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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
What Can Modularity Look Like?
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<blockquote data-quote="Keldryn" data-source="post: 5773043" data-attributes="member: 11999"><p>I can easily see modularity looking a lot like ... <em>Advanced Dungeons & Dragons</em>.</p><p></p><p>There is a fairly simple base set of rules, derived from OD&D (and later streamlined into B/X and BECMI). The presentation (especially in 1e) wasn't necessarily simple and straightforward, but the core of the game wasn't that complex. It was also pretty easy to swap out some of the more complex AD&D rules (such as initiative) and replace them with the more straightforward versions from B/X. Fiddly bits such as weapon vs AC adjustments could be easily ignored (and often were).</p><p></p><p>AD&D 2e made this more explicit by cleaning up the presentation and organization of the rules and clearly designating many things as optional, such as the more specialized character classes, weapon vs armor type adjustments, and non-weapon proficiencies.</p><p></p><p>AD&D 2e expanded on this modularity with the PHBR series, which mostly added additional rules and character options. Much later, the Player's Option series provided expanded and more complex rules for tactical combat, magic user, and character creation that in many ways replaced the core rules, rather than expanded upon them.</p><p></p><p>It was also easy to borrow rules such as the War Machine (mass combat) or dominion management from the D&D Companion Set and plug them into an AD&D game.</p><p></p><p>AD&D (and BECMI) consisted of many largely self-contained rules sub-systems, which made it much easier to add or remove "modules" without having too many unforeseen consequences elsewhere in the system. These sub-systems also frequently had very different resolution mechanics, which could make them very confusing. However, I don't see why there couldn't be self-contained modules that make use of a consistent resolution mechanic (d20).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Keldryn, post: 5773043, member: 11999"] I can easily see modularity looking a lot like ... [I]Advanced Dungeons & Dragons[/I]. There is a fairly simple base set of rules, derived from OD&D (and later streamlined into B/X and BECMI). The presentation (especially in 1e) wasn't necessarily simple and straightforward, but the core of the game wasn't that complex. It was also pretty easy to swap out some of the more complex AD&D rules (such as initiative) and replace them with the more straightforward versions from B/X. Fiddly bits such as weapon vs AC adjustments could be easily ignored (and often were). AD&D 2e made this more explicit by cleaning up the presentation and organization of the rules and clearly designating many things as optional, such as the more specialized character classes, weapon vs armor type adjustments, and non-weapon proficiencies. AD&D 2e expanded on this modularity with the PHBR series, which mostly added additional rules and character options. Much later, the Player's Option series provided expanded and more complex rules for tactical combat, magic user, and character creation that in many ways replaced the core rules, rather than expanded upon them. It was also easy to borrow rules such as the War Machine (mass combat) or dominion management from the D&D Companion Set and plug them into an AD&D game. AD&D (and BECMI) consisted of many largely self-contained rules sub-systems, which made it much easier to add or remove "modules" without having too many unforeseen consequences elsewhere in the system. These sub-systems also frequently had very different resolution mechanics, which could make them very confusing. However, I don't see why there couldn't be self-contained modules that make use of a consistent resolution mechanic (d20). [/QUOTE]
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