How important is it to you or your players for characters to feel "overpowered"?

[Wolfpack48]

I don't see any of those traits as important qualities all or even most PCs must possess, and every one of them is culturally relative anyway.

I think of a hero as someone who does something selfless and good for others, asking little or nothing in return. The fewer superpowers they have, the more heroic they are.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I don't see any of those traits as important qualities all or even most PCs must possess, and every one of them is culturally relative anyway.

It also relentlessly ignores how often "hero" is used in common usage as a substitute for "protagonist".

(And contrary to some people's view, "protagonist" does not have to refer to a singular character in fiction; "protagonists" is a legitimate construct).

 

[Aldarc]

You tell me then: what's the "common use" definition for hero?

Here's the definition that I found: "a Greek dish of roasted meat served in a pita, usually with tomato, onion, and tzatziki, a cold, creamy sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and various spices." I hope that helps.

 

[KYRON45]

I don't see any of those traits as important qualities all or even most PCs must possess, and every one of them is culturally relative anyway.

So people being good to other people isn't a good thing? You win.

 

[nevin]

Which begs the question, is it the minmaxer who cares the most about not feeling powerful enough? Guessing there's a good case for it.

Probably. But it's only a problem when not everyone at the table is wanting the same kind of game

 

[Micah Sweet]

Of cou

So people being good to other people isn't a good thing? You win.

Of course it is. But good is culturally relative. What counts as being good to one culture can be quite different to another. What is considered "being good to other people" in a traditional Underdark Drow city, for example?

 

[nevin]

It also relentlessly ignores how often "hero" is used in common usage as a substitute for "protagonist".

(And contrary to some people's view, "protagonist" does not have to refer to a singular character in fiction; "protagonists" is a legitimate construct).

To be fair. Most games are built around combat and in a world where antihero's are as revered as hero's, you can probably substitute the two interchangeably and the conversations validity holds

 

[Lanefan]

The framing of this question is so weird to me. I never want to feel this way, and I never want my players to feel this way. Unless you're just overpowering some hapless mook who's in your way, fights should feel risky, and victories should feel earned.

Stomping enemies is boring.

I agree, but I've DMed players in the past who would very much disagree - to them, it's all about being the biggest baddest ass in the room (even including their own in-party companions sometimes) and rolling over the little tiny opponents with ease - and dramatic poses too.

And yes, stomping enemies all the time is boring, though once in a while a good ol' stomping can be a nice change of pace.

 

[Lanefan]

So I think the one thing with this quote is that it belies an older notion that has really changed - the idea that the DM is playing the NPCs in an antagonistic way and setting up a DM versus PCs paradigm versus the DM is a fan of the PCs. I think there’s a fine line between you want the encounter to be challenging versus you identify with your monsters and want them to succeed versus the party.

Without doing the bolded, how can you play those monsters with any integrity?

 

[Lanefan]

I've never seen anything more pedantic in my life.
1. Every PC is their own protagonist.
2. 98.6% of all "rules" are based on combat or battle. No i do not have data for this.
3. The fact there is a "hero tier" and not a "villain tier" should tell you something.

"Villain" tier is just the evil version of "hero" tier, isn't it?

4. I'm pretty sure all of the Greeks had/have names they take personally.

Hero is the male version of the far better-known Greek name Hera.

5. All PCs are PCs so i'm not sure what this means.

And not all PCs are heroes.

6. This is when the term is used derogatively.
7. Your character should be the character whos inspiring other characters.

Nah - your character should be your character. If it happens to inspire anyone else then fine, and if it doesn't, so what?