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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 915310" data-attributes="member: 3146">You don't get out much do you?Exactly which changes have these been that "will allow the group to function better as a whole?"* It seems like hour/level statbuffs were an ideal situation if you wanted a group to function better as a whole than as mega-individuals. Two characters with gauntlets of ogre power, +5 swords, and bracers of health (the effective 3.5e characters) sound like mega-individuals since their abilities are largely independent of each other. Two characters, one of whom casts endurance and bull's strength on the other in return for Cat's Grace and Greater Magic Weapon sounds much more like a group functioning together as a team to me. In the first case, the individuals' abilities are largely independent of each other and their power comes almost entirely from abilities or items they personally possess. In the second case, neither character is operating at peak effectiveness without the other character's contribution. That sounds like the definition of teamwork to me.One can argue that the 3.5e changes are good for the game. One can't sensibly argue that they increase teamwork. They nerfed all of the most significant teamwork-contributing spells in 3e.* I suppose people are likely to say that the changes to haste, harm, and heal, are ones that contributes to teamwork vis a vis mega-individuals. I don't buy that though. First, I don't agree that it was a mega-individual spell before. When I have played spellcasters, I've probably cast haste on other PCs at least as often as I cast it upon my own character. Second, a spell has to be worth casting in order to contribute to teamwork. I don't think that most of the applications of haste justify the standard action it will take to cast it. And, while the movement may have tactical teamwork applications that make it an effective tactic, I don't think "I cast haste, then we all retreat and manyshot our enemy to death since he won't be able to catch up to us or get away from us and we can always keep out of his melee range" is a good change. While it might be effective teamwork, it seems more likely to lead to boredom (on the part of the people using it) and frustration (on the receiving end--player or DM) than increased fun.Changes to heal, I don't think have any effect on teamwork vis a vis mega-individual. High level characters need powerful curing and curing is usually teamwork oriented by its nature. The changes haven't changed that much (although the decreased effectiveness of Heal means that the relative benefits of other spells have increased).Changes to Harm I think are the only viable contender to be promoting teamwork by reducing the effect of what was probably the most reliable way for any single character to dominate a single encounter. I think that change is far outweighed by the changes to the buffs however.</blockquote>

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