...because you better damn well believe that I run adversary NPC Magic-Users like a goddamn shark. And if they had access to an "I Win" button they would use it.
Magic goes both ways, but even I'm not that cold-blooded.
Besides, my players love throwing sleep spells at opponents with too high a HD for sleep to affect or that otherwise are immune; why not preserve the confusion by giving the monsters a saving throw?
Showing posts with label House Rules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House Rules. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Musings on Shields
In my Planet Algol campaign, characters are free to use any weapons or armor, as long as they fall within the following:
Upon further consideration, one factor became apparent: I cannot think of a more iconic item of the "Fighting Man" archetype than the shield. If I see a picture of someone using a shield, I assume they are a Warrior with a capital "W". Sure, other archetypes use all sorts of arms in "influential materials" and pop culture, but once a character has a shield strapped to their arm, they become a knight, a soldier, a barbarian raider, or some other kind of full-time professional fighting-man.
Of course this runs contrary to the classic D&D trope of the Cleric (think Van Helsing crossed with a combat medic); but clerics are an odd duck and more something that emerged from game play in the early, developmental days of the game than an accurate depiction of an archetype.
- We use the weapon proficiency rules as our basis
- You can only be proficient with weapons that you have a high enough strength and/or dexterity score to wield properly. (These requirements are cribbed from RuneQuest/BRP.)
- You may not use your classes special abilities while wearing armor that is ordinarily prohibited for that class; i.e. No backstabbing, no spell casting. However, there is a chance you can get away with using Read Languages while wearing plate mail.
Upon further consideration, one factor became apparent: I cannot think of a more iconic item of the "Fighting Man" archetype than the shield. If I see a picture of someone using a shield, I assume they are a Warrior with a capital "W". Sure, other archetypes use all sorts of arms in "influential materials" and pop culture, but once a character has a shield strapped to their arm, they become a knight, a soldier, a barbarian raider, or some other kind of full-time professional fighting-man.
Of course this runs contrary to the classic D&D trope of the Cleric (think Van Helsing crossed with a combat medic); but clerics are an odd duck and more something that emerged from game play in the early, developmental days of the game than an accurate depiction of an archetype.
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