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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 5903404" data-attributes="member: 52734">As the editions have been marching on, we've seen a slow move away from random determination towards fixed values - everything from point buy systems to fixed hit points (for players and monsters) to the generation of treasure parcels (with their fixed gp values).While I've certainly been guilty of using many of these fixed values in my pressed-for-time games, and realize it makes it easier for designers to balance things on fixed values, I'd like to see more "variance" (not necessarily randomness) be brought back to the game - at least as semi-optional.  For the most part, it would be a helpful tool to help the DM know how far in each direction he can safely tweak numbers, without disrupting the system too much.While I'm sure that "roll 3d6" vs. point buy and random Pc hit points are two of the things that imstantly comes to mind, I'd like to point out other areas where having a range of values might be beneficial to the DM's toolbox.- Monster hit dice.  While having a stated "expected" hit point value for monster is good for the time pressed, having a hit point range lets the DM  toughen or weaken opposition without having to scale other combat numbers.  For ex, if the PCs tend to deal "more damage than normal", the DM can scale monster hit points upwards. In games where combat is de-phasized or the DM just wants to make a fight easier or quiker, hit points could be swung to the lower end. Also, minibosses or "tough guy" foes can be created by tweaking only HP.- Magic Item cost.  In a world where magic items are individially crafted objects and not created from boilerplate post-industrial templates, each item should have a fairly unique value (based on materials, craftmanship and the general eccentriccies of magic).  Also, again where time-pressed DMs might just use the average value, a generous DM  could use variable pricing to reward a PC with an on-the-cheap magic item, and a RBDM can jack prices up to the max.- Treasure generation.  Tying in with the above, variable hoard sizes and content allow the DM  to customize treasure distribution in both value and content.  Again, DMs could take the average, but the presence of a range and possibility of random generation allows for tweaking rewards within an acceptable range.- Mundane items.  This will likely be the most contraversial, as it hasn't been done before.  D&D has always used a fixed price for the majority of equipment tables - and this really makes sense for initial character generation, but I'd like to see a variable range on prices for most items (at least anything worth a gp or more).  It would make sense to use the average price when genrating PCs, again, having the variable prices built into the tables would give the DM a tool for those times when he may want to introduce some random (or semi-random) fluctuations to emulate some sort of economic fluctuation.</blockquote>

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