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What is the essence of D&D
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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7812261" data-attributes="member: 996"><p>Either way you slice it, yes.</p><p></p><p>If you look at limited-use martial maneuvers that have power rivaling that of same-level, same-recharge magical spells as meaning the martial power must be magical, regardless of what any fluff text says, then, well, there's /nothing but magic/. How can something meaningfully rank First in a list of one? </p><p></p><p>If you don't go there, if you accept that martial powers aren't magical, even though they're extraordinary, and rival the power of magic, then, well, magic isn't top of the list, either, is it? </p><p></p><p>Either way, it wont "feel magical" anymore, because it's not "just better." </p><p></p><p>There needs to be a gap between the two, to bestow Primacy on the correct one. It can cut both ways: it can notionally 'balance' by making powerful/critically-important magic limited in meaningful, but manageable ways, so that it can be used when it'll have the most impact, but, not just all the time. Vancian does that. Anti-magic is another layer of it. Spell interruption used to be a component of it, that concentration echoes however feebly, etc. </p><p></p><p>Every other edition of D&D gives you magic that's very powerful, limited (less so with each successive ed, but still) in manageable ways, juxtaposed with non-magical options that are less varied, less potent, but limited only by the need to be alive and conscious to keep using them. That supports the Primacy of Magic.</p><p></p><p>(And that's not even getting into magic /items/ which 1e & 5e, in particular, do a really good job of making feel particularly magical - and 4e demoted to glorified fashion accessories.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 7812261, member: 996"] Either way you slice it, yes. If you look at limited-use martial maneuvers that have power rivaling that of same-level, same-recharge magical spells as meaning the martial power must be magical, regardless of what any fluff text says, then, well, there's /nothing but magic/. How can something meaningfully rank First in a list of one? If you don't go there, if you accept that martial powers aren't magical, even though they're extraordinary, and rival the power of magic, then, well, magic isn't top of the list, either, is it? Either way, it wont "feel magical" anymore, because it's not "just better." There needs to be a gap between the two, to bestow Primacy on the correct one. It can cut both ways: it can notionally 'balance' by making powerful/critically-important magic limited in meaningful, but manageable ways, so that it can be used when it'll have the most impact, but, not just all the time. Vancian does that. Anti-magic is another layer of it. Spell interruption used to be a component of it, that concentration echoes however feebly, etc. Every other edition of D&D gives you magic that's very powerful, limited (less so with each successive ed, but still) in manageable ways, juxtaposed with non-magical options that are less varied, less potent, but limited only by the need to be alive and conscious to keep using them. That supports the Primacy of Magic. (And that's not even getting into magic /items/ which 1e & 5e, in particular, do a really good job of making feel particularly magical - and 4e demoted to glorified fashion accessories.) [/QUOTE]
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