D&D General Help Me Build the D&D Game I Want to Run

[Reynard]

I had been in the planning stages of a similar game with my 14 year old twin boys.

On Eska, the Vril were the unknown, ancient people that made all the wonders.
In a rocky northern coastline, caches of Vril (magic) items have been found.
This has caused a bit of a "gold rush". Instead of mining, the Vril caches will be five room dungeons.
Very much an unknown frontier.

Slow natural healing, gritty realism, lingering injuries.
Using slot based inventory so the players don't have to count every pound. Still, it's about what you brought with you, and what treasure you can take back!
Since I only have two players, I'm taking the sidekick rules for a spin.

You've piqued my interest, and downloaded Into the Unknown, Running the Game.

I really like Five Torches Deep load and supply rules and will try it with those. It manages to be both abstract and require logistical planning.

 

[Lanefan]

Looks good to me just one comment:

May I suggest no ASI but allow feats instead (maybe ban troublesome ones). I think this gives a more old school & grittier feel than ever increasing stats (and makes +1 feats more attractive). YMMV

Probably much less effort to simply ban feats than go through all of them and weed out the problem children.

As for ASIs, if you don't mind a tiny extra bit of complication to add some randomness to when stats go up (and to slow stat advancement down from what 5e gives) you could add in the percentile-increment system introduced with the 1e Cavalier.

How it works is this:

At roll-up two stats - your class' primary stat (or one of them, if a class has more than one primary) plus one other stat of your choice - are noted as the ones that get increments. These choices are locked in once made.

d% is rolled for each of these two stats. Thus, a Wizard with Int 14 might roll 87% and start with Int 14.87; and have chosen Dex for her other stat, rolled 34 for that, and started with Dex 13.34

At each level-up, dice* are rolled with their total being added to the % on the stat. So, our intrepid Wizard might bump to 2nd, roll a total of 8 on the dice, and now be Int 14.95. A similar roll happens for Dex.

When a % rolls over from 00 to what would be 101, knock off 100 and add a point to the main stat. Here, at 3rd level our Wizard rolls 14 on his increment dice, taking his Int from 14.95 to what would be 14.109; this then becomes 15.09 and any adjustments required for the stat going from 14 to 15 are made.

The value of the % number has no effect on anything until-unless it rolls over; a 14.01 functions in all ways exactly the same as a 14.99

* - the dice used can be bigger or smaller depending how rapidly you want stats to increase on average. We always have the prime stat going up faster than the other one; in my game I use 3d8 for the prime stat and 2d6 for the other. The prime used to be 2d10 but I found that was too slow in a system that often only gets to 9th or 10th level; in a 20-level game you might even want to go as low as 2d8 for the prime.

 

[Reynard]

@Lanefan that feels needlessly complicated (though it was more complicated in Hackmaster!). I might reduce the ASI to 1 point but they are only going to get 2 anyway by the end with a cap at 9th level.

 

[Lanefan]

@Lanefan that feels needlessly complicated (though it was more complicated in Hackmaster!). I might reduce the ASI to 1 point but they are only going to get 2 anyway by the end with a cap at 9th level.

It's actually much much simpler in play than it is to describe.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Probably much less effort to simply ban feats than go through all of them and weed out the problem children.

As for ASIs, if you don't mind a tiny extra bit of complication to add some randomness to when stats go up (and to slow stat advancement down from what 5e gives) you could add in the percentile-increment system introduced with the 1e Cavalier.

How it works is this:

At roll-up two stats - your class' primary stat (or one of them, if a class has more than one primary) plus one other stat of your choice - are noted as the ones that get increments. These choices are locked in once made.

d% is rolled for each of these two stats. Thus, a Wizard with Int 14 might roll 87% and start with Int 14.87; and have chosen Dex for her other stat, rolled 34 for that, and started with Dex 13.34

At each level-up, dice* are rolled with their total being added to the % on the stat. So, our intrepid Wizard might bump to 2nd, roll a total of 8 on the dice, and now be Int 14.95. A similar roll happens for Dex.

When a % rolls over from 00 to what would be 101, knock off 100 and add a point to the main stat. Here, at 3rd level our Wizard rolls 14 on his increment dice, taking his Int from 14.95 to what would be 14.109; this then becomes 15.09 and any adjustments required for the stat going from 14 to 15 are made.

The value of the % number has no effect on anything until-unless it rolls over; a 14.01 functions in all ways exactly the same as a 14.99

* - the dice used can be bigger or smaller depending how rapidly you want stats to increase on average. We always have the prime stat going up faster than the other one; in my game I use 3d8 for the prime stat and 2d6 for the other. The prime used to be 2d10 but I found that was too slow in a system that often only gets to 9th or 10th level; in a 20-level game you might even want to go as low as 2d8 for the prime.

Days of Unearthed Arcana Cavaliers and Paladins are dancing before my eyes!

We hat a thing called Fighter Options in AD&D back in the day (Fighters only got them). To learn one you rolled a d20 when you leveled. If your roll was equal or less than your new level, you got a style. Otherwise, you waited until next level. It was a nice random way of getting them.

 

[Reynard]

Days of Unearthed Arcana Cavaliers and Paladins are dancing before my eyes!

We hat a thing called Fighter Options in AD&D back in the day (Fighters only got them). To learn one you rolled a d20 when you leveled. If your roll was equal or less than your new level, you got a style. Otherwise, you waited until next level. It was a nice random way of getting them.

I am actually considering let only Champion Fighters take feats.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I am actually considering let only Champion Fighters take feats.

Hmm... depending on what feats you are most concerned with, it seems like Champion Fighters would be the kind most likely to abuse said feats?

I like the idea of removing ASIs, but including feats. So, if you want to bump up an ability score, you have to select a feat with the increase baked in.

Personally, I've never had an issue with feats in any of the games I've played in, but tastes differ so YMMV.

 

[Reynard]

Hmm... depending on what feats you are most concerned with, it seems like Champion Fighters would be the kind most likely to abuse said feats?

I like the idea of removing ASIs, but including feats. So, if you want to bump up an ability score, you have to select a feat with the increase baked in.

Personally, I've never had an issue with feats in any of the games I've played in, but tastes differ so YMMV.

The thought with letting Champions take feats was simply to allow them a little more diversity of action since it is the "boring" class.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The thought with letting Champions take feats was simply to allow them a little more diversity of action since it is the "boring" class.

I can see why you would want to go that route, but IMO champions are actually a really good subclass. There is the thread about "balancing" them out, but for the most part I think they are good. Maybe give them a slight buff, like expertise in Athletics, at level 3. That leads nicely into the Remarkable Athlete at level 7.

 

[Mepher]

I really hate the low light visions and abundance of light cantrips in this game. My last campaign had a Bard, Sorcerer, and a Cleric which meant there were 3 light cantrips going at all times. One solution to that problem I am using with my next campaign is to make light cantrips into a concentration spell.

The Sorcerer might have to decide mid dungeon to drop his light cantrip on the fly if he needs to cast Spider Climb or Hold Person. That Bard isn't going to be able to maintain his light if he wants to cast Tasha's Hideous Laughter or Faerie Fire. The Cleric has to drop his light if he wants to cast Silence or Spirit Guardians. These are just a couple quick examples but it forces them to make a choice. Dropping that light cantrip might throw a part of a room into darkness, creating a danger for the players.