Charles Ryan on the Sacred Cows of D&D

[Achan hiArusa]

The post is closed

I think they closed the post, because I actually took the time to write a reply and it said "invalid thread" usually I take the time to copy my post just in case, but I can make my reply here, not that Ryan will read it here:

Well, we could drop Wis and Cha as ability scores, get rid of levels of all kinds, make the spells based on prerequisites while costing mana, just give out experience awards which can be used to spend on skills and feats (where the feats have variable costs instead of fixed costs), and reduce hit points down to where they just equal Constitution...

Hmmm, that's starting to sound like GURPS

Or we could increase the ability scores to nine, reduce the skill ratings and ability scores down to five, and allow you to roll one die per point of rating...

Hmmm, that's starting to sound like World of Darkness

How many changes can you make? I could go on and on making isomorphic transforms of one game system into another. The OGL has specific points that defines a game as OGL or d20, and copyright law has provisions that define a game as being OGL or an original creation. WotC has the ability to make any game they want and then slap the D&D logo on it (heck, they did that when they transitioned from 2e to 3e) and since possession is 100% of copyright law they can. Who knows what 4e will look like when it finally comes out?

 

[Mystery Man]

I think they closed the post, because I actually took the time to write a reply and it said "invalid thread"

Probably because the subject is moo.

 

[Pramas]

Charles Ryan may say there are no Sacred Cows in D&D, but I'd like to see them try to change something like Magic Missile's auto-hit capability without a huge outcry...

They did, in fact, try to change that in the initial drafts of 3E, since an auto-hit at 1st level really is too good. Playtesters overwhelming agreed that the MM was too iconic of a D&D spell to change though, so the design team reverted it to its original form.

 

[Pramas]

Nothing to see here.

 

[mmadsen]

Ablative has something to do with reducing damage. For instance, ablative armor reduces incoming damage.

Ablative armor reduces damage by ablating; it melts or vaporizes (or whatever) and slowly disappears as it protects -- just like hit points.

In an ablative hit-point system where you have enough hit points to take four hits, you start with enough hit points to take four hits, then you're reduced to enough hit points to take three hits, two hits, and so on.

In a non-ablative system, you might have a one-in-four chance of being disabled by any one attack. You'll probably last for four hits, but you might last for five, six, or seven hits -- or you might go down on the first hit. Either way, you don't go down because your toughness has been used up.

 

[diaglo]

Charles Ryan may say there are no Sacred Cows in D&D, but I'd like to see them try to change something like Magic Missile's auto-hit capability without a huge outcry...

i made a huge outcry when they added it.

 

[diaglo]

They did, in fact, try to change that in the initial drafts of 3E, since an auto-hit at 1st level really is too good. Playtesters overwhelming agreed that the MM was too iconic of a D&D spell to change though, so the design team reverted it to its original form.

MM didn't exist in OD&D.

they added it to Basic and Advanced. Basic was not auto hit. and did more damage.

Advanced made it auto hit.

 

[johnsemlak]

MM didn't exist in OD&D.

they added it to Basic and Advanced. Basic was not auto hit. and did more damage.

Advanced made it auto hit.

You sure it was not auto hit in Basic D&D? I'm pretty sure it was.

 

[diaglo]

You sure it was not auto hit in Basic D&D? I'm pretty sure it was.

2edD&D and 3edD&D Holmes you had to roll iirc.

it was 4edD&D.. Moldvay that went haywire with auto hit.

edit: and i guess you could say Magic Missile was in OD&D. in the Supplements. that is where Holmes got the idea to add it to the core Basic. roll to hit version.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The earliest version I remember is the one that actually summoned one or more arrows to float beside the caster, which could then be launched on subsequent rounds.