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Old 08-05-2014, 02:30 AM   #11
The Colonel
 
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Default Re: Is The trope that wizards can't use armor just an arbitrary limitation?

This sort of thing seems to assume a class based RPG - I've only encountered it outside class based games in a context where it appears to be a deliberate attempt to mimic the same effect.
The main reason seems to be either PvP balance or niche protection - explanations given as fluff rarely make any sense.
And of course, there's "that one specific class based RPG" with its origins in wargaming where "magic users" and "fighting men" were simply different kinds of unit with different capabilities, without needing to probe too far into the underlying reality of the thing.
The whole "you can't do it at all because stuff" position is distinctly old school - the modern trend (and the same trend that has always existed in non-class systems) would be towards "you can try, but you'll suck at it" ... which seems far more congruent.

Mythically speaking, wizards tend not to wander about in armour (although sword wielding seems reasonably common), but on the other hand they tend not to shoot fireballs either. Also, most mythic wizards are (or appear to be) very old, which may also impair their fighting ability.
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