Game Balance Should Not Be Your Goal

I've opined before on the myth of game balance, and my ideas run parallel to the author of this post over at RPG Gazette:

https://therpggazette.wordpress.com/2025/03/31/the-myth-of-balance-why-perfectly-balanced-ttrpgs-are-a-pipedream/

The author makes the case for interesting imbalances, and I agree wholeheartedly. Part of what makes OSR games interesting are the different strengths of the different classes. They have a role they excel at. They shouldn't be pigeonholed according to average damage output per level or whatever your metric of choice tells you should be the case.

In fact, I make this argument for Palladium's system all the time, especially Rifts. Yes, you can play alongside near-invincible creatures, but player agency should win out in the end. Use your brains. There is ALWAYS something for you to do, if you are creative enough. The GM should be providing opportunities for everyone to shine, also. If the GM is not, the GM isn't doing his or her job.

Antediluvia: The City-State of Jelkkor Than (Overview)

(This City-State hasn't been placed on the map of Antediluvia yet, and was directly inspired by a Jack Vance tale, but I add my twist to it.)

The City-State of Jelkkor Than, couched in deep swampland, is a dismal place full of dismal people. The people of the city are physically short in stature, not often above five feet tall, but are stout and hardy. They have to be. The swamp is an unforgiving place where existence is often carved out only by determination alone. They whitewash their hair, and never cut it, leading to them all having pure white shocks of hair from an early age. The rest of their body is entirely hairless, which is a blessing in the swamp.

The leader of Jelkkor Than is a priestly role, with the title of Than-Speaker. He (or she, rarely) leads the populace in their observance of religious rites (of which there are many, in varied forms, featuring many local gods), makes new laws, and enforces the existing ones. The tenor of leadership is generally authoritarian, of course, being a theocracy, but most Than-Speakers attempt to be fair. There have been leaders who are not, however, but the populace often runs them out of the city when this happens and the people become tired of the ruler. Than-Speakers are chosen by lot from the many priesthoods in the city.

It is rumored that the scepter that the Than-Speaker carries as a feature of his station is magical in some way. Indeed, popular Than-Speakers of the distant past have been said to have lived for a thousand years, but whether that is due to the scepter or some other means is unknown. No leader has lasted more than thirty years in the last few centuries, so there has never been a recent opportunity to test the theory.