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Is 5e Heroic, or SUPER-heroic?
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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 8074831" data-attributes="member: 6801845"><p>What makes a superhero a superhero?</p><p></p><p>The reason I ask this is because I probably define it differently than some people. First, they should be extraordinary. Batman may not have superpowers but he is the world's greatest detective, his super power is preparation and always having the right tool for the job.</p><p></p><p>But I also think that, while powers overlap a fair bit here and there, there's uniqueness. If everybody is super, nobody is. Someone that can move faster than humanly possible or fly is superpowered, right? Except then anyone that drives a car or flies a plane is super. That may have been true a couple hundred years ago, but not today. </p><p></p><p>So it's the same with D&D. If the PCs are the only ones in the entire world that can cast fireball or there are only a half-dozen opponents with the same capability ... maybe. But in most D&D campaigns (mine included) magic is relatively common. Upper tier is rare, but that's just the difference between driving a Camry vs driving a Ferrarri. It's just a matter of scale.</p><p></p><p>A PC using boots of flying while using magic weapons and armor isn't particularly super unless they invented (or took advantage of) items that never existed before.</p><p></p><p>Well, that and most superheroes that are strength based are far, far, stronger than any PC will ever be. Superheroes that fly, usually fly far faster and further than PCs. The Flash and other speedsters move at speeds near or faster than the speed of light. In general top tier superheroes a vast magnitude more powerful at their niche than PCs. There are, of course, significant difference in "superhero" power levels. </p><p></p><p>Ultimately though it's still just a different genre. I've been watching The Umbrella Academy for example. Most of them are not all that powerful on the superhero scale, but they are extraordinary because they can do things that are not humanly possible. But if magic exists and anyone with reasonable intelligence and the proper training can learn it then casting spells in that world is suddenly possible for most humans.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 8074831, member: 6801845"] What makes a superhero a superhero? The reason I ask this is because I probably define it differently than some people. First, they should be extraordinary. Batman may not have superpowers but he is the world's greatest detective, his super power is preparation and always having the right tool for the job. But I also think that, while powers overlap a fair bit here and there, there's uniqueness. If everybody is super, nobody is. Someone that can move faster than humanly possible or fly is superpowered, right? Except then anyone that drives a car or flies a plane is super. That may have been true a couple hundred years ago, but not today. So it's the same with D&D. If the PCs are the only ones in the entire world that can cast fireball or there are only a half-dozen opponents with the same capability ... maybe. But in most D&D campaigns (mine included) magic is relatively common. Upper tier is rare, but that's just the difference between driving a Camry vs driving a Ferrarri. It's just a matter of scale. A PC using boots of flying while using magic weapons and armor isn't particularly super unless they invented (or took advantage of) items that never existed before. Well, that and most superheroes that are strength based are far, far, stronger than any PC will ever be. Superheroes that fly, usually fly far faster and further than PCs. The Flash and other speedsters move at speeds near or faster than the speed of light. In general top tier superheroes a vast magnitude more powerful at their niche than PCs. There are, of course, significant difference in "superhero" power levels. Ultimately though it's still just a different genre. I've been watching The Umbrella Academy for example. Most of them are not all that powerful on the superhero scale, but they are extraordinary because they can do things that are not humanly possible. But if magic exists and anyone with reasonable intelligence and the proper training can learn it then casting spells in that world is suddenly possible for most humans. [/QUOTE]
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