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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 3314787" data-attributes="member: 177">In point of fact, no, in order to get tables, you do not have to start with d20 and reverse-engineer.  You merely have to start with the idea that you want certain probability distributions - d20 and charts are merely ways to represent them.  And, coming from minis-wargames (which usually had lots of reference tables for combat resolution), the d20-style mechanic is in no way "obvious".Most inventions of mankind are obvious in restrospect.  It is much more difficult and rare to come up with them out of the aether.  Hindsight is 20/20, but foresight is pretty darned hazy stuff.So, why didn't he use such a system?  My guess is that it probably simply didn't occur to him at the time.  That's all.  Nothing mysterious there.</blockquote>