Originally Posted by Starshine
Originally Posted by JandK
A 20th level character is not suddenly more powerful in 5e than in 3.5. Somewhere deep inside we all have to know that. Just saying the editions aren't the same doesn't change that.

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thats kind of the point, in 3.5 for a game this long with this scope, to go to lvl20 would be weird. The same is true in 5e.
How long is the story of BG3, a few weeks? months at most. Possibly it's only days! Drizzt, the greatest hero of the realms, is level 19 after acouple centuries! of adventures bigger than BG3, you don't win in BG3 because you are the most powerful heroes in existence who have ever lived, the world trembles at your mention and the gods fear you, you win because you gather allies and have O's magic protecting you.
Level 12, fits the pacing of the game, it fits the length of the game, it's be too high level for D&D but works in a video game, and is the level the whole game is made. for 20th level which as you say7, it's still 20th level 5e didn't change that, having characters go to it IN THIS STORY, in this game? wouldn't work.
You'd need to double the amount of acts, the scope, the scale and the stakes.
Is anyone going to pretend they got to 12th level half way through the game and spent the rest fiddling their thumbs against enemies more powerful than they could handle? 12th is good for this game and is what this game is built for.
MAYBE 20 level cap for the next adventure Tav & the crew gets up to DLC set after the events where they, idk steal a mindflayer ship and get lost in the planes? Go up against Withers because they finally worked out who he is? but not this game.

We aint godkilling super veteran heroes who rule nations in our off days and have had more adventures we can count, we're plucky underdogs with a secret weapon and an impossible mission, that for most will require the ultimate
becoming mindlayer
sacrifice to pull off!
!2 is already kind of high for that, but it works because the game is built for it.

I have to agree with the OP there though. With the way how the companions are done (Mystra's lover, a chosen of Shah, a personal elite fighter of an Archdevil, 200+ years old vampire etc.), really powerful individuals who then using a "wave hand" magic trick to be toned down to level 1, it's hard to accept that it would be weird to go above level 12. That just feels like an excuse. What we do in the game -
defeating the avatars of three gods - in their non-human form no less, challenge the leader of the Gith, defeat an all powerful city destroying elder brain. And you do not have to become a mind flayer to pull it off, you can.
- saying that this has to be restricted to level 12 also doesn't really make sense. Why not 14? for example they already gave some classes their 14 level powers earlier anyway. Why not everyone? If it's about power level, why come up with several systems on top of what's already in 5e (Ilithid powers, extra elemental damage, everyone can use scrolls, easy access to potions, a lot of extra abilities via gearing etc., you could easily restrict those).

I can understand explanations, like they felt it's hard to implement higher level spells, or that they felt this is best for the flow of the game. At some point they might just want to make a cut to limit ability bloat etc. Or that progression would feel too fast overall with many more levels from a gaming experience POV. But seen from a story point of view? Sounds more like an excuse. Length of campaigns and power levels are arbitrary. Just because the official material says Drizzt, Elminster etc. are level so and so, doesn't mean in your game the power progression can't be faster. And again concerning BG 3, for most pnp campaigns it's too fast anyway. You just level up, there are no great intervals in BG 3 to train, meet a a teacher or anything like that. The whole story pushes you to always be fast, because something bad will happen. It's probably max 3 weeks or so. I don't think a few levels on top would make any difference in terms of believability there. And again for me personally because of the backgrounds of the origin character, all super special and powerful, except that they aren't for some reason, I can't take that part seriously anyway. Almost none of these characters are underdogs storywise. The starting point could easily be level 12 for any of them.

Like the OP, I'm fine with 12, although I'd prefer 14 now, so that all classes can get their 14 level abilities, not just some. But the story argument also feels forced to me.