Elegant Rules (Forked From: Inconsistant/Arbitrary rules...)

[Ariosto]

I agree that system shock and resurrection survival call for smaller increments than 5% at the high end of the constitution range. The thief's climbing function is another good example, I think.

 

[Simm]

4e - set hit points per level rather than rolling

This in particular I would argue with. Exept for carrying capacity (which I feel has never had an elegent rule) it is the only place in the system where a stat score rather than modifier count for an effect. Therefore I feel an ineligent solution.

I find skill sytem in 4e/SWSE to be an elengent solution because it models that few players really spread their skill points around in 3e and as a person adventure they become more proficient at accomplishing tasks in general rather than just the few things they are supposed to be good at.

 

[howandwhy99]

From OD&D:
4 Classes instead of 1, synergistic enough to allow for cooperative play, if desired. The first RPG and it supported four roles, not one.
Hit Points
Races, Still roleplaying, but included variations on being "human" (i.e. "demi-human")
Saving Throws
Vancian Spell slots
Morale
"Coin"-based encumbrance
"Dungeon" levels as Difficulty levels
"Character" levels as Player ability levels
Interdependent play due to Lawful and Neutral (unaligned or otherwise) Alignments
DM Screens, to keep the rules secret
Dungeons, all types of spatial exploration
"Magic" Items, for all imaginable types of object exploration
Traps, mixing dungeons and magic explorations together
"Monsters" as anything non-PC, allowing NPCs/ auxiliary personas near unlimited variability
Referees, leaving the consequences of every action up to neither the Players nor an arbitrary judge figure

 

[Greg K]

Everyone has the same XP table, regardless of class or race. Finally.

How did I forget this? (Where is the slaps head smiley when you need one?)

 

[jdrakeh]

From OD&D:
4 Classes instead of 1

What edition of D&D has only one class? Also, OD&D has only three classes by default, not four (Fighting Man, Magic-User, and Cleric).

 

[Hereticus]

I would go so far as to say 4e's familiar system even rocks out 3e's version. It's elegant, simple, and even answers the "pop-in" "pop-out" of players forgetting their familiars, too!

Which book are familiars described in?

 

[Asmor]

I actually think the Barbarian's Rage Strike is very elegant.

Every other class has the option (though not to say it's necessarily wise) to "alpha strike" and unload a bunch of dailies in a particular fight. A barbarian doing this would be sorely disadvantaged, because a big portion of his dailies is the ongoing rage effect which would thus be overwritten.

I actually liked it a lot more in the playtest version, but c'est la vie.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Which book are familiars described in?

Arcane Power, and yes, I agree it is a fine system.

 

[howandwhy99]

What edition of D&D has only one class? Also, OD&D has only three classes by default, not four (Fighting Man, Magic-User, and Cleric).

Ack! You're right about Thieves being added a few months later. (and support for it has been limited in the game ever since).

I was suggesting a game supporting multiple roles rather than one was elegant and ground breaking even while being the first hobby RPG on the scene. Most RPGs only support one role like "mythos investigator", "spy", or "superhero".

4E is also pretty elegant even though it supports four different roles: controller, defender, leader, and striker. But these aren't the roles roleplayed, but rather are ones for the manual simulation game.

 

[jdrakeh]

I was suggesting a game supporting multiple roles rather than one was elegant and ground breaking even while being the first hobby RPG on the scene. Most RPGs only support one role like "mythos investigator", "spy", or "superhero".

Oh! That completely makes sense! I just saw the "From OD&D" header and immediately took everything in that context. As I read further and further down the list I started to think "Man! What weird-o alternate reality version of OD&D does this guy have his hands on?!?"