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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
How many of D&D's rules could a character in the game figure out?
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<blockquote data-quote="(Psi)SeveredHead" data-source="post: 6057530" data-attributes="member: 1165"><p>Yes.</p><p></p><p>Discworld does this too (max level eight).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes to all this. At this point, you can figure these things out in a lab, without going into the "real world".</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is getting a bit iffy.</p><p></p><p>Spell levels are probably easier to "measure" than caster level (due to variability, etc). It's possible to have spells perform better or worse due to feats, backgrounds, items and what have you.</p><p></p><p>Also, wizards might not allow themselves to be tested (once they're out of school), especially wizards that have enemies.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This I disagree with. Wizards can't measure feats (which might grant bonus spells, or allow a spell to be recast, etc). Wizards might have trouble figuring out how much "smarter" a headband of intellect makes someone. A wizard with a prestige class could be gaining (or losing!) spell slots.</p><p></p><p>You might not be able to tell if a wizard is a specialist or not, which certainly changes the number of slots available.</p><p></p><p>And again, unless a wizard allows themselves to be tested, you don't get good measurements. (I doubt following a powerful wizard around and measuring their aftereffects gives good ratings. Just "more powerful", "less powerful", etc.)</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Same issues as above. I think clerics would have an even harder time. Putting aside the religious conflicts (would clerics of an evil god cooperate with clerics of a good god for this kind of measurement? Maybe, if they're both gods of knowledge...) but domains just make things more complicated.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Oh lord, this actually makes sense. (Still requires a lab; the subjects must all wear the exact same amount of clothing, boots of the exact same weight, etc, even though they won't all be the same size.) But in general, they'll have an idea of how this works.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This works easiest if someone is willing to sacrifice a Staff of Maximized Fireball for this kind of thing. (Raising the question, "isn't this expensive?")</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>No. Goblins might have randomly rolled hit points, different values based on class/level (maybe most goblins are 1st-level warriors as described in the Monster Manual, but you can't count on it; some are bound to be experts, rangers, scouts, and they might all seem alike) or they might even be minions.</p><p></p><p>Even their saving throw/defense values would be too variable.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, taking into account that feats and so forth might change damage values unpredictably.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>A) Yes. Figuring out categories of saving throws make sense.</p><p>B) No. Among other things, gauging a non-caster's levels isn't easy. (In fact, gauging a caster's levels isn't easy, if the caster has a few levels of expert, or isn't optimal, and so has lower save DCs, etc. But it's worse if they're not a caster.) Getting any two characters with identical saving throws is pretty much impossible (despite what the game rules say, having every guard being a 3rd-level Soldier with a Will defense of X just doesn't make sense)...</p><p></p><p>I think, at best, you could figure what sort of people tend to have good Will defenses, good Reflex, and good Fortitude, but have to guess beyond that.</p><p></p><p>You might have an easier time if you used summoned monsters (some of the same issues) or constructs (same issues, but less; they tend to be immune to a lot of stuff, but probably not Slow spells unless they're golems).</p><p></p><p>C) No. Again, there's too many ways of messing with save DCs. Spell Focus, for instance. A smarter wizard without Spell Focus (Enchantment) could have the exact same save DC as a less intelligent wizard with Spell Focus.</p><p></p><p>D) No, because you can't "standardize" Will saves that well. You could use items that have more standardized save DCs though.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I believe they can only figure out the fundamental rules. They can figure levels, for instance, and have an idea about save DCs, saving throws, and so forth, but no two characters should be alike. Thus, the wizard college probably cannot figure out how to construct a fighter, or even another wizard because they can't get those derived stats "perfect".</p><p></p><p>In fact, class by itself is one of the biggest barriers. A fighter with ranged combat feats and cross-class ranks in Listen and Spot could call himself a ranger. Nobody knows if they're a ranger or not. (Heck, the fighter could have multi-classed with ranger. And could have levels in warrior, or aristocrat.) Rangers have a good Reflex save. Fighters do not. The multiclass? character with the high? Dexterity score makes for a poor Reflex save measurer.</p><p></p><p>-O</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(Psi)SeveredHead, post: 6057530, member: 1165"] Yes. Discworld does this too (max level eight). Yes to all this. At this point, you can figure these things out in a lab, without going into the "real world". This is getting a bit iffy. Spell levels are probably easier to "measure" than caster level (due to variability, etc). It's possible to have spells perform better or worse due to feats, backgrounds, items and what have you. Also, wizards might not allow themselves to be tested (once they're out of school), especially wizards that have enemies. This I disagree with. Wizards can't measure feats (which might grant bonus spells, or allow a spell to be recast, etc). Wizards might have trouble figuring out how much "smarter" a headband of intellect makes someone. A wizard with a prestige class could be gaining (or losing!) spell slots. You might not be able to tell if a wizard is a specialist or not, which certainly changes the number of slots available. And again, unless a wizard allows themselves to be tested, you don't get good measurements. (I doubt following a powerful wizard around and measuring their aftereffects gives good ratings. Just "more powerful", "less powerful", etc.) Same issues as above. I think clerics would have an even harder time. Putting aside the religious conflicts (would clerics of an evil god cooperate with clerics of a good god for this kind of measurement? Maybe, if they're both gods of knowledge...) but domains just make things more complicated. Oh lord, this actually makes sense. (Still requires a lab; the subjects must all wear the exact same amount of clothing, boots of the exact same weight, etc, even though they won't all be the same size.) But in general, they'll have an idea of how this works. This works easiest if someone is willing to sacrifice a Staff of Maximized Fireball for this kind of thing. (Raising the question, "isn't this expensive?") No. Goblins might have randomly rolled hit points, different values based on class/level (maybe most goblins are 1st-level warriors as described in the Monster Manual, but you can't count on it; some are bound to be experts, rangers, scouts, and they might all seem alike) or they might even be minions. Even their saving throw/defense values would be too variable. Yes, taking into account that feats and so forth might change damage values unpredictably. A) Yes. Figuring out categories of saving throws make sense. B) No. Among other things, gauging a non-caster's levels isn't easy. (In fact, gauging a caster's levels isn't easy, if the caster has a few levels of expert, or isn't optimal, and so has lower save DCs, etc. But it's worse if they're not a caster.) Getting any two characters with identical saving throws is pretty much impossible (despite what the game rules say, having every guard being a 3rd-level Soldier with a Will defense of X just doesn't make sense)... I think, at best, you could figure what sort of people tend to have good Will defenses, good Reflex, and good Fortitude, but have to guess beyond that. You might have an easier time if you used summoned monsters (some of the same issues) or constructs (same issues, but less; they tend to be immune to a lot of stuff, but probably not Slow spells unless they're golems). C) No. Again, there's too many ways of messing with save DCs. Spell Focus, for instance. A smarter wizard without Spell Focus (Enchantment) could have the exact same save DC as a less intelligent wizard with Spell Focus. D) No, because you can't "standardize" Will saves that well. You could use items that have more standardized save DCs though. I believe they can only figure out the fundamental rules. They can figure levels, for instance, and have an idea about save DCs, saving throws, and so forth, but no two characters should be alike. Thus, the wizard college probably cannot figure out how to construct a fighter, or even another wizard because they can't get those derived stats "perfect". In fact, class by itself is one of the biggest barriers. A fighter with ranged combat feats and cross-class ranks in Listen and Spot could call himself a ranger. Nobody knows if they're a ranger or not. (Heck, the fighter could have multi-classed with ranger. And could have levels in warrior, or aristocrat.) Rangers have a good Reflex save. Fighters do not. The multiclass? character with the high? Dexterity score makes for a poor Reflex save measurer. -O [/QUOTE]
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How many of D&D's rules could a character in the game figure out?
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