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<blockquote data-quote="bitonti" data-source="post: 882805" data-attributes="member: 6828"><p>Howdy All</p><p></p><p>I've been following the D20/R3 products (and have quite a few)</p><p>and, while I've found the products on the whole to be pleasing,</p><p>I've have also noticed two features that are, to me, a bit</p><p>irksome. This post is to see if others in the D20 community</p><p>have felt the same. (And to stimulate general discussion!)</p><p></p><p>*) Too many rules, not enough creativity;</p><p></p><p>This seems to be most noticable when I review the 'sage advice'</p><p>in the Dragon magazine. Whew, what a mess of details. As a</p><p>former DM/GM, I generally ruled that what was sensible was more</p><p>important than particular rules. That is, that the rules were</p><p>guidelines, but I and the players would use our imaginations to</p><p>figure out what should happen.</p><p></p><p>I noticed this too when I considered the 'cruchy bits' of the</p><p>Savage Species guide, for example, consider the mind</p><p>flayer. How does the level advancement guide for becoming</p><p>a fully powered mind flayer represent the actual advancement</p><p>of a mind flayer? Where are the ties to explain that a flayer</p><p>just out of cerebremorphosis, is weak, and unused to its</p><p>skills, and how over time the flayer gradually learns the full use</p><p>of its abilities? I mean, is the progression supposed to represent</p><p>how real mind flayers grow up, or is the progression just a play</p><p>mechanic to allow a flayer to be levelled up in a balanced way?</p><p></p><p>*) Disconnect between the need to stay in certain classes until</p><p>level 20 (ish), and prestige classes which max out at 10;</p><p></p><p>This seems to be most apparant when considering the </p><p>disadvantage in not taking a level of wizard, sorcerer, cleric,</p><p>or psion. The power loss (for not taking a higher level in the</p><p>core class) doesn't seem to offset the disadvantage of taking</p><p>levels in other classes. (Maybe for the first level of the extra</p><p>class, but taking just one level in particular classes simply to</p><p>max out exceptional skills seems to be an abuse of the rules,</p><p>and I wouldn't allow it.)</p><p></p><p>I've pondered maxing out the core classes at '10', and having</p><p>all levels beyond that be in another core class, or in a specialist</p><p>class. So a 20'th level wizard is then a 10'th level core wizard +</p><p>10 levels of elemental mastery. A 20'th level monk becomes a</p><p>10'th level monk + 10 levels of the order of the wispering blade.</p><p></p><p>Anyhow,</p><p></p><p>T Bitonti</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="bitonti, post: 882805, member: 6828"] Howdy All I've been following the D20/R3 products (and have quite a few) and, while I've found the products on the whole to be pleasing, I've have also noticed two features that are, to me, a bit irksome. This post is to see if others in the D20 community have felt the same. (And to stimulate general discussion!) *) Too many rules, not enough creativity; This seems to be most noticable when I review the 'sage advice' in the Dragon magazine. Whew, what a mess of details. As a former DM/GM, I generally ruled that what was sensible was more important than particular rules. That is, that the rules were guidelines, but I and the players would use our imaginations to figure out what should happen. I noticed this too when I considered the 'cruchy bits' of the Savage Species guide, for example, consider the mind flayer. How does the level advancement guide for becoming a fully powered mind flayer represent the actual advancement of a mind flayer? Where are the ties to explain that a flayer just out of cerebremorphosis, is weak, and unused to its skills, and how over time the flayer gradually learns the full use of its abilities? I mean, is the progression supposed to represent how real mind flayers grow up, or is the progression just a play mechanic to allow a flayer to be levelled up in a balanced way? *) Disconnect between the need to stay in certain classes until level 20 (ish), and prestige classes which max out at 10; This seems to be most apparant when considering the disadvantage in not taking a level of wizard, sorcerer, cleric, or psion. The power loss (for not taking a higher level in the core class) doesn't seem to offset the disadvantage of taking levels in other classes. (Maybe for the first level of the extra class, but taking just one level in particular classes simply to max out exceptional skills seems to be an abuse of the rules, and I wouldn't allow it.) I've pondered maxing out the core classes at '10', and having all levels beyond that be in another core class, or in a specialist class. So a 20'th level wizard is then a 10'th level core wizard + 10 levels of elemental mastery. A 20'th level monk becomes a 10'th level monk + 10 levels of the order of the wispering blade. Anyhow, T Bitonti [/QUOTE]
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