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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 5142947" data-attributes="member: 3424">There are actually a couple of other types of old-edition style balance that could be mentioned:Balance by Rarity: A combination of random character generation and race and class ability score minimums ensured that certain classes and races were rarer than others. Paladins were the poster child for this type of balance (minimum 17 Charisma) but you couldn't choose to play an elf or dwarf if certain of your ability scores were too low, either. This balance by rarity also applied to other aspects of the game, including magic user spells learned and treasure. Part of the reason why certain "game breaking" spells and items did not cause widespread problems was because, by the rules, they would only show up rarely in any particular game.Frequent character death (and the need to start again as a 1st-level character) is also an aspect of this sort of balance as it made high-level characters (and their attendant balance problems) rarer.Balance by Risk: Related to, but not exactly the same as, "Balance by Randomly Screw You". Certain more powerful options (spells, magic items and especially artifacts) had inherent risks or downsides that made players hesitate before choosing to use them. In my view, this is possibly the hallmark of old school balance: the player chooses the level of risk he is comfortable with and reaps the resulting rewards and consequences. Greater risk brings greater danger, but also greater reward. Even the choice of what class to choose can be considered a subset of this type of balance: pick a fighter, who had high survivability and utility at low levels, but was less powerful at high levels, or play a magic user, and reap the rewards of world-breaking power at high levels, if you survive to reach them?</blockquote>

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