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do you allow flaws?
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<blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2445841" data-attributes="member: 172"><p>Of course it does.</p><p></p><p>And Kelleris points out that he likes feats. That may be a good enough reason to put up with the potential issues that arrise from using the system. He's willing to "pay the premium" as it were.</p><p></p><p>Many, many issues with regard to gaming boil down to decisions of cost versus benefit. The flaw mechanic isn't useless, by a long shot. If you really dig feats, and you want to add flavor to characters with flaws, it may be just the ticket.</p><p></p><p>But if what you want is a general disadvantage mechanic for d20, I beleive there are better options. (FWIW, I have pitched the idea of repackaging the Vigilance/d20 Haven disad mechanic for fantasy to a publisher. He liked the idea. Now if I can find the time to do it...)</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>True, but as I mention above, when you have a mechanic like this that tends to create problems with feats that are built using the assumptions behind the core mechanics, your chances of having problems increases manifold.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Of course not; I would be the last person in the world to suggest that more options, in itself, is a bad thing. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> But I do beleive that the options that you do include in a game should be scrutinized for how good a contribution it makes to the game.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I disagree. If a PrC is designed such that you can enter it at 6th level, and restrains that by the fact that you can only get that selection of feats at 6th level based on the core classes, then the designer is fairly safe in assuming that it is appropraite to give entering characters abilities comensurate to 6th level characters. You cut this down to 2nd-4th level by being over-handy with bonus feats, I think that it is the flaw mechanic to blame here, not the PrC. The PrC was just being designed with the core rules in mind.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You assume it has those. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>MAny PrCs do. When it comes to feat chains, the situation is stickier. Many feat chains merely build on earlier feats in the chain.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Right. Poorly made stuff. Like the flaw mechanic. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is what I call "defecit spending" you can't trade benefits you don't have, so you sort of manufacture them. Many times what the flaw takes away from you is not meaningful or may never come up in a game. The two pools that seem to get dipped into here are, again, RP disads and straight up penalties, which tend to be difficult to design in a way that players can't snake around. This is, IMO, better addressed by per-incident compensation. It only gives you something if it actually comes up in a game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Psion, post: 2445841, member: 172"] Of course it does. And Kelleris points out that he likes feats. That may be a good enough reason to put up with the potential issues that arrise from using the system. He's willing to "pay the premium" as it were. Many, many issues with regard to gaming boil down to decisions of cost versus benefit. The flaw mechanic isn't useless, by a long shot. If you really dig feats, and you want to add flavor to characters with flaws, it may be just the ticket. But if what you want is a general disadvantage mechanic for d20, I beleive there are better options. (FWIW, I have pitched the idea of repackaging the Vigilance/d20 Haven disad mechanic for fantasy to a publisher. He liked the idea. Now if I can find the time to do it...) True, but as I mention above, when you have a mechanic like this that tends to create problems with feats that are built using the assumptions behind the core mechanics, your chances of having problems increases manifold. Of course not; I would be the last person in the world to suggest that more options, in itself, is a bad thing. :) But I do beleive that the options that you do include in a game should be scrutinized for how good a contribution it makes to the game. I disagree. If a PrC is designed such that you can enter it at 6th level, and restrains that by the fact that you can only get that selection of feats at 6th level based on the core classes, then the designer is fairly safe in assuming that it is appropraite to give entering characters abilities comensurate to 6th level characters. You cut this down to 2nd-4th level by being over-handy with bonus feats, I think that it is the flaw mechanic to blame here, not the PrC. The PrC was just being designed with the core rules in mind. You assume it has those. ;) MAny PrCs do. When it comes to feat chains, the situation is stickier. Many feat chains merely build on earlier feats in the chain. Right. Poorly made stuff. Like the flaw mechanic. ;) This is what I call "defecit spending" you can't trade benefits you don't have, so you sort of manufacture them. Many times what the flaw takes away from you is not meaningful or may never come up in a game. The two pools that seem to get dipped into here are, again, RP disads and straight up penalties, which tend to be difficult to design in a way that players can't snake around. This is, IMO, better addressed by per-incident compensation. It only gives you something if it actually comes up in a game. [/QUOTE]
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