Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 8210117" data-attributes="member: 12731">(cont'd)Let me take an example using equipment. If dependency on loot is considered undesirable, work it into the class abilities themselves. The following is just to keep the example easy:While weapons available to low level characters wouldn't change at all, as you reach the middle levels, you would start finding ever-more outrageous pieces of equipment. Oversized and spiky weapons fit the S&S ethos well.If feats like Great-Weapon Master are considered too powerful, such a new equipment roster could also "backhand" in fixes for that.In the core game, a level 8 character might run around with a weapon that in itself doesn't deal more damage than the weapon used at level 1. That this character deals more damage is chiefly through the fighter's inherent abilities (extra attack, class abilities, feats...). Now that in itself is part of why 5E makes such a suitable basis for a S&S game.But imagine if we now hand out swords dealing 5 extra damage on a hit. The bonus is the same for one-handed and two-handed swords, so it is a relatively bigger bonus for the character using one hand.This means that your 75 hp pool might be good for soaking 4 hits instead of 5, which is a 20% increase of "sweet spot danger".It also means the difference between the Greatweapon Master feat and... not that, is reduced, since getting +5 to, say, d8+6 is a relatively greater bonus than getting it to d12+11 (assuming the average bonus of GMW if used well is +5 damage). Instead of the longsword dealing 60% damage (10,5 to 17,5) it would now deal almost 70%.ZappPS. Obviously you could introduce +3 swords earlier in the campaign if you feel the jump shouldn't be so drastic. You would also introduce +10 swords later in the campaign to really compress the hp pools of high level characters and reintroduce some of the early-level danger thrill.</blockquote>

Verification