Ok, maybe I misunderstood this theoretical battle. I thought we were talking about in PnP games, if you mean CRPG, then you would be extremely restricted what you could do. Also, if this was a CRPG, are we saying that the fighters or mages or both were under computer control. We are talking artificial intelligence here, and to date, it sucks. Whoever the non-computer characters were, would probably win. Think fog of war. Delay tactics for spells to wear off. Etc. If you mean player/player, then it would go by available spells and/or computer delay for the mages and available protection items (if allowed) for either side. Nothing can truly match a PnP adventure. Don't get me wrong, CRPG make things look flashier, but you can not do anything/everything you want to in the game. If you can, then you are very short sighted in what a character can accomplish. Should I bribe an official to get a certain letter to become a lord so that I can infiltrate a nearby town? What about getting a rope and grapple in order to climb a wall of a particular establishment needing to be looted? What about seducing yon bar maid so that I can help my party members avail themselves of the back rooms free of charge? Suppose I decide that I want to bash into a room that is wizard locked and decide that I want to bust the wall in, instead? Can you do all of this and more at any given moment in a CRPG? No. You can't. Only what is scripted in. What about casting fly? How many Black Isle games will allow this? Spider Climb? Hmmmm. Can't seem to find that one. What about cantrips? Can I cast sneeze just to get a laugh from the party when I'm at a boring lecture and can endure no more from the speaker? Just a thought here.
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