Creative Director
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So. Turns out that working 6 days a week on days that often run into 10-12 hour days to get a behemoth book off to the printer, articles about Fraz-Urb'luu and other stuff done for that other magazine, keeping Dungeon churning out once a month, and doing a huge freelance project for Wizards of the Coast all while playing in a half-dozen campaigns at the same time can not only wear you out, but eventually you start noticing some weird things about D&D.
For example:
Snakes don't have legs, and yet they can take the Run feat!
Anyone else have a favorite weird D&D rule that they've noticed?
NOTE: It helps to think about this stuff when it's late at night and you're kinda sleep deprived. ;-)
It's been proven that sleep deprivation is just as dangerous as heart disease and exacerbates, to a significant degree, all other conditions. It also causes brain damage.
It is also a known fact that sleep-deprived people are highly susceptible to suggestion. Therefore, I would like to inform you that you will be printing my adventure, and will be paying me a decent per word rate, 'cause $0.05 stinks!
And no, there's nothing weird about D&D, it's all in your head...
...Snakes don't have legs, and yet they can take the Run feat!
Run feet. Haha.
Wow, that's a lot of hours per week and a lot of duties!!! I noticed, though, that you didn't mention a particular duty that I was hoping to see: guarding Erik Mona. Wizards keeps poaching Paizo's editors, you know. He needs round-the-clock protection! (Somebody should be guarding you, too, of course.)
That Fraz-Urn'luu article kicked butt, by the way. The territory of Ugudenk the Pestlord creeped me out especially. I'd like to hear more about him. (Sheesh, here I go, trying to ADD to your monumental workload.)
:)
Tony M
Hey, Delglath. From check out the following thread about pay rates:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-27545
In the thread, a would-be writer asks what a good pay-rate is and one publisher says getting 2 cents per word is pretty good. Then Monte Cook, Erik Mona and Mike Mearls respond.
Anyhow, it seems that Paizo is one of the highest payers in the gaming industry!
Oops, this thread is being hijacked. D&D is weird! Discuss!!
:)
Tony M
D&D IS weird:
Cross-class skills? Paladins are a martial class, but unlike other other classes, Paladins can't Swim!
How can a 30 lb. halfling with a 16 Strength safely carry 6 times his body weight in gear?
A swarm of rats, centipedes, etc. can still manage Weapon Finesse.
A blind Grimlock has two Feats - Alertness and Track.
What are the odds that 2 common house cats can kill a 0-level commoner? If the commoner is armed, the cats only have a slight edge.
Only a human can have both Nimble Fingers and Deft Hands at first level.
For the same price, you can get a Scroll of Unseen Servant for one hour, OR you can hire 8 laborers/porters/maids/etc. to serve you every day for a month. Your choice.
What are the odds that 2 common house cats can kill a 0-level commoner? If the commoner is armed, the cats only have a slight edge.
Yeah, strangely, humans and the other player races are some of the weakest species in the game.
There are a zillion examples in the Monster Manual. I mean, seriously, the walking stalagmite known as the Roper is smarter, wiser, *and* more charismatic than the average human. Come again? Not to mention its Str, Dex, and Con.
I remember teasing Chris Thomasson when the Fiend Folio came out because he designed a devil with the body of a slug that moves, I can't remember, 40? 50? It's a slug, people!
Personally, I think a creature's appearance should offer some clues as to how a party should respond to it strategically.
I know someone will probably correct me on this, but here goes. . .
How does a 0-level character work? If you get your first hit points at first level, and have 0 Xp to start out, what does a 0-level get. If we go logically, they need 0 xp to get to level one (0x1000=0) and they should constantly be at zero Hp and near unconcious. Don't make sense to me!
Also, the Hp system is kind of weird. I know you need it for the game to function, but still! If you knife a fighter in the back, he will proceed to turn around, and chop your head off. In real life, he would drop instantly. (And no one come along saying a 20th-level rogue sneak attacking a 1st level fighter)
How does a 0-level character work? If you get your first hit points at first level, and have 0 Xp to start out, what does a 0-level get. If we go logically, they need 0 xp to get to level one (0x1000=0) and they should constantly be at zero Hp and near unconcious. Don't make sense to me!
You're right! 0-level charcters are a 2nd edition flashback.
I know someone will probably correct me on this, but here goes. . .
How does a 0-level character work? If you get your first hit points at first level, and have 0 Xp to start out, what does a 0-level get. If we go logically, they need 0 xp to get to level one (0x1000=0) and they should constantly be at zero Hp and near unconcious. Don't make sense to me!
Also, the Hp system is kind of weird. I know you need it for the game to function, but still! If you knife a fighter in the back, he will proceed to turn around, and chop your head off. In real life, he would drop instantly. (And no one come along saying a 20th-level rogue sneak attacking a 1st level fighter)
0-level characters are a throw-back to 1st-ed. They don't exist in 3.x, now that we have NPC classes. So it would have to be a 1st-level commoner.
And yes, the hit point system is stupid and always has been. But unfortunately, it's not only a sacred cow, but to do away with hit points, you have to re-engineer the entire d20 system. Trust me on this, I've tried.
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...but eventually you start noticing some weird things about D&D.
For example:Snakes don't have legs, and yet they can take the Run feat!
Anyone else have a favorite weird D&D rule that they've noticed?
Well, instead of the Run feat we can just invent another feat: FAST SLITHERING.
That's the weirdest part for me - since the new d20system (which I think is great) there is a flood of feats coming over you from all around. My group is making jokes of this fact by now!Well - the feat above was meant as a joke, just in case someone takes this serious ;)
Oh, and I just found this over at the WotC-Boards:
Epic Saint Monk character does not need to worry about losing his Vow of Chastity through masturbation, as he cannot make his own Touch AC
Now this is weird, isn't it?!
-Sorry, didn't found the author afterwards or I would have named him/her here!
