Mearls on Balance in D&D

[MerricB]

Just a tidbit from Mike Mearls:
"The one thing I learned is the importance of balance in designing character options. I can't create an NPC or monster that can reliable hit the dinosaur pet without almost automatically hitting everyone else. Putting the DM into the position of challenging one PC or the rest of the party makes for a bad game. It's something that high level play makes all the more obvious."

This is part of the report on Wizard's Lunchtime Campaigns
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/news/20070301a

Cheers!

 

[Warren Okuma]

Say the bard is underpowered. Well, have an evil bard loaded with magic items attack. Now the bard has a better power boost. Solution done.

 

[hong]

Say the bard is underpowered. Well, have an evil bard loaded with magic items attack. Now the bard has a better power boost. Solution done.

And afterwards, the party has a shedload of magic items. New problem!

 

[Azgulor]

And afterwards, the party has a shedload of magic items. New problem!

Bravo, sir! You have just summed up the #1 problem with RAW D&D, the reliance upon and proliferation of magic items. This is why magic items are extremely rare whenever I run D&D.

Azgulor

 

[hong]

Hm, looks like Mearls is ruling that true strike not only lets you ignore miss chances due to concealment, but also automatically pinpoints invisible creatures.

Also, I'm wondering what spells they put on that dinosaur to make it unhittable. Most pets (animal companions, summoned monsters, familiars) that I've seen have relatively crap AC. If anyone is unhittable, it's normally a defense-twinked PC.

 

[mmadsen]

And afterwards, the party has a shedload of magic items. New problem!

Wasn't his point that the evil bard would have magic items primarily of use to the party's good bard (who needed a power boost)?

 

[Graf]

Hm, looks like Mearls is ruling that true strike not only lets you ignore miss chances due to concealment, but also automatically pinpoints invisible creatures.

Facinating deductive leap.
I don't suppose the lightning bolts emanating from their square would be a giveaway.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My favourite line comes from the previous update:
The giants—and there are a lot of giants (to the point where Mike runs out of hill giant miniatures to use—and this from the company that makes hill giant miniatures)—start for the doors.

-hyp.

 

[Blood Jester]

Facinating deductive leap.
I don't suppose the lightning bolts emanating from their square would be a giveaway.

Still does not eliminate (or even reduce) miss chances, even if they don't take a move action (or even a 5' step) to cause you to guess the wrong square...

 

[hong]

Facinating deductive leap.
I don't suppose the lightning bolts emanating from their square would be a giveaway.

Tell me again which class has both fire seeds and lightning bolt, or how confusion gives away your square, oh deductive master.