Let's clear something up, right here and right now.
Are you ready?
Setting down? Don't worry, I'll wait...
Good? Okay. Brace yourself; cause these words you may not like hearing.
There is no such thing as a 'balanced party.' Not in the sense so many people think of them. Don't believe me? Well let's do a little example here to illustrate my point. Imagine if you would a 4 person party, and let's say this party is one with the simplest form of balance possible - 4 fighters. They're all the same level, same race, and we won't even consider feats/skills etc. Now, you could say that you have a party of 4 identical characters with zero chances of being unbalanced. But here is the curve ball of a point - each fighter has selected a different weapon as their only difference. One may have taken a longbow, one a greatsword, another a mace and shield, the last a pair of short swords.
Even with such a rudimentary group we already have a unbalanced or 'un-fair' element many would declare as foul play. For instance if the fighter with his long bow gets his turn first some foes might be eliminated before the others can get in close enough to fight. In contrast if the foe is too big or is already in too close he might feel not feel effective. Is this party unbalanced? No. Because no party should be gauged against each other, they aren't battling one another. Instead the party is a team and as a team their effectiveness is the sum total of all of the members and how they act in concert against a foe.
A wizard may be powerful in regards to his spells but that is a limited resource that once depleted leaves him vulnerable. The fighter may not be limited in regards to such a resource but it is him who can protect the wizard and enable him to work his magic. You don't bench part of your team because their skill is beyond the others. No, you try to place your players where they are strongest and allow them to maximize each other.
Think about it. And while your at it check out this article with more such points to consider. A game is about having a fun enjoyable experience. If everyone does end up with such an outcome then that is what matters. Isn't it? The only balance we should worry about is between the players and the opposing team(i.e. - monsters etc.), right?
I'm having trouble believing anyone could be this thick-headed.
ReplyDeleteBalance doesn't mean 'everyone contributes in identical ways, all the time, forever'.
It means 'Everyone contributes in ways that give similar narrative focus' or possibly 'Everyone contributes in such a way that they feel similarly important to the success or failure of the party'
A healer, a tank, a damage-dealer, and some kind of buff/debuffer can all contribute to a fight in wildly different but similarly important ways. They all have strengths, weaknesses, and all serve an important role in the group.
Think of it this way, lets say you have to spend six years going to school to get a degree. You can get a degree in Law, Engineering, Medicine, or Ditch Digging. If you get a degree in Law, Engineering, or Medicine, you're pretty much guaranteed a job that will pay you enough to live comfortably, have some extra left over, and the chance to relax on weekends. If you go to school for Ditch Digging work will be hard to find, pay poorly, and you'll die young.
Which of these jobs would you go to school for? Replace Ditch Digger with 'Fighter' and you have a nice replacement for D&D 3.X. And here's the thing: you didn't actually go to school for six years. You wrote 'Fighter' and were penalized or wrote 'Wizard' and were given reality-warping powers. Why does one word give you encounter-ending abilities and the other word gives you ditch digging abilities?