DND_Reborn
The High Aldwin
Although my time in 5E is nearing (relatively) a close, I am thinking about attack rolls and HP for D&D but also game systems in general.
I like the idea of advantage/disadvantage in 5E. I also like the idea of HP as abstract but having a "meat" number as well (in my houserules, I follow SW calling it Wounds when I use it).
I've been thinking of applying a 2d20 attack mechanic, where one "success" damages HP, both "successes" damages "meat", and if both are successes and the same number, the result is critical. FWIW, if HP are gone, all hits go to "meat".
For a system like 5E, this would drain HP faster as hits would be more common (increasing risk, which is a design goal) and allowing a better chance to still hit higher ACs. The flip side is with the "meat" number, a good AC makes it much harder to affect this. But to my thinking that also makes sense as getting in an actual damaging hit (a la "meat") is harder for those who are better protected. It also makes crits more valuable when they occur because now they would only be "meat".
If I ever tried to implement such a system in 5E, "meat" would be CON (maybe CON + level or CR for more forgiving tables?). I would have to consider the implications of actual advantage (simple enough to take the better results of two of 3d20) and disadvantage would make hitting "meat" and scoring a crit impossible since you would be reduced to a single d20.
Features such as Improved Critical would be a bit more complex. Spit-balling I am thinking you would score a crit if both hit and are the same, OR if either rolls a 20. Superior critical would be if both hit and are the same OR if either rolls a 19 or 20 maybe. I'd have to work the math a bit to see if that would be too much.
Anyone have any interesting thoughts on the idea?
(Again this isn't just for D&D, but I am thinking about it in that framework since I play it most.)
I like the idea of advantage/disadvantage in 5E. I also like the idea of HP as abstract but having a "meat" number as well (in my houserules, I follow SW calling it Wounds when I use it).
I've been thinking of applying a 2d20 attack mechanic, where one "success" damages HP, both "successes" damages "meat", and if both are successes and the same number, the result is critical. FWIW, if HP are gone, all hits go to "meat".
For a system like 5E, this would drain HP faster as hits would be more common (increasing risk, which is a design goal) and allowing a better chance to still hit higher ACs. The flip side is with the "meat" number, a good AC makes it much harder to affect this. But to my thinking that also makes sense as getting in an actual damaging hit (a la "meat") is harder for those who are better protected. It also makes crits more valuable when they occur because now they would only be "meat".
If I ever tried to implement such a system in 5E, "meat" would be CON (maybe CON + level or CR for more forgiving tables?). I would have to consider the implications of actual advantage (simple enough to take the better results of two of 3d20) and disadvantage would make hitting "meat" and scoring a crit impossible since you would be reduced to a single d20.
Features such as Improved Critical would be a bit more complex. Spit-balling I am thinking you would score a crit if both hit and are the same, OR if either rolls a 20. Superior critical would be if both hit and are the same OR if either rolls a 19 or 20 maybe. I'd have to work the math a bit to see if that would be too much.
Anyone have any interesting thoughts on the idea?
(Again this isn't just for D&D, but I am thinking about it in that framework since I play it most.)