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What Would You Want from PF2?
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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 7596865" data-attributes="member: 12731"><p>While it might well be that this guiding principle is extinct (as in "completely removed") in WoW, it makes me think back on d20.</p><p></p><p>In d20 they genuinely thought that if the Bard was roughly at 50% of a Fighter at fighting, 50% of a Caster at casting etc that would be balanced and well-recieved.</p><p></p><p>Of course, D&D is a game of specialization and local maximums. 80 or 90% (or even 100%!) is closer to the mark. </p><p></p><p>Put otherwise: if you're 80% as effective as the other guy that feels like you're only half as effective. Even a Bard that fights at 90% of a fighter and casts at 90% of a caster is still not best at anything, and that's what counts.</p><p></p><p>Also: the fact that you can normally only specialize in one or a few areas. When the fighter raises his Strength or takes fightery feats at the same time the Wizard raises her Intelligence and purchases wizardly robes... the Bard cannot keep pace in both areas at the same time. She has to choose one area to keep up in, and the other will fall behind. Or she refuses to choose and falls behind in both areas!</p><p></p><p>Point is: that theoretical 90% soon becomes 75% when you factor in the myriad ways you specialize in D&D (feats, items, choices of abilities, etc). So starting out at 50% (as in a level X Bard deals half as much as a level X Fighter) is a definite mistake.</p><p></p><p>In that aspect 5E has learned something from 3E... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>PS. A bard that starts out as good as a Fighter at fighting and as good as a Wizard at casting AND is given twice as many power-ups (so she is able to keep up with both Fighter and Wizard), now there's an unbalanced character.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 7596865, member: 12731"] While it might well be that this guiding principle is extinct (as in "completely removed") in WoW, it makes me think back on d20. In d20 they genuinely thought that if the Bard was roughly at 50% of a Fighter at fighting, 50% of a Caster at casting etc that would be balanced and well-recieved. Of course, D&D is a game of specialization and local maximums. 80 or 90% (or even 100%!) is closer to the mark. Put otherwise: if you're 80% as effective as the other guy that feels like you're only half as effective. Even a Bard that fights at 90% of a fighter and casts at 90% of a caster is still not best at anything, and that's what counts. Also: the fact that you can normally only specialize in one or a few areas. When the fighter raises his Strength or takes fightery feats at the same time the Wizard raises her Intelligence and purchases wizardly robes... the Bard cannot keep pace in both areas at the same time. She has to choose one area to keep up in, and the other will fall behind. Or she refuses to choose and falls behind in both areas! Point is: that theoretical 90% soon becomes 75% when you factor in the myriad ways you specialize in D&D (feats, items, choices of abilities, etc). So starting out at 50% (as in a level X Bard deals half as much as a level X Fighter) is a definite mistake. In that aspect 5E has learned something from 3E... :) PS. A bard that starts out as good as a Fighter at fighting and as good as a Wizard at casting AND is given twice as many power-ups (so she is able to keep up with both Fighter and Wizard), now there's an unbalanced character. [/QUOTE]
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