Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5693862" data-attributes="member: 54877">On things like Dispel Magic, I think there is a potential role for counter magic in a 4E variant or later version extrapolated from it. Or more likely, counter powers, based on some combination of level, skills, and attack bonuses. A simple &quot;Dispel Magic&quot; spell is not it, though, as it doesn't have enough decision points or scope. That just leads to drawing out combat even more, as people get all defensive. You'll especially see it as a problem when one side outnumbers the other significantly. So something like &quot;counter power&quot; has to be built into the base assumptions of the game from the ground up, or at least compensated somehow. &nbsp;Arguably, this is what the various defenses are partially doing now. That +1/2 level boost to defenses is, in part, because fighters are blocking blows directed at their friends, magicians are doing counter magic, etc. It's merely abstracted out of the direct game processes.&nbsp;Ultimately, if you don't put a serious &quot;block&quot; in the game for weapon users, there isn't a place for a serious &quot;dispel magic&quot;. And if you don't have a serious place for it, then it is niche mechanics way too diminished for its purported flavor--or its relegated to narrative color. And that has been the D&amp;D way, since the start.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crazy Jerome, post: 5693862, member: 54877"] On things like Dispel Magic, I think there is a [B]potential[/B] role for counter magic in a 4E variant or later version extrapolated from it. Or more likely, counter powers, based on some combination of level, skills, and attack bonuses. A simple "Dispel Magic" spell is not it, though, as it doesn't have enough decision points or scope. That just leads to drawing out combat even more, as people get all defensive. You'll especially see it as a problem when one side outnumbers the other significantly. So something like "counter power" has to be built into the base assumptions of the game from the ground up, or at least compensated somehow. Arguably, this is what the various defenses are partially doing now. That +1/2 level boost to defenses is, in part, because fighters are blocking blows directed at their friends, magicians are doing counter magic, etc. It's merely abstracted out of the direct game processes. Ultimately, if you don't put a serious "block" in the game for weapon users, there isn't a place for a serious "dispel magic". And if you don't have a serious place for it, then it is niche mechanics way too diminished for its purported flavor--or its relegated to narrative color. And that has been the D&D way, since the start. [/QUOTE]

Verification