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@deliricho Yeah, I'm aware of systems that do both those things. They don't really seem to fit with the D&D vibe, though.

I don't really see why anyone would horde them. Their loss if they do, when they all vanish on level-up. In any case, I don't think that most peeps who would be keen to play in a low-stat game would be hoarding types.

Fair. This did occur to me, but it needs to not overshadow people with actual high stats.

Okay, so it's my opinion that rolling 3d6 for stats is the way to go. Why? Because I like what the element of chance does for character creation, and I like the idea of flawed heroes - they're just more interesting. And why have a stat range of 3-18 if you're only going to use the top half...

I agree with this. While it is less direct than the other 'role-defining' abilities (it doesn't happen on the battlefield), this flexibility in power selection does qualify as an element of control. Sure, other classes can retrain or use different weapons, but (like the other role-defining...

I'm going to use randomly generated attributes. If they roll four 1's, they'll have ample opportunity to be dumb. Or weak or clumsy - whatever they prefer. I think assigning a standard attribute array takes a lot away from the character of the game. Sure, it's good to have a balanced system...

Keith's points are all very good, and I think they will work well when combined with a 1:1 success/failure ratio for all challenges. But as things stand, there's too much work to do to even make challenges 50-50.

I'm all for some rationalising of the game's rules, but some cows are just too sacred, and not everything has to be a slave to exactness. I used to sit in science class at school and roll stats for 2E characters. Would it really be D&D any more without those six sacred attribute scores? For the...

Those of you who think that Stalker0's system is too complex may want to have a look at my simple Skill Challenge fix in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=230222 I've gone for simplicity over rock-solid mathematics, but that's where my tastes lie. If you agree, it might work...

This is true of any system that makes use of multiple rolls - a sequence of 'below average' checks will push the odds exponentially lower, just as a sequence of 'above average' checks will push them exponentially higher. Hopefully, a mix of skill levels and some DC adjustments will prevent the...

Yeah, what constitutes a suitable XP reward is debatable. I'd tend to base XP rewards on how the PCs go about approaching the encounter, rather than giving a set amount based on complexity or DC. But then, I'll probably do the same for combat encounters. If you're converting challenges from...

I guess the main reason would be because lives are much less likely to be in danger in a Skill Challenge than in Combat, and failure in the former can still push the story forward. The stakes aren't as high, so a somewhat close contest is needed to build the drama. Players are encouraged to play...

Cheers for the kudos. I'm not concerned by a few percentage points here and there, as they can easily be absorbed/ignored during actual play. I'm curious as to why you chose 80% success as your average benchmark for Challenges? It seems natural to me that the average success rate for a...

All good work, Stalker0. It seems to me that 'Aid Another' should a highly situation-dependent bonus. The DM should allow it on some checks, disallow it on others, and even give penalties if it is attempting in illogical situations (how many PCs does it take to change a lightbulb?). Also, not...

Stalker0: Not to dis what you've done (in fact your work inspired the thoughts I'm having on the issue), but I'm definitely a man who prefers simplicity when it will get the job done. I've been thinking more about the relationship between Skill Checks and Challenges. I'm not sure I agree that...

I've started my own thread on this topic on the House Rules forum: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=4283258#post4283258 Two things seem clear to me: 1. Succeeding an average Skill Challenge should be about as hard as succeeding an average Skill Check. The only difference should be in...

Okay, this may not fix the skill challenge maths in as much detail as say, Stalker0's system (http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=229796), but it's a lot simpler: Simply set the Success/Failure ratio for ALL skill challenges at 1:1. ie. 3 successes before 3 failures, or 5 successes before 5...

Ah, I remember the hours of argument back in the 2E days. Our DM insisted it couldn't be done, a couple of players said the opposite. I think its more an issue of mobility than weight, and I think its perfectly appropriate for the heroic individuals in D&D to swim with just a minor penalty.

Wow, some people really get upset about the strangest things. The monster PC rules fall into the category of 'extremely optional' rules. They are rather cursory and incomplete, and should be modified to your heart's content. That said, I can easily buy a PC goblin getting a Charisma bonus. PCs...

Monsters missing from MM: I couldn't care in the slightest. If anything, I'd rather play with some new things. From the sounds of it it will be simplicity itself to ubild any monster you feel is missing. Trap creation rules missing from the DMG: Somewhat irritating, as tools are the DMs best...