[4e] Adding a few "classic" elements to D&D

[tyrlaan]

I wonder if that d100 approach isn't too far the other direction - that is, each little gain is no longer meaningful because the increase is so infinitesimal. I like frequent gains too, but I like them to mean something. There's also the point where constant gains are no longer fun because "I always get something." I'm going to be starting a campaign (of sorts) in the near future where each character has 5 additional background "slots" per tier, though you can only start with one starting background benefit. At the end of a module*, you can create a small background-like benefit from something interesting you did during the module. You can then swap those out as you progress and grow and the campaign moves around.

A couple examples: A character is involved in long negotiations with Elves but requires a translator. At the end of the module he can take
Broken Elven - Long hours listening to your interpreter speak Elven taught you a few words here and there. While you are not fluent, you can make an INT check against the complexity of a document or conversation (DC at DM's discretion) to get the basic idea of what is being communicated.

A fighter holds a half-dozen skeleton minions at bay while his party completes a ritual to shut down the necromantic energy doodad. That fighter can take
Slayer of Skeletons - You gain a +1 to attack and AC against skeletal creatures. As you fight more skeletons, you may use additional slots to increase this bonus, up to +5.

This is a phenomenal idea!

You know, you could take this a step further and build magic item level traits like this and dole them out as treasure parcels. Kind of like some of the ideas in DMG2. Good stuff

 

[RyvenCedrylle]

Glad you liked it - feel free to steal. It's important to me though that the players create these little semi-feats instead of me handing them out. Of course I will probably review them, but they're intended to be flags for me as DM. If my player finds fighting off skeletons interesting enough to take a background for it, I should throw more skeletons at him - at least for a while. might also expect him to pick up some anti-undead feats as he goes along, so it gives me some mechanical forewarning as well. It also creates a way for players to justify certain feats that are a little sudden or hard to justify in the narrative, like Linguist. How the heck did you suddenly learn three new languages? If you've been putting yourself in situations where you've picked up Broken Elven, Broken Draconic and Broken Deep Speech along the way, it makes more sense. Though I haven't actually tried it yet, I think it will allow players to preview or 'try on' different feats and customizations to help define the character - both in narrative and in mechanics.

I also just really like when the plot defines mechanics.

 

[Wik]

Here's an oddball thought: break each level into X "packets" of XP, over the spectrum from one level to the next. Need 1000 XP to level? Make it 10 packets of 100. With every 100 xp, allow the players to pick up one of the abilities that they get when they level. Since everyone gains the same number of abilites per level (their to-hits, defense bonuses, powers, feats, hit points, etc.) it's even across the board. PCs can choose how soon they get a certain ability rather than waiting until level-up to get them all.
So, between 1st and second level, they can get a +1 to hit, +1 to defenses, +X hit points, utility power, and feat. That's five abilities, so every 200 xp they get to choose which one to level up in.

You WILL have some uneven-ness in your character ability, it's sure; however, it's not likely to be enough to harm gameplay irreparably if a PC has an extra +1 about a level early, or has one encounter power one level early. If it doesn't work well, stagger the encounter level about one level higher, perhaps.

I've done this before, in 3E. And it works great. My change was a bit different, though - break the level into five sub-levels. And re-work the level names... so PCs start at level zero, and level 5 is actually level 2 in normal D&D.

It was broken up so you got something different at each portion of the level. So, level 1 was hit points, I think.... level 2 was skills, level 3 was your feat, level four was class powers, level five was spells/combat abilities/saves. Or something like that.

If you break XP up like that, so that every fifth of a level gives you a portion of your next level, things would work. You'd be slightly more powerful than normal PCs, but ah well.

 

[CapnZapp]

Well, I don't want to turn D&D into a D100 based system, and I don't want to dole out useless bonuses.

But never mind...