Gents,
An regular event at my local FLGS illustrates the extremely poor nature of d20 as a universal game system and even the problem underlying the very idea of an universal game system.
One fellow runs a weekly 'All In' d20 combat tourney. While levels (acckkk... spit) are limited, all the other various munchkin friendly/abused d20 bits are in full play. A player won a few weeks ago by fielding two halfling barbarian warriors backed up by two magic users.
He took out the reigning champ, a player with an actual fighter, by a careful, one time only, uber munchkin application of the rules. First, his magic users cast some sort of accuracy bonus on the halflings and then the halflings shot arrows in the fighter's eyes. Once blinded, the fighter was easy meat for the heroic halfpints.
Naturally, as with every other d20 session I've ever witnessed, this halfling sniper episode was interrupted by several 'check the rules books' interludes. The session was little more than rule playing and nothing like role playing.
Prior to having his character blinded by a rules lawyer, the player in question had won week after week in the old fashioned manner; he out played his opponents.
His fighter did not rely on ridiculous feats, odd weapons, odder armor, and hair splitting applications of the rules. He fought his opponents, he knew when to press his advantage, when not to press his advantage, when to play 'rope a dope', and when to attack all out. He fought, he didn't lawyer.
He was beaten by an opponent who spread the same number of points over four different characters. Two of the characters existed only to throw ONE specific spell on two unresisting characters. The other two characters existed only to blind their opponent and then, once he was blinded, take him out with minimal combat skills.
Sadly, the halfling archer - single spell magic user trick is legal in d20. Whether or not it is fair or fun is another matter entirely.
The rules for Avalon Hill's Midway were once misused in a similar fashion. In that game, planes could fly a certain distance from a carrier; 14 boxes, and a carrier could land a certain number of planes. Proto-d20 munchkins, or the fathers of d20 munchkins, quickly saw the opportunity presented. They'd fly planes from a carrier, attack a target, and then fly a shorter distance back to a different carrier to land. Thus, legally, a strike from Yorktown could fly 10 boxes, hit the Japanese, fly 4 boxs to Enterprise, and land while the Enterprise planes flew 4 boxes, attacked, and flew 10 boxes to land on Yorktown.
When this so-called tactic was first presented in the hobby press; Avalon Hill's General, common sense prevailed. Everyone quickly acknowledged that the tactic was legal within the letter of the rules and quite illegal within the spirit of the rules. If Avalon Hill had been using d20, the tactic in question would have probably become a feat.
WOTC and d20, also known as the Microsoft and Windows of the RPG world.
One size does not fit all.
Have fun,
Bill
