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BESMd20 - What needs fixed?
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<blockquote data-quote="Achan hiArusa" data-source="post: 1051421" data-attributes="member: 2597"><p><strong>GoO point irregularities</strong></p><p></p><p>Though I like the point breakdowns of classes and races (and the class breakdowns, eerily parallel the 3.5 changes, where characters get points at the place that new 3.5 class features are) and the product is great, I do have a few contentions:</p><p></p><p>Since they don't use the weapon proficiencies in standard d20, the classes do look a little unbalanced. The fighter basically gets about 18 initial character points in proficiencies (based on Dragon 310 where the exoticist Fighter variant can trade martial weapon proficiency for four exotic weapons).</p><p></p><p>Basically, a feat is a feat is a feat to the GoO people. Now, the WotC writers don't even pretend that feats are balanced. Secondly, apparently a fixed feat is treated as the same cost as a open bonus feat (or nearly open in the case of fighters), which isn't necessarily true. The first doesn't open up the opportunities to min/max that the second one does, which makes the open bonus feat more powerful. Using the Marital monk option from Dragon 310, I would say an open feat would cost 3 points (based on the loss of skill points, -1 per level is about 0.25, over 20 levels this is 5 points, divided amongst three feats, this is 5/3 a point, which I rounded down to 1). This is addressed by their adventurer class who loses 12 character points through 20 levels because of his open options on spending points. This should equally apply to open feats.</p><p></p><p>Modern talents are treated as feats, but that is not entirely true. Some are weaker than feats, some are more powerful, and some are the same. If talents are to be treated as a base cost across the board I believe that they should be a little more expensive than feats.</p><p></p><p>Finally, my long contention that the sorceror and the wizard are not balanced. Apparently GoO takes the WotC line that the two serious advantages that sorcerors have (free slot spellcasting and more spells per day) balances the fact that a wizard has a spellbook and has to prememorize his spells. I would honestly place the spell multiplier for sorcerors at 0.95 rather than 0.85.</p><p></p><p>I would like to see the GoO character classes in a more d20 friendly format, but then again that may be just some work I will have to do (since I have a Player dying to play a magical girl in a standard D&D game).</p><p></p><p>But in the end these are just small contentions and I otherwise think it is a great book. I used it to balance the 3.5 races (since a 3.5 dwarf is now 4.5 points, elves are 2.5, Half-orcs are still -5, Humans are 0, and halflings, half-elves, and gnomes are 1.5 points).</p><p></p><p>Note: These above figures count weapon familiarity and bonus feats. However, I have double checked everything for consistency and have come up with different numbers. I initially trusted the GoO numbers and then a friend pointed out that the BESM d20 breakdowns were not consistent on skill bonuses (and the Artificial Construct is flamingly inconsistent since immunity is a 10 point per level power).</p><p></p><p>Also I don't like the "well since wizards and smart heroes primary ability is intelligence we should penalize them for it." Then every character with a high intelligence should be penalized for extra skill points, or better yet, none of them should. This would at least would give a wizard +1 character point per even level, if the above spell mulitplier is not used (I have a more detailed description of the imbalance using feats, If you use Spell Mastery, Extra Slot, Extra Spell, and Signature spell to simulate to try to turn a wizard into a sorceror or vice versa, the difference is a staggering 47 feats in favor of the sorceror).</p><p></p><p>Sincerely,</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Sammy Grimes</p><p></p><p>Edit: corrected the mistakes I should have looked in my book for. Added another two comments before the sincerely</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Achan hiArusa, post: 1051421, member: 2597"] [b]GoO point irregularities[/b] Though I like the point breakdowns of classes and races (and the class breakdowns, eerily parallel the 3.5 changes, where characters get points at the place that new 3.5 class features are) and the product is great, I do have a few contentions: Since they don't use the weapon proficiencies in standard d20, the classes do look a little unbalanced. The fighter basically gets about 18 initial character points in proficiencies (based on Dragon 310 where the exoticist Fighter variant can trade martial weapon proficiency for four exotic weapons). Basically, a feat is a feat is a feat to the GoO people. Now, the WotC writers don't even pretend that feats are balanced. Secondly, apparently a fixed feat is treated as the same cost as a open bonus feat (or nearly open in the case of fighters), which isn't necessarily true. The first doesn't open up the opportunities to min/max that the second one does, which makes the open bonus feat more powerful. Using the Marital monk option from Dragon 310, I would say an open feat would cost 3 points (based on the loss of skill points, -1 per level is about 0.25, over 20 levels this is 5 points, divided amongst three feats, this is 5/3 a point, which I rounded down to 1). This is addressed by their adventurer class who loses 12 character points through 20 levels because of his open options on spending points. This should equally apply to open feats. Modern talents are treated as feats, but that is not entirely true. Some are weaker than feats, some are more powerful, and some are the same. If talents are to be treated as a base cost across the board I believe that they should be a little more expensive than feats. Finally, my long contention that the sorceror and the wizard are not balanced. Apparently GoO takes the WotC line that the two serious advantages that sorcerors have (free slot spellcasting and more spells per day) balances the fact that a wizard has a spellbook and has to prememorize his spells. I would honestly place the spell multiplier for sorcerors at 0.95 rather than 0.85. I would like to see the GoO character classes in a more d20 friendly format, but then again that may be just some work I will have to do (since I have a Player dying to play a magical girl in a standard D&D game). But in the end these are just small contentions and I otherwise think it is a great book. I used it to balance the 3.5 races (since a 3.5 dwarf is now 4.5 points, elves are 2.5, Half-orcs are still -5, Humans are 0, and halflings, half-elves, and gnomes are 1.5 points). Note: These above figures count weapon familiarity and bonus feats. However, I have double checked everything for consistency and have come up with different numbers. I initially trusted the GoO numbers and then a friend pointed out that the BESM d20 breakdowns were not consistent on skill bonuses (and the Artificial Construct is flamingly inconsistent since immunity is a 10 point per level power). Also I don't like the "well since wizards and smart heroes primary ability is intelligence we should penalize them for it." Then every character with a high intelligence should be penalized for extra skill points, or better yet, none of them should. This would at least would give a wizard +1 character point per even level, if the above spell mulitplier is not used (I have a more detailed description of the imbalance using feats, If you use Spell Mastery, Extra Slot, Extra Spell, and Signature spell to simulate to try to turn a wizard into a sorceror or vice versa, the difference is a staggering 47 feats in favor of the sorceror). Sincerely, Sammy Grimes Edit: corrected the mistakes I should have looked in my book for. Added another two comments before the sincerely [/QUOTE]
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