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I dreamt last night of explaining to a group of people my thoughts on game balance between player characters. This isn't too uncommon, I often dream of games, both from a point of view in Davon and from a point of view of DM level discussion. This one, however, had several of the mental indicators that I have set to say "this is significant to someone" - although the indicator of who it is was missing. So here's an explanation of how I view game balance, hidden away behind a cut tag for those not interested.
There are, at present, five characters being played in Age of Legends. Urda, Storm, Ken, Perezar, and Emma. Of these, Urda and Ken are far and away the most powerful, followed by Perezar, Emma and Storm in about that order. Urda is a queen, and the high priest proxy of an overgod, talks to him at will, can become a gold dragon, teleports without error at will, and regenerates at an insane speed. Ken has that same regeneration, can heal with a glance, talks to his god on a regular basis, can shift between the astral and etheral and prime at will as long as he's wearing his armour, and has the (pretty much unexplored) powers of the Fool, the second most powerful male fey in the Seelie Court. Perezar can slay a god with a touch, has a paladin order under her command, has memories of about five hundred thousand years - or more - of life on Davon, and is on talking terms with the Dancer (the equivalent of the Fool in the Unseelie Court). Emma can shoot fire from her forehead, and is apparently one of very few people who can see a certain dangerous species. Storm has no special powers.
Now, this game is horribly unbalanced, yes? Urda and Ken solve every problem without blinking and the others are left on the sidelines?
No.
For a start, Urda and Ken have earned their powers in four years of "real"-world playing and about five years of game time. They started as second level characters, and built all the way up. Secondly, all of their powers are countered by responsibilities. Urda cna turn into a dragon, sure, but should there be a threat to the sphere, then she is honour bound to be in the front line against that danger. She's a queen, which means that she has to pay attention to every small detail that happens, everywhere, and keep things balanced (The other players don't see much of this balancing act - most of it happens in downtime). She has to do whatever is necessary for the overgod, and she's the main point of contact between him and the world. She teleports without error at will - and needs to; if she couldn't, the world would have been destroyed long ago. And her regeneration was a reward for saving the life of a god. Likewise for Ken, every power is balanced by a responsibility. Perezar actually has a few freebies, since she entered the game rather late. Emma has to keep her forehead covered with clay or porcelain, or she'll burn everything she looks at. And Storm is actually operating at a minus, since he's missing chunks of his memories.
Second, the PCs are often seperated, and the challenges thrown at each are graded as precisely as I can to the ability of the character and the likes of the player. Perezar gets more combat. Urda gets puzzles and problems that depend on reasoning, not on her powers. Ken gets interesting stuff. Storm gets darker plotlines. And Emma gets things around politics, revenge, and secrecy. I consider that if the game's going forward or not depends on the numbers on the sheet, then I've failed - the game's going forward should depend on characters, their actions, and the internal logic of the world. Urda's most notable feats - saving the life of a god, and selling the (untouchable by any non-celestially-good creature) moon to a Pit Fiend, could both have been done by a first level commoner - because they were just words.
I'll be happier when all the characters are balanced in the numbers too - but for the minute, that doesn't matter. Any character can go about doing anything, and I'll work the whole game around that. If Emma decides to go off and hunt for the remaining descendants of Orn and leave Ubar in charge of the embassy, I'll roll with that, and if Storm decides to convert to the worship of Pherill, I'll manage that too.
So: Game balance works, principally, by effectively removing the numbers and powers from the equation, and leaving the story, the immersion, and the thinking.
(On a side-note, someone was muttering in the dream about Urda being the most powerful character because she's played by my wife. Then, and now, I take a deep breath before answering this: No. Urda is the mosr powerful character because her player dedicates more time to the game than anyone else - possibly including myself - and because she has shouldered responsibilities that other characters, past PCs and NPCs alike, have let fall. As other characters pick up responsibilities, say "I think this needs doing, I'm going to do it, here's how", and as their players dedicate time to the game - maps, diaries, discussions with NPCs, enquiries about theology, and so on, those characters will also gain the powers to balance the responsibilities.)
Now, could whoever that was for identify themselves, please?
There are, at present, five characters being played in Age of Legends. Urda, Storm, Ken, Perezar, and Emma. Of these, Urda and Ken are far and away the most powerful, followed by Perezar, Emma and Storm in about that order. Urda is a queen, and the high priest proxy of an overgod, talks to him at will, can become a gold dragon, teleports without error at will, and regenerates at an insane speed. Ken has that same regeneration, can heal with a glance, talks to his god on a regular basis, can shift between the astral and etheral and prime at will as long as he's wearing his armour, and has the (pretty much unexplored) powers of the Fool, the second most powerful male fey in the Seelie Court. Perezar can slay a god with a touch, has a paladin order under her command, has memories of about five hundred thousand years - or more - of life on Davon, and is on talking terms with the Dancer (the equivalent of the Fool in the Unseelie Court). Emma can shoot fire from her forehead, and is apparently one of very few people who can see a certain dangerous species. Storm has no special powers.
Now, this game is horribly unbalanced, yes? Urda and Ken solve every problem without blinking and the others are left on the sidelines?
No.
For a start, Urda and Ken have earned their powers in four years of "real"-world playing and about five years of game time. They started as second level characters, and built all the way up. Secondly, all of their powers are countered by responsibilities. Urda cna turn into a dragon, sure, but should there be a threat to the sphere, then she is honour bound to be in the front line against that danger. She's a queen, which means that she has to pay attention to every small detail that happens, everywhere, and keep things balanced (The other players don't see much of this balancing act - most of it happens in downtime). She has to do whatever is necessary for the overgod, and she's the main point of contact between him and the world. She teleports without error at will - and needs to; if she couldn't, the world would have been destroyed long ago. And her regeneration was a reward for saving the life of a god. Likewise for Ken, every power is balanced by a responsibility. Perezar actually has a few freebies, since she entered the game rather late. Emma has to keep her forehead covered with clay or porcelain, or she'll burn everything she looks at. And Storm is actually operating at a minus, since he's missing chunks of his memories.
Second, the PCs are often seperated, and the challenges thrown at each are graded as precisely as I can to the ability of the character and the likes of the player. Perezar gets more combat. Urda gets puzzles and problems that depend on reasoning, not on her powers. Ken gets interesting stuff. Storm gets darker plotlines. And Emma gets things around politics, revenge, and secrecy. I consider that if the game's going forward or not depends on the numbers on the sheet, then I've failed - the game's going forward should depend on characters, their actions, and the internal logic of the world. Urda's most notable feats - saving the life of a god, and selling the (untouchable by any non-celestially-good creature) moon to a Pit Fiend, could both have been done by a first level commoner - because they were just words.
I'll be happier when all the characters are balanced in the numbers too - but for the minute, that doesn't matter. Any character can go about doing anything, and I'll work the whole game around that. If Emma decides to go off and hunt for the remaining descendants of Orn and leave Ubar in charge of the embassy, I'll roll with that, and if Storm decides to convert to the worship of Pherill, I'll manage that too.
So: Game balance works, principally, by effectively removing the numbers and powers from the equation, and leaving the story, the immersion, and the thinking.
(On a side-note, someone was muttering in the dream about Urda being the most powerful character because she's played by my wife. Then, and now, I take a deep breath before answering this: No. Urda is the mosr powerful character because her player dedicates more time to the game than anyone else - possibly including myself - and because she has shouldered responsibilities that other characters, past PCs and NPCs alike, have let fall. As other characters pick up responsibilities, say "I think this needs doing, I'm going to do it, here's how", and as their players dedicate time to the game - maps, diaries, discussions with NPCs, enquiries about theology, and so on, those characters will also gain the powers to balance the responsibilities.)
Now, could whoever that was for identify themselves, please?
