So, you’ve been playing your Dungeons & Dragons 4e character for several levels. Your group has defeated many monsters, conquered evil archenemies, and traveled to the ends of the world. You have some bad-ass powers and gear. You’re almost getting to the point where you know that you’re going to win and you know how you’re going to do it. The only question is, how long is it going to take? What do you do when your D&D 4e character is too powerful?

I wrote the article “My D&D 4e Character Sucks! How Do I Fix It?” several months ago as a response to trouble I was having playing my Cleric. Well, I stuck with it, followed my own advice in the article, and now my character is so powerful that sometimes combat isn’t as much of a challenge as it should be. You might think, “Well obviously your gamemaster isn’t challenging you enough.” That isn’t the case it all. Our gamemaster is very good at challenging us, but my character is starting to edge out the other characters in the group. So how do I ‘fix’ my powerful character?

Help Your Group Become Better – If your character has become incredibly powerful and your group members are falling behind, help them become better. Maybe you’ve gotten a little luckier in the gear department. If so, help them find the gear to get more powerful. You may even have a piece of gear that you could trade with your friend. It might make you a little less powerful, but maybe it is a huge bonus for them.

Or, maybe the other player has chosen a weak build for his character. In my opinion, most gamers are notoriously set in their ways when it comes to their character. Not many players are willing to take advice from another player on how to play their OWN character. But sometimes, subtle guidance that is more under the radar may be appropriate.

Take On Bigger Challenges – My gamemaster is great, in the sense that he often provides us with huge challenges but never forces us into a challenge we cannot possibly win. There are times where we’ve stared into the mouth of a powerful dragon or engaged with an evil demon, knowing that if we attacked the creature we probably would surely be annihilated. Or would we? The level system in D&D 4e is pretty good, but it isn’t perfect. If we were to take on a challenge that we technically aren’t supposed to be able to win, there is no guarantee we won’t. Maybe you can lure the evil dragon underneath a spiked gate (ala Luke Skywalker and the Rancor), or you are able to pull the evil demon near a black hole and he gets sucked in. Just because something has 1000 more hit points, 15 more armor, and a to-hit bonus that seems to guarantee your death, doesn’t mean you can’t win.

Change Your Play Style – You can change the play style of your character. If you are a sneaky Rogue that always weasels his way in for the unexpected hit, start attacking people straight up. “But then I’d lose bonuses on most of my attacks?! Why would I do that?” If you know you are going to win in the fight, change your play style. Demoralize your opponent by boldly proclaiming that not only are you going to beat him, but you will beat him with a style that isn’t your own. You don’t need to do this every time you fight, but maybe it will add some spice into your game and provide entertaining and memorable moments.

Do the Unexpected – This is where you can really take control of the game. If your character gets to powerful, start doing the unexpected. Maybe your character is deeply religious, like a Paladin or Cleric. You could go to a temple of your god and give away all of your magic items. You’re probably saying, “Do what?!” Giving away all of your items and starting from square one again will definitely remind you of what it is like to not be as powerful as you once were. You can start the adventure to get all those magical items once again.

Or, what If your group is trapped on the edge of a cliff? The cliff drop is hundreds of feet into a rocky canyon and there is no way you could possibly get to the bottom. You are surrounded by enemies. The obvious choice that your gamemaster has given you is to make your stand and fight here. You should be able to defeat the enemy and be victorious. You definitely shouldn’t try to climb down the cliff, especially with your poor skills and ability to climb… or should you? What if you start climbing down the cliff and fifty feet down you realize there is a cave entrance on a cliff below you? Or maybe you start climbing down and fall to your death? Is death really the end of all D&D characters? Of course not.

Consider Retirement – If your character is so powerful or has gotten to the point where it isn’t a challenge to play anymore, consider retirement. Retirement provides the perfect vehicle for you to take your character out of a campaign but still allows you the ability to bring them back in later. Maybe the character has given up the adventuring lifestyle temporarily. But several months or years down the road, they feel the call of adventure rise again and must head back to the warpath.

Retiring also allows you to bring another character into the game. You could try out a different character class that you haven’t played yet. Maybe this new class will be more difficult for you to play, bringing in another aspect of challenge to the game. You could also have this character bring in ‘baggage’ to the campaign. Maybe he is being hunted by one of the most powerful forces in the land? So by adding this idea to the storyline that is already in place, you’ve simply added another vehicle for the gamemaster to plot your destruction.

As I stated in the previous article “My D&D 4e Character Sucks! How Do I Fix It?” make sure the other players are aware of your shift in how you are going to play your character. You don’t want to do something extremely unexpected that could cause a total party kill, or irreparably damage another person’s character. Throwing caution to the wind with your character at the expense of someone else is not a good option. But you definitely have to do things to keep the game fun and exciting for you, so get everyone else on board with your thought process before proceeding.

So to recap…
(1) Help your group become better.
(2) Take on bigger challenges.
(3) Change your play style.
(4) Do the unexpected.
(5) Consider retirement.

What strategies would you utilize to fix a character that seems too powerful?