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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 8383990" data-attributes="member: 58172">Because we are talking about the aggregate, it is obvious which options are overperforming (for example, Sharpshooter and Great Weapon Master) and which options are underperforming (Linguist).The options dont need to be symmetrically balanced, they can be different mechanics doing different things. But they need to be useful, at least several times during a gaming session, and to be good at what they do. The options need to be comparable and equally desirable in the aggregate.D&D is largely a combat game, and many gamers pay careful attention to the combat aspects. It is the most well understood aspect of the game. Combat options are the easiest aspect of the game to balance.It is also possible to silo all combat options, so they dont compete with mechanical options for social and exploratory encounters. Dual-use mechanics such as mobility, useful for both combat and exploration, default to the combat silo. It helps the game to contain combat options and to keep each option extremely balanced alongside comparable options.The other two pillars of the game, social and explorative, are less well understood. The social mechanics are making baby steps. The hesitancy is to ensure the mechanics dont override player agency to roleplay out a social scene. But social mechanics exist, and can be siloed and compared to each other to ensure they are equally useful and appealing.The exploratory silo is mainly various kinds of searching and finding, including searching the unknown. This too has mechanical options that can be siloed and compared to each other to ensure the options are comparably useful and appealing.Mechanically the central pillar of the game is combat. It is the most distracting, but is the easiest to silo and balance.The ballpark is enough. The designers tend to be good about nerfing powerful options, but sometimes hit too hard, and are extremely negligent about powering up underpowered options.Correcting and calibrating in BOTH directions, up and down, is necessary to ensure "choices" are actually choices. When options are equally powerful, they become able to serve the needs of both mechanical prowess and narrative prowess.</blockquote>

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