Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Looks like I'm in the minority, but:
Hear, Hear!
Lan-"it ain't a good game until you've used every die in the bag"-efan
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Dice
- Thread starter sheadunne
- Start date
Hear, Hear!
Lan-"it ain't a good game until you've used every die in the bag"-efan
erf_beto
First Post
I see what you mean. Even the designers see what you mean, or we wouldn't have DnD minis and boardgames using only a single d20 - and boardgames are where you can go mad with lots of special dice!
I'd also like to use more of the "weird rpg dice" at the table, but I prefer the unified mechanic by far. Heck, I'd prefer playing with d20s and d6s only, if they managed to do that right.
I'd also like to use more of the "weird rpg dice" at the table, but I prefer the unified mechanic by far. Heck, I'd prefer playing with d20s and d6s only, if they managed to do that right.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I would not mind % skills again, everyone gets a % equal to 2x there stat, training is + stat, and every level pcs get x points tonspend
I have a difficult time becoming emerged in events in a D&D world when the dice used in the event are exactly the same as another event (namely combat). If social situations were resolved using a d12, and the variables were different than say a d20 combat, than I suspect the feel of the event would be different.
Take something like 3e/4e combat. Damage uses a different type of die than the attack roll. Even different types of weapons use different dice. When you roll that d12 for an axe swing, it feels different than if you were rolling a d8 for a long sword. All damage feels different than the act of rolling to hit.
Spells feel different since the rolling part (in 3e and previous) is done by the target, not the caster. When you say "roll a saving throw" it feels different than if you roll the d20 yourself.
If you're exploring a room and roll a d6 to look for a secret door, it feels different than rolling a d20 to look for it. You don't associate the action with an "encounter" even though the door could be trapped or another event may occur.
Sure it's easier to roll the same dice for everything, but the cost in 3e and 4e is that every event feels like combat, even the mundane skill checks. I felt like I was attacking a wall to climb it or attacking tracks in the snow to follow them. D&D has a long history of crazy looking dice, I'd like to use them more often.
A unified mechanic can use the same dice for the same types of situations, it doesn't need to roll the same die type for all situations. Social situations, d12; Exploration d10; thief skills, d100, mundane skills d4, searching d6, etc. If every time you rolled a specific type of die for a specific situation, that feels pretty unified to me and feels like you're doing something different than attacking something.
Take something like 3e/4e combat. Damage uses a different type of die than the attack roll. Even different types of weapons use different dice. When you roll that d12 for an axe swing, it feels different than if you were rolling a d8 for a long sword. All damage feels different than the act of rolling to hit.
Spells feel different since the rolling part (in 3e and previous) is done by the target, not the caster. When you say "roll a saving throw" it feels different than if you roll the d20 yourself.
If you're exploring a room and roll a d6 to look for a secret door, it feels different than rolling a d20 to look for it. You don't associate the action with an "encounter" even though the door could be trapped or another event may occur.
Sure it's easier to roll the same dice for everything, but the cost in 3e and 4e is that every event feels like combat, even the mundane skill checks. I felt like I was attacking a wall to climb it or attacking tracks in the snow to follow them. D&D has a long history of crazy looking dice, I'd like to use them more often.
A unified mechanic can use the same dice for the same types of situations, it doesn't need to roll the same die type for all situations. Social situations, d12; Exploration d10; thief skills, d100, mundane skills d4, searching d6, etc. If every time you rolled a specific type of die for a specific situation, that feels pretty unified to me and feels like you're doing something different than attacking something.
I don't feel as though including the other dice would really mean abandoning the unified d20 mechanic and I'd enjoy having some sub-tables make use of percentiles and the other die.
There's also something to be said for the gradients of probability that can be generated with dice combinations apart from the d20.
There's also something to be said for the gradients of probability that can be generated with dice combinations apart from the d20.
I think it comes down to percentages. Not everything should be broken down into 5% steps (d20). I'm toying with the idea of d6+attribute for skill checks rather than d20+attribute modifier. How random should skill usage really be? Particularly skills like jump.
I can pretty consistently jump the same distance despite having no athletic background. My ability to jump over a stream doesn't vary to drastically, so I don't see that check as requiring 20 degrees of variation.
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I can pretty consistently jump the same distance despite having no athletic background. My ability to jump over a stream doesn't vary to drastically, so I don't see that check as requiring 20 degrees of variation.
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DM Howard
Explorer
I'm on the side of a unified mechanic in terms of using the d20 for most checks. My question to those who want other dice to be used for other checks is this: how confusing do you want the game to be for new players?
Part of game design is designing not for yourself but for the audience you are trying to reach with your game. While I wouldn't mind other dice being used for different checks I shudder to think how easy the different rules and situations would be for new players to grasp.
For veteran players different dice for different checks is great, but I don't think it's a good decision as far as design goes.
Part of game design is designing not for yourself but for the audience you are trying to reach with your game. While I wouldn't mind other dice being used for different checks I shudder to think how easy the different rules and situations would be for new players to grasp.
For veteran players different dice for different checks is great, but I don't think it's a good decision as far as design goes.
There are plenty of corner cases where alternate die could be used without stressing new players. And sometimes there's some fun to be had in doing things a little different and making the minimal effort required to look at the table of contents or index and flip to a particular page.
I doubt people today are any less capable than they were in the 70s and 80s, and AD&D had plenty of sub-tables and a variety of resolution systems.
I doubt people today are any less capable than they were in the 70s and 80s, and AD&D had plenty of sub-tables and a variety of resolution systems.
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