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If you were able to design your own version of D&D, how would you do it?
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<blockquote data-quote="Jacob Lewis" data-source="post: 7540811" data-attributes="member: 6667921"><p>I think this conversation is headed off the rails, but maybe it will circle back to the topic soon.</p><p></p><p>As far as 3d6 vs d20, there have been a lot of discussions over this. I have personally applied this to a 4e campaign I ran online for two years, so I can offer some additional perspective based on actual experience as opposed to speculation and theory.</p><p></p><p>First, I only made the most minimal changes to the system. The math wasn't tweaked, so characters and monsters used the same bonuses, defenses and DCs were largely untouched except where I adjusted for regular DM fiat. (i.e. increasing or decreasing the challenge). Another factor I considered was only to apply this rule for the characters, not the monsters. I'll explain this soon.</p><p></p><p>Aside from that, the only other change was how to determine critical hits and this is where things began to deviate from the norm. I decided that rolling doubles was too frequent, but doubles of a certain value or higher was acceptable and flexible. Most attacks required double 6s, but for special weapons with a higher chance to crit, double 5s (or 4s) could also trigger a critical hit. </p><p></p><p>Before the 3d6 was adopted, however, we used the normal d20. Encounters were taking a very long time due to a number of bad rolls by the players. They were also frustrated from wasting all their encounter or daily powers due to a bad roll. This was particular for 4e, but the same could be said for other editions. Missing an attack or failing a saving throw too many times can be disheartening after a while.</p><p></p><p>After the change, however, combats went quicker. Those little bonuses to add +1 or +2 were more signifcant, which encouraged more teamwork and assisting others. The monsters retained the d20 to keep the swingingness in favor of the players instead of working against them, and still gave a sense of threat. Somehow, that struck a balance between probability and predictability. Things were improved.</p><p></p><p>What I learned from that experience was that there was much more that could have been done, and eventually the system would need to be adjusted. You can't just replace one mechanic the whole game is built around and not expect to hit a couple walls. We only dealt with what affected the current class and race options, and we only got to level 4. But that small segment of play and the results we got from that minor adjustment showed a lot of promise. It essentially changed our enjoyment of the game for the better. That, I think, is what this topic was about. What changes work for you. So if d20 doesn't work for you, no one has any right to tell you that is wrong.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jacob Lewis, post: 7540811, member: 6667921"] I think this conversation is headed off the rails, but maybe it will circle back to the topic soon. As far as 3d6 vs d20, there have been a lot of discussions over this. I have personally applied this to a 4e campaign I ran online for two years, so I can offer some additional perspective based on actual experience as opposed to speculation and theory. First, I only made the most minimal changes to the system. The math wasn't tweaked, so characters and monsters used the same bonuses, defenses and DCs were largely untouched except where I adjusted for regular DM fiat. (i.e. increasing or decreasing the challenge). Another factor I considered was only to apply this rule for the characters, not the monsters. I'll explain this soon. Aside from that, the only other change was how to determine critical hits and this is where things began to deviate from the norm. I decided that rolling doubles was too frequent, but doubles of a certain value or higher was acceptable and flexible. Most attacks required double 6s, but for special weapons with a higher chance to crit, double 5s (or 4s) could also trigger a critical hit. Before the 3d6 was adopted, however, we used the normal d20. Encounters were taking a very long time due to a number of bad rolls by the players. They were also frustrated from wasting all their encounter or daily powers due to a bad roll. This was particular for 4e, but the same could be said for other editions. Missing an attack or failing a saving throw too many times can be disheartening after a while. After the change, however, combats went quicker. Those little bonuses to add +1 or +2 were more signifcant, which encouraged more teamwork and assisting others. The monsters retained the d20 to keep the swingingness in favor of the players instead of working against them, and still gave a sense of threat. Somehow, that struck a balance between probability and predictability. Things were improved. What I learned from that experience was that there was much more that could have been done, and eventually the system would need to be adjusted. You can't just replace one mechanic the whole game is built around and not expect to hit a couple walls. We only dealt with what affected the current class and race options, and we only got to level 4. But that small segment of play and the results we got from that minor adjustment showed a lot of promise. It essentially changed our enjoyment of the game for the better. That, I think, is what this topic was about. What changes work for you. So if d20 doesn't work for you, no one has any right to tell you that is wrong. [/QUOTE]
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If you were able to design your own version of D&D, how would you do it?
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