[PnP] Magic users

[Scott Adams]

At 04:32 PM 10/20/06, Paul L. Ming wrote:
>Hiya.
>
>  We never had that problem when we played P&P. Usually, when you had a MU, you frequently didn't have nearly enough Expts points to have paid for your training, AND have enough points left over to get good fighting skills. Also, you generally upped your "MU" stats (I, W, E, Em, C), but everything else was fairly 'low'...thus lowering your effective OCV, DCV, HP, DTV, etc. The fragile-ness of MU's, for us, balanced out the power they could potentially get to. I think the highest level MEL I saw was about 6 or 7. Also, we used the "% chance you were accepted"...usually this was really high, but I did see more than a few players miss that roll and not get to start off as a MU.

I learned way early in gaming the concept of balance.  After 3 decades  of gaming I learned it about 4 years into it :).  I saw the overbearing stuff of that other Dragons game.  Where everyone started out Level 12 with +6 Swords and Bags of many things.  The weakest player having an armor of a tank.  No thanks.  No fun.  I was ruined on that game due to that and ruined on the idea of overkill.  Ever since then I devoted everything I do to balance be it as a player or as a GM.  As a player I didn' tpush to have all the neat toys and armor.  I might even have had flaws or issues to balance out any good aspects.  As a Ref I look at all players and wonder what will balance it.  If I have 4 MUs in the party then maybe I need 1 super villian MEL 15 or so then a couple low levels.  Balance of npc and pc Class enemies.  A balance of quests to ensure team work.  Its hard to describe in just a few words in a email.  Its taken a couple decades to master.  

If a MU has mastered his spell say EL10+ then the gods take notice.  They may see the MU doing this and that with great power which somehow disrupts their courtly godly duties.  So they may send Avatars and minions to investigate.  Infamy builds as MEL builds.  As with gunslingers the best become targets.  As one grows in power they must take the responsibility of the power.  They can all be hermits but if you decide to adventure you'll have to deal with tougher issues.  

I will tend to target higher and more powerful characters out of a party enemy wise before I do the weakest.  This is why when I play MUs I don't like to sit all day and practice spells or build toys or master the arts.  I rather learn through ACTUAL practice and role playing than practicing spells all day.  But that's me.  Making toys is fine for armor, weapons and magic items.  They are all fine but a walking warehouse tends to get sad to me.  To hide behind the toys rather than rely on what you have naturally (spells and skills).  If I could i'd give experience to those who have no toys and rely on skills and small spells to those with MEL20 and 100 magic rings.  But that's me.  In the end its really a role playing game.  If I give a item like a +12 WSB sword as booty then I might balance it by giving it a curse or something more evil.  So everything I give or take is balanced.

Balance is our friend....:)