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I want a game that is complex enough to resist over-simplified analyses for optimisation (such as DPR ratings), yet can still be played as a roll game, and is inherently balanced when played as such. But how will we know if its balanced if it resists analysis?

Another way to do this would be factor it in as a build cost. Spend a feat on magic item creation. You make one level-appropriate item. Period. Perhaps allow re-charge/re-build on each level up thereafter.

File along with items that: make your eyes glow red make your shield shiny give you perfect pitch All of these things could be used well by enterprising players, and be adjudicated by DMs. But it's not IMO rules lawyering to expect an explanation of a game mechanic effect, associated with a...

One thing I'm not measuring - time to defeat enemies. In addition to the quoted suggestion, if you have one powerful enemy, who is dishing out effects that you cannot easily Parry, surrounded by others who are tough enough to take a normal weapon attack, then the number of rounds it takes to...

Poor dwarves! The numbers are almost identical for humans.

Things a computer model cannot easily tell you about a particular option whether it is fun to play (irrespective of how it is balanced) whether it is easy and simple to use during the game (because computers can do a lot of maths very easily) whether it gives a nice "feel", related to the...

Always possible there is a flaw in the code, but if so, it's not on basic stuff such as rolls to hit, or dice used to Parry etc. I can set it to dump a full, detailed log of adventure (and filter by category, e.g. see what happens in a "one dwarf dies, team wins" scenario). Most likely flaw at...

Using DiffPDF - Diffpdf Windows version | RubyPdf Technologies Differences between 081712 and 100812 versions of DM Guidelines . . . purely the XP numbers in encounter building. Oh, and the example creature name "dragon" changed to "elemental" in the same section. Edit: and more trivia (now I...

Caves of Chaos treasure has been updated, some magic items added. The PDFs are labelled with their "last edited" date at the start, so you can safely ignore any file as not changed since playtest 2 if it starts 0813 or 0817. Only files starting 1008 have had anything changed at all AFAICT.

cf ShadowRun (1e and 2e at least). Spellcasters go into the spirit world Deckers go into cyberspace Riggers want vehicle combat Street Samurai mix it up hand-to-hand If you have four players, each using point buy to build an optimised team member in one of these archetypes, IME you have a...

My opinion on that is that Parry is nearly always better option than Deadly Strike. And Intoxicated is plain silly - perhaps drop the damage soak to 1 point . . . Anyway, this IMO is why the strategy of pouring alcohol into Guardian dwarves works so well: Stacking Protect, Parry and...

Being able to stealth in plain view, and with a clear line of sight to any target you wish, is very useful.

For what reasons? I mean, independently of particular classes having or not having access: You could always fix Clerics (or War domain) by granting additional proficiency with Heavy Weapons. There seem to be a few mismatches like this in the current play test (my favourite so far is requiring...

. . . but it won't play out like that, unless the DM has put the item in specifically to create that scenario artificially (a kind of pre-planned ad-lib). And that's because the DM has no reason to invent squeaky floorboards or other barriers to stealth, ready to be solved with the right magic...

To me, it was fun in the same sense as a good joke. And got spoiled by over-use in the same way. Once it gets to by-the-numbers: jump, wave hands in flame, walk into wall, stick head in bucket of water . . . it's both ridiculous and *yawn* at the same time. Now a character forgetting he was...

I read it as a separate category at the same level as Basic, Finesse, Martial, with all that implies for lack of access to certain classes. The wording in the playtest doc for Heavy weapons says: "Characters who choose to wield heavy weapons must practice with these weapons to master their...

I have also noticed that identifying scrolls requires "Read Magic (or similar ability)", but there is no such spell in the spell list at the moment . . .

Also works. I quite liked 3E's identification of magical school, although the mapping of school to game effect was not very reliable.

It's back: “I put the ring on and jump up and down, flapping my arms,” :eek: What to do, to prevent discovery of a magic ring turn into a 10 minute random-activity slapstick comedy show as experienced players go through a guesswork routine aimed at all the well-known items? Roll with it...

Without using Protect (which is a little niche to have three protectors in an optimised team), there is still a difference, but things get more complex and interesting! I've optimised used of Deadly Strike here. It is now preferred on a hit, but not used wastefully on creatures with low hit...