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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 3529401" data-attributes="member: 32164">Flynn, I actually have some feedback for you where I'm not going to just tell you not to do it. First off, I think it's a great idea, and I have a few suggestions for how you should go about it. Second, there are some things you need to consider when making a change like this. Third, it is my considered opinion that you're on the forefront of a trend. More on that later. Now, on to my suggestions, and the things that I think you might want to consider.Rather than giving characters 3 HD, simply give them a larger number of starting hit points, just as Saga does. That prevents you from having to worry about the side effects of extra hit dice. Bob the fighter doesn't have (3d10 + 2) hit points, he simply starts with 32 hit points. Which means he's more durable.Increasing hit points this way tends to prolong character "staying power." Rather than having to give up after 4 CR-appropriate encounters, 1st level characters could be able to handle 2-3x that number, or alternatively, handle a couple of tougher encounters without having to pack up and go home.That said, you're more likely to have characters running out of spells than hit points. That's already something of a problem, with most adventuring days ending when the wizard is out of spells, as opposed to when the party is out of hit points. That's not necessarily bad, but it's certainly worth keeping in mind. For the record, something like this has been done before, with some of the 1e character classes (Ranger and Monk, IIRC).Now, as to why I think it's a good idea, and why I think you're on the forefront of a trend. Starting games at the point where the characters are so fragile that they need to be handled with kid gloves is less than fun. If slightly more durable characters allow you to have more fun right away, that is, in my opinion, a good thing. Given the number of people who start games at Level 3 now, I suspect that Fourth Edition, when it comes out, will attempt to create characters that aren't quite so fragile. If almost nobody's playing Level 1, there's no reason the game should start there. I think the designers at WotC realize this, and I think that's WHY Saga gives the hit point kicker at Level 1. Because if you needed 3 hit dice to be able to deal with stormtroopers, everyone would just create 3rd-level characters to start with. And if nobody plays through them, what's the point of Level 1 & 2?Basically, it's beginning to seem that if your goal is to keep the game fun, the progression curve needs to be flattened out a bit. People talk all the time about D&D's "sweet spot." Characters need to be a little more powerful to start with and have that advancement level off as they go up in level. The designers (at WotC anyway) are starting to realize that the untapped design space for "cool stuff" is in the lower-mid levels where most gaming takes place.We even have a few folks here who've launched a project to preserve and extend the game's "sweet spot." So I applaud you for this decision.Personally, I am of the opinion that when Fourth Edition materializes, it will be designed so that you'll be at most a few levels from reaching play that feels like the sweet spot, and be able to stay there for most of the campaign.That expands the fun. And that's a Good Thing (TM).My two coppers.</blockquote>

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