Comments on: You Set the Baseline

By: Nicholas

Nicholas — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:56:05 +0000

I find that a careful explaining of the mood you are looking for goes a long way. Even if you set heavy restrictions in point-buy or some other limiting tool, a determined player will still make an over powered character. If you make it clear what you want, they will usually go just a little bit stronger than that and you must meet them halfway.

By: Scott Martin

Scott Martin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:38:47 +0000

I like your solution. It lets the players feel special with their above average stats, but keeps the balance in the game by quietly advancing the monsters to match. I've tried to keep PCs within a tight band of each other, but I didn't think to just adjust the NPCs up to match. Adding +1 to everything sure seems easier than what I wound up doing...

By: John Arcadian

John Arcadian — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:01:03 +0000

Excellent article. My players are always trying to move outside the bounds I initially set for the game. I learn to just roll with it, because it makes the game more fun for the players. When the players get beyond the power level of my predesigned encounters, I'll usually change the next one to amp it up a bit. I'll also design my encounters a little beyond, and then have the enemies hold back a bit. If you think of it in a realistic way, the group of enemies wouldn't normally throw absolutely everything at one group, unless they realize it becomes life or death, just like the PCs aren't going to go all out and use every power until they feel the risk/cost/benefit ratio is justified.

By: Kurt "Telas" Schneider

Kurt "Telas" Schneider — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:57:19 +0000

I like your "shift the median scores" trick. Much easier than starting a campaign with an argument.

By: Tabulazero

Tabulazero — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:35:04 +0000

I usually give the choice to my players to choose between a set of 3 arrays when they create their characters (we play Runequest). I typically make it so that the sum of each array is equal but differentiate by making one array quite unbalanced (high and low numbers) and one quite even (with little difference between numbers). This has 3 key adavantages 1) It gives me control since I am one creating the arrays 2) It still leaves a lot of choice to the players (some prefer character which are very specialised while other prefer jack-of-all trades)3) Everyone starts with the same choices, thus avoiding the argument that so and so had it easy because they had so much higher characteristics to start with As for keeping things under control I give experience rolls to pretty everyone but only what I call hero point to the player that had the best RP in my opinion. Hero Points are different from experience rolls. They cannot be used to increase a skill but instead they can be used to buy re-rolls or special talents. It create a kind of competition as to whom will have the best RP