I Am Liberated (and my NPCs are too)

[SweeneyTodd]

Same. Most of the time my NPCs had stats only after they needed them the first time.

But I think having it as the formal system is an improvement, because I never felt like the old CR/EL system gave very useful results.

 

[Klaus]

No, I've always been that free. There has never been a NPC I wanted that I couldn't create within the rule framework of 3e.

Ditto.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Yeah, I'm feeling a lot more liberated and not just with NPC creation but in my ability to create any part of the world, particularly the weird magical parts, without reference to the rules. Everything doesn't have to have a character class, or be using a specific PHB spell any more.

Sure I could've done it in 3e but the culture was against it, that just wasn't how things were done. Also I didn't know the desirable ranges for the final numbers. I didn't know what will save a CR10 caster monster ought to have. Or the hit points and armour class of a brute type monster.

 

[Kzach]

I guess some players are just too adversarial.

It was never a question about cheating. It was just that they had the expectation that the system would work in a certain way because that's how the rules said it should.

To be fair, I can understand where they're coming from. The system is based around that sense of balance and equality in all things. Changing things at random means the players are suddenly unable to make valid judgement calls for everything from their next rest period to their next feat or spell selection.

Ultimately it comes down to different styles of playing rather than trust.

 

[Nifft]

Reading about experiences like this always makes me really appreciate my gaming group. I have been coming up with whatever I darn well please for years with the people I play D&D v3.5 with, and they've just sat back and enjoyed it. I guess they trust that I am not trying to cheat them and that my true purpose is to make sure they enjoy themselves.

I guess some players are just too adversarial.

Some of my players did their best to figure out what rules went into which NPCs, but not because they were worried about being cheated -- because information is power, and knowing if the scaly, horned dude with a big sword in front of you is immune to fire, resistant to fire, or vulnerable to fire is pretty darn useful information (if, for example, you wish to set him on fire).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Scribble]

Reading about experiences like this always makes me really appreciate my gaming group. I have been coming up with whatever I darn well please for years with the people I play D&D v3.5 with, and they've just sat back and enjoyed it. I guess they trust that I am not trying to cheat them and that my true purpose is to make sure they enjoy themselves.

I guess some players are just too adversarial.

I have always had a group essentially like yours except for a few rules lawyers who tended to get argumentative whenever the chips were down...

However, what I like about the new system is it allows me to do what I've done for a while, but the math is done for me, so I don't have to worry about it so much. (ie don't have to worry that I accidentally made an encounter too hard or easy.)

Also I don't have to worry about the power gamers combing every rule book for a way to achieve a certain effect that while it makes a good fight, would be overpowering in a weekly game session.

 

[Walknot]

Seems to be a bit more freeing vs 3.5; there may be fewer options and decisions creating the character, which so far allows more room for imagination. But, let's see if the imagination can sustain itself in the simplified atmosphere?

 

[Kzach]

Seems to be a bit more freeing vs 3.5; there may be fewer options and decisions creating the character, which so far allows more room for imagination. But, let's see if the imagination can sustain itself in the simplified atmosphere?

Imagination has seemed to work pretty well for the hobby over the last forty years

 

[Nifft]

Imagination has seemed to work pretty well for the hobby over the last forty years

My mathematical analysis proves you are wrong.

Spoiler

It's only been like 34 years, mang.

Cheers, -- N

 

[HellHound]

Does anyone else feel they've been freed to create the NPCs they want now that they don't have to assign class levels to them?

Excellent.

This must be a 4e thing?

In 90% of the 3e games I run, I don't stat up the NPCs at all to begin with. They just do what I want them to do.