The Man Keeping the Martial Down

[FaerieGodfather]

If you want a good laugh and an amazing example of D&D's inability to actually emulate any of the fantasy fiction that inspired it, search for Gary Gygax's AD&D write-up of Conan for Dragon Magazine. Sky-high stats, level 10+ in multiple classes, and 'unconscious' psionic powers. It was basically Gygax throwing up his hands and saying "no matter HOW high-level your character gets, they can NEVER be this cool!"

Same phenomenon, closer to home: look at the 3.X statblock of any FR novel character in the FRCS. It's not just Drizzt and Elminster.

(I think Conan is officially a superhero now, as he's joining a team of Avengers in the comics. the mind boggles...)

god damn it, I have been working on this fanfic for ten years now.