How Far Are Gamers Willing to Stretch D&D?

[arscott]

D&D breaks in only two places:

(1) when the rules no longer support the setting's theme. When you're playing cthulhuesque fantasy, but the Wizard is still flinging fireballs without risking his sanity, it doesn't feel right.

To counteract that, you change whatever rules you need to until the rules do support the setting's theme. Which brings us to:

(2) When it still works fine, but you've changed the rules so much that it doesn't feel right to call it D&D. Mutants and Masterminds, Grim Tales, Call of Cthulhu, and whatever else. They're still d20, but the D&D label doesn't fit, and if you use it you're only causing confusion.

 

[arscott]

The comments I've received here have convinced me that a setting for Core D&D wouldn't really fit. The question now is whether I'd be better served by designing a true "second generation" d20 system (like Green Ronin did with M&M and True20), or by designing a new system specific to the setting.

Ask yourself this:

•What are you good at?
If you know d20 backwards and forwards, then it's a good Idea to make it a d20 product. Maybe it would be better suited for an entirely new system, from a theoretical standpoint, but don't forget that this is something that you are making, so the design choices should play to your strengths.

•How do characters advance?
In d20, characters primarily advance by improving their competence in things they already do. The 1st level fighter hits things, and the 20th level fighter hits things better. If you want characters to primarily advance by becoming competent at an increasing number of things, by gaining luck, reputation, or some other trait not directly related to their competence, or to not advance in a meaningful way, then d20 is probably not the way to go.

•How much do you want random chance to affect success?
Because it's based on the d20, you have the same chance of getting an extreme result as you do of getting an average result. But if you were to use, say, a 3d6 mechanic, then extreme rolls would come up much less often, reducing the importance of the die roll in relation to the character's skill.

• What range of character ability do you want?
In the d20 system, a 1st level character almost never poses a threat to a 10th level character. If you want low-level characters to be able to menace high-level characters, then avoid d20.

 

[Nellisir]

1) Its amazing how many people seem to be responding to this like its for a home game and not for a company that actually would publish something.

I assumed it was for publishing, except for this quote:

I had been considering at as something for D&D, not a new d20-based game.

I, perhaps wrongly, assumed GMSkarka would say D&D when he meant D&D, and d20 accessory or campaign when he meant d20 accessory or campaign. If he meant a d20 campaign (using core D&D books), then OK, my bad. Otherwise, he must have someway of getting the D&D logo on his stuff, which would be pretty cool.

 

[Nyaricus]

This setting idea looks better the way Nyarcus describes it.

Thanks!

cheers,
--N