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Concerning 3rd editions Wizard's being over powered.
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<blockquote data-quote="Ahnehnois" data-source="post: 5884244" data-attributes="member: 17106"><p>On one hand, I totally agree that any reasonable player optimizes his character to a significant extent. What I'm referring to is things like the high-level polymorph and summoning spells that can clearly break the game if you play by the rules and exploit them to the max. A good player does not take shapechange and comb through every monster manual looking for the best abilities he can find. Taking wizard spells that are good but not ridiculously broken creates a good experience for all.</p><p> </p><p>I would think it would be the default assumption of any fantasy rpg that magic is inherently overpowered. It is in fantasy fiction. You don't here Aragorn complaining that he can't compete with Gandalf, or Lancelot expecting to do anything that Merlin can do (or did I miss the line in the Harry Potter books where he said that "muggles" should be perfectly balanced with wizards?). I don't understand where is idea comes from that a roleplaying game should have perfect competitive balance, or that magic should be balanced with everything else. Where is that assumption in the rules?</p><p></p><p>For the record, I would be quite happy to see magic as a "dangerous and double-edged sword", but that isn't likely to happen because that isn't the heritage of the game. I would also like to see the sheer number of options cut down, and that may happen. There are definitely problems with D&D casters, but not ones that require a page 1 rewrite of the concept.</p><p></p><p>The 3.X wizard and druid are not some kind of bizarre exceptions. The 2e casters, I would argue, had even greater potential before limits were placed on some spells in the name of "balance". The question is how many characters reach the ceiling, how many should, and whether it's a problem when they do.</p><p> </p><p>Still, you're selling the fighters short. In high-level D&D, when casters are often countermanded by opposing casters or magic-resistant foes, fighters are still quite important. This was more true when magic resistance was a percentage, but still holds true in 3e.</p><p> </p><p>Note that I said "tried", not "succeeded".</p><p></p><p>And, of course, there are a number of business factors, including unrealistic corporate expectations, that play into where we are now, but I think it's fair to say that creative decisions made in the design process are probably relevant to the state of the D&D brand, which I think it's fair to say is not good or even as good as it could be, which is why we're here trying to provide input so the same thing doesn't happen again. This is a pro-D&D post.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ahnehnois, post: 5884244, member: 17106"] On one hand, I totally agree that any reasonable player optimizes his character to a significant extent. What I'm referring to is things like the high-level polymorph and summoning spells that can clearly break the game if you play by the rules and exploit them to the max. A good player does not take shapechange and comb through every monster manual looking for the best abilities he can find. Taking wizard spells that are good but not ridiculously broken creates a good experience for all. I would think it would be the default assumption of any fantasy rpg that magic is inherently overpowered. It is in fantasy fiction. You don't here Aragorn complaining that he can't compete with Gandalf, or Lancelot expecting to do anything that Merlin can do (or did I miss the line in the Harry Potter books where he said that "muggles" should be perfectly balanced with wizards?). I don't understand where is idea comes from that a roleplaying game should have perfect competitive balance, or that magic should be balanced with everything else. Where is that assumption in the rules? For the record, I would be quite happy to see magic as a "dangerous and double-edged sword", but that isn't likely to happen because that isn't the heritage of the game. I would also like to see the sheer number of options cut down, and that may happen. There are definitely problems with D&D casters, but not ones that require a page 1 rewrite of the concept. The 3.X wizard and druid are not some kind of bizarre exceptions. The 2e casters, I would argue, had even greater potential before limits were placed on some spells in the name of "balance". The question is how many characters reach the ceiling, how many should, and whether it's a problem when they do. Still, you're selling the fighters short. In high-level D&D, when casters are often countermanded by opposing casters or magic-resistant foes, fighters are still quite important. This was more true when magic resistance was a percentage, but still holds true in 3e. Note that I said "tried", not "succeeded". And, of course, there are a number of business factors, including unrealistic corporate expectations, that play into where we are now, but I think it's fair to say that creative decisions made in the design process are probably relevant to the state of the D&D brand, which I think it's fair to say is not good or even as good as it could be, which is why we're here trying to provide input so the same thing doesn't happen again. This is a pro-D&D post. [/QUOTE]
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Concerning 3rd editions Wizard's being over powered.
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