GM Avice Needed for Mid to High Level Campaigns (3.5 because 4 sucks)

[Matt Thomas]

I am wondering what types of story arcs and adventures you use for mid to high level characters who may have already influenced important events in the world around them.
Say 8-9th level and up.

Obviously many of the staples of low level campaigns no longer work. The hero's journey may be fairly complete with the characters having come from lowly 1st level backgrounds all the way up to influencing significant events and being city wide heros (or more).

Unfortunately they are still at the point where even the more powerful minions of a true long term nemesis might quickly cause an outright TPK. And why would the nemesis give them a chance to become more dangerous?

Any keen insights into how a campaign might be re-focused at this power level?
And just as important... how you might get the characters/players interested in a new challenge. What would motivate such a person to move on to bigger challenges when the could easily retire rich and happy or blow away smaller challenges with impunity?

[Chase]

Some of the things you bring up are interesting.

In the games that I've played / read the "arc" seems to shift around this level for a very similar reason to the one you've given, the "next" group of story related bad guys being too tough for the PC's to handle.

The paths I've played / read through seem to shift the arc to another location in an effort to "find" something or "check out" something that may or may not directly tie into the overall plot at first glance.

Personally I really like this.  It allows for a change of pace or even an entire different feel.  Somewhere along the lines the PCs do end up seeing how the adventure fits in and why it's very important...  It may take a while longer, but it happens.

What is very common in the 9-12 range is an event, discovery, whatever that changes the PCs from being almost entirely reactive to almost entirely proactive.  This can happen for many, many different reasons.

Whatever you decide to do definitely make it cool.  Levels 7-11 are where the game is best.

Have fun.

[Matt Thomas]

Thanks Chase