What Makes A Spell Or Power Useful In An RPG?
I’ve had an article on the site for more than a year called The Best Wizard Spells in Dungeons and Dragons. On Saturday, I found this comment on the article:
ANY spell is useful. You just have to use your imagination and get creative. Just because DMs only know to to do adventures that involve killing the orc for the pie doesn’t make spells useless. A real DM knows how to tailor a game for multiple scenarios, only 30% of which should involve actual combat.
All the useful spells you picked were spells that involved simple-minded “dungeon bashing”. Just the type of dumb mentality that created stupid 4th Edition. Thanks you 4rons
I deleted the comment, of course, as I don’t particularly like to be randomly insulted on my blog.
Now, insults and creative punctuation aside, this comment got me thinking about something:
What makes a spell or power useful in Dungeons and Dragons?
There are, in my mind, a few possible criteria:
- It should have opportunity for frequent use. Decipher script is limited in its use, Charm Person is not.
- It should be useful to overcome a challenge. That challenge doesn’t have to be combat; it can be social, or it can be plot-related.
- It should be something that can’t be done with mundane means. Light isn’t nearly as useful when you have a lantern around.
I’m sure there are other things that can make a spell or power useful in Dungeons and Dragons. What do you think? What makes an ability useful, and what makes it worth choosing over another spell or ability in your roleplaying game?
3 Reasons Why I’m Not Running Pathfinder
One of the things that naturally comes about in a discussion of switching from D&D to another game system is Pathfinder. Because the community has embraced Pathfinder as a way for fans of 3rd Edition to continue playing their game while getting new product, there is this illusion that the whole world is in “D&D vs. Pathfinder” mode.
I think that perception may be a bit overblown. Let’s face it: most D&D players aren’t switching to Pathfinder (or anything else). They play D&D. That’s what they’ve always played, and unless it says “Dungeons and Dragons” on the cover, they’re not going to buy it.
On top of that, there are other choices. If you don’t like 4E, there are plenty of gaming systems out there. Pathfinder is one of the youngest, and it’s not the best-selling. Even without insider information, I guarantee that there are still more RIFTS players than Pathfinder players. That can, and probably will, change. But, my point is that it’s not a “D&D or Pathfinder” decision - it’s a “D&D or Non-D&D” decision.
So, why am I looking at another system instead of switching to Pathfinder? Several reasons.
Pathfinder isn’t yet a proven product
Here’s the fact: Pathfinder still sells less than most non-D&D RPGs, and it will for a long time. They’re only in Beta, and the full game isn’t due out for a year. Could the final product be better than 4E and wind up atop the market? Sure, it’s possible. But it’s not happening any time soon.
I’m not especially interested in playtesting someone’s game, and I’m certainly not interested in playtesting it for a year or more. Come talk to me when Pathfinder’s been in the game for a decade, and then we’ll talk about a long-term commitment. In the meantime, it’s a novelty worth exploring, but still a novelty.
Pathfinder isn’t D&D
Pathfinder is a fine product. It’s a good-looking game, from what I can tell. It’s certainly an offshoot of D&D. Most of the designers have professional experience designing D&D.
However, Pathfinder is not D&D.
What do I mean, exactly? I’m not writing esoterically. I simply mean this: Pathfinder is owned by Paizo. Paizo doesn’t hold the intellectual rights to Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve heard people say “4E is OK, but it’s not D&D.” They’re wrong. 4E, like it or not, is D&D. Pathfinder is not D&D.
If folks want to suggest that Pathfinder is somehow the “spiritual descendant” of D&D, that’s OK by me. But for me, the name on the box defines the product. Maybe I like the new D&D, maybe I don’t. No matter. It’s D&D.
For a long time, I’ve been a D&D player. If I’m going to switch to something else, I’m going to consider all possibilities, plain and simple. Pathfinder is one, Vampire is another.
You’ll carefully notice that I don’t hate Pathfinder or think Paizo is the devil. I hope the product does well alongside D&D. More good games make for a deeper industry, which means better product all around.
Pathfinder doesn’t solve any problems
I need a new set of rules. I’ve complained for a long time that I just can’t keep up with the sheer number of rules available for third edition. 4E solves that problem; so does Vampire. Heck, Toon: The RPG solves that problem. Pathfinder is the one product that doesn’t offer me a rules reset.
Add to that the fact that our gaming group has certain dynamics that center around D&D rules. That’s a nice way of saying I’ve got a couple of power gamers at my table. Power gaming is fine, but I’d like to see something new at the table. A rules reset is one way around that. For a while, at least, my power gamers will be on equal footing with one another (and with me as their GM).
What do you think? Are you going Pathfinder? If so, how do you see it?
2 stormtroopers just walked by…
2 stormtroopers just walked by. Then, a man in a kilt. Over there is a samurai, and a gaggle of vampires. Best costume so far? Dice man.
Standing in line. The line rid…
Standing in line. The line ride is popular ride at Gen Con. There’s a man behind me with a Go Bots space ship. Can’t sat that every day.
Headed back to my hotel room. …
Headed back to my hotel room. Going to do some writing while the single guys hunt for gamer girls. I wish them luck!
Getting ready to eat at the Ro…
Getting ready to eat at the Rock Bottom Cafe’. Thinking this might shape up to be a very diverse Con. Gonna LARP, D and D, Magic, and more!
On my way to register my 2nd a…
On my way to register my 2nd and 3rd edition D and D stuf in the Gen Con auction.
@ChattyDM looking forward to i…
@ChattyDM looking forward to it!
Test tweet! Gen Con starts tom…
Test tweet! Gen Con starts tomorrow. Updates here and at http://www.rpgdigest.com .
How Do You Foster Good Roleplaying?
When I was 13 years old, RPGs were all about killing things and taking their stuff. In a lot of ways, back then, D&D was a major precursor to today’s MMORPGs. Sure, we had some storylines back then, but they were usually pretty standard quests.
It was mostly “roll” playing, and less “role” playing. That was fine, for back then. Really, I didn’t mind.
But things changed. Eventually, I grew up, put off RPGs for a while. When I came back to them as a young adult, I found I’d changed. Suddenly, I was a lot more interested in the story than in the spoils.
Here’s the cool thing about RPGs: They are what you make of them. If you’re a 13 year-old boy who wants to slay dragons, go for it. If your a guy that wants to explore his feminine side by playing a female pixie sorceress, go ahead.
If you really must.
At any rate, my group today prefers roleplaying over hack-n-slash. Some days, though, hack-n-slash is all I’ve got in me as a DM. I’m sure you’ve had sessions like that, too.
So, let me put the question to you, both players and GMs: How do you foster good roleplaying?
I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, and I’ll share those in due time. I’m curious, though, what you all can come up with first.
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