kieza
2012-07-26, 03:37 PM
What if character advancement didn't have numerical increases baked-in? That is, if gaining a level didn't improve HP, BAB, damage, or defenses, at least not via a flat bonus. What if it just gave you more opportunities to specialize in one area, or branch out into new ones?
Examples
-Instead of a wizard's fireball doing more damage at higher levels, he can learn to make it set people on fire, set the area on fire, not target allies, etc.
-Alternately, instead of improving a spell he already has, the wizard can learn a new one that does something completely different--but this doesn't increase the number of spells he can cast before getting tired.
-Or, the wizard could spend some time sparring with the Fighter, and pick up some better sword skills.
Under this paradigm, higher-level characters aren't godlike compared to lower-level ones--they don't have twenty times as many hit points, and they still stand a chance of missing with their attacks. In fact, lower-level characters still pose a threat to higher-level ones, especially in groups. The difference is in specialization/generalization: the high level specialist does interesting things on a critical hit and has ways to get several situational modifiers. The high level generalist has a technique to deal with any situation and can combine all of his techniques into deadly combinations.
Would people still play a system if you didn't get massive modifiers and become essentially godlike at high levels?
EDIT: And is there a system out there that does that, or would I need to make one up?
Examples
-Instead of a wizard's fireball doing more damage at higher levels, he can learn to make it set people on fire, set the area on fire, not target allies, etc.
-Alternately, instead of improving a spell he already has, the wizard can learn a new one that does something completely different--but this doesn't increase the number of spells he can cast before getting tired.
-Or, the wizard could spend some time sparring with the Fighter, and pick up some better sword skills.
Under this paradigm, higher-level characters aren't godlike compared to lower-level ones--they don't have twenty times as many hit points, and they still stand a chance of missing with their attacks. In fact, lower-level characters still pose a threat to higher-level ones, especially in groups. The difference is in specialization/generalization: the high level specialist does interesting things on a critical hit and has ways to get several situational modifiers. The high level generalist has a technique to deal with any situation and can combine all of his techniques into deadly combinations.
Would people still play a system if you didn't get massive modifiers and become essentially godlike at high levels?
EDIT: And is there a system out there that does that, or would I need to make one up?