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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="InzeladunMaster" data-source="post: 2648335" data-attributes="member: 9774">Allow me to illustrate:In one Conan adventure, Charlie's low level Barbarian approached a high-level (about 12 levels higher) NPC in a bar.  Charlie's intimidation check was awesome and the man was intimidated.That makes sense because in Conan, the NPC has no magic.  There are lower hit points.  There is a lower massive damage threshold.  Charlie's barbarian could easily hit the man and just as easily kill him, despite the level difference.This would not have worked in DnD.  The man would have 12 levels of accumulated magic items and would have known the low-level barbarian could not hit him (AC too high) and if he did, the barbarian would not kill him (hp too high and damage of sword too low).  He would have no reason to fear the barbarian.  He would probably have the magic to blast away the barbarian.  Thus the skill has no application here.So, back to the example:  The man is intimidated, thrusts the table at the barbarian so he can escape.  The man runs out of the tavern and is killed by a single blow from one of you guys who were waiting by the door. Again, this would not have happened if we were playing DnD.  He would have lived - and, being 12 levels higher, would have trounced everyone.As soon as divine magic and living gods enter the picture, so also does the importance of skills and the importance of men on their own.  A DnD cleric will destroy a Conan character.  A DnD paladin can trounce an Aquilonian knight.  Now, in Conan, a scholar can be a priest - but the magic system is scaled to work in Conan - and the gods are not real; Mitra is never going to show up and no one will meet Crom.  I want the game determined by what people think they can do, not based on CRs and magic.Further, if I allowed divine magic, then why doesn't everyone be clerics and gain access to that obvious power, all without cost?  The reason everyone does not become a scholar in Conan?  Because with that sort of power comes a price.  If gods are real, then I have a hard time imagining a world where everyone, regardless of social standing, hasn't taken at least one level of cleric.  Why wouldn't they?  Shoot, by joining a temple, I can Cure Light Wounds on myself?  Sign me up!There can be no plagues, because every city has a cleric who can heal the sick.  According to the statistics in DMG, there will be lots of clerics and paladins who can heal the sick.  In Conan, a plague can be devestating.  I was never able to successfully run a plague scenerio in DnD because of clerics.  No one is afraid of diseases in DnD.</blockquote>

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