If you could have created D&D before Gygax..

[mmadsen]

So the more interesting question to me would be, "what would YOU have used as sources of inspiration if you had been in Gary's position in the 1970's?"

Presumably I would have used the same sources: Robert E. Howard's Conan stories (and Kull, etc.), Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories, a bit of Tolkien, etc. With that in mind, I wouldn't have had healing warrior priests, a magic system tied directly to Vance (and only Vance), a combat system where Conan can't run an evil sorcerer through with one sword thrust and Legolas can't kill a fell beast with one arrow, etc.

 

[Aethelstan]

I personally thought D&D could get by just fine without monks. Just my opinion, I have no compelling argumnent to support this.

 

[jasper]

1. Clarify and standardize most the rules like d20 but keep the flavor writing. But add an exception clause aka dm special.
2. drop alignment or include a check list what is good/evil law/chaos
3. steal rogue attorney idea about the business plan
4. standardize xp table like d20 but still have the tens and hundreds of thousands to go up a level. Possibly the fighter xp chart.
5. Keep the name level a tenth but all hit dice become a d4 at 11 th.
6. rules for creating magic items.
7. Editors both who know the game system and those who are just looking for typos and clarity.
8. Find a friendly mobster to take care of problem children aka we know who.
9. Allow other companies to produce modules and campaign worlds but not new rules. And limit some monsters aka mind flayers.

 

[Gez]

I personally thought D&D could get by just fine without monks. Just my opinion, I have no compelling argumnent to support this.

You could remove any single class from D&D 3 and it would get by just fine.

Even the four staples (cleric, fighter, rogue, wizard) have shoe-in replacements (druid & paladin; monk, paladin, ranger & barbarian; ranger & bard; druid & sorcerer).

The fact they aren't needed doesn't mean they should be removed. They could be removed, they could be replaced by another class like one from the Complete series, but they're also just fine being here. Options, not restrictions.

 

[Gez]

I'd go back and change the alignment descriptor "Law" to "Order."

That's what Moorcock did.

But Gygax didn't take the alignments from Moorcock, but from Anderson.

 

[Aethelstan]

Any D&D historians out there: did Anderson or Gygax develop the idea of alignment?

 

[talinthas]

and while we're at it, what vance novels actually have 'vancian' magic? i want to read and see where it came from.

 

[Aethelstan]

Tal, scroll down on this board for a thread entitled "what inspired D&D Magic." It should fill you in on Vance, etc.

 

[Mystaros]

a classless system like gurps, more point buy with out levels, skills and powers on a tree system like feats based on attributes, damage rolls like mutants & masterminds with location chart for a more detailed wound system, maybe a magic system like shadowrun that deals with exhustion takes points to learn new spells that you can cast like a warlock make spells on par with the sword that you can swing all day long, how about a way to take negitives after fighting for so long, say Con in rounds

forget alingment either you are a hero or your not certain powers gained will have a price to pay i.e. ethics, rituals, particular code of conduct ect.

armor is DR , parry rules,
i do like the action points from modern/ebberron,
that all i can think of for now

Hmmmm... Sir Draconion, were you intending to describe RuneQuest, or was that merely a stroke of luck? Because that is, essentially, what you are describing... Third Edition RuneQuest from Avalon Hill probably is the closest to what you describe, though many of the elements were present in the earlier editions (which were Chaosium's attempt to make a "better D&D" of the day)...

 

[mmadsen]

and while we're at it, what vance novels actually have 'vancian' magic? i want to read and see where it came from.

The first Dying Earth novel (and only the first, as I recall).