Regardless, most of this information should be fairly accurate even in lower-optimization games, and I try to clarify where my own preferences might be assigning higher values than some groups would want to use.Īs a note, this guide is primarily written to assist players in building characters, but it can also be used by GMs both for help with creating balanced but challenging enemies, or identifying mechanics that could be improved upon or nerfed with house rules (or just banned outright). We each have our own optimization standards, and I am cognizant of the fact that mine is on the higher end of the bell curve. Admittedly, not everyone will agree with where I set the 'balanced' bar in all cases. This can mean too good for their cost (or, and especially, just too good in general), or it can mean too expensive when compared to another option that does the same exact thing in a more balanced manner. This means one has to avoid options that are unbalanced with the rest of the game. It is to define a character as precisely as one can while ensuring that all characters made using the same design principles are tightly balanced with each other. The goal here is not to build the most effective character on the lowest budget possible.
