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Battle Mage (custom)
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<blockquote data-quote="Machiavelli" data-source="post: 3602715" data-attributes="member: 40964"><p>I find I really must agree with Monboesen. I haven't said much about the Dragon Bound class, and haven't yet begun to discuss the Battle Mage, but I've been carefully looking at both. I'll address only the Battle Mage, though, because it's the only relevant topic for this thread, but I'd like to note that many of the same issues are present in the Dragon Bound.</p><p></p><p>My biggest source of dismay is the overwhelming complexity of the rules for the class. By taking levels in Battle Mage, even just a few levels, the player modifies how his character interacts with just about every game mechanic related to his character.</p><p>Instead of gaining a bonus to skills, the character's ranks in every single skill are modified according to a unique formula. Instead of having a list of available spells, or a means of acquiring spells, EVERY spell potentially available to EVERY character must be drawn together to fully exercise the Battle Mage's specific spellcasting ability. Instead of using mechanics that are already laid out in the core D&D and utilized by every core class, a host of brand new mechanics are put in place to accommodate the Battle Mage. <em>Any campaign with a Battle Mage in it is more complex for the DM and the players than a campaign without a Battle Mage, regardless of balance.</em></p><p></p><p>Borble, you appear to be a veritable font of creative energy, and that's admirable. However, your designs are very complex, and you haven't mentioned any design goals that would merit this level of complexity. I recommend slowing down for a moment and considering just what you'd like this class to be able to do, <em>without<em> thinking about how that relates to game mechanics. When you have a short description, one paragraph or less, of how you envision a Battle Mage in a fantasy novel (not in D&D), explain it to us. I know I, personally, will have many more useful mechanical suggestions for you after I know what non-mechanical concept you're trying to capture.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>As is, you're on the road to alienating your creations from the very game world they are meant to inhabit. They appear to be fun, and I'd rather not see that happen to them.</em></em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Machiavelli, post: 3602715, member: 40964"] I find I really must agree with Monboesen. I haven't said much about the Dragon Bound class, and haven't yet begun to discuss the Battle Mage, but I've been carefully looking at both. I'll address only the Battle Mage, though, because it's the only relevant topic for this thread, but I'd like to note that many of the same issues are present in the Dragon Bound. My biggest source of dismay is the overwhelming complexity of the rules for the class. By taking levels in Battle Mage, even just a few levels, the player modifies how his character interacts with just about every game mechanic related to his character. Instead of gaining a bonus to skills, the character's ranks in every single skill are modified according to a unique formula. Instead of having a list of available spells, or a means of acquiring spells, EVERY spell potentially available to EVERY character must be drawn together to fully exercise the Battle Mage's specific spellcasting ability. Instead of using mechanics that are already laid out in the core D&D and utilized by every core class, a host of brand new mechanics are put in place to accommodate the Battle Mage. [i]Any campaign with a Battle Mage in it is more complex for the DM and the players than a campaign without a Battle Mage, regardless of balance.[/i] Borble, you appear to be a veritable font of creative energy, and that's admirable. However, your designs are very complex, and you haven't mentioned any design goals that would merit this level of complexity. I recommend slowing down for a moment and considering just what you'd like this class to be able to do, [i]without[i] thinking about how that relates to game mechanics. When you have a short description, one paragraph or less, of how you envision a Battle Mage in a fantasy novel (not in D&D), explain it to us. I know I, personally, will have many more useful mechanical suggestions for you after I know what non-mechanical concept you're trying to capture. As is, you're on the road to alienating your creations from the very game world they are meant to inhabit. They appear to be fun, and I'd rather not see that happen to them.[/i][/i] [/QUOTE]
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