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Dwarf power-ups: Good or bad?
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<blockquote data-quote="TheAuldGrump" data-source="post: 895520" data-attributes="member: 6957"><p>Felon, you're still running a little hot there. And it seems that you <em>are</em> taking disagreement as a personal attack.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It may be news to you, but still for the most part true. Yes, part of it is that hmans have become <em>much</em> more worth playing, humans were <em>my</em> favorite race even in 1st and 2nd editions, where they really got the shaft. As for opinion on this forum being against me *shrug*, as has been mentioned before the folks on this forum are a small subset of those who play D&D. WotC presumably goes off of their polls and questionaires, which is a larger subset of those who play. Still, most likely, not a majority of those who play. (This forum is arguably more informed, and certainly more passionate, than most who play.)</p><p></p><p>And yes, I did see 'lots more' playing dwarfs in 1st and 2nd edition, though not as many as elves and half-elves. (The half-elf was toned too far down in 3rd, but was a multiclasser's dream in 1st and 2nd eds. And the Complete Elf was a nightmare.)</p><p></p><p>This observation is not based solely on my own campaigns, I have seen it in far too many to ignore. I have never for example seen more than one dwarf in a party, though I have seen one where the dwarf was the only non-elf. (Yes, I do haunt my FLGS.)</p><p></p><p>And, to paraphrase an old wargamers aphorism for army lists: 'if you take it every time it's probably overpowered, if you never take it than it's under', folks do need bribing, it's why NPC classes are weaker than PC classes, to bribe players into playing the main classes. I remember when NPC classes were <em>more</em> powerful than PC classes - net result was a bunch of munchkins wanting to play antipaladins and other twinked out classes.</p><p></p><p>The current weakness of the dwarf (20 ft. base movement) is more crippling in many games than the benefits he enjoys makes up for. I have seen way too many games where most of the opponents are taken down at range before the dwarf can get his stumpy little body over to the enemy. The fact is that D&D is a combat game more than anything else, and that is where the attention is focused in a lot of games. (Too many in my opinion.)</p><p></p><p>Though honestly I think that the weapon familiarity ability is not to make the dwarf more appealing so much as to make the <em>weapon</em> more appealing. In most games the dwarf generally chooses some other weapon or just uses the thing two handed. It is also why they are giving the half-orc those silly double ended axes.(Silly for actual utility as a weapon, game wise they are fine.)</p><p></p><p>Personally I like dwarfs, I like playing them, whether they get the power up or not. However I could steer you in the direction of a few power gamers who will go on for some length about the dwarf's, umm, shortcomings. (Mostly that movement thing.)</p><p></p><p>And I will also admit that there are a few races that I feel need more help than the dwarf. Half-elves just don't get played, and every single half-orc that I have seen has been either a barbarian, a fighter, a ranger, or some multiclass thereof. (With ranger/ barbarian being the most popular, but then <em>everybody</em> seems to take a single level of ranger.) Dwarfs are number three in my estimation for needing a boost. </p><p></p><p>For some reason halflings seem to get played a lot, esp. as sorcerer's or wizards. And I have yet to see anyone play a gnome at all. (I never paid enough attention to the wee folks to know if they need a boost or not, and while I have heard impassioned speech against them it has always been of the 'I can't stand the little buggers' variety. No meat and bone reason.) I don't know about the 'Lord of the Rings effect', it's possible but...</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p>Having used blackpowder weapons, crossbows, and bows I can tell you from my own experience how much easier it is to learn how to load a musket than how to arc your bowfire. Personally I learned to use a bow first, then muzzle loader, then finally a crossbow. As for gunpowder needing special training, the training took about an hour, I can still hit a target with a musket, can't hit with a bow at range at all well. Arcing and windage is a pain in the butt. (Rimshot.) And a hand crossbow is weak, but stupidly easy to use. Hard to make in a primitive society, but easy to use. (Making it might take an Exotic Craft feat, ditto for guns, esp. rifled weapons.)</p><p></p><p>The Auld Grump, toddling off to bed</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheAuldGrump, post: 895520, member: 6957"] Felon, you're still running a little hot there. And it seems that you [i]are[/i] taking disagreement as a personal attack. It may be news to you, but still for the most part true. Yes, part of it is that hmans have become [i]much[/i] more worth playing, humans were [i]my[/i] favorite race even in 1st and 2nd editions, where they really got the shaft. As for opinion on this forum being against me *shrug*, as has been mentioned before the folks on this forum are a small subset of those who play D&D. WotC presumably goes off of their polls and questionaires, which is a larger subset of those who play. Still, most likely, not a majority of those who play. (This forum is arguably more informed, and certainly more passionate, than most who play.) And yes, I did see 'lots more' playing dwarfs in 1st and 2nd edition, though not as many as elves and half-elves. (The half-elf was toned too far down in 3rd, but was a multiclasser's dream in 1st and 2nd eds. And the Complete Elf was a nightmare.) This observation is not based solely on my own campaigns, I have seen it in far too many to ignore. I have never for example seen more than one dwarf in a party, though I have seen one where the dwarf was the only non-elf. (Yes, I do haunt my FLGS.) And, to paraphrase an old wargamers aphorism for army lists: 'if you take it every time it's probably overpowered, if you never take it than it's under', folks do need bribing, it's why NPC classes are weaker than PC classes, to bribe players into playing the main classes. I remember when NPC classes were [i]more[/i] powerful than PC classes - net result was a bunch of munchkins wanting to play antipaladins and other twinked out classes. The current weakness of the dwarf (20 ft. base movement) is more crippling in many games than the benefits he enjoys makes up for. I have seen way too many games where most of the opponents are taken down at range before the dwarf can get his stumpy little body over to the enemy. The fact is that D&D is a combat game more than anything else, and that is where the attention is focused in a lot of games. (Too many in my opinion.) Though honestly I think that the weapon familiarity ability is not to make the dwarf more appealing so much as to make the [i]weapon[/i] more appealing. In most games the dwarf generally chooses some other weapon or just uses the thing two handed. It is also why they are giving the half-orc those silly double ended axes.(Silly for actual utility as a weapon, game wise they are fine.) Personally I like dwarfs, I like playing them, whether they get the power up or not. However I could steer you in the direction of a few power gamers who will go on for some length about the dwarf's, umm, shortcomings. (Mostly that movement thing.) And I will also admit that there are a few races that I feel need more help than the dwarf. Half-elves just don't get played, and every single half-orc that I have seen has been either a barbarian, a fighter, a ranger, or some multiclass thereof. (With ranger/ barbarian being the most popular, but then [i]everybody[/i] seems to take a single level of ranger.) Dwarfs are number three in my estimation for needing a boost. For some reason halflings seem to get played a lot, esp. as sorcerer's or wizards. And I have yet to see anyone play a gnome at all. (I never paid enough attention to the wee folks to know if they need a boost or not, and while I have heard impassioned speech against them it has always been of the 'I can't stand the little buggers' variety. No meat and bone reason.) I don't know about the 'Lord of the Rings effect', it's possible but... Having used blackpowder weapons, crossbows, and bows I can tell you from my own experience how much easier it is to learn how to load a musket than how to arc your bowfire. Personally I learned to use a bow first, then muzzle loader, then finally a crossbow. As for gunpowder needing special training, the training took about an hour, I can still hit a target with a musket, can't hit with a bow at range at all well. Arcing and windage is a pain in the butt. (Rimshot.) And a hand crossbow is weak, but stupidly easy to use. Hard to make in a primitive society, but easy to use. (Making it might take an Exotic Craft feat, ditto for guns, esp. rifled weapons.) The Auld Grump, toddling off to bed [/QUOTE]
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