1d20... for all rolls.

[Tonguez]

Wait...if you're not looking to use the d20 as a substitute, then...if a dagger hits, does it do 1d20 damage?

If I recall correctly Lejendary Journeys (the other Gygax game system) does used d20 for all weapons. Um apparently it has something to do with the critical range applied eg a Dagger has a range of 1-2 a Great sword might have 1 - 12 sort of thing...

(I could be wrong - don't know - this was a while ago since I looked)

and Jeph Screw the averages!

 

[Deset Gled]

I'm not sure if this idea fits in exactly with what you meant to have happen, but here's a concept I've thrown around in my head before:

Instead of rolling once for attacking and again for damage, only roll once. Any amount that the player succeeds the roll by translates into damage done to the creature (probably on a 1 for 1 basis, but you might have to try it out to see if it should be a ratio instead).

There are, of course, a number of changes needed to be made to make this work:

Weapons would add a specific number to the attack roll rather than rolling for damage. Logically, a dagger would add a lot less than a greatsword, etc. Also, critical ranges would need to be completely re-worked. I'm not really sure the best way to balance all weapons using this, but one possible way would be to create a mechanic where different rolls with the d20 would add different multipliers of the weapons base damage. For example, if a club gave +3 to the roll, then on a roll of 20, it might add +6. A dagger, on the other hand, might be +2, but become +4 on a roll on 19 or 20. A hand axe might be +3, but would become +9 on a natural 20. I imagine that some formulae could be made to convert weapons in a reasonable manner.

Balance would need to be reworked for a few instances. One thing that comes to mind quickly would be archers, as they can get insane bonuses to attack. A number of feats and spells would probably have to be changed to make sense, as would weapon enchanments and the like. As for spells that deal damage, I really am not quite sure, as the original concept that I had didn't apply to them, but it may be possible to implement the same system using the amound that characters fail or pass saves.

I hope this helps, or at least gives you some ideas.

 

[Bhaal]

Re: Re: Just one question...

1) It simplifies things for new players.

I find different dice can actually help players distinguish what they're doing. Instead of just rolling the same die over and over and just adding whatever numbers whenever the DM says to, they can go "ok I roll d6's when I'm doing sneak attack damage, got it".

2) To see if it can be done.

Sure it can. It's all just numbers.

3) To create a more realistic combat/damage system (which can be done with differing dice, although I think it would be easier to do using one die type throughout.)

Aside from character creation/levelling, PCs pretty much only use non-d20's when rolling damage or a spell effect of some sort; not a whole lot will be changed. From your other suggestions I'd urge you to check out the Rolemaster Combat system, if you haven't already:

* It's very deadly. Anyone can be killed by anyone else in a single hit, it's just a matter of odds. You also perform worse once you've taken significant damage, and strikes can break bones, cause bleeding, and otherwise impair you.

* It differentiates 'avoiding' attacks and 'absorbing' attacks. Basically dex/insight/dodge bonuses are considered "defensive bonuses" and work against the opponent's attack roll to avoid the hit completely. Then there's "Armor Type", which lessens the damage done if you do get hit. There's obviously a tradeoff between the two: high AT armor usually has a Defensive Bonus penalty attached, so guys in fullplate get hit all the time, it's just they usually barely feel it. Then on the other side of the coin if you have a low AT and a high DB, you barely get hit at all, but when you do it hurts A LOT.

* The game is purely percentile rolls (actually I think there are some other ones hidden in the sytsem, but due to the high resolution of a d100, it's easy to mimic any other die type).

* The skill system complements the combat nicely. Just about everything is a skill, and those skills increase with use. Use a sword a lot and you'll naturally get better at it. Hitpoints are based off a skill too. The more you take damage, the faster the skill goes up and every time you get a new rank you get another hit die.

I'll be fair and admit some cons. First off the books are currently out of print (though they're trying to revive it). Finding a copy can be tough (ebay). Secondly there are a lot of rules, you'd be losing the "make it easier for new players" aspect for the "have more realistic/lethal combat" one. But in all honesty, that's sort of a fundamental balance right there. Simple, less realistic combat = easier to understand for the players.

 

[Bhaal]

Instead of rolling once for attacking and again for damage, only roll once. Any amount that the player succeeds the roll by translates into damage done to the creature (probably on a 1 for 1 basis, but you might have to try it out to see if it should be a ratio instead).

<snip>

Oh yeah, forgot to add that's how rolemaster does it too. One roll for attacks, the higher it is, the worse the damage. Each weapon damages differently, like clubs and maces can hit people with a fairly low roll, but it's not much damage until you get higher up. Arrows, on the other hand, don't hit unless you roll pretty high (which is tough if they have a high DB), but if they hit even at the lowest margins, it's immediately substantial damage.

 

[ichabod]

Re: Re: Re: Just one question...

* The skill system complements the combat nicely. Just about everything is a skill, and those skills increase with use. Use a sword a lot and you'll naturally get better at it. Hitpoints are based off a skill too. The more you take damage, the faster the skill goes up and every time you get a new rank you get another hit die.
[/B]

Ah, that's not the Rolemaster skill system, that sounds more like the Chaosium skill system. The Rolemaster system is like the d20 system, only a lot more complicated. Each class has different costs to buy a rank in different skills, and a different limit to how many skills can be bought. Also, the second rank you buy in one level often costs different. Also, all ranks are not worth the same. Once you get a lot of ranks in one skill, each rank adds less to your bonus for the skill.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

So you ALWAYS want to roll the die that is most likely to roll off the table?

--Round Spikey

 

[Azlan]

I put some time and effort into doing this too. I called this particular incarnation of my house rules, "True d20", since it was truly a system that uses only the d20.

Since, really, the only thing you use the other dice (d4, d6, d8, etc.) for is to determine damage, my system worked something like this...

The first d20 roll determines if the attack is succesful, just like normal 3E D&D.

The second d20 roll determines how much damage a successful attack inflicts.

A roll of 1 through 5 inflicts minimum damage.
A roll of 6 through 10 inflicts 50% damage.
A roll of 11 through 15 inflicts 75% damage.
A roll of 16 through 20 inflicts full damage.

As always with 3E D&D, round down.

Note that the percentages given are for the weapon *base* damage, without any bonuses for the wielder's strength, the enchantment of the weapon itself, etc.

Also note that the second d20 roll is almost always an unmodified one.

To simply things and to speed up gameplay, you calculate and write down the damage increments for each weapon in a character's (or monster's) possession.

Example: For a 3rd-level fighter with Str 14, wielding a +1 longsword, you'd would write down...

+1 Longsword, Attack Bonus: +6, Criticals: 19-20/x2, Damage: 4/7/9/11.

Another Example: For that same fighter wielding a +1 greataxe, two-handed, you'd write down...

+1 Greataxe, Attack Bonus: +6; Criticals: 20/x3; Damage: 5/10/13/16.

As it turned out, combat was actually quicker using this system. (You'd be surprised how much time is saved over the course of a game session, not having to sort through all those different dice.)

Be that as it may, we ended up going back to the old, "Not-So-True" d20 system. It was simply a matter of the players prefering to use all those various damage dice.

 

[Raving Raven]

Be that as it may, we ended up going back to the old, "Not-So-True" d20 system. It was simply a matter of the players prefering to use all those various damage dice.

That isn't quite how I plan on doing it. First of all, there is one defensive roll and one attacking roll. The defensive roll is used to determine whether the defending character dodges the blow and how well that character can take the blow once hit. The attacking roll would determines the attacker's combat ability and the amount of damage inflicted. Different weapons would get a bonus to damage to represent how deadly they are; a dagger might get a +1 to damage, while a long sword might get a +3.

Hit points would be done away with in favor of a wound level/fatigue system.

 

[Bhaal]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Just one question...

Ah, that's not the Rolemaster skill system, that sounds more like the Chaosium skill system. The Rolemaster system is like the d20 system, only a lot more complicated. Each class has different costs to buy a rank in different skills, and a different limit to how many skills can be bought. Also, the second rank you buy in one level often costs different. Also, all ranks are not worth the same. Once you get a lot of ranks in one skill, each rank adds less to your bonus for the skill.

That's for character generation. I'm used to an older edition of RM (2nd I think), and it was either a rule or a variant for that system. You buy skill points at character generation, then once you're in the game, you gain ranks by using the skills. We had tables and whatnot (I wasn't the DM), so I know it had to at least be a variant. Either way, it worked really well IMO.