The article is not wrong, but imo it’s seriously overplaying some of the arguments. Imo encounters were a lot easier to balance as a DM if you know your group, and the biggest issue a potential disproportionate power between an inexperienced player and one that is actively trying to break the game.
Sure, you could break the game because of all the arguments discussed. Didn’t mean you had to, though.
I agree. I got to the point that I could build monsters on the fly at the table and didn’t worry about game balance. There was an elegance in the consistency.
My group landed on a rotation of silly overpowered short campaigns to absolutely destroy the engine, and long games where we all agreed not to break the game.
That being said 4th Ed was so much better to craft monsters in. It broke me for every game I’ve run since. Now I just reskin.
The article is not wrong, but imo it’s seriously overplaying some of the arguments. Imo encounters were a lot easier to balance as a DM if you know your group, and the biggest issue a potential disproportionate power between an inexperienced player and one that is actively trying to break the game. Sure, you could break the game because of all the arguments discussed. Didn’t mean you had to, though.
I agree. I got to the point that I could build monsters on the fly at the table and didn’t worry about game balance. There was an elegance in the consistency.
My group landed on a rotation of silly overpowered short campaigns to absolutely destroy the engine, and long games where we all agreed not to break the game.
That being said 4th Ed was so much better to craft monsters in. It broke me for every game I’ve run since. Now I just reskin.