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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Mhoram" data-source="post: 4775720" data-attributes="member: 4789">As a Player and GM of HERO for 24 years, I will say that is exactly right.The point buy systems try and balance things by points (so 10 pts here is roughly equal to 10 pts there), but specific character balance is much more in the hands of the GM than any level based design. It allows for much greater flexibility (I've almost never been able to play any character I envision using Hero), but that flexibility means that the GM has to keep an eye on character design.Unlike D&D where there is the whole "It's in the RAW/Book legal so I can play it" point based systems have to have much more in the way of GM control - incredibly powerful character can be build, as can incredibly inefficient ones. The GM has to say "Nope that doesn't fit my world" or somesuch. The player has to respect the GM's opinion there - because of the flexibility the GM is the final arbiter of character design.It is very easy to minmax on a point buy system. It's also easy for the GM to say "That is just silly, make a normal character instead"... or "try this one, but pull down his dex and damage, and maybe put it here...."  This is an approach shift from level based design where the balance is more in the classes and levels than in the hands of the GM.</blockquote>