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General Tabletop Discussion
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What makes us care about combat balance in D&D?
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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6658344" data-attributes="member: 87792"><p>What makes us care about combat balance? The fact that the stakes are so high and that it's a massive proportion of what the game provides.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>What I see when I read this is an excuse for half-assed badly playtested designing and the game designers using the presence of a GM as an excuse to not do their jobs.</p><p></p><p>Balance is about information. And about the game telling the truth. No one is upset in a game of Ars Magica when it turns out the wizards are more powerful than the grogs. That's because this is part of Ars Magica's premise. No one is upset in a game of Call of Cthulhu when they have to run away from the Shoggoth - that's what the game tells you will happen. No one playing Batman is upset that despite his martial arts he can't punch out Superman (unless using a Kryptonite knuckleduster). Again, this is part of the premise.</p><p></p><p>When people get upset about balance issues what they are really upset about is the game misrepresenting itself. There is an implicit claim, especially in 3.X that the power of the various classes is roughly equivalent at the same level. Because of the levels, the XP curve, and the multiclassing rules. If you think a level 13 monk is a match for a level 13 wizard, I've a bridge to sell you. The game doesn't follow through on its promises. And because the game designer failed to make a game that follows through on its promises, in addition to all other parts of GMing, the GM needs to force their adventures to fix the designer's mistakes.</p><p></p><p>And frankly I've got better things to worry about as a GM than fixing the game designer's mistakes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 6658344, member: 87792"] What makes us care about combat balance? The fact that the stakes are so high and that it's a massive proportion of what the game provides. What I see when I read this is an excuse for half-assed badly playtested designing and the game designers using the presence of a GM as an excuse to not do their jobs. Balance is about information. And about the game telling the truth. No one is upset in a game of Ars Magica when it turns out the wizards are more powerful than the grogs. That's because this is part of Ars Magica's premise. No one is upset in a game of Call of Cthulhu when they have to run away from the Shoggoth - that's what the game tells you will happen. No one playing Batman is upset that despite his martial arts he can't punch out Superman (unless using a Kryptonite knuckleduster). Again, this is part of the premise. When people get upset about balance issues what they are really upset about is the game misrepresenting itself. There is an implicit claim, especially in 3.X that the power of the various classes is roughly equivalent at the same level. Because of the levels, the XP curve, and the multiclassing rules. If you think a level 13 monk is a match for a level 13 wizard, I've a bridge to sell you. The game doesn't follow through on its promises. And because the game designer failed to make a game that follows through on its promises, in addition to all other parts of GMing, the GM needs to force their adventures to fix the designer's mistakes. And frankly I've got better things to worry about as a GM than fixing the game designer's mistakes. [/QUOTE]
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