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Encounter balance in AD&D
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6981031" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>The AD&D rulebooks are replete with references to "balance".</p><p></p><p>Some instances:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">PHB p 6: "Classes have restrictions in order to give a varied and unique approach to each class when they play, as well as to provide play balance."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">PHB p 7: "The characters and races from which the players select are carefully thought out and balanced . . ."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">PHB p 94: "Regardless of what is wished for, the exact terminology of the <em>wish </em>spell is likely to be carried through. (This discretionary power of the referee is necessary in order to maintain game balance. . . .)"</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 7: "Limitations, checks, balances, and all the rest are placed into the system in order to assure that what is based thereon will be a superior campaign . . ."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 24: "It is of utmost importance to keep rigid control of alignment behavior with respect to such characters as serve deities who will accept only certain alignments, those who are paladins, those with evil familiars, and so on. Part of the role they have accepted requires a set behavior mode, and its benefits are balanced by this."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 76: "If for some reason you must have an exact progression [for Turning Undead], follow the columns for levels 1, 2, and 3, correcting to the right from there - and thus rather severely penalizing the clerics of upper levels, but by no means harming play balance. . . . Do not otherwise alter the table as it could prove to be a serious factor in balance . . ."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 81: "You may assign modifiers to any saving thvows as you see fit, always keeping in mind game balance."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 90: "You may, of course, adiust any prices and costs as you see fit for your own milieu. Be careful to observe the effects of such changes on both play balance and player involvement."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 91: "[F]it monsters and magic so as to be reasonable within the scope of your milieu and the particular facet of it concerned. Alter creatures freely, remembering balance."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 93: "As the campaign grows and deeper dungeons are developed, you exercise the same care in placement of selected and balanced magic items."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 118: "[Non-standard magic] items must be such as to not unbalance the game."</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">DMG p 121: "[T]he MAGIC ITEMS table is weighted towards results which balance the game."</p><p></p><p>Huh? How does this clam fit with the rulebook quotes in the OP? These include "Number of creatures encountered should be appropriate to the strength of the encountering party," which is pretty much the opposite of what you have claimed to be the way that AD&D functions.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 6981031, member: 42582"] The AD&D rulebooks are replete with references to "balance". Some instances: [indent]PHB p 6: "Classes have restrictions in order to give a varied and unique approach to each class when they play, as well as to provide play balance." PHB p 7: "The characters and races from which the players select are carefully thought out and balanced . . ." PHB p 94: "Regardless of what is wished for, the exact terminology of the [I]wish [/I]spell is likely to be carried through. (This discretionary power of the referee is necessary in order to maintain game balance. . . .)" DMG p 7: "Limitations, checks, balances, and all the rest are placed into the system in order to assure that what is based thereon will be a superior campaign . . ." DMG p 24: "It is of utmost importance to keep rigid control of alignment behavior with respect to such characters as serve deities who will accept only certain alignments, those who are paladins, those with evil familiars, and so on. Part of the role they have accepted requires a set behavior mode, and its benefits are balanced by this." DMG p 76: "If for some reason you must have an exact progression [for Turning Undead], follow the columns for levels 1, 2, and 3, correcting to the right from there - and thus rather severely penalizing the clerics of upper levels, but by no means harming play balance. . . . Do not otherwise alter the table as it could prove to be a serious factor in balance . . ." DMG p 81: "You may assign modifiers to any saving thvows as you see fit, always keeping in mind game balance." DMG p 90: "You may, of course, adiust any prices and costs as you see fit for your own milieu. Be careful to observe the effects of such changes on both play balance and player involvement." DMG p 91: "[F]it monsters and magic so as to be reasonable within the scope of your milieu and the particular facet of it concerned. Alter creatures freely, remembering balance." DMG p 93: "As the campaign grows and deeper dungeons are developed, you exercise the same care in placement of selected and balanced magic items." DMG p 118: "[Non-standard magic] items must be such as to not unbalance the game." DMG p 121: "[T]he MAGIC ITEMS table is weighted towards results which balance the game."[/indent] Huh? How does this clam fit with the rulebook quotes in the OP? These include "Number of creatures encountered should be appropriate to the strength of the encountering party," which is pretty much the opposite of what you have claimed to be the way that AD&D functions. [/QUOTE]
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