Pathfinder 2E Ditching sacred cows

[Ancalagon]

I don't see a problem with eithet of those results.

Criticals 10% of the time is more swingy, not less.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

If you want to reduce swing, the way to do it is *not* with a smaller dice, but with a non linear dice. For example , use 2d10 instead of a d20. Average rolls become much more common.

With a d20, each value has a flat 5% chance of coming up. With 2d10, you only have a 1% chance of rolling 20, and a 10% chance of rolling 11.

Seconded. I've considered the 3d6 instead of d20 approach, or even 4d6-4.

 

[Yunru]

Criticals 10% of the time is more swingy, not less.

Not at all. Criticals 5% of the time is far more swingy when focusing on criticals.

The more often something occurs, the less swingy it is.

 

[Ancalagon]

Seconded. I've considered the 3d6 instead of d20 approach, or even 4d6-4.

Thank you.

Something I have been considering is a two dice system but with uneven dice side. Normally 2 dice (2d10, 2d6 etc) gives you a pyramid shaped odds distribution. But if you take two uneven dice (Say, 1d12+1d8), you get a "truncated pyramid ". As a result, low or high results are rare, but the average rolls have the same probability, so an 8 would be just as likely as an 11.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Thank you.

Something I have been considering is a two dice system but with uneven dice side. Normally 2 dice (2d10, 2d6 etc) gives you a pyramid shaped odds distribution. But if you take two uneven dice (Say, 1d12+1d8), you get a "truncated pyramid ". As a result, low or high results are rare, but the average rolls have the same probability, so an 8 would be just as likely as an 11.

Interesting idea that I had never even considered. I find myself liking it very much.

 

[Igwilly]

Well, just for the record:

In the past years, I've revised my opinion on those "sacred cows". Thing is, many of them are Not sacred cows. What is a useless sacred cow to one is essential for another: may be the favorite "sacred cow", may be the reason s/he gets excited to create a character or play the game, something core to their experience...
So I think players should be more careful about what they call a "sacred cow", or even worse, "useless sacred cow".

 

[Ancalagon]

Interesting idea that I had never even considered. I find myself liking it very much.

Thank you.

How much truncated the pyramid is depends on how small the second dice is. If you had a 1d16+1d4 (somehow, probably need electronic dice), the plateau section is much wider.

 

[Ancalagon]

Well, just for the record:

In the past years, I've revised my opinion on those "sacred cows". Thing is, many of them are Not sacred cows. What is a useless sacred cow to one is essential for another: may be the favorite "sacred cow", may be the reason s/he gets excited to create a character or play the game, something core to their experience...
So I think players should be more careful about what they call a "sacred cow", or even worse, "useless sacred cow".

I was very dubious about bounded accuracy. The +1 to hit per level of a fighter, other classes having less bab, it felt like a sacred cow to me...

Now, I love it.

 

[Igwilly]

I was very dubious about bounded accuracy. The +1 to hit per level of a fighter, other classes having less bab, it felt like a sacred cow to me...

Now, I love it.

That just may not work with everyone, all the time.
Plus, there are many different kinds of mechanics. Some of them get more love than others...

 

[Ancalagon]

That just may not work with everyone, all the time.
Plus, there are many different kinds of mechanics. Some of them get more love than others...

Oh I'm not say that bounded accuracy is superior and if you don't like it you are wrong!

Rather what I am saying that what felt important to a system may not be...