Level Up (A5E) Changes to Advantage

[Morrus]

Here's a (very rough half-baked) idea.

Advantage and Disadvantage

From time to time, special circumstances can give you an advantage or a disadvantage when attempting to perform an action. Climbing a cliff in the driving rain is more difficult, while striking an enemy while they are prone is easier.

The rules will sometimes tell you that you have advantage or disadvantage. This will be accompanied by a number, know as the degree of advantage or disadvantage--for example, higher ground might give you advantage 5 while climbing that slippery cliff might inflict disadvantage 16.

If you have advantage, and you roll the degree indicated or lower on your d20, you may reroll the die and take the higher of the two rolls. Conversely, if you have disadvantage and you roll the degree indicated or higher on your d20, you must reroll the die and take the lower of the two numbers.

Advantage and disadvantage usually come in the forms of advantage 5 and advantage 10, and disadvantage 16 and disadvantage 11.

If two or more effects grant you advantage 5 or better, you instead have advantage 10. If two or more effects inflict disadvantage 16 or worse, you instead have disadvantage 11.

Advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out on a one-for-one basis, irrespective of the degree of advantage or disadvantage.

---

Doing the maths on this, Advantage 10 is about equal to a +5, Advantage 5 is about equal to a +2.5, Advantage 2 is about equal to a +1. There are some weird probability curve things on it at the extremes though.

 

[ThatGuySteve]

Here's a (very rough half-baked) idea.

Advantage and Disadvantage

From time to time, special circumstances can give you an advantage or a disadvantage when attempting to perform an action. Climbing a cliff in the driving rain is more difficult, while striking an enemy while they are prone is easier.

The rules will sometimes tell you that you have advantage or disadvantage. This will be accompanied by a number, know as the degree of advantage or disadvantage--for example, higher ground might give you advantage 5 while climbing that slippery cliff might inflict disadvantage 16.

If you have advantage, and you roll the degree indicated or lower on your d20, you may reroll the die and take the higher of the two rolls. Conversely, if you have disadvantage and you roll the degree indicated or higher on your d20, you must reroll the die and take the lower of the two numbers.

Advantage and disadvantage usually come in the forms of advantage 5 and advantage 10, and disadvantage 16 and disadvantage 11.

If two or more effects grant you advantage 5 or better, you instead have advantage 10. If two or more effects inflict disadvantage 16 or worse, you instead have disadvantage 11.

Advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out on a one-for-one basis, irrespective of the degree of advantage or disadvantage.

---

Doing the maths on this, Advantage 10 is about equal to a +5, Advantage 5 is about equal to a +2.5, Advantage 2 is about equal to a +1. There are some weird probability curve things on it at the extremes though.

It feels less fun to reroll a bad roll than to roll twice. I like the intent though, to add degrees of advantage/Disadvantage and to add value to having multiple sources. Might be a mechanic that could be used elsewhere though. Such as to replace Expertise? You could have Expertise 5 or 10 in a particular skill (or weapon /spell).

I think degrees could be better implemented using "if both rolls succeed or fail" style mechanisms to add riders to the outcome.

 

[tetrasodium]

Here's a (very rough half-baked) idea.

Advantage and Disadvantage

From time to time, special circumstances can give you an advantage or a disadvantage when attempting to perform an action. Climbing a cliff in the driving rain is more difficult, while striking an enemy while they are prone is easier.

The rules will sometimes tell you that you have advantage or disadvantage. This will be accompanied by a number, know as the degree of advantage or disadvantage--for example, higher ground might give you advantage 5 while climbing that slippery cliff might inflict disadvantage 16.

If you have advantage, and you roll the degree indicated or lower on your d20, you may reroll the die and take the higher of the two rolls. Conversely, if you have disadvantage and you roll the degree indicated or higher on your d20, you must reroll the die and take the lower of the two numbers.

Advantage and disadvantage usually come in the forms of advantage 5 and advantage 10, and disadvantage 16 and disadvantage 11.

If two or more effects grant you advantage 5 or better, you instead have advantage 10. If two or more effects inflict disadvantage 16 or worse, you instead have disadvantage 11.

Advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out on a one-for-one basis, irrespective of the degree of advantage or disadvantage.

---

Doing the maths on this, Advantage 10 is about equal to a +5, Advantage 5 is about equal to a +2.5, Advantage 2 is about equal to a +1. There are some weird probability curve things on it at the extremes though.

Its pretty early and no caffeine yet, but this looks like a much more interesting and thought out mechanic that allows more meaningful interaction

 

[schneeland]

Here's a (very rough half-baked) idea.

Advantage and Disadvantage

From time to time, special circumstances can give you an advantage or a disadvantage when attempting to perform an action. Climbing a cliff in the driving rain is more difficult, while striking an enemy while they are prone is easier.

The rules will sometimes tell you that you have advantage or disadvantage. This will be accompanied by a number, know as the degree of advantage or disadvantage--for example, higher ground might give you advantage 5 while climbing that slippery cliff might inflict disadvantage 16.
...

In general I like the idea as it makes adv/disadv more nuanced (which is one of my major gripes with 5e). But it feels like this adds a bit too much of processing, so I wonder if it would be an option to go with a couple of "weird dice", i.e. d16 and d24 and say:
advantage 1: higher of d16 and d20
advantage 2: higher of d20 and d20
advantage 3: higher of d20 and d24

Disadvantage in a similar fashion.

Downside is that the effect here might be too low, but if we move to d10/d30, it might be a bit too extreme.

 

[tetrasodium]

In general I like the idea as it makes adv/disadv more nuanced (which is one of my major gripes with 5e). But it feels like this adds a bit too much of processing, so I wonder if it would be an option to go with a couple of "weird dice", i.e. d16 and d24 and say:
advantage 1: higher of d16 and d20
advantage 2: higher of d20 and d20
advantage 3: higher of d20 and d24

Disadvantage in a similar fashion.

Downside is that the effect here might be too low, but if we move to d10/d30, it might be a bit too extreme.

You feel like adding and subtracting two numbers between 1 & 20 is too much effort? How do you handle magic weapons that add plus x or extra dice and plus abity MOD on the vast majority of attacks to say nothing of healing and so much more?...

 

[schneeland]

You feel like adding and subtracting two numbers between 1 & 20 is too much effort? How do you handle magic weapons that add plus x or extra dice and plus abity MOD on the vast majority of attacks to say nothing of healing and so much more?...

I'm not saying it cannot be done. I was personally fine with modifiers in the first place
I just have the feeling that one thing people like about advantage/disadvantage is that it involves very little procedure (roll 2 dice, take the higher/lower), and was musing if that can be kept in some way.

 

[Morrus]

In general I like the idea as it makes adv/disadv more nuanced (which is one of my major gripes with 5e). But it feels like this adds a bit too much of processing, so I wonder if it would be an option to go with a couple of "weird dice", i.e. d16 and d24 and say:
advantage 1: higher of d16 and d20
advantage 2: higher of d20 and d20
advantage 3: higher of d20 and d24

Disadvantage in a similar fashion.

Downside is that the effect here might be too low, but if we move to d10/d30, it might be a bit too extreme.

I don't have any d16s or d24s!

 

[schneeland]

I don't have any d16s or d24s!

I had assumed Dungeon Crawl Classics would be widespread enough to make it an option. But if not, that's also fine with me.

 

[jmucchiello]

The only "problem" (and I put that in quotes) is it takes longer to get a result using this system. Rolling the two dice at once will always be faster than one at a time. On the flip side, I suppose getting a failure with a reprieve could add tension.

Also how would disadvantage work? Using the climbing example with disadvantage 16. So I roll a 15 on the first die and with my Athletics it should be a success. But because I didn't roll a 16 I have to roll again and succeed again or its a failure? I feel as though that would be worse than how disadvantage works now, mood-wise. I could be wrong.

 

[jmucchiello]

I had assumed Dungeon Crawl Classics would be widespread enough to make it an option. But if not, that's also fine with me.

DCC is a niche in the Grognard niche in the D&D niche of gaming in general.