Gothmog
First Post
Wulf Ratbane said:No, of course you can. I have done.
But such characters are soon eclipsed in their abilities by even the simplest magic.
Consider that a cloak and boots of elvenkind (which a 3rd level caster can make) grant 20 skill ranks.
An 8th level fighter strives to master his weapon and gain improved critical; meanwhile the elven wizard has had keen edge since 3rd level (and true strike since first).
And on and on...
Wulf
Exactly, very well stated. The way the core rules are set up, its MUCH more economical and efficient to simply use magic to enhance your character's abilities than have the character develop those skills himself. While King Arthur had Excalibur, and Frodo had the One Ring and Sting, these items didn't define the character or his abilities as absolutely as items and magic do in D&D. This is a notion that peculiar to D&D, and nowhere else in fantasy fiction or myth.
The low magic/GnG crowd seeks to downplay the role of magic in the game so that the characters can shine. While its possible to have wit, skill, and resourcefulness be defining character traits in a standard D&D game, those qualities often take a back seat to acquiring more potent abilities and magical solutions IME. The scry/buff/teleport or greater invis/fly/fireball phenomena of dealing with high-level threats in D&D is proof of this, and is something NEVER found in fiction or legend. This isn't relying on the resourcefulness of characters, but instead it is the "optimal" way of dealing with high level threats according to the core rules. If even ONE player in a standard D&D game goes for magical power over skill, wit, and resourcefulness, then all the other players are FORCED to comply with the same power escalation or be left in the dust. Obviously, not all high magic games are like this, as evidenced by some posters here, but all the high magic games I have ever played in (and unfotunately run once) ended up this way. To me, this is when the soul of the game and fantasy is lost. Reducing the magic level is one way to preserve character balance across the board if the DM wants to make sure the game focuses on the characters rather than a magical arms race.
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