Bell Curve - Ramifications?

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

One point we haven't made yet is that, sure, the 3d6 distribution is almost a bell curve, but any one test -- to-hit roll, save, whatever -- is a binary test, yes-no, pass-fail.

It doesn't matter whether you roll 1d20, 3d6, or percentile dice, if you have an N% chance of success, that's your chance of success. For the most part, rolling 3d6 simply obfuscates the probabilities.

Obfuscating describes it well, I think.
Modifiers are likewise "obfuscated". A +1 modifer against a DC 10 task changes the probability differently then a +1 modifier on a DC 15 task.

Look at a GURPS probability table sometime to see what 3d6 looks like. In short, it won't work properly unless you plan on rewriting the whole game. While the bell curve is often thought of as "flattening," in this case, the net result would be that between opponents of very similar ability, small differences would become larger. A +2 point difference is of far greater utility when you can be more confident of die rolls favoring the expected outcome (i.e., the person with the +2 winning).

I am not sure that Gnomeworks is using much of D&D or the d20 System as baseline.


2AtomicPope:
That rule system sounds really interesting!

 

[AtomicPope]

2AtomicPope:
That rule system sounds really interesting!

It's very kewl. I don't know if I mentioned it but it's not an RPG, it's a miniature's combat game (TTS tabletop strategy). Still it's worth checking out; especially if you're interested in game design or miniatures combat.

Sorry but I don't have any good pics of my painted WM or Hordes minis. I only take pics of the items I sell. Like this gratuitous pic of a Space Wolf Terminator Lord

 

[Jeff Wilder]

But what if "[the DM or system] makes combat exciting by pitting PCs against opponents who, though of course usually weaker, nevertheless often seriously threaten the PCs"?

Then you've got real excitement, as opposed to illusory excitement.

What tends to happen in play is one of (1) games become much more lethal, with much faster PC turnover; (2) PCs become -- or are built as -- tactical geniuses, so that every combat becomes one in which they have a significant, if not overwhelming, advantage; or (3) players tend to avoid combat whenever possible, due to the lethality.

Which of these happens depends on the group, of course. I've seen all three happen in both GURPS (which is 3d6-based) and Shadowrun (which is dice-pool based, but equally lethal).

 

[Syunsuke]

Try d8+d12 system
This gives you trapezoidal distributhion. That is, flat at middle (9 to 13) and diminishing towards both ends(2 and 20). 2 and 20 occur at about 1%, 9 to 13 occur at about 8% each.
Maybe intersting...

 

[Nightson]

Give me a linear system any day of the week. Maybe I'm weird but bell curves totally break my immersion in the game. A plus +2 circumstance penalty to difficulty would decrease my chances by 25% if going from a 10 to a 12, but going from a 16 to an 18 is only a 2% reduction. And because 18s are so rare you either have to make them exciting so that players care when they get them, or meaningless so that players aren't screwed over when monsters get 18s (assuming you keep them on the same system).