TOPIC: Dragonscale

I know it would be a very large project, but it's a shame since TD has e-mail addresses for players that we can't send out a survey asking the question of what characters they play and why.  Without having the time constraints of the exit room, we could get some really good answers.<br /><br />Kim

<br />A couple of things to keep in mind with the Druid.<br /><br />People talk about the Druid's AC.  This AC is only with UR that is no longer in print (Dragonscale Armor).  So really, if you look at it, the Druid AC isn't that powerful for a majority of the True Dungeon players.  <br /><br />Second, for all its power, the Druid still isn't that a popular class.  I have heard it mentioned ranking down with the Monk and Barbarian several times.<br /><br />I think if you want to open the "character play balance" can you need to start with the Cleric who is clearly the most powerful in the set.  Access to plate, decent damage, and 50 HPs of healing is beyond the curve in terms of power relative to other characters.<br />

<br /><br />True, the only way a Druid can reach that maximum AC is to use three Ultra-Rares from three different years, two of which are out of print (well, within a couple of weeks), and the other will probably only be in print one year as well. 

<br />A couple of things to keep in mind with the Druid.<br /><br />People talk about the Druid's AC.  This AC is only with UR that is no longer in print (Dragonscale Armor).  So really, if you look at it, the Druid AC isn't that powerful for a majority of the True Dungeon players.  <br /><br />Second, for all its power, the Druid still isn't that a popular class.  I have heard it mentioned ranking down with the Monk and Barbarian several times.<br /><br />I think if you want to open the "character play balance" can you need to start with the Cleric who is clearly the most powerful in the set.  Access to plate, decent damage, and 50 HPs of healing is beyond the curve in terms of power relative to other characters.<br />

<br /><br />The stat evidence speaks for itself. There's no good reason for the druid to have nearly double the stat points of almost all the other characters. It's justifiable for the monk, but to give it to the druid is just inexplicable.<br /><br />I also think the arguement about character utilization is a red herring at best. First and foremost, there's no actual reliable information on the subject avaliable as of yet. We have a couple of annecdotal opinions and that's it. To base policy on that would be ridiculous. Second, even if it were true, I'm not sure it's relevant. Lets say that next year we find that there's a 500% surge in the number of people taking druid and for some reason barbarian drops like a stone. Should TD then boost barbarian stats for '09 while dropping druid? The entire idea is nutty.<br /><br />Lastly, there's notta out of balancce about the cleric. It's a cleric. I mean, what could you do to 'fix' it that still leaves the character as a cleric at this point? It's got d8 hit points per level, its spells are primarily healing and ultility, and its armor is as per book and has been locked in from previous years.

Only 3 down sides to being a Cleirc.<br /><br />(And personally they are big enough to balance the class in my opinion...)<br /><br />Poor weapon selection - both combat and ranged.<br /><br />Zero Dex / one poor save and one below average.<br /><br />Limited Combat spells - Turning is a "fair at best" alternative to combat VS undead.

I still think it's important to know why people want to play certain characters.  Also, I'd be very interested in hearing from Jeff why he made the druid's stats the way they are, since they've seemed to become a point of contention.<br /><br />Kim

The thread hasn't even been around for a day yet. I figure it'll take him at least a couple to even see it before even deciding whether or not to respond.

<br />

<br />A couple of things to keep in mind with the Druid.<br /><br />People talk about the Druid's AC.  This AC is only with UR that is no longer in print (Dragonscale Armor).  So really, if you look at it, the Druid AC isn't that powerful for a majority of the True Dungeon players.  <br /><br />Second, for all its power, the Druid still isn't that a popular class.  I have heard it mentioned ranking down with the Monk and Barbarian several times.<br /><br />I think if you want to open the "character play balance" can you need to start with the Cleric who is clearly the most powerful in the set.  Access to plate, decent damage, and 50 HPs of healing is beyond the curve in terms of power relative to other characters.<br />

<br /><br />The stat evidence speaks for itself. There's no good reason for the druid to have nearly double the stat points of almost all the other characters. It's justifiable for the monk, but to give it to the druid is just inexplicable.<br /><br />I also think the arguement about character utilization is a red herring at best. First and foremost, there's no actual reliable information on the subject avaliable as of yet. We have a couple of annecdotal opinions and that's it. To base policy on that would be ridiculous. Second, even if it were true, I'm not sure it's relevant. Lets say that next year we find that there's a 500% surge in the number of people taking druid and for some reason barbarian drops like a stone. Should TD then boost barbarian stats for '09 while dropping druid? The entire idea is nutty.<br /><br />Lastly, there's notta out of balancce about the cleric. It's a cleric. I mean, what could you do to 'fix' it that still leaves the character as a cleric at this point? It's got d8 hit points per level, its spells are primarily healing and ultility, and its armor is as per book and has been locked in from previous years.<br />

<br /><br />Interesting how you say the cleric shouldn't be changed because it is "locked in from previous years" and yet you don't feel the same way about the Druid, whose stats are equally "locked in from previous years". 

<br />Interesting how you say the cleric shouldn't be changed because it is "locked in from previous years" and yet you don't feel the same way about the Druid, whose stats are equally "locked in from previous years".  <br />

<br /><br />You misunderstand. The _and_ in this case attaches the locked in to the equipment and not as another item in a list. There was a previous _and_ that indicated the last item in the list.

[mood lightening attempt]<br /><br />Isn't it obvious - the Druid is Jeff's FAV CHAR CLASS!<br /><br />[/mood lightening attempt]<br /><br />

[continuing mood lightening attempt]<br /><br />I'm going to ride that "Jeff's Favorite Class" Druid for as far as it goes!  =D<br /><br />[/continuing mood lightening attempt]<br />

Since druid and monk were put in at the same time, I'll wager it's more likely someone just came up with stats on the fly and didn't check for consistancy.

I find it very funny that this has gone to 3 pages without once talking about the fact druids cant shapeshift in this game. That has them missing out on breathing in water, swimming faster, flying, huge stat increase, huge atk bonus, special atks, a tiny form, a huge form...its a pretty long list depending on what they can turn in to. <br /><br />not even going to get in to the loss of an animal companion, or in 1st earlier edition terms, befriending an animal for help in combat, or just every day dungeon tasks like, "hello mr badger, go walk on that suspicious looking 5x5 tile up ahead."<br /><br />and dont give me the characters are only 3rd level line. what are 3rd level PC's doing with purple weapons?? Hell, a whole outfit of greens is pretty huge at that level in any edition of any kind of rpg, World of Warcraft aside. <br /><br />but hey, ima noob, wada I no  =(