Is your love for 3E waning? Waxing? Staying steady?

[Victim]

I would change "was pretty weak" to "was completely useless", but otherwise I would agree with you.



What patch is that? "Make sure they have (X) number of Magic Items at (X) level"? [/B]

Well, there was stuff like Magic Resistance. But I didn't want to ruin my argument with an exaggerated example, so perhaps I did overstated the fighter's power.

And there's a reason I said "patch" instead of solution. There ought to be a way to balance the classes and have them remain balanced with varying levels of magical power and magic item prevalence, while still remaining simple.

 

[Moleculo]

i would def. say waxing, since we've gotten the farthest through a campaign ever (it was always, start, end in a few months after a few levels, and so on.), that and i am starting my first attempt at a home brew in a long while. so yeah, i guess i am excited.

jake

 

[aNenuphar]

Merric, do you just have a passion for polling? Are you some kind of government official in your country?

My interest in 3e continues to wax. (You anglo-saxons and your odd word-choices...) We played 2e for seven years (a single campaign) and it had a lot of bugs and quirks. None of my players are 'game-players' in the sense that we play lots of different RPGs, we just like high fantasy and D&D is the tool of choice.

However, I will add, as a caveat, that we allow no splat-books or Dragon article classes or PrCs. We use only the core books (though my boyfriend is trying to get me to allow psionics).

 

[MerricB]

Nope, just a lowly computer programmer and game hobbier.

It's just that because I pay attention to a wide variety of boards, it's come to my attention that there are some (including some extremely well-respected game designers) who are extremely anti-3E, saying that it and the OGL will cause the downfall of role-playing games.

So I seek reassurance...

Then too, I dislike misinformation. The ONE SYSTEM TO RULE THEM ALL poll was born out of the desire to see how many people believe that WotC thought 3E would become the only role-playing system - or at least desired it.

I think the question was poorly worded, though, or people are dumber than I thought. Probably both.

Cheers!

 

[aNenuphar]

You essentially *must* play a high magic game (with tons of magic items) if you intend to allow all of the classes/races.

I'm curious about this particular statement. I understand the game-designers rationale that all classes must be balanced at all levels, and their only option for this was to increase magic items (or radically increase interesting... feats available to non-spell users) but does that really have to be the case?

Admittedly, our experience is based on 2e games, but we kept the magic item levels fairly low. Our general theory was that magicians get slaughtered like flies at lower levels, and then slaughter non-spell casters at high levels. So the population balance of classes changes dramatically from lower to higher levels.

Do you think this would work for a 3e campaign?

 

[Enceladus]

it's come to my attention that there are some (including some extremely well-respected game designers) who are extremely anti-3E, saying that it and the OGL will cause the downfall of role-playing games.

Sounds more like wishful thinking.

 

[MerricB]

I'm curious about this particular statement. I understand the game-designers rationale that all classes must be balanced at all levels, and their only option for this was to increase magic items (or radically increase interesting... feats available to non-spell users) but does that really have to be the case?

Admittedly, our experience is based on 2e games, but we kept the magic item levels fairly low. Our general theory was that magicians get slaughtered like flies at lower levels, and then slaughter non-spell casters at high levels. So the population balance of classes changes dramatically from lower to higher levels.

Do you think this would work for a 3e campaign?

Yes, it would work.

From an individual campaign perspective, there's nothing wrong with having unbalanced classes.

From a game design perspective it's lousy.

Clarifying that last a little: the 3E designers want players to be able to play the same characters from 1st level onwards (and with Epic Level rules there isn't an upper maximum) and not be overly constrained by the system in their choices, and certainly not to "feel bad" about their choices one or two years down the track.

In 2E, if I played a fighter or a thief, by 25th level, there's hardly any point in me being there. Thus, I'm made to feel bad for my original choice... and there's no way back. At no point in the future will my choice become good.

Thus - a lot of campaigns that last 1 year and then stop.

Cheers!

 

[Melan]

My interest in the D&D 3e rules have been steady - still like it, still don't think it is the perfect game, but that's life.

On the other hand, my interest in d20 has been waxing - we are seeing better and better stuff every year. In 2003, we will see Testament, the rebirth of Judges Guild and more good stuff. What's not to like?

Interest in WotC rule accessories? It was never there. I need the three core books and nothing more, thank you very much.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

If people don't like the power of wizards, they should disallow them. If you are trying to get a low-magic feel akin to some novels you have read, then just eliminate the wizard and priest classes.

Rely on the healing skill and time. That is how real warriors used to do it.

I see all these folks belly aching about a low-magic campaign, yet I don't see it set in stone that you can't tinker to make one.

In a low magic campaign, you most likely aren't going to have creatures that need magic weapons to hit. You aren't going to have alot of powerful wizards if any running around. Priests won't actually possess magical power, they will be more like fighter clerics. Heck, you could use the Paladin as a substitue for a true priest.

I know if I chose to, I could adapt the 3e rules into a low magic campaign with minimal changes. I just enjoy the powerful wizard archetype in D&D. It is a staple of fantasy books as well.



On another note, I will never run a D20 modern adventure. Class based systems are just not good at simulating modern day characters. Not enough adaptability in the system.

GURPS is the ultimate game system for gritty, modern day adventuring. They really allow one to flesh out a realistic, non-class based character. Only way to go for modern adventures.

 

[WizarDru]

Waxing. "His thoughts are turned to it, thinking of it, thinking of it always...."

3E brought me back to D&D, and our game has been running for coming on 3 years. The rules introduced a level of consistency that was sadly missing from previous iterations, and provided a toolkit to allow individual DMs and campaigns to tailor the system to their own preference.

It's exciting, and it's given me my first chance to actually PLAY, insted of DM, in years. And that's a big deal, for me....