D&D General Maybe I was ALWAYs playing 4e... even in 2e

[Undrave]

Well, matches the source material.

This is the sort of issue RPGs face that other media doesn't have. It is not a problem in a film if space wizard is more powerful than a space gunslinger.

Unless you're Cad MOTHERF***ING Bane, the best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy! That space gunslinger can take on TWO Jedi at once and come out on top!

And whilst I don't want such approach for D&D, I think for some RPGs it is better to simply say that some character types are more powerful. It is fine, it is not a competition. I have no problem if the Jedis are more powerful than most other characters in Star Wars, Space Marines are more powerful in 40K or Solars more powerful in Exalted.

It also help that Star Wars has plenty of skills one can specialize in while a Jedi need to focus on 'Use the Force' to be the most powerful. If you coordinate with a team well you can have different strengths at different moment, like a pilot, a gunner, a diplomat, etc.

 

[James Gasik]

Unless you're Cad MOTHERF***ING Bane, the best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy! That space gunslinger can take on TWO Jedi at once and come out on top!

It also help that Star Wars has plenty of skills one can specialize in while a Jedi need to focus on 'Use the Force' to be the most powerful. If you coordinate with a team well you can have different strengths at different moment, like a pilot, a gunner, a diplomat, etc.

You'd think so, but the Jedi in my group had this skill called "Force Enlightenment" I think it was called. Basically it was Guidance on steroids- any time anyone made a roll, he could use a reaction to make a Use the Force Check (which of course he had Skill Focus in) and use his result in place of the roll's result. A lot of skill checks were made fairly irrelevant due to this.

 

[Undrave]

You'd think so, but the Jedi in my group had this skill called "Force Enlightenment" I think it was called. Basically it was Guidance on steroids- any time anyone made a roll, he could use a reaction to make a Use the Force Check (which of course he had Skill Focus in) and use his result in place of the roll's result. A lot of skill checks were made fairly irrelevant due to this.

Well not that's just being a jerk

 

[Garthanos]

Unless you're Cad MOTHERF***ING Bane, the best Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy! That space gunslinger can take on TWO Jedi at once and come out on top!

It also help that Star Wars has plenty of skills one can specialize in while a Jedi need to focus on 'Use the Force' to be the most powerful. If you coordinate with a team well you can have different strengths at different moment, like a pilot, a gunner, a diplomat, etc.

force using pilot == the Skywalkers

force using X == the best

 

[Garthanos]

sigh off topic

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I think "HP are not meat" is the biggest sticking point for a lot of people. Reason being: if HP are not meat, then why do you die when they run out? Since you die when you run out of HP, clearly they're meat...or at least meat adjacent.

Except in most editions you don’t die at 0 hp. Usually there is something else that must happen before you die.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

A description you never want to hear from your waiter, I might add.

I went to Taco Bell once and just before I came up to the register the staff called for the “back up meat!” I didn’t want to think about what that was

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Except in most editions you don’t die at 0 hp. Usually there is something else that must happen before you die.

basic and 1 e die at 0, 2e otional -10, 3e is dead at -10... 4e and 5e are the only really ones with buffer zones.

 

[Mannahnin]

basic and 1 e die at 0, 2e otional -10, 3e is dead at -10... 4e and 5e are the only really ones with buffer zones.

OD&D & Basic dead at 0, though there were occasional house rules (including one for a Save vs. Death in the RC)
1E dead at 0 or -3 or -10 (with some complications) depending on whether you use the optional rule, which was extremely popular
2E dead at 0 or -10 if you use the optional Death's Door rule, which was near-universal
3E dead at -10
4E dead at -half your max HP or 3 failed death save
5E dead at 3 failed death saves.

On balance IME/IMO most editions/groups have put some buffer between 0 HP and dead. Most people seem to want their game to include the option of a character being knocked unconscious/incapacitated without being killed, which is extremely common in fiction.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

basic and 1 e die at 0, 2e otional -10, 3e is dead at -10... 4e and 5e are the only really ones with buffer zones.

1) I misspelled optional
2) I think this is across multi threads this is an important thought.

basic 1e and 2e all had lower HP then 3rd+ so 3rrd hits a MAJOR survival spike... but still has SoD SoS and death at -10
so anything that CAN do 19+ damage can kill an unlucky target who is hurt.

4e introduces what is MORE OR LESS the same as 5e, you die at - half your total hp or with 3 failed death saves (or penelty to a score brings it to 0, or fatigue gets too high) but in general the buffer is bigger. at most levels (any over 3) you have more then 20hp and at that point it is getting to -10 again... or more.