What is the essence of D&D

[Nagol]

And every single class can swing a weapon. So I guess it's the Primacy of Martial Combat.

You joke, but in many ways it is true. Every class has been levelled in terms of the combat pillar and the combat pillar only. So, published adventures tend to focus on it because all groups bring the same basic capability to the table. Tactics and cosmetics may differ, but general effectiveness remains grouped.

 

[Garthanos]

You joke, but in many ways it is true. Every class has been levelled in terms of the combat pillar and the combat pillar only.

Sure but remember if you won the spell lotto in 1e and had that sleep spell
(at low level anyway) you were the party big gun.

 

[Maxperson]

I didnt think we were talking about lock out but rather. Absolute perfect functionality vs chancy functional inferiority

There was nothing absolute about charm person unless you ran it incorrectly. All it did was make the victim view you as a very good friend. It wasn't mind control.

 

[Nagol]

I didnt think we were talking about lock out but rather. Absolute perfect functionality vs chancy functional inferiority

If the adventure is raiding a ship on the sea bottom, the group of fighters and rogues are completely SOL unless and until the DM throws them a bone.. If the adventure is on a timer and the fastest ship can only get there 2 days after the evil ritual completes, the group is stuck unless it can find a magical solution.

Magic as convenience is less of a problem than magic as necessity. Magic should be a convenience in some situations. Hitting things with large spiky mallets should be a convenience in others. Sneaking along for hours at a stretch should be convenient too.

It'd be nice if D&D offered stronger support whether via items, NPCs, factional support, non-magical equivalents, or publicly available magical access to turn those necessities into conveniences.

 

[Maxperson]

Sure but remember if you won the spell lotto in 1e and had that sleep spell
(at low level anyway) you were the party big gun.

Once. Then in the next X fights you threw darts or something.

 

[Garthanos]

There was nothing absolute about charm person unless you ran it incorrectly. All it did was make the victim view you as a very good friend. It wasn't mind control.

It is an absolute ... that is a social pillar huge of incredible degree that you think it needs to be mind control... LOL

 

[Maxperson]

It is an absolute ... that is a social pillar huge of incredible degree that you think it needs to be mind control... LOL

An absolute what? What was absolute about it?

 

[Nagol]

Sure but remember if you won the spell lotto in 1e and had that sleep spell
(at low level anyway) you were the party big gun.

Once a day for a limited opposition types. And one of your 9 to 18 1st level slots was now locked in something that will have degrading value over time. It was a big trade off. Often one a player liked, but a trade off.

 

[Garthanos]

Once. Then in the next X fights you threw darts or something.

Yeh once a day at level one a weird dart throwing wizard could do naughty word tons of damage though 3 darts wasn't it lol.... OR if you are the big gun even out of ammo it's really much easier to get the party to at least try for them 5 minute work days its in their best interest.

 

[Garthanos]

Once a day for a limited opposition types. And one of your 9 to 18 1st level slots was now locked

Ummm no it only affected your spells known later in career a much lower cost than locked in slots ie you do not use it when it indeed faded but this class is super flexible. It only took a slot if you wanted it later.

Or I am not parsing what you mean