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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Scott Lynch" data-source="post: 305482" data-attributes="member: 4450">Thanks, John.But most of what Supers-freak said is also true, and I should expand upon it. DNW classes are *not* "balanced," in a purely mechanical sense, against their fantasy counterparts.Part of the "hitting power" of a fantasy d20 character of a certain level is *assumed* to come from an investment of riches and magic items. If you look at the guidelines in the D&D3 DMG for creating a higher-level character, you'll note that each level beyond 1st also has a certain number of GP listed for the purchase of equipment, including magical equipment. Thus, a fully outfitted 10th level ranger is assumed to have about 49,000 GP of equipment or resources (p. 43, DMG). However, a 10th level ranger stripped of whatever that 49,000 GP bought him would not be a full-on CR 10 character any more... he'd be a bit weaker sans magic armor, magic sword, magic boots, and whatever else he's collected.The DNW classes receive more intrinsic benefits... more skill points, save points, and special abilities... than their fantasy counterparts do, and they also receive a class-based AC bonus. This is because they're not assumed to be gradually picking up more and more powerful magic items and heaps of treasure as they adventure, so more of their "oomph" has to be intrinsic. The gradual acquisition method is brilliant for fantasy d20 play, and the mathematical progression worked out by the 3E authors is admirable, but it just doesn't apply as well to a contemporary supers setting. With DNW or Vigiliance, you have to restart the campaign with new character stats, so there's no way to add super powers to an existing game, and you have to use all their new rules. That's not *entirely* true. DNW is not explicitly designed to be used in conjunction with fantasy d20 classes and standards, but all of the non-Power Point expenditure powers are purely compatible with fantasy d20. Those powers, as well as the XP Tithe, could be lifted whole from DNW and plunked into a fantasy campaign (Elves with super-reflexes? Dwarves with prehensile hair? Well, not my thing, but you never know...) from 1st level on up. DMs could also judge adjusted character levels using the Threat Rating adjustment scale given in *Deeds Not Words,* though I readily admit that it wasn't directly balanced against fantasy d20 either, and so may be just a bit inaccurate."Some fiddling required," most definitely. "Totally incompatible," well, not quite. So think of DNW as a new game, like the Everquest RPG Well, that's about right, though it won't make me as much money as an Everquest RPG might have. ;PWith all that said, Supers-freak is otherwise pretty correct. DNW in function is almost totally analogous to fantasy d20, but is designed from the ground up to stand alongside it rather than sit on top of it and mesh with it neatly. Cheerio,SL</blockquote>

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