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Community
General Tabletop Discussion
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)
Class Balance In A5E: How Much Damage Should A Damage Dealer Deal?
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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 8086188" data-attributes="member: 12731"><p>Without having delved into the details of the analysis, let me just express hope Level Up is designing for the extremes rather than the average.</p><p></p><p>That DPS comparisons really use what numbers that can be achieved rather than mediocre averages.</p><p></p><p>Level Up will lose a lot of its appeal if it's as easy to break as 5E. By that I mean that there are a few known ways to get stratospheric DPS. And not even that is the problem. The problem is that it makes it really difficult to consciously select any other build. The power differential is simply too great. This reduces the available options for any gamer with the slightest need to not make suboptimal choices. </p><p></p><p>The problem with 5E is that isn't really nearly as much variety as it seems to a casual observer. </p><p></p><p>And no, I do not want a game as locked down as Pathfinder 2 or 4th Edition. It's much better if you design cool classes that really work differently mechanically speaking. And then make sure to buff the inferior builds (and possibly nerf the bestest ones). Balance is important. But avoiding the crushing sense of sameyness and "your choices don't matter" that plagues 4E and PF2 is more important. </p><p></p><p>You don't have to build the balance into the core framework. You just need to spend a design pass at the end of creation to make sure options don't vary as much as they do in 5E.</p><p></p><p>Just like I hope Level Up will boost the spells that rate red or purple in the guides. Spells should not work the same, but the end output should be comparable, if you want casters to have a wide selection to choose between. That fire spells are always better than, say, acid spells is really getting old by now, after five editions of just the same. That doesn't mean acid spells should be remade as a long range spell to deal 8d6 damage in a 20 ft sphere. </p><p></p><p>It means the spell might keep doing damage over several rounds, or debilitate the target(s) in other ways, so a player might conclude the acid spell is better in some cases, while fire spells remain better in other cases. It means that a Black Dragon Sorcerer should not be clearly inferior to a Red Dragon Sorcerer for no good reason.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 8086188, member: 12731"] Without having delved into the details of the analysis, let me just express hope Level Up is designing for the extremes rather than the average. That DPS comparisons really use what numbers that can be achieved rather than mediocre averages. Level Up will lose a lot of its appeal if it's as easy to break as 5E. By that I mean that there are a few known ways to get stratospheric DPS. And not even that is the problem. The problem is that it makes it really difficult to consciously select any other build. The power differential is simply too great. This reduces the available options for any gamer with the slightest need to not make suboptimal choices. The problem with 5E is that isn't really nearly as much variety as it seems to a casual observer. And no, I do not want a game as locked down as Pathfinder 2 or 4th Edition. It's much better if you design cool classes that really work differently mechanically speaking. And then make sure to buff the inferior builds (and possibly nerf the bestest ones). Balance is important. But avoiding the crushing sense of sameyness and "your choices don't matter" that plagues 4E and PF2 is more important. You don't have to build the balance into the core framework. You just need to spend a design pass at the end of creation to make sure options don't vary as much as they do in 5E. Just like I hope Level Up will boost the spells that rate red or purple in the guides. Spells should not work the same, but the end output should be comparable, if you want casters to have a wide selection to choose between. That fire spells are always better than, say, acid spells is really getting old by now, after five editions of just the same. That doesn't mean acid spells should be remade as a long range spell to deal 8d6 damage in a 20 ft sphere. It means the spell might keep doing damage over several rounds, or debilitate the target(s) in other ways, so a player might conclude the acid spell is better in some cases, while fire spells remain better in other cases. It means that a Black Dragon Sorcerer should not be clearly inferior to a Red Dragon Sorcerer for no good reason. [/QUOTE]
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Community
General Tabletop Discussion
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition (A5E)
Class Balance In A5E: How Much Damage Should A Damage Dealer Deal?
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