Re: Coming back to DnD

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Courtney Love) wrote:

> [EMAIL PROTECTED]  (Brandon Cope) wrote:
> 
> >WTF should I go out of my way to read the rules to a poor game system
> >that I have no intention of running or playing?
> 
> WTF should you post to a newsgroup whose sole purpose is to discuss a 
> superior
> game system you have no intention of playing?
> 
> >No game system prevents min/maxing.
> 
> D&D does.
> 
> >This "anarchy" is what makes point-based systems superior to
> >class/level-based systems.
> 
> Point-based systems are worse than class/level systems precisely because they
> *encourage* munchkinism. 

As a counte argument I present the AD&D1 Bard.  Any questions?

>The fact that people can shove numbers around in
> their favor in GURPS makes it more likely you'll get stat-whores than
> traditional role-players, not less.

Let's not forget the the roll 9d6 choose best three for a every stat option 
of the AD&D1 Unearthed Archana.

Let's face it D&D precurcers especially AD&D1 were far more subject to 
munchkinitis than GURPS could ever be even in a 500pt cinimatic supers 
games.  Case in point was this example given in Dragon #99's "History of a 
game that failed":

Lord Arrogo, a 15th-level fighter with plate
mail +5, a shield +5, and a dexterity 18 (AC -12), hammer of thunderbolts, 
gauntlets of ogre, power, a girdle of storm giant strength, ring of fire 
resistance, and ring of spell turning. vs the huge, ancient red dragon 
Feuerhauch (AC -1)

Under AD&D1 rules Lord Arrogo didn't even need to roll and does a minimum 
of 25 points (2d4 + 5 + 6 + 12) of damage per hit.  Oh less I forget he can 
attack twice per round. But the example give as much as it can to poor 
Feuerhauch by having him do maximum damage and Lord Arrogo minimum
damage an even forgoing one attack and have the dragon use its breath 
weapon on him.

End result "Feuerhauch has been an "automatic kill" for Arrogo, 
notwithstanding the fact that the dragon always did maximum damage and the 
fighter minimum damage." (pg 30)

-------

Yes, D&D3.x has fixed most of the problems that AD&D1 had (dragons got a 
long needed beef up in AD&D2, and the additive damage of the hammer of 
thunderbolts, gauntlets of ogre, power and a girdle of storm giant strength 
was eliminated in D&D3.x) but the item inflation problem is still there.  

And let us not forget taht the term munchkin first *came* from D&D. :-)