tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1305372753022597815.post5537327287072349638..comments2023-05-06T01:46:51.326-07:00Comments on Bright Cape Gamer: Design goals of a RPGSkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10723733406348223879noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1305372753022597815.post-8458984263117139652012-08-15T11:36:20.710-07:002012-08-15T11:36:20.710-07:00Fantasy novels have powerful characters sometimes,...Fantasy novels have powerful characters sometimes, true, but they are rarely anything like as powerful as a high level DnD wizard is. Even then they have great weaknesses and blind spots that the heroes can exploit. Unfortunately when you give people access to a broad magic system and let them pick and choose their abilities they end up making themselves nearly invincible. Huge power with a glaring weakness is tenable for enemies but not for PCs because they will compensate for the weakness. :)<br /><br />I agree that large power with large cost is a much better model. When casting powerful spells requires tons of rare ingredients, a sacrifice, a permanent drain on one's own body or somesuch it is fine. The trouble is that DnD wizards sacrifice nothing of consequence for their earth shattering power and can do everything in their repertoire every single day. Villains tend not to operate on that model in books - they parcel out their great power carefully and conserve it when possible.Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10723733406348223879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1305372753022597815.post-60767048979057692472012-08-15T09:09:28.757-07:002012-08-15T09:09:28.757-07:00I think the tricks to making ultra powerful figure...I think the tricks to making ultra powerful figures work in a game are something like:<br /><br />1. NPCs only. (Because in fantasy novels you still have hugely powerful characters, like mentors and Big Bads and the occasional quirky neutral, but they don't get to be viewpoint characters because ultimately tossing around that sort of power is boring to watch. And I think it's good for a campaign world for the PCs to not be at the apex of the power structure, in fact to not even be aware of how high the pyramid goes.)<br /><br />2. Ultra powerful is not unconstrained. (I think the indefensible part of the D&D system isn't that there's all this high-powered magic around so much as it exists without significant limits or consequence. I don't have a problem in theory with someone having magic enough to break the world as long as they can't do it with impunity. The wizards in Fionnavar, for instance, can do some really spectacular things but are limited by what they can draw from their source.)in the Hatnoreply@blogger.com