Quote: NotDavies wrote:
Honestly, when I heard that, I cheered with glee. It might actually get me interested in Realms again. Any campaign setting where the PCs aren't
the focal point failed imo.
Forgive me, but that is incredibly self-centered. "It's not interesting unless the PCs are the only heroes"? Why not broaden
it a little -- "It's not interesting unless the PCs always win, and defeat is never a real possibility?"
Can Be Used In Combat. Thats the reason they exist.
Um ... so?
The book even states that healing potions "are not as effective as the healing powers of a cleric or warlord". This represents a major gutting of
their abilities from 3rd edition levels, where a potion of cure light wounds was that spell in a bottle, literally.
Furthermore, the fact that drinking a potion requires you to use up one of your own healing surges more than balances the fact that drinking it is a minor
action.
I don't feel that allowing PCs to contribute to the setting in a meaningful way is self-centered. The problem with the Forgotten Realms is that there
are so many high level NPCs wandering around that the actions of the PCs often feels superfluous. There was a similar problem with the original Dragonlance
setting; the Heroes of the Lance were the ones that saved the world while the PCs felt like a bunch of third wheels.
As for the new edition's healing
potions, I think that the weakness of the potions is balanced by the fact that healing is now much easier than in previous editions. Everybody seems to have
multiple methods by which they can heal themselves, and many can heal others as well. Given how freely healing is available, the potions were doubtlessly made
into a suboptimal choice so that they would be saved for emergencies rather than churned out cheaply and gulped by the case.
----------------------------------------------------
"Anyone can be a winner if their definition of victory is flexible enough." - The DM of the Rings XXXV