10th level issues
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:14 pm
OK, the most popular requested level was 10th level. That level has a number of issues. I am going to divide those into rules problems and balance issues. A rules problem is when unlimited power becomes available or the game hands out two austensibly identical characters and they are objectively different in ability because of an irrelevent externality such as the order of events in a character's backstory. A balance issue is one in which two different characters are largely unable to compete against similar levels of challenges because one is so much better than the other. This list is not comprehensive, but it's a good starting place:
Rules Problems:
[*] Number of Skill Points - A Rogue 1/Bard 9 has 86 skill points. A Bard 9/Rogue 1 has only 80 skill points.
[*] Cross Classed Skills - A Fighter/Rogue who buys Disable Device and Ride every level is exactly the same as a character who buys 2 ranks of each skill in every appropriate level except that he has 11 less skill ranks.
[*] Hit Points - A Bard 5/ Ranger 5 has on average one less hit point than a Ranger 5/Bard 5.
[*] Infinite Difference Engine - By careful ordering of level loss and gain and template acquisition/curing, a 10th level character can have unlimited levels in any class.
[*] Class Replacement Difference Engine - By losing and restoring levels, a character can replace levels that provide no class features (such as Wizard) with levels that do (such as Geometer).
[*] Chain Binding - A Dao can provide you with an Efreet Servant, who in turn can provide you with unlimited Wishes.
[*] Spell Dancing - A Spelldancer can be made by 10th level.
[*] Skill Dancing - Properly equipped, an Artificer can go so far into Crazy Town that he is the Mayor by 10th level.
[*] Stat Replacement - there is little temptation to not use Polymorph effects at this level. A character who invested anything at all in Physical Stats is probably strictly inferior to anoher character who did not.
[*] All of the Money - A 10th level character can have unlimited monetary resources with Plane Shift or Fabricate. This in turn can generate likewise unlimited magic item related power.
[*] Then and Now - a character who made magic items a few levels ago is exactly the same as a character who didn't except that he has more swag.
[*] Third Level Blues - A character who tkes an odd level of Fighter is strictly inferior to a character who multiclasses out at that point.
Balance Issues:
[*] Reawakening - A Druid can Awaken themselves.
[*] The Teleport Ambush - The difference between having short duration buffs on and not is larger than the difference between having your party Fighter in the party and not.
[*] The Cleric Archer/Tiger Druid - A properly motivated Divine Caster can outfight a Fighter all day and still raise the dead in their spare time.
[*] The Sound of Two Swords Swishing - Two Weapon Fighting sucks my butt.
[*] Save or Die! - At 10th level it is entirely possible to end combats in a single action, which completely invalidates healing strategies.
[*] Multicasters Dilemma - There is no combination of two levels of any classes that can make up for not having the next spell level.
[*] Wizards > Sorcerers - A Wizard is simply better than a Sorcerer.
[*] Sorcerers > Fighters - A Sorcerer who takes almost all of her spells as Swift Buffs can simply outfight a Fighter. By a lot.
[*] Survivability Disparity - The difference in Fort save bonuses between a multiclassed Paladin and a Wizard going for Lichhood is larger than the Random Number Generator.
[*] Multiclass or Die - Warrior Classes don't get nice things after the first couple of levels.
[*] Mixed Messages - The cost of a +2 bonus and an additional +2 made-up bonus on the same item is 14,000 gp. The cost of a standard +4 bonus on one item is 16,000 gp. There is no reason to ever not have a bunch of made-up bonus types based on the way the stacking and cost multipliers work out.
-Username17
Rules Problems:
[*] Number of Skill Points - A Rogue 1/Bard 9 has 86 skill points. A Bard 9/Rogue 1 has only 80 skill points.
[*] Cross Classed Skills - A Fighter/Rogue who buys Disable Device and Ride every level is exactly the same as a character who buys 2 ranks of each skill in every appropriate level except that he has 11 less skill ranks.
[*] Hit Points - A Bard 5/ Ranger 5 has on average one less hit point than a Ranger 5/Bard 5.
[*] Infinite Difference Engine - By careful ordering of level loss and gain and template acquisition/curing, a 10th level character can have unlimited levels in any class.
[*] Class Replacement Difference Engine - By losing and restoring levels, a character can replace levels that provide no class features (such as Wizard) with levels that do (such as Geometer).
[*] Chain Binding - A Dao can provide you with an Efreet Servant, who in turn can provide you with unlimited Wishes.
[*] Spell Dancing - A Spelldancer can be made by 10th level.
[*] Skill Dancing - Properly equipped, an Artificer can go so far into Crazy Town that he is the Mayor by 10th level.
[*] Stat Replacement - there is little temptation to not use Polymorph effects at this level. A character who invested anything at all in Physical Stats is probably strictly inferior to anoher character who did not.
[*] All of the Money - A 10th level character can have unlimited monetary resources with Plane Shift or Fabricate. This in turn can generate likewise unlimited magic item related power.
[*] Then and Now - a character who made magic items a few levels ago is exactly the same as a character who didn't except that he has more swag.
[*] Third Level Blues - A character who tkes an odd level of Fighter is strictly inferior to a character who multiclasses out at that point.
Balance Issues:
[*] Reawakening - A Druid can Awaken themselves.
[*] The Teleport Ambush - The difference between having short duration buffs on and not is larger than the difference between having your party Fighter in the party and not.
[*] The Cleric Archer/Tiger Druid - A properly motivated Divine Caster can outfight a Fighter all day and still raise the dead in their spare time.
[*] The Sound of Two Swords Swishing - Two Weapon Fighting sucks my butt.
[*] Save or Die! - At 10th level it is entirely possible to end combats in a single action, which completely invalidates healing strategies.
[*] Multicasters Dilemma - There is no combination of two levels of any classes that can make up for not having the next spell level.
[*] Wizards > Sorcerers - A Wizard is simply better than a Sorcerer.
[*] Sorcerers > Fighters - A Sorcerer who takes almost all of her spells as Swift Buffs can simply outfight a Fighter. By a lot.
[*] Survivability Disparity - The difference in Fort save bonuses between a multiclassed Paladin and a Wizard going for Lichhood is larger than the Random Number Generator.
[*] Multiclass or Die - Warrior Classes don't get nice things after the first couple of levels.
[*] Mixed Messages - The cost of a +2 bonus and an additional +2 made-up bonus on the same item is 14,000 gp. The cost of a standard +4 bonus on one item is 16,000 gp. There is no reason to ever not have a bunch of made-up bonus types based on the way the stacking and cost multipliers work out.
-Username17