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Fudging the Numbers in 3ed - Forked from: Why do you keep playing 4e?
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<blockquote data-quote="MoogleEmpMog" data-source="post: 4617249" data-attributes="member: 22882"><p>You can arguably boil down an RPG's attitude toward an activity into four categories:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Supported by the rules as written. The activity is actively part of the system and enabled (perhaps badly, depending on the system) by it. Practical and psychological support is provided.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Encouraged by the designers. The activity is in the hands of the GM or players, but the designers think it's for the best. Psychological support is provided.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Not mentioned by the designers. The activity either falls outside the purview of the game, didn't occur to the designers, or was omitted as a matter of taste. No support is provided.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Discouraged by the designers. The activity goes against what the designers felt the game should be used, as expressed in the rules. Support is actively withdraw.</li> </ul><p></p><p>("Forbidden by the designers" is the same as discouraged; the game police ain't exactly raiding your house if you go against authorial intent, hm?)</p><p></p><p>3e discourages fudging monster numbers. It's explicitly a departure from this practice, which was the norm in BECMI and AD&D. Monster hit dice are like levels in a character class (although not, for reasons that will forever remain unimaginable to me, EQUAL to levels a character class. Man, what?) and monsters advance in much the same way as PCs. NPCs with class levels advance EXACTLY like PCs.</p><p></p><p>4e supports by the RAW what would be "fudging" the monster numbers in 3e. It provides "classes" for the monsters (the roles), and those ARE equal on a level by level basis to characters, and they can be done either by hand or by a spreadsheet in SECONDS. And - boom - you're done with everything but powers. Right there. The monster powers are also a formalized version of what would be "fudging" in 3e: the table says damage should be "about this much" and you add an effect or two for spice.</p><p></p><p>This has both a practical effect (you can "fudge" WITHIN the rules and expect to keep things about how the designers intended it) and a psychological one (you are being encouraged by the designers).</p><p></p><p>(Also, 4e's numbers are a lot simpler/more intuitive, so fudging sans table is also made easier.)</p><p></p><p>Obviously, it is possible to fudge 3e creature and NPC creation. Arguably it's desirable - Spycraft, for example, hit upon this providing both better prep and better gameplay YEARS before 4e did. It's actually even possible to back-convert 4e's monster design system for this purpose.</p><p></p><p>It is not supported, however, and is discouraged. The editions stand on opposite sides where this issue is concerned.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MoogleEmpMog, post: 4617249, member: 22882"] You can arguably boil down an RPG's attitude toward an activity into four categories: [LIST] [*]Supported by the rules as written. The activity is actively part of the system and enabled (perhaps badly, depending on the system) by it. Practical and psychological support is provided. [*]Encouraged by the designers. The activity is in the hands of the GM or players, but the designers think it's for the best. Psychological support is provided. [*]Not mentioned by the designers. The activity either falls outside the purview of the game, didn't occur to the designers, or was omitted as a matter of taste. No support is provided. [*]Discouraged by the designers. The activity goes against what the designers felt the game should be used, as expressed in the rules. Support is actively withdraw. [/LIST] ("Forbidden by the designers" is the same as discouraged; the game police ain't exactly raiding your house if you go against authorial intent, hm?) 3e discourages fudging monster numbers. It's explicitly a departure from this practice, which was the norm in BECMI and AD&D. Monster hit dice are like levels in a character class (although not, for reasons that will forever remain unimaginable to me, EQUAL to levels a character class. Man, what?) and monsters advance in much the same way as PCs. NPCs with class levels advance EXACTLY like PCs. 4e supports by the RAW what would be "fudging" the monster numbers in 3e. It provides "classes" for the monsters (the roles), and those ARE equal on a level by level basis to characters, and they can be done either by hand or by a spreadsheet in SECONDS. And - boom - you're done with everything but powers. Right there. The monster powers are also a formalized version of what would be "fudging" in 3e: the table says damage should be "about this much" and you add an effect or two for spice. This has both a practical effect (you can "fudge" WITHIN the rules and expect to keep things about how the designers intended it) and a psychological one (you are being encouraged by the designers). (Also, 4e's numbers are a lot simpler/more intuitive, so fudging sans table is also made easier.) Obviously, it is possible to fudge 3e creature and NPC creation. Arguably it's desirable - Spycraft, for example, hit upon this providing both better prep and better gameplay YEARS before 4e did. It's actually even possible to back-convert 4e's monster design system for this purpose. It is not supported, however, and is discouraged. The editions stand on opposite sides where this issue is concerned. [/QUOTE]
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