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[D&D Design Discussion] Preserving the "Sweet Spot"
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<blockquote data-quote="Baron Opal" data-source="post: 2986261" data-attributes="member: 10433"><p>For me, what truncates the "sweet spot" are the following issues:</p><p></p><p>1) Lack of PC dependance on outside forces.</p><p>2) Certain die rolls become over-significant (save or die).</p><p>3) "Numbers bloat".</p><p></p><p>Looking at a number of adventures from the past few issues of <em>Dungeon</em>, I can see that the lower level adventures have a hook or a plot that captures my interest to a greater degree than the high level adventures. These are adventures that have familliar and/or classic tropes that we all* enjoy playing. What makes them so difficult to adapt to a higher level game is that either the magic circumvents the adventure (see #1, <em> speak with / raise dead</em> vs. the murder mystery) or the characters can simply endure the obsticles (see #3, fighter / ranger vs. the orc horde). Sometimes this can be worked around by changing some assumptions. Soren Thustrup's <u>Circle of Rites</u> is a good example of a murder mystery that takes into account the abilities of higher level characters. Who the killer and victim are is fairly easily discovered, but the "why" is the meat of the adventure.</p><p></p><p>As far as "save or die" spells go, what is the real problem with them? It reduces a combat to a couple of key rolls. Even so, there are some cirumstances where that isn't a problem if the situation can be addressed in the short or long term. Petrification isn't so bad. It takes the character out of action indefinatly, but can be fixed through a number of means. Whether or not it is a long or short term problem depends on the resources of the party at the time. While this is also true of character death and <em>raise dead</em> we have thematic problems with death being "so easily fixable". Conditions short of death, petrification, insanity, imprisonment, &c., we as players and DMs seem to accept far better when the local Miracle Max fixes them with a wave of his hand. Also, there needs to be some kind of partial effect for a successful save. My current favorite is ability damage. Petrification damages dexterity, insanity - wisdom and disintegration - constitution. Also, adapting the <em>holy word</em> model for some spells is appropriate. Effects are graded dependant on the difference between caster and target and a successful save moves you one or two steps up the chart.</p><p></p><p>One way I would address number bloat is to limit the stackability of spells. Named bonuses are the way to go, but I would trim it further still. Five common and maybe three rare types of bonuses would be sufficent, I think, to allow some variation in what spells or items are chosen. Also, higher levels spells give improved bonuses, not additional layering of bonuses. The 6th level version of <em>Cover My Tukas</em> gives the same type of bonus as the 2nd level version as well as duplicating the effects of the 4th level <em>Save My Bacon</em>. This minimizes the alterations to the character sheet, number of spells to check a <em>dispel magic</em> against and the caster can still cast the lower level versions on other party members or himself when the spell is lost.</p><p></p><p>So, to widen the sweet spot I would:</p><p></p><p>1) Challenge my assumptions. There are just some adventures that need to be rethought for high level characters. Scotland Yard did not pester Sherlock Holmes with the average murder.</p><p></p><p>2) Reduce the situations that require single, critical rolls. This will require changing some spells.</p><p></p><p>3) Redefine some abilities so that there is some obsolescence at higher level. 14th level parties should not even consider casting <em>bless</em>.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Baron Opal, post: 2986261, member: 10433"] For me, what truncates the "sweet spot" are the following issues: 1) Lack of PC dependance on outside forces. 2) Certain die rolls become over-significant (save or die). 3) "Numbers bloat". Looking at a number of adventures from the past few issues of [i]Dungeon[/i], I can see that the lower level adventures have a hook or a plot that captures my interest to a greater degree than the high level adventures. These are adventures that have familliar and/or classic tropes that we all* enjoy playing. What makes them so difficult to adapt to a higher level game is that either the magic circumvents the adventure (see #1, [i] speak with / raise dead[/i] vs. the murder mystery) or the characters can simply endure the obsticles (see #3, fighter / ranger vs. the orc horde). Sometimes this can be worked around by changing some assumptions. Soren Thustrup's [u]Circle of Rites[/u] is a good example of a murder mystery that takes into account the abilities of higher level characters. Who the killer and victim are is fairly easily discovered, but the "why" is the meat of the adventure. As far as "save or die" spells go, what is the real problem with them? It reduces a combat to a couple of key rolls. Even so, there are some cirumstances where that isn't a problem if the situation can be addressed in the short or long term. Petrification isn't so bad. It takes the character out of action indefinatly, but can be fixed through a number of means. Whether or not it is a long or short term problem depends on the resources of the party at the time. While this is also true of character death and [i]raise dead[/i] we have thematic problems with death being "so easily fixable". Conditions short of death, petrification, insanity, imprisonment, &c., we as players and DMs seem to accept far better when the local Miracle Max fixes them with a wave of his hand. Also, there needs to be some kind of partial effect for a successful save. My current favorite is ability damage. Petrification damages dexterity, insanity - wisdom and disintegration - constitution. Also, adapting the [i]holy word[/i] model for some spells is appropriate. Effects are graded dependant on the difference between caster and target and a successful save moves you one or two steps up the chart. One way I would address number bloat is to limit the stackability of spells. Named bonuses are the way to go, but I would trim it further still. Five common and maybe three rare types of bonuses would be sufficent, I think, to allow some variation in what spells or items are chosen. Also, higher levels spells give improved bonuses, not additional layering of bonuses. The 6th level version of [i]Cover My Tukas[/i] gives the same type of bonus as the 2nd level version as well as duplicating the effects of the 4th level [i]Save My Bacon[/i]. This minimizes the alterations to the character sheet, number of spells to check a [i]dispel magic[/i] against and the caster can still cast the lower level versions on other party members or himself when the spell is lost. So, to widen the sweet spot I would: 1) Challenge my assumptions. There are just some adventures that need to be rethought for high level characters. Scotland Yard did not pester Sherlock Holmes with the average murder. 2) Reduce the situations that require single, critical rolls. This will require changing some spells. 3) Redefine some abilities so that there is some obsolescence at higher level. 14th level parties should not even consider casting [i]bless[/i]. [/QUOTE]
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