Microlite20 : the smallest thing in gaming

[Ry]

So far so good?

Edit: I should add that the reason for this was one of my old crew asked me to write a lite d20 that still had "5th Level Dwarven Fighters" and "STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA" so I'm looking at microlite and doing that.

 

[greywulf]

So far so good?
I should add that the reason for this was one of my old crew asked me to write a lite d20 that still had "5th Level Dwarven Fighters" and "STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA" so I'm looking at microlite and doing that.

Hmmmm..... There's a lot of appeal to the idea. I especially like the idea of Might, Insight and Style in effect being additional saving throws. I'd love to be able to tell one of my players to Save vs. Style.

It's the beginning of a good idea. I like. The Might secondary stat could easily replace BAB.

How would classes work? What about Medium armour? Light weapons?

Tell me more..........

 

[Ry]

Skill Level Modifier
-10 Completely unknown
-5 Inexperienced / Untrained
0 Trained / Adept
+2 Skilled
+5 Expert

Without class and race, think of every protocharacter as essentially a chump. Every action is either untrained or completely unknown. The description of class and race are what make some things skilled and trained. This means you can define classes and races in words, which I think is cool (and which I'm working on).

I'm a fighter. What does that mean? I'm skilled with fighting in heavy weapons and armor. That means that if I'm in heavy armor and someone's swinging at me, I've got the +2 to my Fortitude action.

I'm a wizard. What does that mean, qua heavy armor? Gosh. I have no idea about defending with heavy armor. I mean, I've seen the fighter do it, but I'm basically at -5 for any such action.

I'm a cleric. I'm capable of using heavy armor and untrained in light/no armor. I'd better grab some so at least I'm not at the -5 like I am when naked.

I'm a thief. I'm capable in light armor. That's what I'll be wearing.

As for light weapons - it's like anything else. What stat works best with that? Well a rapier or a dagger - that's a Reflex action. Sniping with a heavy crossbow? Could be Insight. This is a GM-makes-the-call kind of lite but it's "do what's reasonable".

 

[Ry]

LIke so many things, I'm making the difference between medium and heavy armor descriptive, with the caveat that descriptive is important when you've been thrown into a river and need to lighten the load, or are trying to jump over a pit full of spikes, or someone is aiming at your legs, or when you're being pelted from all directions by blowdarts.

When it matters, descriptive feeds directly back into that Easy / Average /Difficult / Daunting scale and the Skilled/Untrained scale. When it doesn't matter, it doesn't get in the way.

Now, please forgive that this stuff is really half-baked. I haven't written the all-encompassing perfectly balanced set of classes and races. Given that, how does this sound so far?

 

[greywulf]

Pretty good so far, Ryan.

If you head in the direction you're going btw, you'll reach a point where hit points become redundant as weapon "damage" could just become fixed bonus to your attack roll (unarmed +0, dagger +3, shortsword +4, longsword +5, etc). They you'll need to find something to replace hp with. A damage track, maybe.

Just food for thought

 

[Ry]

My players want to keep hit points and in terms of translateability I can see why. We'll be in level 1-6 territory, maybe 1-10 tops. So we'll still have 1d8 damage on a longsword - but we'll be going 1d6 on the magic missile (since it's resisted now).

 

[kensanata]

Core mechanic is Players (and players only) roll 1d20+Secondary Stat+Modifiers versus target number. Thus, when PCs avoid being hit, they roll 1d20 and add Reflex (in light armor) or Fortitude (in heavy armor).

I don't understand. Have you skipped some info or would this be obvious to me if I had read True20 or something like that? I faintly remember you liking "players roll all the dice." Is that it?

Here's what I think you're saying: enemies take 10 on their attack rolls and players roll saves to avoid being hit. So the evil bandit using a longsword has +2 (1d8+1) and attacks: Player rolls a Fortitude or Reflex save against the attack DC of 12 (10+2) depending on the armor he's wearing.

But what do you use Might, Insight and Style for?

I don't think I like players rolling all the dice. I think I'd prefer what I heard they're doing for 4th ed.: All actions mean roll dice, all reactions are a DC to beat. In other words, no saving throws (because these would be a reaction resulting in a dice roll).

All spells that require a save on behalf of the target now require an attack on behalf of the caster instead. The DM gets to roll lots of dice.

 

[Ry]

Players roll all the dice has been awesome in my games. It will be even easier to implement in 4e. Basically all you need to do is convert

NPC's Stat + DM's Roll vs. Player's Static # + Player's stat

into

NPC's Stat + DM's Static # vs. Player's Roll + Player's stat

So long as you're careful with your math when you set up the system, the two are identical. That means whenever anything interesting involving the PCs happens, the PC rolls and the GM's just calls out success or failure. Keeping my hands free has been great.

For example, NPC's +5 attack + DM's 1d20 vs. 10 + (Player's Armor bonus and Dex bonus) is equivalent to NPC's +5 attack + 12 vs. Player's 1d20 + (Player's Armor bonus and Dex bonus).
(The 10 changes to 12 because the one who rolls wins the tie).

 

[Ry]

As for the rest, you roll Might when you're attacking with a big axe, you roll Insight when you're trying to find a secret switch or cast a spell, you use Style to impress a crowd.

 

[Satori]

I think I just pooped a little.

I want to make hawt, sweet, inappropriate love to Microlite20.

Seriously, this system (I skipped all 40 pages, so I'm talking about the core PDF you handed out) makes me want to DM again.

What I love about it is how easy it is to ad-hoc and customize the content.

PC 1: I want to play a Drow Rogue! What are my stats?
Me: Hmm...Drow...Dex +1 Mind +1

PC 2: I want to play a Half Orc Warrior!
Me: +3 STR -1 Mind

PC 3: I want a Half-Celestial Cleric!
Me: +1 Mind +1 Communication +1 Social, but you're 1 level behind.

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The ECL leveling system is genius.

The encounter system is brilliant.

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The only modifications I would make would be the following:

Warriors get +1 BAB every even level (in addition to +1 per level), Rogues are +1 per level, and Mages/Clerics are +1 every even level (no +1 per level).

Warriors are All Armor/Weapons, Rogues are all One Handed weapons and ranged, Mages/Clerics are all 1d6 or lower weapons and ranged (Blunt for Clerics...I'm old school! Leave me alone!)

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Spells are even simpler than you say. They still cost HP, but I'd do something like:

Mage:
-Damage
-Control
-Charm
-Summon

Cleric:
-Heal
-Buff
-Damage
-Protection

I would then come up with a constant variable (1d6 per level) and let the PCs decide what level they want to make the spell. Something like Die Number/2 = Level (round up)

PC:I want to cast a 5d6 Fireball!
Me: Ok, take 3 HP damage!

PC: I want to charm an NPC with a DC of 18!
Me: Ok, take 4 HP

Or something like that.

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I love it! I can't say that enough!

Thanks for putting it out there!