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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 8622838" data-attributes="member: 20564">Balance is a bit of a sticky wicket.  Let me start with a slightly different definition and then I will show how that matches - or doesn't - a common definition depending on context.Balance means to me that two characters will have a balance in amount of time in the spotlight, specifically being the hero.Now, having them balanced (but different) in power, the common definition I was mentioning, is a good fit for a game like D&D.  To unpack that, D&D (a) caters to the widest range of DMs, so should make that as easy as possible on them, and (b) the longest mechanical scene is combat, so balance around combat power is often the discussion point.  And that's important, where an ineffective character in combat may have a lot less chances mechanically to grab that spotlight, and need (but not necessarily get) DM intervention to balance between all players.I need to reach outside D&D to show why that context is important.  Marvel Heroic Roleplay is perfectly happy with Thor and Hawkeye having a buddy night out on the town, even though when there is a large power disparity between them.  That's both represented mechanically as well as by the conventions of the source material, comic books.  (I've heard MHR called more a comic book RPG than a superhero RPG, which is a subtle but important difference.)But the goal of balance is for every player to have, over time, to have roughly the same amount of time in the spotlight and equal fun.</blockquote>

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