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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Set" data-source="post: 4938295" data-attributes="member: 41584">Number one thing that needed fixing, IMO, was the problems inherent in trying to design a fantasy game, while holding one side of the system (PCs) to a different standard than the other side of the system (NPC / monsters). The problem with Summoning/Calling spells, Shapeshifting, Mind Control spells, etc. isn't that any of those absolutely vital fantasy staples are unbalanced in a vacuum, since all of them are dependent on allowing the PCs to access abilities normally only available to NPCs.  If there wasn't a CR 8 creature able to grant 3 Wishes / day, few people would give a rat's rearend about the Candle of Invocation.  If the Fleshraker / War Troll / Solar / etc. weren't so darn unreasonable for their CR / HD, nobody would care if the Druid / Wizard / whatever turned into one. You can go one route and just nerf shapeshifting, control spells, summoning spells, etc. into the ground (or just utterly remove them from the game), or go *even further* into desperate attempts to justify giving someone a 'Summon' power that creates ectoplasmic imaginary creatures that don't have the unbalanced and ridiculously arbitrary abilities that some creatures have (such as Spawn, Feed, Split, etc.). Or you can do it right from the start, accept that this is a game where wizards and druids are supposed to be able to shapeshift, various casters are supposed to be able to summon up (or control) various creatures, and even Bob the Fighter and Jen the Rogue can take Leadership or insane ranks in Diplomacy and gain access to monsters as followers or allies. If various creatures weren't inherently unbalanced, then no amount of polymorphing, summoning, candle of invocating, wild shaping, etc. would be unbalanced. Too many 'fixes' focus on the PHB, and try to balance things from the Druid, Wizard, etc. lists, which does *nothing* to prevent someone with Diplomacy from convincing that Efreeti that for every Wish he grants you, you'll let him write two Wishes for his own benefit, and have them 'grant' them to you.  (Assuming that the Efreeti isn't a total moron and doesn't already have a dozen mortals lined up for that very duty, pestering him to allow them to to be his wish-proxies for the day...)  Like one of those assassins targetting Inspector Clouseau, the designers trying to 'fix' Wild Shape, Polymorph, Gate, etc. are missing the darn target, killing all sorts of class features indiscriminately, while the culprits in the Monster Manual laugh their heads off.</blockquote>

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