d20 Game Mechanics Help?

[GoodKnight]

Hello everyone, I am relatively new to RPGs and the d20 System. I have played in a few campaigns and tried my hand at GMing a quick session once, but I never got into the mechanics of d20. I have a few ideas for some classes and monsters that I would like to develop, but there's just one problem; I don't understand the game mechanics! When I generated a character for my games, I simply followed a table in a book. I never quite understood the process behind how to determine a BAB, when a character should get a bonus feat, etc. I see a lot of gamers around here that seem to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject, so I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction on where to get started. Are there any websites that you know of that explain this (I've tried searching but couldn't find anything)? A certain book that will explain the process? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[The_Universe]

Check out the "D&D Rules" forum here on Enworld. That's probably more to your taste. There is, indeed, a system to almost everything in D2o - the boys and girls that frequent that part of the boards would be more than glad to help you.

 

[DanMcS]

That kind of knowledge of the system comes from play and experience. If you want, you could post your ideas here (or in the house rules forum, if they're for regular D&D) and have people go over them. House rules wonks (like me) love stuff like that.

There's also a product on rpgnow that I've heard interesting things about, Buy the numbers, that supposedly breaks down character classes into a point-based system, that might help you out.

 

[0-hr]

One rather confusing thing to note is that the specific rules for character generation are "closed content". That means, in general, that you are not allowed to reproduce them in other works and still call them "d20".

I believe the Wizards did this so that people will still need to buy the Player's Handbook, so that's the only d20 (fantasy) place that you will find the complete rules for character generation.

If something is labled "OGL" rather than "d20", then it can have character generation rules (though they probably won't be exactly the same at the D&D PHB).

Anyway, just something to keep in mind (and might explain why you had trouble finding some stuff online).

 

[Brad Hindman]

I believe the Wizards did this so that people will still need to buy the Player's Handbook, so that's the only d20 (fantasy) place that you will find the complete rules for character generation.

Not quite true. d20 Modern also has a complete set of character generation rules.

 

[kingpaul]

There's also a product on rpgnow that I've heard interesting things about, Buy the numbers, that supposedly breaks down character classes into a point-based system, that might help you out.

That's an interesting book. I bought it, and have paged through it several times, but have never done an in-depth read of it.

 

[Sado]

Hello everyone, I am relatively new to RPGs and the d20 System. I have played in a few campaigns and tried my hand at GMing a quick session once, but I never got into the mechanics of d20. I have a few ideas for some classes and monsters that I would like to develop, but there's just one problem; I don't understand the game mechanics! When I generated a character for my games, I simply followed a table in a book. I never quite understood the process behind how to determine a BAB, when a character should get a bonus feat, etc. I see a lot of gamers around here that seem to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject, so I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction on where to get started. Are there any websites that you know of that explain this (I've tried searching but couldn't find anything)? A certain book that will explain the process? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

BAB: Each class has a table that gives its BAB along with its Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves for each level.

Feats: All characters gain feats at certain levels (brain fart, I can't remember if it's every 3 or every 4 levels). There is a chart in one of the first couple of chapters of the PHB that has this information. Some classes get bonus feats at other times (fighter every 2 levels, wizard every 5), and humans get an extra feat to start. The description for the race and class will spell this out. Some feats, like the fighter and wizard bonus feats mentioned above, must be taken from a special list, also given in the class description.

What else?

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Actually, the site you're on now explains it well. Just read for a couple years and absorb the knowledge from the threads, and it all makes sense. That and just learn by doing. DM all the time. Have your PCs quote rules at you. Bone up on them in between sessions. You'll pick up a lot. (You may still forget a lot, like me, but you'll know a lot more than many!)

 

[Olive]

I'd really, really recomend just playing for a while till you get a handle on things before you start mucking with the classes etc.

Buy some modules, and play through them. The Dungeon magazine 'Shackld City' adventures are good, and the 3e adventure path series (standing stone etc) are also fine (they're 3.0 rather than 3.5 but the diferences aren't that big really)