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What is balance to you, and why do you care (or don't)?
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<blockquote data-quote="Willie the Duck" data-source="post: 8625214" data-attributes="member: 6799660"><p>Exactly when and how I'd be willing to debate, but I definitely think the general point is right. The TSR-era (or AD&D+basic/classic if 2e isn't included) metric --where treasure acquired <em><strong>was</strong></em> your power* (both through magic items/spells found and gp=xp), and the divergence in how readily one could leverage the treasure charts** being a benefit to one class or another--was a thing that worked... fairly well at keeping the balance*. 3e cut into that, but I can't decide if it was more or less about the formula-ification of magic items (thus the wizard could craft wizard-specific items if the random drops didn't play to their favor), change in how items worked, change in how being a caster worked (certainly a huge component), or just a general change in design/play philosophy. What I mean with the last one is that I think a lot of people, having now played many games other than D&D, tended to say, in effect, <em>"my character being good at what they do shouldn't <u>have to</u> come from what special items they've acquired along the way.</em>" That sounds silly in that 3e was perhaps one of the more magic-item centric versions of the game (maybe), but certainly in the design phase (before how it would shake out was clearly know), things like feats and a more rigorous skill system in the like spoke to an idea that how you build your character ought to be a major component of how well they work. What's really missing from that scenario is a really well-thought-through "okay, but then what?"</p><p>**<span style="font-size: 9px">*and if you wanted to do something like a LotR-style campaign where treasure-hunting wasn't a primary goal you knew you had to house-rule in a fix</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 9px">** Such as so many of the best magic weapons being weapons only fighters/thieves could use</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 9px">*** they still needed to figure out a benefit for fighters/thieves after name level once it became clear that most people didn't play domain-rulership; and since many of the limitations on casters were 'make it annoying to do' to compensate for great power, most house-rules/rules-ignored tended to increase caster power.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 9px">**** for those that think Book of 9 Swords or D&D 4e had that answer, good for you. I think even then a cohesive plan was a little lacking.</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Willie the Duck, post: 8625214, member: 6799660"] Exactly when and how I'd be willing to debate, but I definitely think the general point is right. The TSR-era (or AD&D+basic/classic if 2e isn't included) metric --where treasure acquired [I][B]was[/B][/I] your power* (both through magic items/spells found and gp=xp), and the divergence in how readily one could leverage the treasure charts** being a benefit to one class or another--was a thing that worked... fairly well at keeping the balance*. 3e cut into that, but I can't decide if it was more or less about the formula-ification of magic items (thus the wizard could craft wizard-specific items if the random drops didn't play to their favor), change in how items worked, change in how being a caster worked (certainly a huge component), or just a general change in design/play philosophy. What I mean with the last one is that I think a lot of people, having now played many games other than D&D, tended to say, in effect, [I]"my character being good at what they do shouldn't [U]have to[/U] come from what special items they've acquired along the way.[/I]" That sounds silly in that 3e was perhaps one of the more magic-item centric versions of the game (maybe), but certainly in the design phase (before how it would shake out was clearly know), things like feats and a more rigorous skill system in the like spoke to an idea that how you build your character ought to be a major component of how well they work. What's really missing from that scenario is a really well-thought-through "okay, but then what?" **[SIZE=1]*and if you wanted to do something like a LotR-style campaign where treasure-hunting wasn't a primary goal you knew you had to house-rule in a fix ** Such as so many of the best magic weapons being weapons only fighters/thieves could use *** they still needed to figure out a benefit for fighters/thieves after name level once it became clear that most people didn't play domain-rulership; and since many of the limitations on casters were 'make it annoying to do' to compensate for great power, most house-rules/rules-ignored tended to increase caster power. **** for those that think Book of 9 Swords or D&D 4e had that answer, good for you. I think even then a cohesive plan was a little lacking.[/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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