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<blockquote data-quote="arscott" data-source="post: 3343438" data-attributes="member: 17969">If your thinking about adding or subtracting tools to a toolbox, you're thinking from the wrong end of the problem.&nbsp; &quot;What abilities do these characters have at their disposal?&quot; is the wrong question to be asking.&nbsp; You need to be asking &quot;What challenges can these characters overcome with the abilities they possess?&quot;.Various characters solve problems in different ways.&nbsp; And sometimes, the DM feels that the characters shouldn't be able to solve those problems.&nbsp; For example, you don't like the fact that the characters can quickly travel across vast distances.&nbsp; But because you focused on the tool (teleportation spells) instead of the challenge, you didn't realize that the tool in question was invaluable in surmounting a different challenge (escaping from grapple).And just as you can be overlimiting, you can also be overpermissive.&nbsp; Say you didn't like the fact that high-level D&amp;D characters can shrug off a gigantic fall.&nbsp; &quot;Just because that barbarian can take the 15d6 hp damage,&quot; you think, &quot;doesn't mean he shouldn't have his head smashed in when he jumps off a hundred and fifty foot cliff.&quot;&nbsp; So you might say &quot;instead of taking 1d6 damage per 10 ft. fallen, you take 1d6 for the first 10 feet, 2d6 for the next, and so forth.&quot;&nbsp; So that pesky 335 hp barbarian is taking an average of 420 damage for that plummet, instead of a measly 52.But you don't account for the fact that the monk, ranks in tumble and jump and the slowfall ability, treats that cliff as a 40 foot tumble.&nbsp; The 10d6 damage he takes from that fall doesn't amount to much.So you need to be saying &quot;should I get rid of characters' ability to travel quickly?&quot; or &quot;should I get rid of their ability to survive falls?&quot; rather than &quot;should I eliminate the teleport spells?&quot; or &quot;should I increase falling damage?&quot;.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="arscott, post: 3343438, member: 17969"] If your thinking about adding or subtracting tools to a toolbox, you're thinking from the wrong end of the problem. "What abilities do these characters have at their disposal?" is the wrong question to be asking. You need to be asking "What challenges can these characters overcome with the abilities they possess?". Various characters solve problems in different ways. And sometimes, the DM feels that the characters shouldn't be able to solve those problems. For example, you don't like the fact that the characters can quickly travel across vast distances. But because you focused on the tool (teleportation spells) instead of the challenge, you didn't realize that the tool in question was invaluable in surmounting a different challenge (escaping from grapple). And just as you can be overlimiting, you can also be overpermissive. Say you didn't like the fact that high-level D&D characters can shrug off a gigantic fall. "Just because that barbarian can take the 15d6 hp damage," you think, "doesn't mean he shouldn't have his head smashed in when he jumps off a hundred and fifty foot cliff." So you might say "instead of taking 1d6 damage per 10 ft. fallen, you take 1d6 for the first 10 feet, 2d6 for the next, and so forth." So that pesky 335 hp barbarian is taking an average of 420 damage for that plummet, instead of a measly 52. But you don't account for the fact that the monk, ranks in tumble and jump and the slowfall ability, treats that cliff as a 40 foot tumble. The 10d6 damage he takes from that fall doesn't amount to much. So you need to be saying "should I get rid of characters' ability to travel quickly?" or "should I get rid of their ability to survive falls?" rather than "should I eliminate the teleport spells?" or "should I increase falling damage?". [/QUOTE]

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