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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 5834977" data-attributes="member: 6669384">High level characters can and do exist in game worlds, but those worlds shouldn't revolve around such people.PHB II includes rules for massed archery fire as an area affect damage, which is how it was actually used by many armies.There are also rules for swarm attacks, to describe the way a mob might go after a single person.&nbsp; Both do a remarkable job of leveling the playing field between small parties of high level types and armies or angry mobs.Consider the 15th level Wizard, sitting beside a General during a battle.&nbsp; The Wizard is hell on wheels against the predominantly 3rd level Warriors in the opposing force.&nbsp; For a few minutes.After that time, he's just another guy on a horse.&nbsp; He used his magic to rain death and destruction down upon his enemies, until he ran out of spells.When you're looking at even a small battle, by military standards, a 40 foot wide circle of fiery death is a drop in the bucket.&nbsp;&nbsp; Yeah, the 5 or 6 guys you caught in it are really, really, really dead, overkilled by three or more times, but then so are the troops who failed to &quot;form a turtle&quot; when the archers called in mass fire on an area twice as big as your fireball.&nbsp; They only died once from their wounds, but they're just as dead when the dust clears.And the grunt soldiers can and will continue the battle far longer than most spell casters could even consider maintaining a spell barrage.There's a difference in scale between a &quot;battle&quot; for an adventuring team, and a &quot;battle&quot; between armies.&nbsp; Adventurers might well be able to force their way into a city or fortified castle and take on the Black Knight who rules it, but they simply can't provide the &quot;boots on the ground&quot; needed to take the place over.&nbsp; Adventurers get hired to take out the bad guys as an alternative to full scale war, decapitate the enemy leadership rather than fight their entire army.&nbsp; But, like the stories of fires taking out entire cities, these types of things get remembered because they're unusual.&nbsp;&nbsp; 999,999 times out of a million, a cow kicks over a lantern, one barn burns and that's about it.&nbsp; The fire brigade does their job.&nbsp; 999,999 times out of a million, it's the armies of Gondor that face down Sauron's Orc hordes, not a Ranger, a Wizard, a Dwarf fighter, an Elven archer and a couple of Hobbits sneaking in the back way that win the day.That's why we tell stories like Lord of the Rings.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 5834977, member: 6669384"] High level characters can and do exist in game worlds, but those worlds shouldn't revolve around such people. PHB II includes rules for massed archery fire as an area affect damage, which is how it was actually used by many armies. There are also rules for swarm attacks, to describe the way a mob might go after a single person. Both do a remarkable job of leveling the playing field between small parties of high level types and armies or angry mobs. Consider the 15th level Wizard, sitting beside a General during a battle. The Wizard is hell on wheels against the predominantly 3rd level Warriors in the opposing force. For a few minutes. After that time, he's just another guy on a horse. He used his magic to rain death and destruction down upon his enemies, until he ran out of spells. When you're looking at even a small battle, by military standards, a 40 foot wide circle of fiery death is a drop in the bucket. Yeah, the 5 or 6 guys you caught in it are really, really, really dead, overkilled by three or more times, but then so are the troops who failed to "form a turtle" when the archers called in mass fire on an area twice as big as your fireball. They only died once from their wounds, but they're just as dead when the dust clears. And the grunt soldiers can and will continue the battle far longer than most spell casters could even consider maintaining a spell barrage. There's a difference in scale between a "battle" for an adventuring team, and a "battle" between armies. Adventurers might well be able to force their way into a city or fortified castle and take on the Black Knight who rules it, but they simply can't provide the "boots on the ground" needed to take the place over. Adventurers get hired to take out the bad guys as an alternative to full scale war, decapitate the enemy leadership rather than fight their entire army. But, like the stories of fires taking out entire cities, these types of things get remembered because they're unusual. 999,999 times out of a million, a cow kicks over a lantern, one barn burns and that's about it. The fire brigade does their job. 999,999 times out of a million, it's the armies of Gondor that face down Sauron's Orc hordes, not a Ranger, a Wizard, a Dwarf fighter, an Elven archer and a couple of Hobbits sneaking in the back way that win the day. That's why we tell stories like Lord of the Rings. [/QUOTE]

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