One of the major distinguishing features between editions of Dungeons & Dragons is how steep their power curve is.
I first noticed this in 3e, where a fight against trolls went from a near TPK to a cakewalk in about two levels! The difference in levels is less pronounced (IMO) in 5e. The effect of this on adventure design is that monsters work over a greater range of levels.
— Merric Blackman (@MerricB) September 13, 2021
Yes, there is a sharp increase in PC capabilities in the early levels. (Level 1 and 2 adventures are their own beast, to a large extent). But after that, it levels off significantly. Why does this matter? It’s because designing non linear adventures is easier when the PCs can handle a range of difficulty levels. Yes, they may need to be smarter about handling it, but it isn’t a “no hope” affair.
— Merric Blackman (@MerricB) September 13, 2021