Hammerhead
Explorer
Since powerful magic is in some ways similar to advanced tech, I'd probably say that high tech versus low tech (or very well equiped versus poorly equiped) is pretty much the same as a guy with powerful magic items or spells versus a guy without even masterwork gear. Also, even within the same PL, equipment makes a huge difference. Let's take PL 7. There's a huge difference between a combat Spec with a Body Tank and quantum rifle that's been cybered up with a fast chip, a reflex, and Amazing programs, and the combat spec Cerametal armor and laser rifle. If you use the Star Drive eqiupment book, there's an even bigger difference. I think that's the same difference between characters with lots of magic items and characters with none.
I tend to that high level action is potentially more lethal than low level. At low level, the kobolds with heavy crossbows are dangerous; they can kill you if they get lucky. At high levels, the angry wizard ready to toss a pair of nasty spells is dangerous. The difference is that YOU need to get lucky to survive a well planned high attack, while the enemies need to get lucky kill you. Two fights in row, our wizard died instantly (at around 11th level). If he hadn't rolled extremely well in the next fight, he would have died again. At high levels, a strong attack against a weak area is much more deadly than anything at low levels.
HEY
If having lots of magical items bothers you, then talk to your DM about having innate powers that replicate the effect of items, instead of having a truckload of items. There'd be a cost multiplier for the effects, but you'd also have the benefit of never losing access to the ability. Instead of having boots of speed, take a bit more out of your resource pool and gain the ability to increase your speed to supernatural levels for short while. Instead of giving your Monk an amulet of natural armor +2, he trained under the Stone Fist masters where he developed tough skin from the intensive training, however, he donated all the gold he had at the time to the monastery. The effect is pretty much the same as a no space item like an ioun stone, except that the flavor text is different.
While a 24 skill is more extreme than a +18 attack bonus, the principle is the same: characters who specialize get really good at what they do. There's not that much difference between the warrior using TWF to attack at +19/+19/+14/+14/+9 and the warrior with a bought up action check multistriking a guy on the good and ordinary phases, while using his combat spec bonus and supreme skill to offset the penalties.
Armor does reduce damage in DnD. Let's take a very simple case. A has a +0 attack bonus and does 6 damage each hit. B has a 11 AC. A and B both suck, but B still takes an average 3 points per round. Now let's give B some armor that takes away 1.5 damage each hit (DR style armor). The average damage is cut in half to be 1.5. Or B could have DnD style armor that increases his AC by 6, to 16. A's chance to "hit" now drops to 25% from 50%. The damage is still 6, and the chance to do that damage was cut in half so the average damage is now 1.5. Each armor reduces the damage that you take. In this situation, both ways have the same result. And the flavor text works too. Weapon failed to penetrate DR = weapon bounces off armor. Weapon misses because of AC bonus from armor = weapon bounces off armor. Of course, there are some situations when the systems aren't indentical. Overall, I prefer armor as defense because it seems more robust.
Simple descriptive differences mean quite a bit. A weapon hits the Alt character, doing no primary wound damage, but the secondary stun gets through. The warrior only had 12 stun points, so the few that get through will eventually wear him down. Or the weapon hits the DnD character, beating his AC. It does 8 damage out of his 50 HP. It bounced off his armor, but caused some bruises. Eventually, the fatigue and bruises will slow him down so much that he can't defend himself and is killed or knocked out. By changing the description, we can see that the DnD character just took some stun. Let's fast foward a few rounds. The Alt character is down his last few stun, the fighter is down to his last few HP. Each is battered, bruised, not exactly in the best fighting shape. However, the armor has done an excellent job of preventing lethal hits. The opponent then rolls a perfect hit (nat 1 or 20). The Alt character takes a real mortal point, and enough stun to knock him out as the weapon slips past his weary guard and into a gap in his armor. He falls to the ground and is dying. The DnD character takes a critical hit and goes down to negative 6 after losing 16 HP. Slowed by his bruises, he can longer adequately defend joints in his armor and takes a brutal penetrating blow. He falls to the ground and is dying.
Despite the fact that in one case, armor protected against the main damage of the attack, and only stun got through until the guy was worn down, and in the other, real HP damage got through each hit, both fights can be described the same way.
I like Alternity too though. The weird dice modifying dice mechanic is bit wonky, and complicates probability checks. Also, some of the perks and skills seem to be a bit under/over costed. It doesn't seem quite right that +1 resistence for Dex costs the same as +1 for Will, since most PCs aren't going to be subject to interaction skills anyway.
I tend to that high level action is potentially more lethal than low level. At low level, the kobolds with heavy crossbows are dangerous; they can kill you if they get lucky. At high levels, the angry wizard ready to toss a pair of nasty spells is dangerous. The difference is that YOU need to get lucky to survive a well planned high attack, while the enemies need to get lucky kill you. Two fights in row, our wizard died instantly (at around 11th level). If he hadn't rolled extremely well in the next fight, he would have died again. At high levels, a strong attack against a weak area is much more deadly than anything at low levels.
HEY
If having lots of magical items bothers you, then talk to your DM about having innate powers that replicate the effect of items, instead of having a truckload of items. There'd be a cost multiplier for the effects, but you'd also have the benefit of never losing access to the ability. Instead of having boots of speed, take a bit more out of your resource pool and gain the ability to increase your speed to supernatural levels for short while. Instead of giving your Monk an amulet of natural armor +2, he trained under the Stone Fist masters where he developed tough skin from the intensive training, however, he donated all the gold he had at the time to the monastery. The effect is pretty much the same as a no space item like an ioun stone, except that the flavor text is different.
While a 24 skill is more extreme than a +18 attack bonus, the principle is the same: characters who specialize get really good at what they do. There's not that much difference between the warrior using TWF to attack at +19/+19/+14/+14/+9 and the warrior with a bought up action check multistriking a guy on the good and ordinary phases, while using his combat spec bonus and supreme skill to offset the penalties.
Armor does reduce damage in DnD. Let's take a very simple case. A has a +0 attack bonus and does 6 damage each hit. B has a 11 AC. A and B both suck, but B still takes an average 3 points per round. Now let's give B some armor that takes away 1.5 damage each hit (DR style armor). The average damage is cut in half to be 1.5. Or B could have DnD style armor that increases his AC by 6, to 16. A's chance to "hit" now drops to 25% from 50%. The damage is still 6, and the chance to do that damage was cut in half so the average damage is now 1.5. Each armor reduces the damage that you take. In this situation, both ways have the same result. And the flavor text works too. Weapon failed to penetrate DR = weapon bounces off armor. Weapon misses because of AC bonus from armor = weapon bounces off armor. Of course, there are some situations when the systems aren't indentical. Overall, I prefer armor as defense because it seems more robust.
Simple descriptive differences mean quite a bit. A weapon hits the Alt character, doing no primary wound damage, but the secondary stun gets through. The warrior only had 12 stun points, so the few that get through will eventually wear him down. Or the weapon hits the DnD character, beating his AC. It does 8 damage out of his 50 HP. It bounced off his armor, but caused some bruises. Eventually, the fatigue and bruises will slow him down so much that he can't defend himself and is killed or knocked out. By changing the description, we can see that the DnD character just took some stun. Let's fast foward a few rounds. The Alt character is down his last few stun, the fighter is down to his last few HP. Each is battered, bruised, not exactly in the best fighting shape. However, the armor has done an excellent job of preventing lethal hits. The opponent then rolls a perfect hit (nat 1 or 20). The Alt character takes a real mortal point, and enough stun to knock him out as the weapon slips past his weary guard and into a gap in his armor. He falls to the ground and is dying. The DnD character takes a critical hit and goes down to negative 6 after losing 16 HP. Slowed by his bruises, he can longer adequately defend joints in his armor and takes a brutal penetrating blow. He falls to the ground and is dying.
Despite the fact that in one case, armor protected against the main damage of the attack, and only stun got through until the guy was worn down, and in the other, real HP damage got through each hit, both fights can be described the same way.
I like Alternity too though. The weird dice modifying dice mechanic is bit wonky, and complicates probability checks. Also, some of the perks and skills seem to be a bit under/over costed. It doesn't seem quite right that +1 resistence for Dex costs the same as +1 for Will, since most PCs aren't going to be subject to interaction skills anyway.
When I mean SETTING, I mean SETTING. The setting in question, if you had looked at my signature, is the Scarred Lands. A d20 product AND a very good one in my opinion. It's my obsession, my madness and my passion. 
