Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5493164" data-attributes="member: 3192">I think multi-level group adventuring needs to be designed into your system, if you plan on offering it.  I've talked before about balancing by scope and not by class level.  That is quite tricky, but defines a different game for each player based upon the class they play.  Others ways will work still even if you do balance all classes to have the same power at the same level.Think of it quantitatively. If one player has a 100pt PC (class no longer being relevant), another has a 200pt PC, and a third a 900pt PC, then some mechanism is needed to enable the players as a team to re-balance themselves.  This power sharing means enabling the players to purposely choose to lower a powerful PC or raise a weak one. In a fantasy game I think every power can be traded. For example, movement could even be magically traded from one PC to another, if they party finds a means to do so. But I suggest a Class / Gear dichotomy, if you are going off a d20 model. So, to continue the example, we have a 50pt 1st Class PC w/ 50 pts of Gear, a 100pt 2nd Class w/ 100 pts Gear, and a 450pt 9th Class w/ 450 pts Gear.  This is where the playtest begins.  If you have designed a cooperative game, then it is in the interests of the players to share power to better enable their own PC's success. Working together means a better chance of both individual and group success, a form of enlightened self interest. So maybe "it's a loan" or "a trade" for a weaker item, but the system makes power sharing a player choice.In the end you may get a 100+200+900 = 1200pt party splitting themselves into roughly 300-500pts for 3 PCs to build challenges against.  But I wouldn't require it. Rather let the players learn optimal strategies through play.  The totals will constantly be in flux throughout game play anyways. Not to mention how division of treasure (Gear) will really start to matter.  By having static Class statistics you should be able have some simplicity for figuring out your DC rating progression vs. die rolls -  at least for anything you want static to all classes, like combat traditionally.  Also, average totals for party power rather than individual PC totals, even though you can track both, will provide for appropriate challenge creation. Generating monsters, treasure, environment, and whatnot could be quite simple. Lastly, if you are going the multi-level PC party route, I would suggest starting all PCs at level 1, 0 XP. This rewards not only long term play with higher power levels, but also cautious play, and a means of introducing new PCs who do not have knowledge of the world the other players/characters will have gained from play.</blockquote>

Verification