| baduin |
I think the relatively simple melee classes are a good point to discuss the basic problems of compatibility and balance.
The Pathfinder RPG is to be compatible with D&D 3.5 edition. In what aspects it can, and in what it cannot be compatible?
First, we take as granted that the Pathinder won't do "4th edition". The "imagined world" of the game will remain the same. All spells, magic items and monsters will remain, even if their rules change. With that assumption, what parts of D&D 3.5 will remain compatible with Pathfinder RPG - if it is properly balanced?
The answer is:
1) Settings
2) Adventures - without any conversion to Pathfinder.
3) Monsters
4) Properly designed basic non-core classes and the prestige classes designed for them - the prestige classes only if they are taken mostly as intended, that is to the end of class. Here I think of such classes as beguiler, binder, factotum, warblade, crusader, swordsage, dread necromancer, warlock etc.
What parts of D&D 3.5 will be incompatible or will require DM to check and approve them?
1) Prestige classes, especially for core classes
2) Feats.
What is the reason for this? Properly created Pathfinder rules will retain the same power lever. If the adventure is properly balanced for a D&D party of 10 level, it should be properly balanced for the Pathinder party of 10 level. Moreover, it should be balanced as is, without any conversion. There should be no need to replace the D&D fighter with Pathfinder fighter in the published adventures. Yes, D&D fighter was weak and Pathfinder fighter will be perhaps stronger. But the designer of the adventure in question, if he was any good, put there the weak fighter consciously.
As long as the Pathfinder party is balanced for the enemies of the same Challenge Rating and Encounter Level as the D&D party of the same level, the change in the character creation rules don't matter at all. In D&D you could (at least in theory) replace the party of Rogue, Fighter, Cleric, Wizard with a party of Beguiler, Factotum, Warblade and Favored Soul and play the same adventure. Similarly you could use the party of Pathfinder Rogue, Pathfinder Fighter, Pathfinder Wizard and Pathfinder Cleric to play the same adventure.
Similarly, the change in rules, mostly Combat Maneuver Bonus, shouldn't change things too much. CMB (if properly balanced) can make some enemies weaker, some a bit stronger, but the medium point should remain the same. The changes in the spells should be similar. Only most powerful spells should be weakened in a decisive way, and those were exactly the spells which were not often used by typical NPC wizards.
This ground rule is easiest to see with melee classes. The melee class, independently from its internal construction, has only some characteristics which interact with the opponent: movement, Attack Bonus, average damage per turn, Armor Class, hitpoints and saves. From time to time also grapple, now replaced with Combat Maneuver Bonus. Some very specialised rules could have also some tricks (eg tripping), but that doesn't change much - provided that they are balanced against the typical melee. As long as those number remain in the proper brackets. It doesn't matter whether the given character or monster deals a lot of damage because of sneak attack or because of massive strength and size. Similarly unimportant are the sources of hitpoints, AC, or attack bonus.
It can be seen that here I speak only about the most basic part of balance - the numerical characteristics. The second, much more difficult and important part, consists of special abilities (a pair of spells-Fly and Protection from Missiles are enough to defeat a strongest melee combatant). That part will be evident when balancing the wizard. But before we can consider the fancy radars and stealth abilities, we must have a solid chassis to put them on.
How to determine the required AC, Attack bonus etc? The best way is by considering the possible opponents. Not all opponents can be used as yardsticks. There are some enemies who have enormous numerical abilities, but can be easily defeated when using basic tactics available at their level. The tarrasque is the best example of that kind of enemy. But there are opponents that a fighter is expected to fight mano-a-mano with at least equal chance of victory.
Starting with them, it should be easy to create a table which would show the proper AC, Attack Bonus, Hitpoints and average damage per level. Such a table is a basic element without which any attempts to create a balanced figher, paladin or whatever are hopeless. Starting with such a table, we can consider eg the rules for stacking modifiers, the iterative attacks, whether to give characters some kind of basic defense bonus which grows with level etc. Without such a table, any attempt to balance the game is only a shot in the dark.
And as I have shown, without the proper balance it is meaningless to talk about compability.
So, I think it would be helpful if somebody would suggest what enemies the fighter/barbarian/paladin is expected to fight hand-to-hand at each level with an equal chance of succes. According to CR rules at pg 291 Pathfinder, it seems that an enemy which have an equal chance to defeat a fighter of level X, will be an average encounter for a fighter of level X+4.