D&D 5E Player Facing Combat

[embee]

You do.

The DM does not roll.

They may still roll for damage or just use the average for speed.

Okay. It's basically THAC0 2.0.

Meaning that it sounds scary and mathy and mystical but it's really just simple arithmetic once you wrap your mind around it.

 

[embee]

That chart seems pointless.

Cheat sheets are pointless only after you've memorized the shortcuts.

 

[Mannahnin]

Okay. It's basically THAC0 2.0.

Meaning that it sounds scary and mathy and mystical but it's really just simple arithmetic once you wrap your mind around it.

In that sense, yeah. It's non-intuitive but a simple concept.

 

[Mannahnin]

The theory is that the players, by virtue of rolling to defend (as opposed to the GM rolling to attack and the players sitting there waiting), are more engaged. Rolling clackety rocks is inherently fun. Also, it makes them active (they're defending) as opposed to passive (they're getting hit).

Exactly so. Also, less time passes in combat where a given player "isn't doing anything". Often in a big fight the DM has a bunch of monsters to manage and their turn can take a while. With players rolling for defense, they're actively participating on the DM's turn(s) as well.

 

[NotAYakk]

Cheat sheets are pointless only after you've memorized the shortcuts.

No, I mean, looks like a cheat sheet for a bad version of "players roll defences".

So it makes doing a more complicated version of it easier.

 

[Weiley31]

Cheat sheets are pointless only after you've memorized the shortcuts.

Sounds like something a Lich would say.

 

[jmartkdr2]

If you want to keep the probabilities even, you need to adjust by 2 points, ie the DC tp block an attack is 12 + the monster's attack bonus.

One point for the .5 out of 10.5 on the die switching sides, and another because who wins ties switches.

Same idea for turning save dc's into spell effect rolls.

 

[jmartkdr2]

One other effect this has it it either creates a new kind of roll (the Defense roll), which isn't an ability check, attack roll or saving throw, or it creates a new kind of saving throw. Both of those create new edge case to rule on - if it's not a save, then you still have to consider stuff like Lucky, Bardic and regular Inspiration, and other die-influencing effects. I don't recommend making it a saving throw because paladins would be crazy tough.

These issues aren't hard to work through, but they will come up.

 

[commandercrud]

An awful lot of overcomplicating a simple thing in this thread.

 

[Stormonu]

It would work similar to Passive Perception.

Your Defense = your AC - 11 (based on the fact that currently, matching the AC of the opponent is a hit).
The DC is = 10 + opponent's attack bonus

A roll of 1 always fails, resulting in a Critical Hit.
A roll of 20 always succeeds in avoiding a hit.