Questions concerning 1e

[manikus]

Another 1e question.

Assassins - they perform as a thief that is two levels lower. What does this mean for first and second level assassins? No thief skills, 1st level thief skills or lower thief skills (lower than 1st level)?

[Uatu]

I never found a good clarification for that in the manuals, so I assumed that it meant that assassins did not have any thief abilities (except set traps and backstab) until level 3 (just as a paladin cannot turn undead until level 3).

So until then, assassins are basically sort of crappy fighters that can set traps and try to get a single good killing shot on people.

[manikus]

That sounds reasonable to me.

Alright, now I'm back to slogging through Player's Handbook.

[SilentThief]

Regarding Magic Shops, the idea of buying one shot items like potions kinda makes sense. But in any self respecting kings domain, there would be a lot of controls over the manufacture and more importantly the sale of superior armor and weaponry.

ST

[manikus]

I think that's a good rule of thumb for anywhere.

As a DM, I don't think you should be able to buy a +5 anything, or a +4 or a +3 or a +2, but maybe a +1 if you're in the mid-levels, say 8-14 and it would cost way too much to be worthwhile.

Actually, I don't even like the idea of PCs being able to get +4 and above (unless it is absolutely essential to the story). Very powerful NPCs might have these items, but they are the type of characters that are not likely to join a band of adventurers, or be defeated by them. Just my $.02.

[SilentThief]

Yeah, and if there was the Uber-powerful weapon that has a +5 bonus; and you wanted to put it into the story: Make it part of the story. Make it a named weapon with a history and/or legend and perhaps include a group who are bound and determined to get the weapon back by any means.

Stuff like that makes +5 weapons worth the magic bonus.

ST

[manikus]

We're on the same page here.

Related to this are the folks that always max out their characters stats (on the computer at least). Honestly, if you're all 18s, wearing +5 plate, with a +5 shield and a +5 helm with your +5 boots of infinite movement and your +5 longsword that casts meteor swarm at will and wish 3 times a day, what is the point of doing anything short of hunting deities?

[Uatu]

Yeah - basically a person with all 18s would be Olympic-level athlete (picture a champion sprinter Arnold Schwartzeneggar) with an IQ of 180+, the sagely insights of a spiritual leader, AND a charming personality and good looks to boot!

The only thing that could hurt such a character is, of course, bad dice rolls.

[manikus]

In NWN, I know of several people who got together to create a hakpak that boosted character ability scores, b/c for some gamers, all 18s (or whatever the equivalent is in 3e) isn't good enough.

[Uatu]

Well, then - those would be more like demigods with the strength of titans, IQ of 250+ (Einstein? Ah - I taught him!), speed of cheetahs (or more), a healing factor a la Wolverine, immunity to being fooled/beguiled, and looks that can charm/awe onlookers automatically

...but with the hit points of a 1st level character...