Re: Coming back to DnD

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Brandon Cope) wrote:

> First Prophet of Kaos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message 
> news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > On 30 Nov 2003 21:34:17 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Brandon Cope) wrote:
> > 
> > >A party that takes on a dragon without loading up on the proper spells
> > >and magic items (and ATGMs, if available) deserves the ass-kicking it
> > >will get, whatever the system.
> > 
> > A system geared to let you play epic heroes such as Beowulf would be a
> > failure, if crafted according to that limitation.
> 
> So a 1st level party should be able to kill a very old, very large dragon?

Why would a party HAVE to start at 1st level? :-)  GURPS parties can start 
at any point total the GM want.  All the way from 1st level Commoner 
equivalent (25pts, realistic) to virtual demi-gods (500pts+, cinematic).

Even with its improvements D&D still has problems which becomes obvious 
with the NPC classes.  There is still this class for everything and 
everything with its class mentality we had back in AD&D1 (which is why I 
have been refering to a 20 year book BTW).  I mean does there really need 
to be 'classes' like the Adept, Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert, or Warrior?

Also and more importantly is you want to have a sword and sorcery character 
from elsewhere running around how do import them?  I mean just what class 
and level is some one like Lina Inverse from Slayers anime?  Or the fighter 
mage who turns into a mouse when she cast spells (it a curse) from Ruin 
Explorers?  Or the main characters from the old Thundarr cartoon?  Even 
anime that came from AD&D1 (Record of Lodos War) doesn't import well.

With GURPS you can assign the skill gestimating on their knowledge of those 
skills.  To do it with D&D is a mess.  What class is Deedlit and what level 
is she? Is Etoh a priest or due to his age an adept? Then there is Slayn 
who cast spells more like a GURPS mage (they tired him) than any 'standard' 
AD*D1 magic-user.