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The best representations of the power fantasies D&D has had
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<blockquote data-quote="TwoSix" data-source="post: 9291995" data-attributes="member: 205"><p>Just some random thoughts.</p><p></p><p>Artificer - I don't think any iteration really hits the Artificer fantasy, because the Artificer fantasy is Iron Man, and you can't really fit Iron Man into a D&D power scale. You can't do "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" as a starting background. Most systems don't care enough about resources to echo the "Tony Stark did it, in a cave, with a bunch of scraps" concent. And the game has been moved away from allowing "time + resources = power" because, well, wizards, so the ability to grant anyone superpowers (via suit) and call up dozens of clone backups has been heavily (and fairly) nerfed.</p><p></p><p>Sorcerer - This label gets used on a bunch of concepts, but the two most common I've seen are "Raw Channeler of the Elements (or specific Element)" and "Artistic Magical Savant". The PF1 Kineticist has probably been the best iteration of the Element Channeler (although slightly on the weak side). D&D-style magic systems just fit way too awkwardly with the Magic Artist concept, which demands a lot of freeform, improvisational magic.</p><p></p><p>Druid - I think Druid has a lot of conceptual fantasies, that aren't unrelated but still distinct. </p><p></p><p>"I am One with Nature, and Untouchable,", the fantasy of going anywhere in the world and being unhurt by the terrain. Wild animals, insects, hunger, thirst, none of that touches you as a Druid.</p><p></p><p>The Dr. Doolittle, empathy for beasts concept. All of my animal friends are here, and I can finally talk to them!</p><p></p><p>The shapechanging fantasy, the ability to gain visceral, personal power and see the world with different eyes and different senses. </p><p></p><p>There's enough weight there to fill several classes. I think the closest in any system has been 3.5 with Natural Spell, which lets you be a squirrel riding a dire wolf friend who summons tornadoes to destroy cities from a mile away.</p><p></p><p>Wizard - I think the closest expression of the Wizard fantasy is "Being at a remove from humanity through lost or forbidden knowledge." Wizards have isolated towers. Wizards spend months or years in libraries deciphering ancient languages. The good ones often have habits that keep them in contact with "normal people", so they don't become monstrous (Elminster likes a good meal, Gandalf brings fireworks to entertain hobbit children, but that doesn't eliminate the essential division between a Wizard and others.</p><p></p><p>The best implementation of those concepts, to me, are the 3.5 Archivist class (a better framework for actual Wizard concepts) and the Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil PrC, which embodies "mystical knowledge protects me and makes me untouchable".</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TwoSix, post: 9291995, member: 205"] Just some random thoughts. Artificer - I don't think any iteration really hits the Artificer fantasy, because the Artificer fantasy is Iron Man, and you can't really fit Iron Man into a D&D power scale. You can't do "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" as a starting background. Most systems don't care enough about resources to echo the "Tony Stark did it, in a cave, with a bunch of scraps" concent. And the game has been moved away from allowing "time + resources = power" because, well, wizards, so the ability to grant anyone superpowers (via suit) and call up dozens of clone backups has been heavily (and fairly) nerfed. Sorcerer - This label gets used on a bunch of concepts, but the two most common I've seen are "Raw Channeler of the Elements (or specific Element)" and "Artistic Magical Savant". The PF1 Kineticist has probably been the best iteration of the Element Channeler (although slightly on the weak side). D&D-style magic systems just fit way too awkwardly with the Magic Artist concept, which demands a lot of freeform, improvisational magic. Druid - I think Druid has a lot of conceptual fantasies, that aren't unrelated but still distinct. "I am One with Nature, and Untouchable,", the fantasy of going anywhere in the world and being unhurt by the terrain. Wild animals, insects, hunger, thirst, none of that touches you as a Druid. The Dr. Doolittle, empathy for beasts concept. All of my animal friends are here, and I can finally talk to them! The shapechanging fantasy, the ability to gain visceral, personal power and see the world with different eyes and different senses. There's enough weight there to fill several classes. I think the closest in any system has been 3.5 with Natural Spell, which lets you be a squirrel riding a dire wolf friend who summons tornadoes to destroy cities from a mile away. Wizard - I think the closest expression of the Wizard fantasy is "Being at a remove from humanity through lost or forbidden knowledge." Wizards have isolated towers. Wizards spend months or years in libraries deciphering ancient languages. The good ones often have habits that keep them in contact with "normal people", so they don't become monstrous (Elminster likes a good meal, Gandalf brings fireworks to entertain hobbit children, but that doesn't eliminate the essential division between a Wizard and others. The best implementation of those concepts, to me, are the 3.5 Archivist class (a better framework for actual Wizard concepts) and the Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil PrC, which embodies "mystical knowledge protects me and makes me untouchable". [/QUOTE]
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