It would make so much sense if cats were deciding the game! They could be putting random rules on bits of paper and dropping them on cats. The paper the cats chew the most become the rules.
More a case that low-level "magic users" sucked that badly, to make up (somehow) for being completely OP at the top end. "Game balance"! [*laugh track*]
A first-level MU was basically a one-charge-per-day wand of sleep on legs, who stood a better than even chance of getting one-shotted and having to reroll (or simply replaced by a clone with the number incremented by one, ala Paranoia) if they ever dared to enter melee.
I gotta go with Gabe here. That's one of the main reasons I dislike the magic system in D&D. That, and memorizing spells just to forget them as soon as you cast. I know, who really cares, the bottom line is you have X "magics" to work with so just plan accordingly. But the underlying mechanics, the meta RPG aspects if you will, matter to me. They matter so much! Damn those cats and their random rules without sense!!!!
Posts
somewhat relevant http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0012.html
A first-level MU was basically a one-charge-per-day wand of sleep on legs, who stood a better than even chance of getting one-shotted and having to reroll (or simply replaced by a clone with the number incremented by one, ala Paranoia) if they ever dared to enter melee.