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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jdrakeh" data-source="post: 3994483" data-attributes="member: 13892">After some re-thinking, it seems that the following would be a better approach: 1. Reduce all DCs (including ACs in combat) by 10. If this reduces a DC to less than one, it becomes an automatically accomplished action, should a PC attempt it. 2. To perform an action, a player adds up all appropriate modifiers, base bonuses, and skills ranks (per normal) and compares them to the DC. 3. If a PC's adds total more than the DC, they succeed; if not, they fail. While this makes PCs far more competent (which is as it should be -- there's nothing heroic about a master thief failing to pick a peasant's lock) at performing mundane actions while low level, it is balanced out in two different ways: A. Even a traditionally low AC creature is a threat if you don't have the adds (i.e., modifiers) to beat the AC, which is likely at lower levels. B. Players may risk the life of their PC (literally) to gain a temporary edge. That said, this (the PC's life) is the sole expendable resource that can be used to modify add totals. When a character is fighting a creature (or creatures) that they cannot hit or attempting to perform a challenge that they would normally not be able to accomplish due to a lack of adds, they may spend hit points to make up the deficit. Hit Points spent in this manner are traded on a 1:1 basis for adds (i.e., one hit point gets you a +1 bonus) and are lost when traded in this manner (they can be replenished as per the RAW). All bonuses gained are applied for an entire scene (e.g., a single battle, a single breaking and entering attempt, etc) and to a single existing ability/skill rating. There is no limit on the number of hit points that may be spent in this manner.For example, Bob the Fighter (who has a +1 BAB and a +2 STR modifier) is engaged by a creature with an AC of 5 (the player of Bob's PC doesn't know the exact AC, he only knows that Bob can't hit it with his default adds). Bob's player decides to spend four of Bob's hit point to gain a +4 bonus to his BAB. This bonus will apply for the duration of the battle, or until Bob is killed (or knocked out). As before, all other 'rolls' in this system default to a median value (e.g., a weapon that does 3d4 points of damage will do 6 points of damage, a spell that lasts 4d6 rounds will last 12 rounds, etc). I still haven't thought about criticals, though I'm working on it.</blockquote>

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