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<blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 8679449" data-attributes="member: 6877472">I guess what really needs to be examined is why the myth that an ordinary man can take on demigods persists.&nbsp; In mythology, heroes who have to fight monsters are routinely given special powers to explain how they go about.&nbsp; Not always, I mean, there's always my man, Odysseus, who somehow makes do by being very, very wily (to the point that his craftiness is almost a legitimate superpower!), but often.Maybe it's special training from Scathach.&nbsp; Maybe you're half or even 2/3 God.&nbsp; Maybe it's some cool magic swag* (yeah, maybe Perseus is half god, but he doesn't seem to have any powers like his half-brother Herakles).But it's usually something, a special destiny, something that sets them apart and makes them a legend.People will point at Conan, for example, but it's basically true that Conan has some very high ability scores and pushes the boundaries of human ability himself.&nbsp; I could mention Batman, but his powers have gone so far beyond belief (depending on the writer) that it would be hard to call him human at all.&nbsp; Even the 2e description of the Fighter class compares him to some legendary figures.&nbsp; Even &quot;Fighters&quot; who actually lived, like George Washington or Miyamoto Musashi, have some crazy stories attached to them that defy belief.Ok, I'll give you Simo Hayha.&nbsp; But until I read a story about him taking on Koschei the Deathless, he never had to fight monsters.&nbsp; And if he did, well, maybe he was blessed by Ukko.&nbsp; You can't prove he wasn't!But for the most part, these archetypical Fighters from legend who fight against the sorts of challenges a mid-to-high level Fighter face are pretty much all paragons if not demigods in their own right.So why is the D&amp;D Fighter held to a different metric?&nbsp; Because...tradition?*In the old days, yeah, a high level character would have a ton of magic swag, just like how legendary figures occasionally are just as famed for their possessions as their deeds (Like King Arthur).&nbsp; But we've let that aspect of the game fall away, to the point that magic items are optional, and even if used, those optional rules further limit people to three attunement slots.&nbsp; If we can let such a fundamental part of the game, finding cool magic items in deep dungeons to bolster one's power go, why does &quot;Joe Normal, Slayer of Beasts&quot; linger?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="James Gasik, post: 8679449, member: 6877472"] I guess what really needs to be examined is why the myth that an ordinary man can take on demigods persists. In mythology, heroes who have to fight monsters are routinely given special powers to explain how they go about. Not always, I mean, there's always my man, Odysseus, who somehow makes do by being very, very wily (to the point that his craftiness is almost a legitimate superpower!), but often. Maybe it's special training from Scathach. Maybe you're half or even 2/3 God. Maybe it's some cool magic swag* (yeah, maybe Perseus is half god, but he doesn't seem to have any powers like his half-brother Herakles). But it's usually something, a special destiny, something that sets them apart and makes them a legend. People will point at Conan, for example, but it's basically true that Conan has some very high ability scores and pushes the boundaries of human ability himself. I could mention Batman, but his powers have gone so far beyond belief (depending on the writer) that it would be hard to call him human at all. Even the 2e description of the Fighter class compares him to some legendary figures. Even "Fighters" who actually lived, like George Washington or Miyamoto Musashi, have some crazy stories attached to them that defy belief. Ok, I'll give you Simo Hayha. But until I read a story about him taking on Koschei the Deathless, he never had to fight monsters. And if he did, well, maybe he was blessed by Ukko. You can't prove he wasn't! But for the most part, these archetypical Fighters from legend who fight against the sorts of challenges a mid-to-high level Fighter face are pretty much all paragons if not demigods in their own right. So why is the D&D Fighter held to a different metric? Because...tradition? *In the old days, yeah, a high level character [B]would[/B] have a ton of magic swag, just like how legendary figures occasionally are just as famed for their possessions as their deeds (Like King Arthur). But we've let that aspect of the game fall away, to the point that magic items are optional, and even if used, those optional rules further limit people to three attunement slots. If we can let such a fundamental part of the game, finding cool magic items in deep dungeons to bolster one's power go, why does "Joe Normal, Slayer of Beasts" linger? [/QUOTE]

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