D&D Rules Realism?

GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
edited April 2008 in D&D Supernerd Heaven
Here's an interesting essay on the realism of the ruleset:
http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/d&d-calibrating.html

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    Cool article.

    Those people who get worked up over realism always get a laugh out of me.

    My answer to any realism concerns?

    NOR IS IT REALISTIC THAT THERE ARE DRAGONS THAT BREATH LIGHTNING. NOR IS IT REALISTIC THAT A MAN CAN SHOOT FIRE FROM HIS HANDS.

    CB and I were discussing the economy of the D&D universe last night. It's a little messed up.. But the d20 system is surprisingly well balanced.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    The economy of the D&D system is actually very balanced. Most people just don't pay any attention to it and, as a result, think it's totally ****ed up. Most people don't know that there are rules for taxation, making an income, peasantry, fiefdoms, buying and producing goods and services other than "Sword," or "Shield," etc.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    We're talking about the economy of a system that takes a hamlet with a "dungeon" nearby.

    The living costs as listed in the rulebooks indicate that an "extravagant" lifestyle is something like xxgp per month. It's a very small number. the majority of a population in a given town - let's just say 100gp is more money than they'll generally see in a lifetime. A party can come out of a dungeon even with a small amount of treasure - say, 1200gp. That would throw a town into an uproar, economically.

    When they roll up with 35,000 gp, the economy of scale goes off the charts. You can't realistically have a wizard selling "magic items" in a town for 1000s of gp when the average income is counted in sp per month.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    100gp is less than 2/3 of what a level 8 <i>peasant</i> will see in a year in the D&D economy.

    1200g is financially enormous for a dungeon loot, btw. Especially < level 10.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    What is a level 8 peasant? According to the article, such a thing would never exist - peasants are far from extraordinary, and a level 8 character would be practically godlike on Earth terms according to the author.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited April 2008
    1200g is financially enormous for a dungeon loot, btw. Especially < level 10.

    I don't think 1200gp in total treasure haul would be extraordinary by any means, are you nuts? Each of our characters started with ~100gp of VERY basic equipment. 1200gp will barely buy you a spyglass. A warhorse costs 400gp. You're saying that LEVEL 8 adventurers are having BIG HAULS at 1200gp? what?

    At level 8, most characters have magic weapons, at least +1, probably better, and a single gemstone for a spell that a lvl8 wizard can cast can cost more than that.
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