Elf Int & Wis - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Elf Int & Wis

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Sep 20, 2003 8:37:44 Hello all, I'm really glad there's so much great work on Dark Sun for us gamers withs kids, jobs & wives that don't play who can't spend the many hours needed for conversions (in pretty pdf even, nice character sheet).

My old gaming group often was all elves, usually wound up forming a tribe, ripping of the marketplaces, raiding then hiding in the deep desert until moving on to a new city... Lots of fun being free-wheeling anti-heroes. But what ever happened to the Wis & Int adjustments? It seems like a major reflection of Athasian elves. -1 Wis, +1 Int would fit the new rules I would think.

Is there a game balance reason this wasn't done or was a lower adjustment just not meaningful enough?

Cheers!
#2
heretic_apostate
Sep 20, 2003 9:27:56
Originally posted by dustspiral
But what ever happened to the Wis & Int adjustments? It seems like a major reflection of Athasian elves. -1 Wis, +1 Int would fit the new rules I would think.

Nope. Ability adjustments, per 3[.5]E philosophy, should always be even. Otherwise, you get min-maxing. "Oh, if I stick a 15 in Wis and a 17 in Int, then my Wis will be lowered to 14 (with no loss of Wis bonus) and my Int will be raised to 18 (thus gaining a +1 on my Int bonus)."

It's the same reason why you'll find stat boosters will be even. For instance, a Headband of Intellect +1 would provide a +1 Int bonus to someone with an Int of 17, but would be of no help to someone of Int 16. But bump that up to HoI +2, and it provides an Int bonus of +1 for everyone.
#3
zombiegleemax
Oct 28, 2003 1:28:12 When 3e came out and now 3.5e, we run into issues well is this fair or is that fair because the game system requires some kind of checks and balances. What suffers though are the campaign world and its fluff...

No one worried about this in 2e because DS was the system that broke the mold for 2e anyways. AND WE LOVED IT!! DS 2e was about the stats not the magic items.

DS is about min maxing!! what screws up the world is to many magic items and metal weapons handed out. The character tree in DS & DSr was so you could min/max and bring in a character fit for that adventure area you were in as well as jumping in when one got killed.

I feel because the DS world should be harder. Tough critters require hard characters. Also it keeps with the DS flavor from the original DS in that this world is different from your GREYHAWK or FORGET ME REALMS... Keep in mind that magic items are limited in DS and metal ones even rarer so higher than normal stats are the norm to keep pace with the tougher critters. As a GM controlling the amount of magic items a character has in the DS setting makes the game. It’s not about your staff of MEGA-wizardry or your floppy stick +5. It’s about the characters and what THEY can do. There will be many times in the DS game that characters will find themselves without equipment and they will need those stats to have a small and tiny chance at living

(note:this are cuttings from various posts I have worked on to place here but hadn't until today)

grym

Save the world of Darksun!! screw the balances go for flavor!!
#4
zombiegleemax
Oct 28, 2003 1:29:27 go check out my ramblings in this post ->

chapter 2 feedback: Races
#5
zombiegleemax
Oct 28, 2003 12:26:33
Originally posted by grymnet
Save the world of Darksun!! screw the balances go for flavor!!

Balance is something in the rules, flavor is in your head. You don't need rules to get flavor. It helps, but it is not necessary. D&D is already scary in the way it attracts min-maxers. I would not like to have odd stat adjustments or races that are simply "better". Please not.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Sep 20, 2003 8:37:44	Hello all, I'm really glad there's so much great work on Dark Sun for us gamers withs kids, jobs & wives that don't play who can't spend the many hours needed for conversions (in pretty pdf even, nice character sheet). My old gaming group often was all elves, usually wound up forming a tribe, ripping of the marketplaces, raiding then hiding in the deep desert until moving on to a new city... Lots of fun being free-wheeling anti-heroes. But what ever happened to the Wis & Int adjustments? It seems like a major reflection of Athasian elves. -1 Wis, +1 Int would fit the new rules I would think. Is there a game balance reason this wasn't done or was a lower adjustment just not meaningful enough? Cheers!
#2 heretic_apostate Sep 20, 2003 9:27:56	Originally posted by dustspiral But what ever happened to the Wis & Int adjustments? It seems like a major reflection of Athasian elves. -1 Wis, +1 Int would fit the new rules I would think. Nope. Ability adjustments, per 3[.5]E philosophy, should always be even. Otherwise, you get min-maxing. "Oh, if I stick a 15 in Wis and a 17 in Int, then my Wis will be lowered to 14 (with no loss of Wis bonus) and my Int will be raised to 18 (thus gaining a +1 on my Int bonus)." It's the same reason why you'll find stat boosters will be even. For instance, a Headband of Intellect +1 would provide a +1 Int bonus to someone with an Int of 17, but would be of no help to someone of Int 16. But bump that up to HoI +2, and it provides an Int bonus of +1 for everyone.
#3 zombiegleemax Oct 28, 2003 1:28:12	When 3e came out and now 3.5e, we run into issues well is this fair or is that fair because the game system requires some kind of checks and balances. What suffers though are the campaign world and its fluff... No one worried about this in 2e because DS was the system that broke the mold for 2e anyways. AND WE LOVED IT!! DS 2e was about the stats not the magic items. DS is about min maxing!! what screws up the world is to many magic items and metal weapons handed out. The character tree in DS & DSr was so you could min/max and bring in a character fit for that adventure area you were in as well as jumping in when one got killed. I feel because the DS world should be harder. Tough critters require hard characters. Also it keeps with the DS flavor from the original DS in that this world is different from your GREYHAWK or FORGET ME REALMS... Keep in mind that magic items are limited in DS and metal ones even rarer so higher than normal stats are the norm to keep pace with the tougher critters. As a GM controlling the amount of magic items a character has in the DS setting makes the game. It’s not about your staff of MEGA-wizardry or your floppy stick +5. It’s about the characters and what THEY can do. There will be many times in the DS game that characters will find themselves without equipment and they will need those stats to have a small and tiny chance at living (note:this are cuttings from various posts I have worked on to place here but hadn't until today) grym Save the world of Darksun!! screw the balances go for flavor!!
#4 zombiegleemax Oct 28, 2003 1:29:27	go check out my ramblings in this post -> chapter 2 feedback: Races
#5 zombiegleemax Oct 28, 2003 12:26:33	Originally posted by grymnet Save the world of Darksun!! screw the balances go for flavor!! Balance is something in the rules, flavor is in your head. You don't need rules to get flavor. It helps, but it is not necessary. D&D is already scary in the way it attracts min-maxers. I would not like to have odd stat adjustments or races that are simply "better". Please not.