D&D General Why the resistance to D&D being a game?

[Maxperson]

Words matter and I don't recall ever once Gandalf being called an angel in LOTR. Certainly not in the primary trilogy and its prequel.

Please provide the chapter where he is called an Angel if he is in fact called one.

A well kept secret doesn't make the secret non existent. He wasn't called a Maia in the Lord of the Rings, but we know from the Silmarillion that he was one.

 

[Alzrius]

The basic premise of One Punch Man is that he somehow broke his "limiter". In theory anyone else doing the same would be just as powerful.

That's not the "basic premise." That's the theory put forward by Dr. Genus; even then, it has all kinds of assumptions, as his take is that getting past the "Limiter" (which he says is put there by God) requires multiple trials to overcome, in the form of life-or-death struggles, and flat-out notes that Saitama is a hole in that theory.

 

[Cadence]

You might be tempted to say, but they were mostly demigods or had super powered strength, to which I reply so what. You can hone martial prowess and ability to supernatural levels and contend with magic. You're still martial, but just a lot more powerful than Joe Average the Swordsman.

I guess my world building question is if everyone can do the outstanding stuff, or does it take a spark? (Demi-god, touched by fate, whatever). How many of the heroes in the 2000-2020 inspirational fiction that go way beyond IRL physical feats have something special in their origin and how many don't? I have no idea! (Percy Jackson certainly has special stuff backing him up).

In the comics are Natasha, Clint, and Bruce the limits of mere-mortalhood? Does it cheapen Cap and Black Panther and Beast's accomplishments that they're souped-up or a mutant?

What makes it feel odd to some if the Uber martial needs to be touched by fate, dipped in the river Styx, a demi-god, tap into the morphing grid, or... whatever? Is it that the desire to zero-to-hero doesn't work if you were never a true zero? Is it wanting to see ourselves as being able to do it? Is it that they don't have that supernatural specialness in the inspirational literature (is much of Wuxia like that or does that have a source of power too)?

 

[mamba]

In my campaign the fighter does indeed have a cool magic weapon. The wizard also has a wand of lightning bolts and a staff of power. I don't see how giving a fighter some magic makes them somehow less worthy, especially when @ECMO3 seems to be assuming that wizards have as many scrolls as they want.

I am not saying that fighters should not have magic items, I said they should be buffed as class / subclass.

 

[Incenjucar]

I guess my world building question is if everyone can do the outstanding stuff, or does it take a spark? (Demi-god, touched by fate, whatever). How many of the heroes in the 2000-2020 inspirational fiction that go way beyond IRL physical feats have something special in their origin and how many don't? I have no idea! (Percy Jackson certainly has special stuff backing him up).

In the comics are Natasha, Clint, and Bruce the limits of mere-mortalhood? Does it cheapen Cap and Black Panther and Beast's accomplishments that they're souped-up or a mutant?

What makes it feel odd to some if the Uber martial needs to be touched by fate, dipped in the river Styx, a demi-god, tap into the morphing grid, or... whatever? Is it that the desire to zero-to-hero doesn't work if you were never a true zero? Is it wanting to see ourselves as being able to do it? Is it that they don't have that supernatural specialness in the inspirational literature (is much of Wuxia like that or does that have a source of power too)?

Even in real life, there are traits a person can have that make it easier or harder to accomplish specific goals. I put on muscle well, so it's easier for me to make myself dangerous than someone who struggles with keeping any weight on, etc. Hard work is usually the most important thing, but being able to do hard work itself requires a bit of luck with your background to make sure you're capable of keeping your attention on things, etc.

 

[Cadence]

Even in real life, there are traits a person can have that make it easier or harder to accomplish specific goals. I put on muscle well, so it's easier for me to make myself dangerous than someone who struggles with keeping any weight on, etc. Hard work is usually the most important thing, but being able to do hard work itself requires a bit of luck with your background to make sure you're capable of keeping your attention on things, etc.

I imagine the things you mention there are a big part of how we get Natasha, Clint, and Bruce in the comics, and any Olympic (or vaguely high level athlete), the people at the top of any field of science, etc...

Is that the "PC (and major NPC) aura"?

 

[mamba]

The word "peers" does not appear in the definition of teamwork and peer does not mean equal.

"peer, noun: one that is of equal standing with another : EQUAL"

Definition of PEER

one that is of equal standing with another : equal; especially : one belonging to the same societal group especially based on age, grade, or status; a member of one of the five ranks (duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron) of the British peerage; noble… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[Thomas Shey]

Exactly. If it’s a game, which it is, all the options should be roughly on par. Either casters need a serious nerf or non-casters need a serious buff. Either is fine.

Even when you adjust them to meet in the middle, some of the reactions to PF2e suggest some people will be super-soggy about it.

 

[Guest 7042500]

"Peer" is "one who pees."

 

[Maxperson]

I guess my world building question is if everyone can do the outstanding stuff, or does it take a spark? (Demi-god, touched by fate, whatever). How many of the heroes in the 2000-2020 inspirational fiction that go way beyond IRL physical feats have something special in their origin and how many don't? I have no idea! (Percy Jackson certainly has special stuff backing him up).

Either or both. I don't think it matters. Fighter A was born with the blood of a god running through his veins and that allows him to do amazingly supernatural martial feats, and Fighter B was born a normal(anime) human(Zoro from One Piece) who trained and trained with his sword until he could cut someone in half from 50 or 100 feet away just by swinging his sword. Both achieve supernaturally effective martial attacks, but via different means.