Banishing "Sacred Cows"

[saersan]

After reading through several posts on the boards recently, I have come to the conclusion that although d20/Third Edition has solved many quibbles, it hasn't gone the whole way. Even though 4th edition will be several years off, what would you like to see?
For example, some have expressed distaste for the hit point system, particulary the way you gain more rather than becoming more difficult to hit. What alternatives are there?
What would YOU change about d20?

 

[Lord Vangarel]

How about armour absorbs damage rather than deflects hits. For this to work hit points can't increase at such a rapid rate if at all. Also if you take the basic 1 point of AC = 1 point of absorption then weapons don't do enough damage. Characters and creatures also need a defense rating allowing them to avoid attacks.

Hitting higher levels and bonuses becoming more important than the d20 roll. This happens for all rolls. I don't know what the solution is other than remove the d20 and replace it with an increasing die range. Bonuses are then small modifiers to the actual roll. There should be no need for different rules just because characters reach 20th level.

Making the spell system more mystical. At times the spells just seem to be too easy to predict.


That's all I can think of at the moment. Overall D&D is very good (I've been playng for 20 years) and the higher level problem only occurs if you play higher level games.

 

[pennywiz]

Amazing how many new posters show up whe morris announces he's out of town.

 

[saersan]

I agree with your points on the topics, particulary about damage reduction.
The problems at higher levels are also difficult and I see your point about a seperate rule set... ideally it should scale more efficiently.
I've scanned through the epic level handbook, there were some good ideas, but I'm not sure they entirely pulled it off.

 

[saersan]

Not a brand new poster, i do a lot of lurking... if that counts

 

[pennywiz]

I'll hit fifty soon. It counts for nothing, from what I've been shown. Never the less, there's no doubt that there is no perfect system. I'll bet that more than a few posters from these boards have great ideas worth using for house rules. Afterall, that how 3E came about, right?

Get them to clean up static DCs and bardic abilities and we're halfway there, right?

 

[saersan]

I think the major quibbles most seem to have are (or the ones I have ):

- Armour makes you harder to hit rather than reducing damage

- Masses of hit points for high level characters. I'd like to see higher level characters dodge and avoid getting hit in the first place.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

The problem with Armor Providing DR is it makes a Dagger useless against Full Plate Armor. If I remember correctl one of the original purposes of Daggers was to punch through metal armor.

Also if you were to redo how hit points are (IE: only getting a small amount or not getting any more) you would have to redo damage from spells, dragon breath and other such things.

Personally about the only change I would want to see is the addition of a mana based option for casting spells. I would make the Sorcerer, Druids, Paladins and Clerics mana-based and keep the Wizard as is. Bards I would alter to give them magic abilities, but stuff that is based off of music. Basically just small changes to the classes.

 

[Psion]

This thread AGAIN?

 

[pennywiz]

If you don't have something to contribute, please move along. Don't you have some free products from publishers that you should be reviewing? They must hate it when you let those pile up and then waste time telling other people how they should be posting. Such a kvetcher, you are.