So, a friend of mine wants to start a campaign, and I jokingly asked if I could play a level 20 character. He said yes, if I could work it into my backstory, and we had some homebrew balancing. So, the general backstory is that I come from a line of nobles, and I inherited a magical amulet that grants me the power of a level 20 wizard. However, every person to inherit said amulet in my family has died shortly after. Knowing how much good can be done with that power, I resolve to Speedrun fixing as many major problems as possible. For some reason unknown to me (dm secrets), I'm not dead yet However, I start to realize that the more (and more powerful) spells I cast, my power slowly drains. giving me a reason not to dump 9th level spells every session Eventually in the campaign, I'll learn that the only way to recharge the amulet is the with blood of loved ones and/or innocents, creating a moral quandary for my character. Also, OOC, I know that I'm slowly being possessed by an entity in the amulet. So, do you guys have any idea how to homebrew a level 20 character who's power will fluctuate as he cast more spells of high levels without destroying the fun for the rest of the party? Should the backstory be adjusted to be more balanced? Or should this idea be scrapped entirely? Thanks a ton for all your input, and bearing with any dumb things I said or did 😅
Just don't, there is no good way to do this at all, and it will most likely ruin one or more of your player's experiences, and your ability to balance encounters.
It is nigh Impossible to balance the game when their is such a difference in player power, and the 3rd level players will be shut of the spotlight.
I don't disagree with those above, but if you are dead set on making this work...
Give up the Wizard class and go for something more support/ defense-oriented. At least here, the spells are rather annoying to try and tone down. Battle Master comes to mind, perhaps allow extra attacks to be used for interception or protection fighting style reactions instead. Circle of the Moon for the CR guides and their selection of healing spells could also work. Rogues in general for their silly amount of passive abilities, maybe Mastermind for Cunning Action Help.
It COULD work, but you will have to be a little more selective in how you use your features.
You'd be playing Gandalf in a world where the only other characters are hobbits or Kal-El when the other characters are Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. It would be a game for a star with some sidekicks with no hope of balance, at least not without introducing kryptonite.
You could play as a rarely participating NPC that, say, other players need to figure out. I wouldn't think this would be fun.
So, a friend of mine wants to start a campaign, and I jokingly asked if I could play a level 20 character. He said yes, if I could work it into my backstory, and we had some homebrew balancing. So, the general backstory is that I come from a line of nobles, and I inherited a magical amulet that grants me the power of a level 20 wizard. However, every person to inherit said amulet in my family has died shortly after. Knowing how much good can be done with that power, I resolve to Speedrun fixing as many major problems as possible. For some reason unknown to me (dm secrets), I'm not dead yet However, I start to realize that the more (and more powerful) spells I cast, my power slowly drains. giving me a reason not to dump 9th level spells every session Eventually in the campaign, I'll learn that the only way to recharge the amulet is the with blood of loved ones and/or innocents, creating a moral quandary for my character. Also, OOC, I know that I'm slowly being possessed by an entity in the amulet. So, do you guys have any idea how to homebrew a level 20 character who's power will fluctuate as he cast more spells of high levels without destroying the fun for the rest of the party? Should the backstory be adjusted to be more balanced? Or should this idea be scrapped entirely? Thanks a ton for all your input, and bearing with any dumb things I said or did 😅
It's not possible to "balance" that in any meaningful way
However... if you really want to go through with this, I'd have the amulet a) give you a max CON of 10, and b) reduce your maximum HP by an amount equal to the level of every spell you cast -- except for wish which immediately reduces it to 0. No magic will restore this HP loss, and if the amulet kills you, no ordinary magic will resurrect or revive you
You'd also need to come up with a good reason why, if you die, someone else can't just grab the amulet and start using it
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The only way this works is if the other players in the game buy in on the idea and want to see what happens with this story themselves. If they're down to see how it works? Give it a shot. At worst (with everybody's buy-in), it doesn't work out and your character wanders off to burn themselves out as an NPC in the world. You all learn something new about the game and then you carry on with a normal-level character. At best? Maybe you stumble on something and the game turns into an interesting unconventional tale you can spin to your friends.
BUT! This is if and only if the other players are 100% down with the idea. If they're even just hesitant, or seem like they're not sold? Shelve the idea for later and do something more normal. What you're trying to do is avoid resentment. Nothing poisons a D&D game worse than resentment, and this is unfortunately an idea super prone to causing it. So tread carefully if you're going to try, and yes - there's no such thing as 'balance' for this sort of story. Heh, but I'm one of those DMs who would happily give a party a legendary magical item in Tier 1 play just to see what happens (in point of fact I did, the one time I ran a long campaign, though sadly nothing came of it for other reasons and the players never discovered what they had) and considers balance to be one of those things that's not necessarily essential to a good story, if the DM can find something else to pin it on. So...grain of salt and all that.
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So, a friend of mine wants to start a campaign, and I jokingly asked if I could play a level 20 character. He said yes, if I could work it into my backstory, and we had some homebrew balancing. So, the general backstory is that I come from a line of nobles, and I inherited a magical amulet that grants me the power of a level 20 wizard. However, every person to inherit said amulet in my family has died shortly after. Knowing how much good can be done with that power, I resolve to Speedrun fixing as many major problems as possible. For some reason unknown to me (dm secrets), I'm not dead yet However, I start to realize that the more (and more powerful) spells I cast, my power slowly drains. giving me a reason not to dump 9th level spells every session Eventually in the campaign, I'll learn that the only way to recharge the amulet is the with blood of loved ones and/or innocents, creating a moral quandary for my character. Also, OOC, I know that I'm slowly being possessed by an entity in the amulet. So, do you guys have any idea how to homebrew a level 20 character who's power will fluctuate as he cast more spells of high levels without destroying the fun for the rest of the party? Should the backstory be adjusted to be more balanced? Or should this idea be scrapped entirely? Thanks a ton for all your input, and bearing with any dumb things I said or did 😅
Just don't, there is no good way to do this at all, and it will most likely ruin one or more of your player's experiences, and your ability to balance encounters.
It is nigh Impossible to balance the game when their is such a difference in player power, and the 3rd level players will be shut of the spotlight.
Just don't
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If there was at most a 2-level gap, then it would be possible to pull off. A 17-level gap…. If it works I’ll eat my hat.
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If it works I will eat the planet.
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I don't disagree with those above, but if you are dead set on making this work...
Give up the Wizard class and go for something more support/ defense-oriented. At least here, the spells are rather annoying to try and tone down. Battle Master comes to mind, perhaps allow extra attacks to be used for interception or protection fighting style reactions instead. Circle of the Moon for the CR guides and their selection of healing spells could also work. Rogues in general for their silly amount of passive abilities, maybe Mastermind for Cunning Action Help.
It COULD work, but you will have to be a little more selective in how you use your features.
You'd be playing Gandalf in a world where the only other characters are hobbits or Kal-El when the other characters are Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. It would be a game for a star with some sidekicks with no hope of balance, at least not without introducing kryptonite.
You could play as a rarely participating NPC that, say, other players need to figure out. I wouldn't think this would be fun.
Once I realized what was going on, I would leave the game
It's not possible to "balance" that in any meaningful way
However... if you really want to go through with this, I'd have the amulet a) give you a max CON of 10, and b) reduce your maximum HP by an amount equal to the level of every spell you cast -- except for wish which immediately reduces it to 0. No magic will restore this HP loss, and if the amulet kills you, no ordinary magic will resurrect or revive you
You'd also need to come up with a good reason why, if you die, someone else can't just grab the amulet and start using it
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The only way this works is if the other players in the game buy in on the idea and want to see what happens with this story themselves. If they're down to see how it works? Give it a shot. At worst (with everybody's buy-in), it doesn't work out and your character wanders off to burn themselves out as an NPC in the world. You all learn something new about the game and then you carry on with a normal-level character. At best? Maybe you stumble on something and the game turns into an interesting unconventional tale you can spin to your friends.
BUT! This is if and only if the other players are 100% down with the idea. If they're even just hesitant, or seem like they're not sold? Shelve the idea for later and do something more normal. What you're trying to do is avoid resentment. Nothing poisons a D&D game worse than resentment, and this is unfortunately an idea super prone to causing it. So tread carefully if you're going to try, and yes - there's no such thing as 'balance' for this sort of story. Heh, but I'm one of those DMs who would happily give a party a legendary magical item in Tier 1 play just to see what happens (in point of fact I did, the one time I ran a long campaign, though sadly nothing came of it for other reasons and the players never discovered what they had) and considers balance to be one of those things that's not necessarily essential to a good story, if the DM can find something else to pin it on. So...grain of salt and all that.
Please do not contact or message me.