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Community
General Tabletop Discussion
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How much should 5e aim at balance?
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<blockquote data-quote="shadowmane" data-source="post: 6007958" data-attributes="member: 6687237"><p>(Note: I did not read all 46 pages of this thread. I simply read the first page and composed this)</p><p></p><p>This whole idea of balance complicates the game way too much. If you really want balance in a game that has 5-6 encounters in a 6-8 hour game, then you design each encounter to bring one or more of the characters to the forefront. Thieves shine when there is some trap or treasure chest to take care of, or some creature to slip past or behind to get a back-stab. For the magic user, you have the mage vs mage duel, or a monster that only magic can defeat. For the fighter, you throw mooks out there for him to crush. For the cleric, you create situations that challenge their faith, while also challenging their skills. You create balance not with the rules, but by designing your encounters with your players' characters in mind. Every encounter is going to have a star. Every encounter is going to have supporting roles. And every encounter is going to have bystanders. That's by design.</p><p></p><p>I think we need to keep this in mind, and tweak modules and create dungeons and encounters that challenge the players (and especially their characters) we have at our table. Any other kind of balance is over-rated and useless.</p><p></p><p>I like the idea of different classes having different level progression ala Original and Classic D&D. Same thing with races. It gives them a certain flavor. They progress at different speeds. Instead of Wizards levelling up according to character level rules, simply have them level up by MU level, with special rules for things they gain at certain XP numbers instead of levels. Fighters would follow a different progression, allowing for more martial stuff being added in. It gives the game a flavor that I'd love to see regained.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shadowmane, post: 6007958, member: 6687237"] (Note: I did not read all 46 pages of this thread. I simply read the first page and composed this) This whole idea of balance complicates the game way too much. If you really want balance in a game that has 5-6 encounters in a 6-8 hour game, then you design each encounter to bring one or more of the characters to the forefront. Thieves shine when there is some trap or treasure chest to take care of, or some creature to slip past or behind to get a back-stab. For the magic user, you have the mage vs mage duel, or a monster that only magic can defeat. For the fighter, you throw mooks out there for him to crush. For the cleric, you create situations that challenge their faith, while also challenging their skills. You create balance not with the rules, but by designing your encounters with your players' characters in mind. Every encounter is going to have a star. Every encounter is going to have supporting roles. And every encounter is going to have bystanders. That's by design. I think we need to keep this in mind, and tweak modules and create dungeons and encounters that challenge the players (and especially their characters) we have at our table. Any other kind of balance is over-rated and useless. I like the idea of different classes having different level progression ala Original and Classic D&D. Same thing with races. It gives them a certain flavor. They progress at different speeds. Instead of Wizards levelling up according to character level rules, simply have them level up by MU level, with special rules for things they gain at certain XP numbers instead of levels. Fighters would follow a different progression, allowing for more martial stuff being added in. It gives the game a flavor that I'd love to see regained. [/QUOTE]
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How much should 5e aim at balance?
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