BoVD vs. BoED

[GravyFingerz]

Is anyone else insulted that the Book of Exalted Deeds has more broken and powerful stuff than the Book of Vile Darkness?

I think power should go to the Book of Vile Darkness, for the fact that when you defeat a villain more powerful than you, it's more rewarding. Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[mhacdebhandia]

The Book of Vile Darkness was balanced against the weaker mechanics of unrevised Third Edition - the weaker fiends, for example, meant that Monte wrote weaker archdevils and demon princes.

Plus I think Monte Cook is a more conservative mechanics designer than some.

 

[Yair]

Neither book should be "more powerful" - nothing should be powerful, it should be balanced. A PC wizard at level 15 should be CR 15 regardless of what books he uses for his feats, spells, and so on.
That said, I agree that the lower power of 3E fiends means a lower power-level of balance in some cases.

This is a problem with rules for Sacrifice and so on, for example - you get benefits for essentially nothing. But I can live with that, since it adds so much flavor...
These options should be present more in the BoVD, and to that extent I agree he should present more "powerful" options. Generally speaking such options are unbalanced anyways, so they should preferably be in the book less likely to fall into player hands...

 

[Li Shenron]

Is anyone else insulted that the Book of Exalted Deeds has more broken and powerful stuff than the Book of Vile Darkness?

I think power should go to the Book of Vile Darkness, for the fact that when you defeat a villain more powerful than you, it's more rewarding. Anyone else have any thoughts?

I cannot really say as I haven't the books myself, but I remember that BoVD gave me the impression of having fairly powerful stuff, especially in character material such as PrCl, feats and spells...

However I tend to say that the meaning of "mature audiences" included also the fact of being able to self-control your features not to overshine the other characters even if you are effectively more powerful, but that's my own opinion only.