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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site Cascade.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!CSL-Vax!Cascade!asente
From: asente@Cascade.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: High level campaigns, checks and balances
Message-ID: <1159@Cascade.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 18:44:59 EST
Article-I.D.: Cascade.1159
Posted: Wed Nov  7 18:44:59 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 8-Nov-84 19:23:31 EST
References: <133@ttidcc.UUCP>
Organization: Stanford University
Lines: 34

> One of our PC's is a female elven mage/thief.  A while ago our party did  a
> big  favor for a fairly powerful god for which we were all richly rewarded.
> Her reward was to become unlimited in level as a mage (she can increase  in
> levels  as  if  she  were  a  human).  During our last session, she finally
> managed to attain 18th level (spent a LOT of money on  books  and  wishes).
> At  this  level she can now throw her own wish spells.  Given the longevity
> of elvenkind, this means she can easily throw enough wishes to  reach  90th
> level  without  aging  to  death  first.  In effect, she can become a demi-
> goddess any time she wants to.  Talk  about  unbalance!  Now  we  know  why
> elven mages are usually limited to 12th level.

*** POLYMORPH THIS LINE INTO YOUR MESSAGE ***

An easy problem to fix--just make all aging by spells proportional to
lifespan.  Since this aging reflects wear and tear on the magic user, it
even makes sense in the game (far more than a level restriction does!) The
other problem with long-lived races is that there is no reason that they
can't spend 100's or 1000's of years advancing and become too high level.
Our DM solved this by saying that the longer-lived races are
culturally/tempermentally/physically (choose one)  unable to spend all
that time adventuring.  Over the short run they can adventure just as much
as humans (so as not to disadvantage the player characters) but elves
must, in the long run, spend 10 years not adventuring for each year spent
adventuring.

	-paul asente
	    aka Selig, ranking cleric to Mamanta, goddess of healing
	    aka Brace, king of the western dwarves
	    aka Arkeved, rightful but unrecognised ruler of the elves
	    aka Claude, ranking cleric to Dithshard, goddess of herbs
		and flowers (really!)

[Note--these characters took about 6 years of playing to get where they
are]