Of course the powers and classes are restrictions. Every game
system is defined by its themes and its mechanical boundaries. Both are forms of restrictions.
In the specific case of combat, those restrictions are there add dramatic tension and simulationism to the scenario. On the most basic level, they solve the old cops-and-robbers problem of "Bang, you're dead. / No you're dead." On a slightly more complex level they add randomization to create permutations and lead to the necessity for tactics - an element that's crucial to most war-games. On a much more complex note, they place restrictions on character actions and outcomes so that ideally players are comepled to perform as a functional team.
For the most part, the combat simulation aspects of more RPGs have their role-playing end at selecting your battlefield role and the theme of your equipment (including powers). The mechanics are there for
Roll Playing, like any other board game.
Those elements are critical to the table-top battle game and other games like it. They aren't so critical to games involving mysteries, riddles, and social or economic plotting. Generally scenarios where failure doesn't result in crippling or killing a character don't run into the "bang" problem. Circumstances lacking split-second mayhem and involving large amounts of unknown quantities (from the PC perspective) don't need the randomize permutations to spawn tactics. Just sticking to passive stats will generally get you answers to questions about your character's physical and mental capacities if they come up. Furthermore, independent ("solo") tasks such as research, crafting, and building personal relationships don't need the artificial restrictions that attempt to compel and balance team-work.
While the DM can certainly go back to the days of rolling percentile dice to determine whether people you encounter are hostile/indifferent/friendly or whatnot, I find RP works a lot better when there is a rational explanation for why NPCs happen to act the way they do. In those kinds of situations no matter how many tables you invent and how many dice you roll the only way any of it makes any sense or becomes significantly interactive is if the DM can step up and manage the scenario on his or her own wits. Likewise, a character sheet's numbers can't tell you a character's life experiences; only the player can do that.
I think people are still getting used to the new power structure and are seing the powers as restrictive as mentioned above. Upthread were some good ideas for using powers and class abilities outside of combat to achieve desired effects:
Can I do this outside of combat?
And the DMG suggests "say yes."
I can't agree with this sentiment enough. It isn't limited to powers either. Players who get deep into their role-playing are going to want to be able to call upon their character's background material - life skills, personal contacts, etc. to help complete tasks and resolve plots. That is, after all, what makes their character something more than a generic "Level 4 Wizard who likes fire." A DM who refuses to let their players exercise anything about their characters that isn't printed explicitly on their character sheet or a rule book really doesn't serve as an inditement against the RPG itself.
Now, all that said I think I can see another issue cropping up here. As you level up a character they grow explicitly more powerful in how they can interact with the world ... in combat. Going back to the Wizard (because this kind of the discussion is almost inevitably
really about the spell-jockey being able to warp reality to his whim) you've got a guy who is suddenly explicitly permitted to vaporize small armies, but has no such explicit permission to, say, transform that uppity bartender into a toad for his insolence. This leaves the door open for a DM to pull out the old "you can't do that," hatchet and put the kabosh on the whole thing ... even though any NPC villain the DM has thrown at the characters of comparable power level can
obviously place princesses into enchanted slumbers and turn princes into frogs.
- Marty Lund
