Can we make "charge die" core, please?

[Abstraction]

Read this houserule on the forums, tried it in my game and loved it. All charged items (mostly wands), have a "charge die" instead of a set number of charges. A wand will start out with a d20 charge die when created. When you use it, roll a d20. On a 1, it goes down a die to a d12, then d10, then d8. If you roll a 1 on a d8 charge die, the wand is completely expended. This averages close to the same number of charges as you could expect currently.

There are two reasons I love this houserule. One, it saves on having a bunch of erasing or tick marks on your character sheet. You only need to record a change occasionally. Two, it really seems to encourage players to actually use their expendable resources more often. When they are only risking a die roll, it is much more likely they will choose to expend a "charge" from a wand of lightning and take a risk with the dice.

I've even been considering applying this mechanic to arrows and other expendables. Rations? Iron spikes? Maybe, maybe not. But I sure would love 4E to consider this easy mechanic.

 

[Hjorimir]

Reminds me of RoleMaster and MERP. Interesting way of doing it in D&D though.

 

[Nifft]

It's a cool house rule, but it should not be core. Core should be nailed down with fixed numbers, so it's easy to compare stuff.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dragonblade]

I'm pretty sure that charged items won't even exist in 4e.

 

[psionotic]

I'm pretty sure that charged items won't even exist in 4e.

Maybe charged items, if they still exist as we understand them, will be usable 1/encounter (for example) and have unlimited uses...

 

[Exen Trik]

The mechanic sounds cool, but is likely not needed.

Or if you prefer, it's funnecessary.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

...snip

so, this is a different d20 roll then the umd, and its only purpose is to not roll a one? it sounds kindof neet. I may have to try it sometime. Do you have charts that show equivalent die size to charge amount? Lets say you are running a written module and a bbeg has a wand with x number of charges. what do i start the wand out with?

 

[WyzardWhately]

I already blow through any charged item I don't sell outright. I mean, look at a wand of fireballs. You could set it off every single combat, 14 combats a level, and you'd gain near to four levels before it burned out. If it was just about cool when you got it, it'd be near useless by the time you used it up.

 

[Doug McCrae]

It feels like a mechanic from another game with the changing die size. Earthdawn or something.

Other than that, I really like it, D&D definitely needs something to speed up resource tracking.

 

[RPG_Tweaker]

I made wands have spells that were permanently imbuded in them. They were of unlimited use, but were powered by the user. They're generally themed in nature.

For example:

ILTHAR'S BRUMAL WAND: A 13" shard of birch ornamented with a sunken spiral of silver thread out to the tip capped with silver and a small yellowish topaz.

L0 Ray of Frost
L1 Chill Touch
L2 Cold Snap
L3 Slow
L4 Ice Storm

When activated, the WIZ/SOR may convert a spell of equal (or greater) level to cast a particular spell in the wand.

UMD: Make a DC check of 20 + (spell level x 2) to activate; the user takes SL+1 HP. On a critical success, no HP are lost.


This works out real nice, as a wizard can have more non-combat spells prepped, and sorcerers can cast spells they didn't otherwise know.

Best of all, I can give one to a first level mage and have it "grow" in strength as they do.