Microlite20 : the smallest thing in gaming
- Thread starter greywulf
- Start date
Pilsnerquest
First Post
In Microlite20 does the monsters HD reflect its base attack bonus? If a critter is HD 5 its base attack is at +5 (not including STR bonuses, etc.) right?
Also, how do monsters make saving throws if we don't know their stats? Or do they not receive any stat bonus, just a d20+HD?
Pilsnerquest
Also, how do monsters make saving throws if we don't know their stats? Or do they not receive any stat bonus, just a d20+HD?
Pilsnerquest
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greywulf
First Post
Pilsnerquest said:
Make up the stats on the spot, and add the bonus to the HD to get the to-hit and saves.
For example, if you've got a 5HD critter and he's strong, then give him a +3 to-hit for a total of +8 - he's STR16. Another critter of the same race might be agile but not as tough, so he's STR 14, DEX 16 (say), so she would have +7 to-hit, but a higher AC.
Same logic goes for skills - all critters get Know, Sub, Comm and Phys equal to their HD, +3 (if it's intelligent) to one of them.
So that agile 5HD critter above might have the +3 on Sub meaning their total Sub is +8. She'd be able to Sneak up on you using Sub+DEX = +11.
For speed, use a floating +2. Assume strong creatures are STR 14, agile ones are DEX 14 and clever ones are MIND 14. That gives them skills = to HD+2 with an additional +3 in one.
Hope that helps!
greywulf
First Post
jezter6 said:I have not yet had the experience to fully delve into m20, but I would certainly do it if I had. I am more interested in becoming a bigger part of m20, which would make a review a bit jaded.
Darn. Curse you reviewers with a conscience!
I'm glad to have you on board too, Jezter
kensanata
Explorer
Initiative
That's how it is! If your fireball gets in first, then that's what I call a SURPRISE!!
Harr harr harr…
Anyway, we've been basically playing it like that, with sides alternating, and some confusion arising now and then. I'll try to make it "official" and playtest it more thoroughly next time.
And here I was thinking that my system was too simple because it was not possible for the surprising side to get two attacks in a row! (Surprise, party gets to attack, roll initiative and win, party gets to attack again!) I must have misunderstood a lot of thinkgs in AD&D 2nd ed and I'm still trying to recover... Hehe.
Using the DEX bonus was rare because it meant individual init rolls, and since I'd forget the numbers as soon as they were called out, I never remembered whose turn it was.
greywulf said:
That's how it is! If your fireball gets in first, then that's what I call a SURPRISE!!
Harr harr harr…
Anyway, we've been basically playing it like that, with sides alternating, and some confusion arising now and then. I'll try to make it "official" and playtest it more thoroughly next time.
And here I was thinking that my system was too simple because it was not possible for the surprising side to get two attacks in a row! (Surprise, party gets to attack, roll initiative and win, party gets to attack again!) I must have misunderstood a lot of thinkgs in AD&D 2nd ed and I'm still trying to recover... Hehe.
Using the DEX bonus was rare because it meant individual init rolls, and since I'd forget the numbers as soon as they were called out, I never remembered whose turn it was.
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kensanata
Explorer
Pilsnerquest said:
To be honest, I just use the melee attack bonus from the d20 source I get them from. I rarely make up monsters myself. I'd probably just use HD myself, if I had to. It's probably close enough. No making up of stats on the spot. Having to look up HD on the spot is enough work for the DM already!
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kensanata said:
Definately some good logic there. Maybe instead of rolling init, the surprising side auto-gets initiative for the first round (or at least a healthy bonus to init to give them a better shot at going twice). If you don't get to go twice in a row, it's really not surprise at all, unless you use special rules that you lose DEX to AC during surprise rounds. Otherwise, it's just a regular round where they go first, then the other party goes - in your head you think that it's round 2, when it's still the back half of round 1. In all reality, after the first round, if you use a system where it's just you go, we go, then it doesn't really matter who went 'first' as rounds will tend to just blur together. The whole concept of rounds (IMHO) is just way to mentally compute a logical order to what is in reality an illogical nightmare of swinging, parrying, and fireball blasting. Heck, I find going last to be more interesting.
Plus, say you get +2 AC until your next action...would you WANT to win init and go first and lose your bonus while the enemy beats on you, or let all the guys attack you while your bonus is good THEN go last and lose your bonus when you're done?
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Ry
Explorer
When I've done it, the whole group going first or last went well - especially when the players were a very cohesive group. Think of movies where a squad of commandos moves through an area. They know each other well enough that just seeing the first one start to duck is a warning to the rest. When they're surprised, they're all surprised - and it's a very, very bad day.
Maybe I'd consider letting each roll for surprise, allowing a reflex action for those that make it, and the rest of those that failed are still stuck waiting.
That makes for some cinematic coolness when the weaker PC fails surprise, and the quicker PC has to jump in front/mow down the bad guy before he kills the weak one.
'
That makes for some cinematic coolness when the weaker PC fails surprise, and the quicker PC has to jump in front/mow down the bad guy before he kills the weak one.
'
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