Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 1710644" data-attributes="member: 2067">Just like there's no reason for a fighter in D&D not to chop down every tree he sees in a day with his axes. NO REASON. None. Also, no one stubbs their toe or goes to the bathroom or has a scar that isn't either hideous or strangely alluring. But it doesn't happen. Because people only put forth the minimal amount of effort nessecary to get things done and to help out those they care about, in general. Just because spellcasting doesn't fatigue you mechanically doens't mean it's effortless...just like chopping down a tree doesn't mechanically fatigue you, but it's certainly not effortless. For a low-level spellcaster, a cure light wounds could be the equivalent of chopping down a tree. And would you go out every day an chop down a tree just because you had the ability to? Heck, even if you worship a God of Deforestation, would you? Think of how often a good Catholic is supposed to go to Confession and how often the ones you may know actually do. It's the exception that do, not the rule. Just because you can doesn't mean you will. And I think this needs to be applied to NPC's, though PC's generally overlook that fact (because to them, it's just a game, these are just powers, and they're there to be used...though their Characters certainly wouldn't think think that way).  Try HARN. It does a good job from what I've heard. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> You can't just wipe them out because there are so many of them, so well equipped to survive, and only so many of you. The closest anyone gets are adventurers (who are the Great White Hunters of the D&D world. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />). And they have other things to do than eliminate every last orc....like stop the mad wizard from creating an apocalypse, or defending another thorp against an incusion of undead, or exploring that recently discovered tomb on the King's dime. These things happen pretty much every day in a D&D world.  Manufactured weapons and armor are rare with monsters...and those that have them either grab them from raiding (kill the fighter, loot the corpse!), or can make them themselves from surrounding materials (why wouldn't orcs have the same forge technology that humans do?). I arrived at my figures by using the 3.5 DMG, the "10% rule" (there is a 10% chance every hour of a random encounter in a well-traveled area), and the encounter table for temperate plains. It is extrapolation. But it is based on the rules, and it holds up to scrutiny...it will vary on individual campaigns, but it is a good basis, with evidence, for supporting a very dangerous world. If you'd like it not so dangerous, go for it. But then realize that your demographics will be screwy...without big predators striking every day, what is keeping people dead? You don't have to answer this question, of course, but I specifically entered this trying to show what a typical D&D commoner's life might be like in a way that makes sense for a typical D&D world. This makes sense, and is based on the rules, even if it is extrapolation. I had to answer the question. And the answer I came up with was "It's a world where people die frequently, and your resources are never just yours for long." And it works like that. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Well, first of all assuming your average party of adventurers comes from a small town is a pretty big assumption...the PC's aren't average folks. They're significantly, in many ways, above average -- this is the assumption of the core rules. They are the creme de la creme of humanity, and by the time they finish training, they know it. Most adventurers probably come from bigger cities -- other adventurers certainly tend to gather there. But even if they don't, it's still pretty easy to explain where they get this gold. They found their first treasure as apprentices, they were given expensive graduation gifts from their mentors (higher-level folk with the same class), the gear is the family's savings that they're giving to their promising daughter/son.  Right, the only problem is that there is no codified system for how much XP should be given for story or roleplaying...just life-threatening challenges. You could probably reward some age-based system of XP and reduce the threat of the world (many people would probably prefer that), and come out as a wash. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> At the same time, I think you're underestimating a 5th level barbarian. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> No human being IRL is as tough, as dedicated, as powerful as a 5th level barbarian. Heck, I'd go far enough to suggest that no human being IRL is as tough, as dedicated, as powerful, as a 2nd level Expert. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> Though of course applying D&D-isms to real-life situation is always a dicey prospect, I think that people IRL are more like the 2-8 hp type, rather than the 12-24 hp type. And in that case, full damage from a rhino would kill anyone; but a glancing blow from a rhino might not. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Yoink.</blockquote>

Verification