Weather feels like one of those things you can generate a year in advance. Barring a few powerful magical situations, nothing the players do is going to change it.
D&D General Help Me Build the D&D Game I Want to Run
- Thread starter Reynard
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DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
I had a complete encounter generator for AD&D I wrote as a program a LONG time ago, but it won't run in Windows past XP.
In all this downtime, maybe I will recreate it in excel.
The problem with generating weather too far in advance is whether or not the PCs remain in the same sort of climate/terrain/etc.
dave2008
Legend
Hmm. Everyone's threshold is different of course, I guess I feel lvl 1 5e characters are fairly competent. Of course I don't know how your house-rules play into that belief.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
I'd say that's an absolutely essential step: going through every spell in the game and deciding a) whether to keep it at all, b) what class(es) get it, c) at what level does each class get it (a given doesn't have to be the same level for each class), and d) whether it needs rewriting in any way to make it work like you want (e.g. were it me casting times would go back in for every spell).
After that, you'd want to look at the spell list for the system you're trying to emulate and see if any spells that have since come out of the game need to go back in.
And yes, this is very tedious, but it has to be done.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
The PCs can change it on a whim simply by going somewhere different, particularly once they get access to fast long-range travel.
Weather can be vastly different even relatively close by. For example just yesterday we had very pleasant sun with a few clouds while Seattle - about 80 linear miles away - had thunder, hail and bursts of heavy rain.
I designed my own (over-complicated, of course!) weather tables a long time ago, all based on departures from normal for the area and time of year along with departure from what it was doing yesterday. With this, even if the party have teleport I can quickly figure out what the weather's doing when they arrive; and if they stay put for more than a day the weather follows reasonable day-to-day patterns.
Psikerlord#
Explorer
Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe edition with the expanded exploration rules does exactly this, both mechanics wise and the adventures are written in this style - travel to site, adventure at site, return to base (see Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting for example, or pretty much any of the Adventure Frameworks).
The only issue would be about PCs not changing over time. It's level 1-12, although really 10+ is kind of retired level, but in any event a level 9 PC is very different and much, much stronger than a level 1. There is definitely a dnd style progression to LFG, and it is a "hp attrition" style game. In terms of deadliness it is something between B/X and 5e (at zero, Con check or dead, if not dead, roll on the Injuries & Setbacks table. Also all healing magic at zero hp takes 1d3 minutes instead of instant). PCs tend to accumulate persistent or permanent injuries over time.
dave2008
Legend
I think it is good work, but it doesn't have to be done. In fact, I have never done it and I have had a great time with D&D for 30+ years. For instance, in a previous group the only magic user we had was a druid and in my current group the only magic user is a wizard. There is no need for me to think about any other class spells than wizards and druid. in those respective groups. And though I like the idea of a more specialized class spell list, I'm the DM and my players where fine with the way things are RAW. So we didn't change anything in that regard and it is working great. It may not be my preference, but I don't need to do everything I prefer.I'd say that's an absolutely essential step: going through every spell in the game and deciding a) whether to keep it at all, b) what class(es) get it, c) at what level does each class get it (a given doesn't have to be the same level for each class), and d) whether it needs rewriting in any way to make it work like you want (e.g. were it me casting times would go back in for every spell).
After that, you'd want to look at the spell list for the system you're trying to emulate and see if any spells that have since come out of the game need to go back in.
And yes, this is very tedious, but it has to be done.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Works for you.
I like to prepare for every class including those not currently being played, thus if-when one does get played I'm not scrambling. We'd long since redone the spells and put them in binders as the PH/UA write-ups were so often unclear or incomplete (or just said "look here instead").
Once we got our gaming website going I wanted to put the spells online to get away from the binders, and that forced me to do a to-the-floor rework of them as I was typing them all in longhand anyway and including our rulings etc. built up over the years.
Process took a couple of years, but now it'd done all I ever have to do is add any new rulings, add (or delete) spells as needed, and occasionally tweak anything that raises a problem.
And your current group has no Clerics and just one Wizard? What edition?
So to switch gears a moment, let's say I decided to do it the other way and run AD&D 2E (along with BECMI it is my most formative edition) and add in a couple 5E and other house rules. What works and maintains the feel of 2e.
I would totally keep advantage/disadvantage. It just makes life so much easier from an adjudication standpoint,
I think 2E wizards and clerics need cantrips. Not necessarily combat ones, but magical powers that are just inherent and establish their magicality.
I want to do something for fighters to keep them interesting to play but don't know what.
Thoughts?
I would totally keep advantage/disadvantage. It just makes life so much easier from an adjudication standpoint,
I think 2E wizards and clerics need cantrips. Not necessarily combat ones, but magical powers that are just inherent and establish their magicality.
I want to do something for fighters to keep them interesting to play but don't know what.
Thoughts?
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
If used in moderation, yes. 5e overuses it.
Wizards yes, Clerics no; Clerics - particularly Druids - already have enough going for them.
Maybe don't worry about it, and see if they get played anyway. (not all 'interesting' stuff comes from mechanics and numbers)
If after a good run-out you find they're not getting played, then revisit - maybe look at giving them (and only them) some feats or something to spice them up.
Neonchameleon
Legend
Why? Just about every design decision in D&D is about lowering the grit - and the people who talk about "combat as war" seem to think that American Football is war because they wear armour and have direct crunching impacts rather than soccer players who don't. I won't say D&D 5e is the absolute worst game you could pick for this (there's always Exalted or Maid) but it comes close.
The first thing you need to do to get any sort of gritty system in 5e is tear out hit points and replace them with wound mechanics, introducing the death spiral. Any system where you can take the maximum damage from an orc with an axe and not face lasting consequences has had most of the grit filtered out. And remember "simple magic" should not fix wounds; you should not be undoing the work of an orc with an axe with a first level spell.
The second thing you need to do is tear out the magic system. Any full casting class is too much magic - remember Gandalf was a fifth level caster in a much lower magic game than D&D; your rangers are probably too high magic for the game you are describing. Indeed there should be a good reason not to cast spells (which D&D has never really had). Cantrips should be banned of course and most casting should be ritual casting.
My favoured magic system here would be from WFRP 2e (and probably therefore borrowed by Zweihander). Each spell you know has a target number, and you get to pick a number of dice equal to your casting level to try to cast it. Doubles are a backfire, triples are worse, and the higher the number on the matching dice the worse and more visible the backfire. All 1s also not good.
The third thing is hack the rest rules. One day for a short rest, a week for a long rest sounds about right.
And the fourth is that in 5e you need a money sink; gold is almost worthless because there's not much to spend it on.
dave2008
Legend
That sounds awesome, and a lot of work!Works for you.
I like to prepare for every class including those not currently being played, thus if-when one does get played I'm not scrambling. We'd long since redone the spells and put them in binders as the PH/UA write-ups were so often unclear or incomplete (or just said "look here instead").
Once we got our gaming website going I wanted to put the spells online to get away from the binders, and that forced me to do a to-the-floor rework of them as I was typing them all in longhand anyway and including our rulings etc. built up over the years.
Process took a couple of years, but now it'd done all I ever have to do is add any new rulings, add (or delete) spells as needed, and occasionally tweak anything that raises a problem.
5th
Works for you.
I like to prepare for every class including those not currently being played, thus if-when one does get played I'm not scrambling. We'd long since redone the spells and put them in binders as the PH/UA write-ups were so often unclear or incomplete (or just said "look here instead").
Once we got our gaming website going I wanted to put the spells online to get away from the binders, and that forced me to do a to-the-floor rework of them as I was typing them all in longhand anyway and including our rulings etc. built up over the years.
Process took a couple of years, but now it'd done all I ever have to do is add any new rulings, add (or delete) spells as needed, and occasionally tweak anything that raises a problem.
And your current group has no Clerics and just one Wizard? What edition?
That really does sound awesome. Is your site public? Would love to see what you guys did. I am having trouble getting my players to contribute. They know I am not a huge fan of 5E RAW. They don't want to help me modify but they are quick to argue when I do change something.
GMMichael
Guide of Modos
But that's what made 2e wizards cool; if you didn't use your spells wisely, you'd have to resort to the stick, or the dagger. Better yet, you'd go find a nice hole to hide in until the fight was over.
What makes fighters interesting is that they can heft swords and shields all day long without fatiguing. And they don't buckle after two hits like 2e wizards.
I'd got with a combat maneuver system system for fighters. Something that encourages creative actions in combat and lets fighters perform feats of strength and skill. Something like Dungeon Crawl Classic's Mighty Deeds or Low Fantasy Gaming's Martial Exploits.
The point of such a system should be to be something on top of normal attacks and something that doesn't penalize such attempts.
Most systems tell you that you can do all these cool actions like disarm and trip and knock prone, but then tell you that you need to take a -4 penalty and you do it in place of damage. In such systems it is always better to do a standard attack without penalty and inflict damage.
If your system does all that cool stuff in addition to damage, it will be used. Some things I would suggest such a system be able to do is (in addition to normal attack damage):
knock prone/back/aside
disarm and throw weapon away or take the weapon
stun an opponent or inflict disadvantage
attack multiple opponents at the same time
leap in the air to attack a flying creature
cut off a poisonous stinger or maim a creature attack
force a morale check and scare enemies from attacking
etc...
I'd suggest something fast and loose. The player should just tell you what they want to do and you can just ask for an ability check or saving throw. No need for feats or powers or anything like that to quantify this.
If a 1st level wizard can put 6 orcs to sleep, a fighter should be able to make a sweeping attack and kill 6 orcs at once.
DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
If you let the wizard do that all the time, sure, otherwise I would say no myself.
I'm not saying fighters shouldn't get something, though.
I was with you up until this point. First of all, I don't want that flavor of fantasy. I don't want superheroic warriors beheading 6 orcs with a single blow. That's what's wrong with 5E in the first place (for this particular exercise; I am not anti-5E in general). And second, it's just plain unbalanced because the 1st level wizard can do it exactly one time, and the orcs aren't dead and will wake up if they are damaged but not killed.
Sure.
The point is that you can implement a maneuver system that makes fighters more interesting and tweak it to the power level you want. If beheading 6 orcs is too superhero for your game you can just limit it to what you feel is more appropriate.
Some other options:
1. ACKS cleave rule + damage bonus per level (my favorite). I found this gave fighters an extra power up without being over the top. Basically, fighters get +1 damage at 1st level and an additional +1 every 3 levels after. They also get an additional cleave attack whenever they drop an enemy to 0 hit points. They get a number of these cleave attacks equal to their level.
This has the effect of making higher level fighters very effective against groups of low hit die foes. The fighter damage bonus turns 1 HD creatures into minions. It is balanced by the fact that at any time they can miss or roll low on damage and break their cleave chain.
In my ACKS game, I've had a 6th level fighter take out 5 goblins in a single combat round and then break the morale of the remaining gobs.
It was a pretty cool visual, made the fighter awesome and as effective as a magic-user with sleep, and stayed well within the mortal power level capability. Maybe it wasn't 'real life' realistic, but it felt more 'Game of Thrones' realistic as opposed to 'Avengers' realistic to me.
2. OD&D had a rule to allow fighters an number of attacks equal to their hit die against 1 HD or less creatures.
3. The Black Hack 2E grants a number of damage dice equal to the fighter's level. The fighter can use them all on one attack or distribute them against multiple attacks.
4. Provide a limited resource that depletes when attempting over top maneuvers. You can only do something like that once per day or so.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
It's quasi-private in that you can only get to it if someone tells you where it is - it's hidden from search engines.
The spells home-page is here, and note this is all for modified 1e, not 5e.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
That's in 1e as well. Note that the Fighter still had to roll to hit each target.
One modification I made was that no Fighter could use this in the first round of combat, to reflect it taking the Fighter a moment to realize she was up against nothing but a bunch of mooks. (also, remember that even one non-mook negates this ability).
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