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Originally Posted by Walking Dad 
History has nothing to do with it. Or I would suggest for wizards to be just con-men with no real magic... just like the wizards of the old.
Yes. History does have something to do with it. Without history, none of these games would have even been made. Where you do you think so many of these archetypes come from?
History, mythology, fiction, and popular culture. It's a smorgasbord of all of it.
Did you forget the various inspirations for the game? History being a major inspiration.
Yes, but just because something was in a way in the medieval real world doesn't mean it has to be the same way in a fantasy world.
And popular fiction and mythology often have heroes defeated, but living through it, unlike the Pathfinder barbarian, where defeat or succumbing to certain spells means instant death.
Like Beowulf or 300, the game 'simulates' the fantastic stories told in myths, not the lives of vikings who eat natural drugs to enter a 'rage'.
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QFT. And being a simulationist is nothing inherently better than being a gamist!
I prefer simulationist. So it is a matter of preference. I'm happy that Pathfinder leans towards simulationist over gamist.
I consider it my preference. It has nothing to do with "inherently better". I'm glad Pathfinder strays more towards simulation versus gamist philosophies. It's why I play them over 4E.
That is fair, but it makes criticism from gamists on the rules not invalid.
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And characters dying for using a core ability I call not fun in a game whose whole purpose is to have fun. And that bothers me more.
Death is an aspect of the game. It should not be taken out.
Using a dangerous core ability like Rage should put you at risk. Better hope your healer is good at their job.
From my experience the barbarian rarely goes unconscious. He mashes things apart. He is a vicious war machine that is very hard to bring down because of all the extra healable hit points. Which are much better than temporary.
I'd really like to see how often the unconscious mechanic comes into play and kills the barbarian. So far it hasn't been an issue at all in my game. The barbarian is rarely brought to lethal hit point levels and then knocked unconscious. He murders everything before that happens.
I played a barbarian who died because the DM read the 3.5 rules wrong (the result was the same as the Pathfinder change).
Looks that in my games death still happens. But I want character deaths meaning something beyond:
"Yes, the wizard teleports around, you know, magic... but your character having two other rage rounds, so the cleric can reach you after going unconscious... that is totally unrealistic!"
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The best medium armor is only 1 point better than the best light armor... when mithral is available it is also already the time magic made resting save.
DR and massive hit points are in general as good, if not better than, armor class. Chain Shirt is +4 armor versus Chainmail or BP which is +6. So +2 better. And Heavy armor is only +3 better than the best medium armor. So what are you trying to illustrate?
Unless they are of course one of those players that searches around for every mechanical advantage. Which isn't much encouraged by either the game designers or in my campaign.
The guys always looking to squeeze every mechanical advantage out of the game are usually very campaign specific. And more interested in mechanical manipulation than role-playing. Which isn't my cup of tea. Not why I play RPGs.
This was an answer why I think that Endurance is still not a good feat. Not sure how your talk about "squeeze every mechanical advantage" has to do with it, after you said it would be a decent feat. Either it is or not.
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Weak and unbalanced classes and abilities are bugs, not features.
Prove that rage is a weak ability. Prove it ...
Don't have to do it.
Proof that the change was necessary because it was to strong before.
Tell me one situation in which the barbarian character is dying instead of going unconscious (so there is a chance for the other players to help) is enhancing the game.
EDIT: Sorry for the strange formatting. I hope it is still clear which quote belongs to whom.
