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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 5791410" data-attributes="member: 32740">Actually, it went quite fast as everyone knew it well and weren't trying to game it - but it was indeed quite boring.  It's real failing was that it was exceptionally ruthless for spellcasters, moreso even than BTB which was already pretty ruthless (though I didn't know that til much later). If a spellcaster wanted to try and cast a spell in combat EVERYONE gets to hit him or shoot at him regardless of what anyones initiative result was - and then enemy spellcasters might still be able to land one on you if you didn't stick to faster spells.  I just couldn't accept that in a 1 minute round a spellcaster with even his fastest spell would never, EVER beat out any physical attack no matter how slow the attackers reactions or awkward his weapon - excepting only end-of-round zombie attacks.  And same with missile fire - unless you started a round with arrow nocked and target in sight you would never, EVER beat out a melee attack. It made combat tedious because melee was KING - always.  Missile fire was a poor second (until the Nuclear Arrows of Unearthed Arcana specialization, but I digress...), and spellcasters were whipping boys who lived for the chance of getting just one combat spell off before getting whacked.  The only reason spellcasters didn't die constantly was because of movement.  We had movement reduced drastically so that a spellcaster could maintain a decent distance from the general scrum and at least not be swarmed on the first round or two if he risked casting, leaving just missile fire to deal with.  Movement also came last in the order, and even though casting a spell meant you were allowed zero movement, the DM saw to it that the melee crowd typically had their hands full with significant hand-to-hand. I've gone through ADDICT several times and it actually can be whittled down and simplified while preserving the same general results.  Casting in combat is still a gamble but you at least have a fair and reasonable chance.  Weapon Speed Factors are kept as an option yet in their original role - just breaking ties.  I've got it down to a single page: <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~duanevp/dnd/Building%20D&D/buildingdnd17.htm" target="_blank">Surprise and Initiative</a> (scroll down to the bottom for the "short form" itself).  I like to think that it is proof that AD&D CAN be improved; that the 1E surprise and initiative systems were pretty crappy, and crappily implemented.  And my Short Form still keeps VERY close to the functionality of the original system.  It simply jettisons all the extraneous crap that it had. The original system CAN and DOES "work", even though I've never used it (nor been able to use my Short Form either - yet).  But the real question is, "Why would you even want to try using the BTB system?"  It's just so blatantly awful in its construction.  My only desire to ever try using BTB myself is just to be able to brag that I did - ONCE, and that 35 or so years after its publication.</blockquote>

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