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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6075687" data-attributes="member: 87792">This is honestly a change in emphasis I lay almost entirely at the feet of D&amp;D 3.X.&nbsp; In most RPGs including every edition of D&amp;D that isn't part of the 3.X branch, PCs use PC rules and NPCs use NPC rules.&nbsp; And the statblocks are significantly different.&nbsp; If an NPC can do something a PC can't or vise-versa this is to be expected.&nbsp; In D&amp;D 3.X NPCs are (officially) built using the same rules as PCs.&nbsp; This means that the expectation is that if an NPC can do something so can a PC.&nbsp; And one of the criticisms I've seen of 4e is quite literally &quot;If there's magic a wizard can't do then how is he magic?&quot;&nbsp; (For the record, on the dispel issue, I'd have said &quot;Fine.&nbsp; Caster level 50.&nbsp; Give it your best shot).&nbsp; 3.X according to the rules as written binds the NPCs to the same rules as PCs - and if the NPCs are all bound, so is the DM.&nbsp; People who didn't learn to play with 3.X don't even notice this as an issue.&nbsp; But if you learned by figuring out things from the 3.X books it's what you've learned to expect because it's what the game says the DM should do.&nbsp; (Even GURPS 3e gave the advice that the DM shouldn't bother with this and that NPCs cost as much as they cost).There's a second change in emphasis as well.&nbsp; &quot;All your class abilities don't work.&nbsp; Because I say so.&quot;&nbsp; Is considered bad DMing (and that's what magic dead zones mean - the wizard who signed up to be a wizard is an effective commoner which is not what he signed up for).&nbsp; On the other hand if the wizard war areas had been areas of wild magic where magic had unpredictable and generally weaker effects this doesn't change the wizard into a commoner in there.&nbsp; It allows the wizard to keep their agency while having unpredictable effects and the social effects envisaged by the dead magic zones.&nbsp; The spotlight now isn't entirely off the wizard if you want to venture in there.&nbsp; In fact the wizard probably gets more of the spotlight than previously even as he's nerfed.Out of curiosity, is it that people recover their breath between rounds you don't like - and that a boxer at the start of the 9th round is harder to knock out and swinging harder than he was at the end of the 8th because he's had a drink and a breather?&nbsp; Or is it that they impose a limit to healing?&nbsp; Or is it the stupid decision to make an extended rest into an overnight rest rather than discuss possible options for an extended rest?&nbsp; (I favour at least a weekend in a secure environment, if not a week or a narrative stopping point (such as Rivendell or Lorien in Lord of the Rings)).No.&nbsp; The 15 minute workday has always been about spellcasters using up all their spells.&nbsp; Wizards are just the most likely to be stupid enough to do this largely because they have magic and not much else.&nbsp; The cleric wears heavy armour and can swing a weapon decently, and there's an expectation on the cleric to save spells for healing.&nbsp; Of course healing in 3.X is effectively almost unlimited due to craft wand...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 6075687, member: 87792"] This is honestly a change in emphasis I lay [I]almost[/I] [I]entirely[/I] at the feet of D&D 3.X. In most RPGs including every edition of D&D that isn't part of the 3.X branch, PCs use PC rules and NPCs use NPC rules. And the statblocks are [I]significantly[/I] different. If an NPC can do something a PC can't or vise-versa this is to be expected. In D&D 3.X NPCs are (officially) built using the same rules as PCs. This means that the expectation is that if an NPC can do something [I]so can a PC[/I]. And one of the criticisms I've seen of 4e is quite literally "If there's magic a wizard can't do then how is he magic?" (For the record, on the dispel issue, I'd have said "Fine. Caster level 50. Give it your best shot). 3.X [I]according to the rules as written[/I] binds the NPCs to the same rules as PCs - and if the NPCs are all bound, [I]so is the DM[/I]. People who didn't learn to play with 3.X don't even notice this as an issue. But if you learned by figuring out things from the 3.X books it's what you've learned to expect because it's what the game says the DM should do. (Even GURPS 3e gave the advice that the DM shouldn't bother with this and that NPCs cost as much as they cost). There's a second change in emphasis as well. "All your class abilities don't work. Because I say so." Is considered bad DMing (and that's what magic dead zones mean - the wizard who signed up to be a wizard is an effective commoner which is not what he signed up for). On the other hand if the wizard war areas had been areas of [I]wild magic[/I] where magic had unpredictable and generally weaker effects [I]this doesn't change the wizard into a commoner in there.[/I] It allows the wizard to keep their agency while having unpredictable effects and the social effects envisaged by the dead magic zones. The spotlight now isn't entirely off the wizard if you want to venture in there. In fact the wizard probably gets [I]more[/I] of the spotlight than previously even as he's nerfed. Out of curiosity, is it that people recover their breath between rounds you don't like - and that a boxer at the start of the 9th round is harder to knock out and swinging harder than he was at the end of the 8th because he's had a drink and a breather? Or is it that they impose a limit to healing? Or is it the stupid decision to make an extended rest into an overnight rest rather than discuss possible options for an extended rest? (I favour at least a weekend in a secure environment, if not a week or a narrative stopping point (such as Rivendell or Lorien in Lord of the Rings)). No. The 15 minute workday has always been about [I]spellcasters[/I] using up all their spells. Wizards are just the most likely to be stupid enough to do this largely because they have magic and not much else. The cleric wears heavy armour and can swing a weapon decently, and there's an expectation on the cleric to save spells for healing. Of course healing in 3.X is effectively almost unlimited due to craft wand... [/QUOTE]

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