D&D - Iron Heroes...between the poles

[nothing to see here]

So I bought Iron Heroes...haven't played it, but liked it.

However I have a niggling suspicion that, for the kind of games I like to play, it might overcompensate for a low magic world.

I'm one of those who can't stand the D&D overreliance on magic items. On first glance Iron Heroes scratches that itch. At the same time, I am a DM who enjoys a couple of magic items in a game (the kind of game where your 12th level character would have one major magic item and one or two minor ones). I also have no particularly objection to traditional spellcasters (as long as they're not magic item factories).

The problem with such a game is that it D&D characters would be underpowered in such a model. IH chracters would be overpowered. So my campaign model would still require some judicious house rulings in either case.

Does anyone share this issue?

 

[Denaes]

Over/under powered compared to what?

So long as you strike a balance within the party it doesn't matter what exact power level PCs are, just set encounters accordingly

 

[Psion]

Odd thought (related to my reply to the other thread), might the Scion mechanic be of use here. Where magic weapons are trinkets when found, but you take some class levels to bump it up, and it turns into something more.

Or something like the anscestral weapon mechanic.

Might make magic weapons less ubiquitous, more a "viable alternative."

 

[Aldarc]

Don't worry, according to Mearls there are magic items, and they will be detailed in Mastering Iron Heroes. But to let you know, he said that they come with a cost.

 

[Turanil]

I'm one of those who can't stand the D&D overreliance on magic items. On first glance Iron Heroes scratches that itch. At the same time, I am a DM who enjoys a couple of magic items in a game (the kind of game where your 12th level character would have one major magic item and one or two minor ones). The problem with such a game is that it D&D characters would be underpowered in such a model. IH chracters would be overpowered.

Does anyone share this issue?

Yes. I like Iron Heroes premise, I like the classes, but overall it looks like overpowered and longer to play. I won't do that, but I could be tempted to instead create new character classes for D&D based on Iron Heroes but toned down.

 

[Aldarc]

It would be overpowered if you gave IH characters D&D magic items, because the classes of Iron Heroes were designed to have the magic in them already.

 

[Dog Moon]

Originally posted by Aldarc
Don't worry, according to Mearls there are magic items, and they will be detailed in Mastering Iron Heroes. But to let you know, he said that they come with a cost.

Hmmm, this could be interesting enough that I might want to use them in my normal campaign, depending on the types of items. I dislike cursed items because they are essentially non-useful, but items with drawbacks are cool because they have a use and could possibly make you wonder if you REALLY want to use the item.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Yes. I like Iron Heroes premise, I like the classes, but overall it looks like overpowered and longer to play. I won't do that, but I could be tempted to instead create new character classes for D&D based on Iron Heroes but toned down.

Why does this keep coming up? How is a level 15 Berserker with no items any more powerful than a level 15 barbarian with all his gizmos? Does reading comprehension break down whenever the phrase "no magic items" comes up?

It seems like you make a couple world assumption changes and everything comes out in the wash. You would have to do some fast talking to have a paladin with a +3 sword fighting next to an Armiger in the same party. But the two would be well matched in a fight if of equivalent level and subject to the assumptions of their respective worlds (including the wealth by level guidelines for the pally).

 

[Kaos]

It would be overpowered if you gave IH characters D&D magic items, because the classes of Iron Heroes were designed to have the magic in them already.

This bugs me.
They do not have magic 'in them.' They have nonmagical extraordinary abilities that rival the power of magic.

The difference is nontrivial.

 

[Aldarc]

I understand that, but that seems to be the easiest way of trying to explain it.