause pretty much every game ive been in that allowed pvp was just dumb, in my opinion. The dm thought they had some cool idea, thought they were pealing back the thin veneer of society and showing us what people were -really- like, they thought they were being some edgelord, and every time it was just some immature storyline.

Dnd is not designed for pvp. Dnd is designed for a party working together. A lot of players will assume that going in, which is why the dm should give players a heads up before they choose to play. Hiding that info from players is a red flag against the dm in my book.

But the moment players know pvp is on the table, they will be asking for insight checks on everyone's behavior, and then the dm can either lie and railroad the party into letting you live to the big battle, or the dm can do their job and have them roll insight against your deception, and likely figure out your deception, and knowing that pvp is on the table, they will likely assume that your deception indicates your intent to attack the party, and they will likely attack you the moment your deception is revealed. So you wont make it to thr boss fight. And if the dm lies and protects you so you can survive till the end, thats just railroading the rest of thr players.