Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dark Jezter" data-source="post: 1453569" data-attributes="member: 1015">The DM decides how many 18th level archmage NPCs there are or not.  If the DM makes it so there's an 18th level archmage standing on every street corner, then yes, they are more common and less special than they used to be.  Nothing in the 3e rules that states that 18th level archmages are commonplace.There is nothing preventing a 3e DM from making 18th level archmages extremely rare, just as there is nothing preventing a 1e DM from hiding a high-level mage behind every tree and bush.Powerful NPCs like Elminster and the Seven Sisters have been around since the beginning of Forgotten Realms.Yes, yes.  I've heard all the "3e feels like a video game" arguments before.  It's a common line of reasoning used by 1e/2e adherents and fans of other systems like GURPS or World of Darkness to make 3e sound adolescent or silly.  The rationale behind it is usually this...1)  Video games are somehow a lower form of entertainment than RPGs.2)  3e places emphasis on internal rules consistancy and balance, much like many video games.3)  Therefore, 3e resembles a video game and is less sophisticated than (Insert RPG system of choice here).Indeed, and my fiscal prudence intends to avoid tedium and keep the game exciting by not having my players work for months to gain a single level.</blockquote>