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GM Idea: Mentors and Apprentices

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For a party with several experienced players that would like a fun challenge.

I use D&D5E rules in these examples for simplicity. Feel free to ask questions, if it doesn’t make sense, but its just easier to describe the progression I am seeking to the largest audience. I am not promoting the game, although it will work with this idea. Feel free to change the trappings, however you want. If this made no sense, good luck with the rest of the blog. 🙂

Here’s the Idea: The party starts with 1 or 2 PCs at 15th level, the Mentors, and the rest at 3rd, the Apprentices. At the end of each scenario the party completes, the Apprentices will gain a level. Thus they will be progressing fast, sometimes several sessions in a row! They MUST participate in all critical encounters for it to matter. If the story progresses because the Apprentices did their part to help the party to succeed, then they gain a level when that progress is evident.

The Mentors, however, only gain levels for every three (3) levels the Apprentices gain until they are level 15. Then, if you are still playing, you can work out something else, ’cause it doesn’t matter at this point. You are having a blast and I want to hear your stories. Find me sometime for a round on me and I will listen to them.

I was inspired with this idea when I recently re-watched the 1978 Bakshi Lord of the Rings, which is my favorite, even though it was unfinished. I wrote this whole thing while watching the movie. I really enjoyed the position that Aragorn was in, as the unknowing Mentor on an Epic Quest. He fully expected to have Gandalf to be the leader of this party, and found himself again and again forced to be Mentor to the Halflings, and eventually King of Gondor. If you focus on it as though Aragorn was the protagonist, it becomes an interesting story. At least for me.

Any way, with players who would appreciate this kind of play, you will have a great time. Make sure everyone gets to play the part they want. If you want, you can also have everyone make 15th level characters, but only one of them gets to play it at a time. Maybe 2 of them, if the story needs it.

If any Mentor or Apprentice levels, they all do. Meaning, I would keep all Apprentices at the same level, and the same for Mentors, just to make everything equal for everyone to have the same experience. It’s your game, if you think of something better for you, go for it!

Anyone wanna act out Boromir’s Story Arc? Or, more to my liking, Sturm Brightblade? I’m not crying, you’re…Ok, I’m actually crying.

Thanks for noticing me. 🙂