My answer would have been: "Obey PnP inasmuch as it won't detract from the fun of the game, especially considering there isn't a human DM running the show. Due to this fact, *many* changes must be made. The 'bare minimum' of the changes may end up being substantial."
The "Somewhat" answer best describes my position among those offered, so I went with that one.
Moreover, as for PnP accuracy... Here are a few excerpts from the foreword of ADnD DMG, by David Cook:
******************
"By now, you should be familiar with the rules in the Player's Handbook. You've probably already noticed things you like or things you would have done differently. If you have, congratulations. You've got the spirit every Dungeon Master needs."
"So is there an "official" AD&D game? Yes, but only when there needs to be. "
"Take the time to have fun with the AD&D rules. Add, create, expand, and extrapolate. Don't just let the game sit there, and don't become a rules lawyer worrying about each piddly little detail. If you can't figure out the answer, MAKE IT UP! And whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of believing these rules are complete. They are not. You cannot sit back and let the rule book do everything for you. Take the time and effort to become not just a good DM, but a brilliant one. "
********************
So... I think most of us would agree that the BG games have been an excellent DM, no?
It's a much celebrated campaign that has some pretty player friendly rules in place. People that clamor for the game to obey the "rules" have a desire to see less favoritism for the players. Identifying let alone detecting the magic of an item is a whole to do in PnP. It's like that scene from The Fellowship of the Ring when Gandolf rode to Gondor to read up on Bilbo/Frodo's Ring. Magic didn't usually glow, you had to cast the spell Detect Magic to see the glow and discover it's school aura. Identifying it required hiring a sage, paying him hundreds of gold, and waiting a very long time.
If Bioware implemented such an in depth and tedious style, the vast majority of their audience would have been scratching their heads. For me, things like that set the mood, and I'd love the game even more.
The BG style makes magic seem like modern day electricity. It's everywhere, it's nothing special, you just need a little training and common sense to wield it, and it's taken for granted.
The BG style makes magic seem like modern day electricity. It's everywhere, it's nothing special, you just need a little training and common sense to wield it, and it's taken for granted.
True, though a bit of that is due to Faerun being a high-magic world...
The BG style makes magic seem like modern day electricity. It's everywhere, it's nothing special, you just need a little training and common sense to wield it, and it's taken for granted.
True, though a bit of that is due to Faerun being a high-magic world...
Yeah I've seen/played both extremes. I think the more high fantasy has become most common. But I had a ton of fun playing in a "dark ages" game years ago where chain mail was the best armor available, and at 9th level I could just afford some. At that same time, each of us in the party had maybe two or three potions. I think there were two "permanent" magic items in the whole party, but I don't remember for sure, I never had one.
Mages and Clerics were not allowed for PCs. We knew where we could find a medium level cleric (5th level or so), but never met a mage.
Only somewhat. I first played D&D back in 1982, when it was transitioning from the boxed sets to the books. No computer game can ever match the depth and complexity of PNP rules so only modest adherence is necessary to keep the correct feel. Personally, I dislike 3rd edition or later rules because by allowing any race to be any class and moving to a d20-only system means that you might as well be playing GURPS (the system I prefer, anyway).
Comments
If Bioware implemented such an in depth and tedious style, the vast majority of their audience would have been scratching their heads. For me, things like that set the mood, and I'd love the game even more.
The BG style makes magic seem like modern day electricity. It's everywhere, it's nothing special, you just need a little training and common sense to wield it, and it's taken for granted.
Mages and Clerics were not allowed for PCs. We knew where we could find a medium level cleric (5th level or so), but never met a mage.
i'm ok with removing some restrictions,for instance why can't elves be druids? or why do rangers have to be good aligned?
but apart from these the rest should stay untouched