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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1293400" data-attributes="member: 151">I didn't miss that point, but I did disagree that it is the only style of high-level play.  That was part of my reason for pointing to several different story hours.  Sepulchrave uses pretty much standard D&D with a handful of house rules...but I doubt you would describe his game in the same terms as Shark's story hour, which embraces D&D idiosyncracies with reckless abandon.  I agree that D&D doesn't model any particular cinematic flavor...that's the DM's job, IMHO.  Pointing to D&D and saying that it isn't representative of any particular sytle is similar to saying that a loaf of bread doesn't invoke a particular sandwich.  It's true, but not entirely accurate, I think.  The 3E design team knew that individual DMs would customize the game in this way, and steered away from pigeon-holing the system to much in any one direction. That isn't to say that I don't understand and agree that what you're saying isn't valid.  What I'm saying is that it isn't the only way that high-level play operates.  The problems you cite are possible ways the game could operate, not the only ways.  D&D is a game first, and to be a balanced and relatively fair game (in that each character plays by the same rules and enjoys the same opportunities), some measuring stick is required.  Are GPs a good system for that?  I honestly don't know.  But D&D has never claimed to be an accurate economic simulation or even necessarily a logical one, from a verisimilitude standpoint.  I can understand why that would bother foiks (and I'll admit it doesn't exactly thrill me), but I don't think that really determines the feel of the game, one way or another.  Now here's what I'm talking about....this is how my high-level game plays.  Take a look at my players most recent battle against the Githyanki Lich Queen, and you'll see that it was a long battle, no one had a clear advantage throughout the conflict, the players were cautious, threatened and off-balance during the entire encounter.  How did they win?  Superior tactics, teamwork and clever strategies.  And that applies at all levels of D&D.  I agree completely.  That's why I started doing the things I mentioned above.  However, since combat occurs with less and less frequency, it's usually more work on individual set-piece battles as opposed to a succession of encounters.  But that would apply at lower levels, as well.  If my players are trying to defeat the evil necromancer in his lair at 5th level, or Gulthias in Nightfang Spire at 10th level or the Lich Queen in "Lich Queen's Beloved" (one of the best high-level adventures available)...I still have to assume they've given more thought to their defenses than I have.  The biggest difference is that at high-level, the problem becomes more concentrated.</blockquote>

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