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So, about defenses aka. PHB2 defenses feats
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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 4741011" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>And what I am saying is that role-playing is a FACT of the game. I can take a feat that raises one of my NADs by 4 OR I can take a feat that gives me a new skill or a +2 or in a few cases +3 on some skill rolls (as an example, there are other examples I could give). </p><p></p><p>Now that extra skill bonus could WELL be the difference for my party to succeed in a complex level + 4 critical skill challenge that means success or failure of the entire adventure. Just like the outcome of a battle could be. Or it could be the skill bonus I need to do a stunt that knocks the monster into the lava and wins the battle. </p><p></p><p>It is not clear cut that the NAD bonus feat is always superior. It WILL be superior in a battle where there are no options except beating on the opponent with powers. But if you design good skill challenge encounters and good stunting opportunities and similar things into encounters then PCs will have a choice of things they want to use their skills on.</p><p></p><p>In my campaign it would be just as critically fatal for a party not to be able to pull off difficult athletics feats or acrobatics, or knowledge checks or anything else even when the DC is +4 levels or more hard.</p><p></p><p>I understand what you guys are talking about, and YES I have actually designed games, several in fact. Sure, nobody gets every bug out a game, not in the first cut and probably not in the 40th edition when you're talking about an RPG where people do all crazy stuff with the rules. </p><p></p><p>I just think it should be a choice for the player. Buff his NADs or buff his skills or whatever else. Can't have it all. Yup some specific monsters at some levels will have powers that are NASTY effective against some PCs. Overall the PCs seem to be winning out, even sans using more combat bonus feats. The cyclops example is exactly a perfect example of what I'm talking about though. It is really a pretty balanced encounter. Maybe the PCs have to burn a bit extra resources for your liking, but I can show you encounter mixes at ANY level that are like that. No game designer could EVER balance all possible combinations and it would be foolishness to try.</p><p></p><p>However, what if one of the PCs with a super high DC skill check could have toppled one of the death titans off a cliff? Maybe he would succeed on that if really put his effort into building his character for skills and not quite so much for melee. Maybe he could fool the titans and get by without wasting a big fight, or find a way to navigate around them. IF the adventure designer is really creative, those options will exist and characters can be built that are VERY unoptimized for full on combat, but still huge assets to the party.</p><p></p><p>Sadly most adventures don't cater to that, it is a lot harder to write than Room 27, 3 death titans, carnage follows... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 4741011, member: 82106"] And what I am saying is that role-playing is a FACT of the game. I can take a feat that raises one of my NADs by 4 OR I can take a feat that gives me a new skill or a +2 or in a few cases +3 on some skill rolls (as an example, there are other examples I could give). Now that extra skill bonus could WELL be the difference for my party to succeed in a complex level + 4 critical skill challenge that means success or failure of the entire adventure. Just like the outcome of a battle could be. Or it could be the skill bonus I need to do a stunt that knocks the monster into the lava and wins the battle. It is not clear cut that the NAD bonus feat is always superior. It WILL be superior in a battle where there are no options except beating on the opponent with powers. But if you design good skill challenge encounters and good stunting opportunities and similar things into encounters then PCs will have a choice of things they want to use their skills on. In my campaign it would be just as critically fatal for a party not to be able to pull off difficult athletics feats or acrobatics, or knowledge checks or anything else even when the DC is +4 levels or more hard. I understand what you guys are talking about, and YES I have actually designed games, several in fact. Sure, nobody gets every bug out a game, not in the first cut and probably not in the 40th edition when you're talking about an RPG where people do all crazy stuff with the rules. I just think it should be a choice for the player. Buff his NADs or buff his skills or whatever else. Can't have it all. Yup some specific monsters at some levels will have powers that are NASTY effective against some PCs. Overall the PCs seem to be winning out, even sans using more combat bonus feats. The cyclops example is exactly a perfect example of what I'm talking about though. It is really a pretty balanced encounter. Maybe the PCs have to burn a bit extra resources for your liking, but I can show you encounter mixes at ANY level that are like that. No game designer could EVER balance all possible combinations and it would be foolishness to try. However, what if one of the PCs with a super high DC skill check could have toppled one of the death titans off a cliff? Maybe he would succeed on that if really put his effort into building his character for skills and not quite so much for melee. Maybe he could fool the titans and get by without wasting a big fight, or find a way to navigate around them. IF the adventure designer is really creative, those options will exist and characters can be built that are VERY unoptimized for full on combat, but still huge assets to the party. Sadly most adventures don't cater to that, it is a lot harder to write than Room 27, 3 death titans, carnage follows... ;) [/QUOTE]
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