The previous discussion about John Wick’s article reminded me of a tangential topic–something I said a couple of years ago about balancing classes, which was:

It’s impossible to perfectly “balance” a roleplaying game and still have any sort of recognizable individuality in the classes.

Is a
healing-focused cleric
balanced against a
sneak-attacking rogue
or against a
rapier-using fighter
or against a
bard whose focus is buffing his party
or against a
paladin with smiting greatsword
or against a
enchanter wizard
or against a
blaster sorcerer
or against a
combat maneuver monk?

How can you measure if something is “balanced” if its focus is something other than dealing damage per round?

You can’t.

Is a baseball pitcher “balanced” against a catcher, first baseman, or outfielder? They all have very different roles to play in the game, and have strong or weak skills and abilities to reflect those roles.

You just have to…