D&D 1E Should 5e adopt 1e style arcane magic?

[avin]

1E rules? Pass...

 

[Mattachine]

Many people forget that 1e spell resistance was not a flat amount.

For each level a spellcaster was below level 11, SR increased by 5%, and for each level above 11, it decreased by 5%. That meant that high level mages often ignored SR. Additionally, spells were eventually added that lowered or circumvented SR, and there were always cases like shapechange and telekinesis that obviated SR.

Why is this rule often forgotten, or why do many people not even no about the relative nature of SR in 1e?

The rule was only noted in the Monster Manual description of SR, I believe just below the first creature described under the letter "A", the aerial servant (no picture given).

 

[BobTheNob]

I voted Other.

I remember the old 1e days, but not this aspect with any fondness.

Over the year D&D ahs evolved and this way of thinking about mages just died off. They were arbitrary impositions and I cant help but feel a little "childish", designed in an age where understanding of game mechanics was at its most imature.

I find it like comparing the work of an accomplished painter and saying his work should be more like what my 4 year old son produces. Telling him to go back in his ability just seems silly.

Its not without its charm, but in this day and age I just think we can do better, and in alot of ways we already have. There are some elements we may be able to use, but on the whole (for me at least) its little like jurassic park : nature left the dinosaurs behind and maybe we should too.

 

[SteveC]

Although I'm not a Harry Potter fan (queue Craig Ferguson quote "I know!", I have to ask: how many people think of that series as defining a wizard, as compared to Jack Vance. I wonder how many people have even heard of Jack Vance these days.

Although I would never want D&D to be Harry Potter the RPG, I do question why we would want to move fundamentally away from that style of magic.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Many people forget that 1e spell resistance was not a flat amount.

For each level a spellcaster was below level 11, SR increased by 5%, and for each level above 11, it decreased by 5%. That meant that high level mages often ignored SR. Additionally, spells were eventually added that lowered or circumvented SR, and there were always cases like shapechange and telekinesis that obviated SR.

Why is this rule often forgotten, or why do many people not even no about the relative nature of SR in 1e?

The rule was only noted in the Monster Manual description of SR, I believe just below the first creature described under the letter "A", the aerial servant (no picture given).

I have little knowledge of pre-2e rules so I go off of what others say. I don't know 2e very well either, but I'm pretty confident that in 2e it basically was a flat percentage, which was bad.

But if 1e was not the same then I appreciate the correction.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Many people forget that 1e spell resistance was not a flat amount.

For each level a spellcaster was below level 11, SR increased by 5%, and for each level above 11, it decreased by 5%. That meant that high level mages often ignored SR. Additionally, spells were eventually added that lowered or circumvented SR, and there were always cases like shapechange and telekinesis that obviated SR.

Why is this rule often forgotten, or why do many people not even no about the relative nature of SR in 1e?

The rule was only noted in the Monster Manual description of SR, I believe just below the first creature described under the letter "A", the aerial servant (no picture given).

To be frank, I simply wasn't aware that MR was affected by caster level in 1e. I had believed that to be an invention of 3e. I stand corrected.

 

[Wormwood]

Although I would never want D&D to be Harry Potter the RPG, I do question why we would want to move fundamentally away from that style of magic.

Explaining to my teenage relatives that wizards could only cast two spells a day (I was being generous) was greeted with disbelief.

They played fighters.

 

[KarinsDad]

Although I would never want D&D to be Harry Potter the RPG, I do question why we would want to move fundamentally away from that style of magic.

In the case of the first two years of 4E, it's because every class had the Harry Potter style of magic. Even non-magical classes.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Explaining to my teenage relatives that wizards could only cast two spells a day (I was being generous) was greeted with disbelief.

They played fighters.

You only get 3 strikes in baseball, but no one is clamoring to increase that.

 

[FireLance]

You only get 3 strikes in baseball, but no one is clamoring to increase that.

That's because nobody has written an immensely popular series of books about a baseball player who gets more than three strikes.