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5e Philosophy of System Mastery
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<blockquote data-quote="Shiroiken" data-source="post: 7802259" data-attributes="member: 6775477"><p>This. I've seen optimized characters in the same group as casual characters in both editions. In 3E it was the superpowers plus their lackeys, while in 5E the difference is... minimal. While the optimized character IS overall better, bounded accuracy and the lack of trap options means that casual characters still contribute significantly to the game. </p><p></p><p>The only time you have a problem is if you have a non-combat situation or if you have direct PC conflict. Since combat is a them vs. us situation, one player being better is seldom considered a problem. If two characters are trying to do the same social or exploration task, it can cause some issues if they can't work together (such as using skills vs. spells), because the optimized character will shine more often. Good groups don't try to overshadow each other, or they try to work together on these types of tasks.</p><p></p><p>Direct conflict is where system mastery is revealed. In fact, my group is soon going to have a "battle royale" where everyone builds a level 20 character using only official WotC materials. On an ever shifting battleground, only 1 character will survive as the victor, testing the system mastery (and social skills) of the players involved.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Shiroiken, post: 7802259, member: 6775477"] This. I've seen optimized characters in the same group as casual characters in both editions. In 3E it was the superpowers plus their lackeys, while in 5E the difference is... minimal. While the optimized character IS overall better, bounded accuracy and the lack of trap options means that casual characters still contribute significantly to the game. The only time you have a problem is if you have a non-combat situation or if you have direct PC conflict. Since combat is a them vs. us situation, one player being better is seldom considered a problem. If two characters are trying to do the same social or exploration task, it can cause some issues if they can't work together (such as using skills vs. spells), because the optimized character will shine more often. Good groups don't try to overshadow each other, or they try to work together on these types of tasks. Direct conflict is where system mastery is revealed. In fact, my group is soon going to have a "battle royale" where everyone builds a level 20 character using only official WotC materials. On an ever shifting battleground, only 1 character will survive as the victor, testing the system mastery (and social skills) of the players involved. [/QUOTE]
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