D&D 5E The Decrease in Desire for Magic in D&D

[Maxperson]

The spider was a familiar had a permanent 3e Tenser's transformation held.

That doesn't quite work. It's close, though! That 0 level commoner with his 11 strength and 11 dex goes to 15 strength and 15 dex, which clearly is close to allowing him to lift 20000 pounds and dodge bullets! Then he gets a base attack = to his level. So his base attack of 0 goes to 0, which is very close to a 20th level fighter!

You almost had me there.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Can we actually assume baseline peter parker is a 0 level commoner?

First, the majority of D&D at this point does not have zero level.

Second, Parker despite being 16 at time of spider bite, is already a bonafide genius, displaying far higher than the sadboy INT score a 0 level commoner would have.

Peter is at least a 1st level character with either rolled or array stats.

Further, thanks to the universally acclaimed The Other storyline, we know he has a divine connection of some sort to the universal Spider Totem. That kind of cockamamie backstory highly implies he is a PC and probably in a very permissive campaign.

Further, assuming 3e, he clearly makes his own magic items, implying he was able to pay the XP cost and was thus above 1st level.

Postulation: Flash Thompson's bullying was so severe that every instance earned Peter XP, leading to him to be very high level pre-spider-bite. He may have been a 20th level Expert (the Nerd NPC class) at least, but probably Rogue (the Nerd* PC class).


*You heard me: the rogues are the actual nerds. They get skill points, implying they have interests in things they obsess over enough to become experts (little E). While wizards are more like sports fans: obsessively learning specific stats in order to win at life by saying the right words in certain situations.

 

[Fanaelialae]

But the realism of D&D worlds is not the same realism as MCU. In the MCU you can be a 0 level nobody(Peter Parker) and get bit by a magic spider and instantly be stronger than the Tarrasque. The Tarrasque by the lifting rules can only lift 7200 pounds. A medium creature with a 30 strength can lift 900 pounds. Double it to 1800 for large, to 3600 for huge, and max it out at 7200 for gargantuan. Spiderman can lift 20000+ pounds. Add in Spiderman's spider sense and agility, and he's better than a 20th level fighter. All with no experience points gained.

MCU and D&D worlds might have an equal amount of realism, but it's a different sort.

Like @Vaalingrade said, that's an issue of the encumbrance rules. Translate Spiderman to 5e and he has a max strength of 30, so he wouldn't be lifting 20k lbs in any D&D universe under the current rules.

However, there are plenty of examples of "super powered" individuals in D&D.

Midnight (from the Time of Troubles) suddenly gained the power of a goddess. Her fighter-protector who was from a cursed lycanthropic bloodline.

Pretty much anyone with Spellfire. Mystara's Chosen.

What's-her-name from Dark Sun who was the only Sun Mage in existence.

The dragon marked from Eberron (particularly those with Aberrant dragon marks).

There was some Ravenloft novel I read as a kid where the protagonist had a unique ability to capture the souls of evil beings (to prevent them from returning). I don't remember the title but I feel like it had Shadow in the name?

What's-her-name from Dragonlance who suddenly acquires the abilities of a potent cleric during a time when clerics don't exist. You can argue that it's the staff's power, but plenty of superheroes derive their powers from an item so I would say it counts.

There was a Mystara series where the protagonist is an ordinary kid who is thrust into adventure and discovers that a dragon god was his father (and that he has dragon godly powers).

There are tons of characters from the D&D multiverse, who wouldn't be out of place if they showed up in a Marvel or DC comic.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Yes. You asked "in what universe is it realistic"

Realism is internal to its context. If everyone in a fantasy universe is a merperson, it is realistic for people in that universe to breathe underwater.

The same is true of comic book universes and D&D universes.

Ok, that's an interesting use of the word 'realistic'.

I would say, "consistent with the fiction" or something like that.

But, with your definition, since everybody disagrees on what the game universe is like, I'm left wondering what utility the word has.

 

[James Gasik]

I do remember a lot of high movement and leaping attacks in the Drizzt combat descriptions.

There is one particular plot point technique description in an early Drizzt book that my friends and I used to mock hard for its unrealistic nature.

It has been a number of years but my memory of it:

Crossing his blades into a downward X and forcing his opponent's weapon(s) down to the ground then when the opponent can't block or counter with their weapons, kick them straight in the chest/chin.

The anatomical physics of this secret sword fighting technique his father taught him and that he then used as a finishing move in climax fight cracked us up in discussing it.

I remember that. There was also some oddball technique he used, I think to fight Artemis, where he spun in a circle with his scimitars held out so he resembled a corkscrew. Oh and the time his DM gave him Bracers of the Blinding Strike to make him more effective, and he strapped them to his legs, secure in the belief that would increase his 15" movement speed!

 

[Voadam]

Obviously going from 1st level to 20th overnight is not normal. That normally takes at least a month of daily adventuring in D&D.

 

[Mort]

Obviously going from 1st level to 20th overnight is not normal. That normally takes at least a month of daily adventuring in D&D.

Just put it in your backstory!

Conversation I overheard between my son and one of his friends (my son was starting his first campaign as DM):

"Yeah, I got your write-up. No, you can't start at 20th level and have a pet ancient Dragon."

 

[Maxperson]

Can we actually assume baseline peter parker is a 0 level commoner?

100%. He was a geeky student with no martial arts or any other background to make him anything else.

First, the majority of D&D at this point does not have zero level.

Then baseline commoner.

Second, Parker despite being 16 at time of spider bite, is already a bonafide genius, displaying far higher than the sadboy INT score a 0 level commoner would have.

Stats rolled on 3d6 can generate a 16, and DMs can modify commoners to be smart.

Peter is at least a 1st level character with either rolled or array stats.

Nope! He did not have a class or any special abilities other than being smart, which any commoner can be.

Further, thanks to the universally acclaimed The Other storyline, we know he has a divine connection of some sort to the universal Spider Totem. That kind of cockamamie backstory highly implies he is a PC and probably in a very permissive campaign.

No idea what that is, but it very probably wouldn't have happened had he not instantly been transformed into a 20th level PC with greater than any PC can have abilities.

Further, assuming 3e, he clearly makes his own magic items, implying he was able to pay the XP cost and was thus above 1st level.

He had the XP due to instantly gaining 20 levels.

Postulation: Flash Thompson's bullying was so severe that every instance earned Peter XP, leading to him to be very high level pre-spider-bite. He may have been a 20th level Expert (the Nerd NPC class) at least, but probably Rogue (the Nerd* PC class).

You have to win to get XP. Losing fights doesn't earn you any.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Just put it in your backstory!

Conversation I overheard between my son and one of his friends (my son was starting his first campaign as DM):

"Yeah, I got your write-up. No, you can't start at 20th level and have a pet ancient Dragon."

See, a more seasoned DM would have responded, "Great write up! Unfortunately, before the campaign begins, your character was level drained down to [starting level]. Also your pet dragon found a Deck of Many Things and pulled Donjon. So sad, your character has really been down on his/her luck..."

 

[Maxperson]

Like @Vaalingrade said, that's an issue of the encumbrance rules. Translate Spiderman to 5e and he has a max strength of 30, so he wouldn't be lifting 20k lbs in any D&D universe under the current rules.

Translate spiderman to D&D and take away his 20k lbs lift capacity and it is not Spiderman. It's a much weaker D&D version, which just proves my point. D&D cannot do super.

However, there are plenty of examples of "super powered" individuals in D&D.

Midnight (from the Time of Troubles) suddenly gained the power of a goddess. Her fighter-protector who was from a cursed lycanthropic bloodline.

Pretty much anyone with Spellfire. Mystara's Chosen.

What's-her-name from Dark Sun who was the only Sun Mage in existence.

The dragon marked from Eberron (particularly those with Aberrant dragon marks).

There was some Ravenloft novel I read as a kid where the protagonist had a unique ability to capture the souls of evil beings (to prevent them from returning). I don't remember the title but I feel like it had Shadow in the name?

What's-her-name from Dragonlance who suddenly acquires the abilities of a potent cleric during a time when clerics don't exist. You can argue that it's the staff's power, but plenty of superheroes derive their powers from an item so I would say it counts.

There was a Mystara series where the protagonist is an ordinary kid who is thrust into adventure and discovers that a dragon god was his father (and that he has dragon godly powers).

There are tons of characters from the D&D multiverse, who wouldn't be out of place if they showed up in a Marvel or DC comic.

So first, a god is not a PC, so Midnight and her powers don't count. Second, the rest of your stuff while technically do exist in a super hero world, would make superheroes that are too weak to do much more than stop bank robbers. They'd get their backsides handed to them by Spiderman(a middling power hero) and the vast majority of other heroes and villains.

Those low power heroes and villains exist to show just how good those of average ability(Spiderman) and the rest actually are.