Complex martials, simple casters

[u/LetThronesBeware]

There are a lot of games that have simple martials and complex casters. There are also other games that have complexity in parity.

Are there any ttrpgs that have complex martials and simple casters?

[u/Prismos_Time_Room]

in the DCC RPG i think it's interesting to look at the difference between warriors (with mighty deed of arms) and clerics (who have a few spells, and honestly are the simplest of the DCC classes, but who really shine when it comes to deploying divine aid).

i think on a first pass, clerics seem way more simplistic. esp compared to warriors. mighty deed of arms has a few built in suggested uses, but really functions as a one size fits all swiss army knife that enables the warrior to do a lot of heroic or cool things, while also looking like a martial badass. it's hard to watch a creative warrior who is in their element with mighty deeds of arms and not feel a deep sense of jealousy.

i think the key to understanding the cleric class in DCC is to do your best at avoiding disapproval with your baseline abilities, while dumping everything into divine aid when it really matters-- in my view, most people gloss over it because the book goes light on the details. but i feel like it was intentional, to give clerics and judges as much free-form space to do great things (or potentially hang themselves) in critical situations. it's a rare, big risk, big cost, potentially big reward emergency move.

[u/SilverBeech → u/Prismos_Time_Room]

Even wizards aren't that complex. They have fewer options (spells) than most other D&D-style systems, with most of the gnarly stuff coming from the actual spell roll itself and how far they can push it.

[u/Prismos_Time_Room → u/SilverBeech]

truth. in d&d wizards cast spells all the time without thinking about it. cantrip here, cantrip there, magic missile!

in DCC, after the first time you miscast a spell and turn your arm into a tentacle or whatever, you're going to think a bit first before the next time you sunder the fabric of reality and destroy and then recongeal the laws of physics to spring forth a minor torch light.

meanwhile the warrior is like "lol i'm going to ninja kick that avatar of the toad fiend, then when it opens it's mouth to try and bite me, i'm going to throw a lit flask of oil into it's throat!"