D&D/Saga Edition: Additional Hitpoints at 1st Level...

[Flynn]

There's a lot more of us than you think. Wulf Ratbane (Bad Axe Games) has started various threads on Enworld about questioning some of the game's assumptions to expand the "sweet spot" of D&D. Ryan "RangerWickett" Nock (EN Publishing) also seems to be doing design along the realm of making things more "fun."

Even some of WotC's designers seem to get it too. Mike Mearls rewrote many of the games assumptions when he designed Iron Heroes and came up with mechanics to let warriors be cooler in the Tome of Battle. Rodney Thompson and Gary Sarli have done a fair amount to address some of the issues in rewriting Star Wars Saga Edition. Even Andy Collins has begun to realize that it's more fun to have more encounters than to have to stop playing for no reason. WotC also finally seems to have realized that they need to add more "cool stuff" at the lower and middle levels where people actually play most of the time.

That said, not everyone agrees on what the right fixes are. But it's reassuring to realize there are professional game designers who realize that fixes need to occur. Personally, I think opening dialogue on the topic is an excellent idea. So I applaud your idea. I've thought about trying to "Saga-ize" my D&D game in order to make it more customizable, more fun and more exciting, but it's quite a daunting task.

I knew about Wulf and Glassjaw, and I've even read last year's D&D Design thread discussing "the sweet spot". I find that there is definitely something in that concept that resonates with me, and I've started a number of threads towards that end. Some threads have flopped and some have been very successful. I imagine that there will be a wide number of PDF products along the way, as people stumble through trying to find the "perfect sweet spot." I just hope that the message isn't lost in the signal-to-noise ratio.

I, too, have thought of Saga-izing my D&D game, but the spellcasters make that almost impossible. I'm still working on it conceptually, though.

More later,
Flynn

 

[Ranger REG]

I wouldn't mind the 20 hit point "kicker" like what Hackmaster gives all characters. That's basically what this triple hit dice business really does - make them no more powerful, but more durable, during a combat.

I can just hear all the players playing a (single-class) wizard/sorcerer (and whatnot) breathing a sigh of relief.

 

[Darklone]

Well... I stopped playing some other RPGs because the PCs start with a hitpoints kicker. I like 3rd editions rule for maxxed hitpoints at level 1, that's enough for me.

 

[pawsplay]

Blasters do a lot more damage than a greataxe.

 

[Ranger REG]

Blasters do a lot more damage than a greataxe.

True, but at HP x 3, you get some kind of use of the Condition Track (to be introduced in SECR) at low level. With just max HP, you won't feel the effect of your injury, because the kind of damage to meet or beat the Threshold would already wipe out your HP.

 

[Owen K.C. Stephens]

Another factor for Star Wars that doesn't apply to typical D&D is that healing is much less common.