RE: (TFT) Wizard mods - out of balance?

[David Michael Grouchy II <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

> Quoting David Michael Grouchy II <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>:
>
> I mean Illusionist is an ENTIRE
> character class in AD&D. It's a two point talent in TFT.

D'oh,
that should say "It's a one point spell in TFT."

>
> And here I disagree, at least in part.
>
> As far as Illusionists go, I'm not sure which Talent you are referring
> to. I'm finding it difficult to reconcile your statement that an AD&D
> class with 66 available spells can be distilled into a single TFT
> Talent. Especially as such AD&D spells as Blur, Light, Darkness,
> Phantasmal Force, etc. have pretty good TFT analogues. Just that would
> appear to refute your statement. To which Talent do you refer?

Oh my.  Even with my correction of it being a 1 point spell (to learn) I see
here that there are many more issues with my sweeping statement.  I'll try to
explain with a computer analogy.

There is a phrase called "overloaded functions" wich means that a single
symbol can be used at various levels of code scale.  For instance the plus
sign "+" can be used to add numbers, but it can also be used to add letters to
a string, or structures, excetera.  In that vein I allow a great deal of
creativity in wizard characters overloading their spells, with the intent that
a single spell in TFT is equal to an entire character class in D&D.

For instance.
Flight spell costs one to cast, and one per turn to maintain.  But if the
spell ends, and the character is still in the air they 'float gently to the
ground.' (AW)  So with a single point of fatigue a TFT wizard can fly for a
turn and "feather fall" wich are two seperate spells in D&D.

In the same way an Illusion spell in TFT covers a ton of things.  Sounds,
lights, illusions, various beings, even darkness and blue on inanimate objects
(the only limit on illusion being it cant be cast on an occupied hex.)
Illusions of weapons, flaming arrows, and all kinds of things not even
included in D&D are also possible.  Including the ever risky illusion of a
demon.  Far far more comprehensive than D&D and I don't have to shell out
thirty quid for a new hard back book, for each spell a character has.




>
> My preference for TFT can, however, be stated somewhat along the same
> lines as yours, though.
>
> One of the things I dislike about D&D is the class system. One of the
> things that I like about TFT is that, in effect, every character has
> his own class. One can construct a very plausible canonical AD&D
> Illusionist in canonical TFT. One cannot take an arbitrary Hero or
> Wizard in canonical TFT and construct a plausible canonical AD&D
> character. One could plausibly state that AD&D classes are just build
> packages rigidly made up of Talents and Spells, whereas TFT is
> non-rigid.


I too find it interesting that D&D has 'multi class characters' where someone
can be an illusionist/fighter/cleric, but in TFT one can learn
Illusion/Warrior+weapons/Physicker at game start without having to spend years
switching classes.  Yet somehow this is brushed aside, and because D&D has
more books, and heavier books, somehow TFT creates weaker characters who need
more buffing.

In other words, where D&D deliniates specific and narrowly defined powers for
any one spell or weapon skill, I use TFT's lack of restriction to be a
definition of much more flexibility.

Simply put,
in my campaigns most villagers have zero talents, and rely on their
attributes.
A village elder or witch doctor may have a single talent or spell, and be the
most valuable commodity to that village,
and a person with two talents is equivalent to a Runelord (from Runequest) who
is on a hero quest.

David Michael Grouchy II



Further I would like to add that I don't ask anyone else to look at it this
way.  But for two and a half decades, I have players who are very satisfied,
and love exploring my worlds.  It's a campaign where a player with a character
who bothers to pick a mundane talent like "farming" can enter a village of
farmers, who have been farming for ten generations, and completely
revolutionize what they are doing.  He can both show them an easier way to get
what they want, and with much higher yeilds.  Thus sowing the talent of
Farming itself into their community.  Much like the scientific farming efforts
of the French Nobles during the renaissance.

It just grumbles me a little when I see people making TFT talents out to be
some kind of 'entry-level' barely can hitch a plow kind of skill, that is in
need of buffing.

For me it comes down to the definition of Talent.  As in real talent.  As in
the thing legends are made of.

TFT is not a skill based system.

It is a talent based system.

And in my campaign the Talents are on level with god like abilities.  At least
in the medieval world view.  Cause remember, anyone can plant a seed, but
acording to TFT a talent has to be learned from someone who already has it.

I use the same definition for TFT Talents/Spells as I do for TFT itself.
"It should be easier to do it right."
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