Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
What makes us care about combat balance in D&D?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 6665087" data-attributes="member: 66434"><p>The issue of combat balance has only become important since combat has become a major focus of play. D&D as originally designed, was primarily about exploration, and treasure gathering. Combat was a part of the game that was expected, not as a focal point, but as something to be quickly <em>resolved</em> so that the rest of play could resume. This is why the simple AC, and hit point mechanics worked. Combat was fast and abstract. It really didn't matter that some characters were better than others at fighting.</p><p></p><p>D&D with its abstract combat system, is really not well suited to be a game about combat as a major focus. It is no small wonder then that trying to balance all characters around an activity that the game as whole, isn't particularly geared to shine at, is a monumental waste of time. </p><p></p><p>If combat is to be the focus of a game then it really should be a more detailed and involved process. Static defenses and bags of hit points just aren't going to cut it. So many issues over so many years simply because D&D for some reason has to be everything. It is, at its heart, still a game about exploration, treasure hunting, and a quest for power with base mechanics that are suited to making combat a peripheral activity. The polls for the 5E playtest proved that the core concepts & mechanics (the sacred cows) that make D&D less suitable as a combat focused game are what the majority of the audience wanted, yet it also seems like the a large portion of the audience wants the game to all about combat anyhow. That way lies madness.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ExploderWizard, post: 6665087, member: 66434"] The issue of combat balance has only become important since combat has become a major focus of play. D&D as originally designed, was primarily about exploration, and treasure gathering. Combat was a part of the game that was expected, not as a focal point, but as something to be quickly [I]resolved[/I] so that the rest of play could resume. This is why the simple AC, and hit point mechanics worked. Combat was fast and abstract. It really didn't matter that some characters were better than others at fighting. D&D with its abstract combat system, is really not well suited to be a game about combat as a major focus. It is no small wonder then that trying to balance all characters around an activity that the game as whole, isn't particularly geared to shine at, is a monumental waste of time. If combat is to be the focus of a game then it really should be a more detailed and involved process. Static defenses and bags of hit points just aren't going to cut it. So many issues over so many years simply because D&D for some reason has to be everything. It is, at its heart, still a game about exploration, treasure hunting, and a quest for power with base mechanics that are suited to making combat a peripheral activity. The polls for the 5E playtest proved that the core concepts & mechanics (the sacred cows) that make D&D less suitable as a combat focused game are what the majority of the audience wanted, yet it also seems like the a large portion of the audience wants the game to all about combat anyhow. That way lies madness. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
What makes us care about combat balance in D&D?
Top