my UA surprise

[MerakSpielman]

Just a few details?

What's so different about the alternate XP system?

How are they implementing armor as DR? How does this work with the different types of armor bonuses?

 

[Zappo]

I'm impressed with the amount of variant rules collected in this book... even though I am very satisfied with standard D&D, I could pick it up and see how it can be used to expand the game into grim'n'gritty, low-magic and other subgenres that D&D as it is doesn't model as well as the usual heroic high magic fantasy.

 

[nikolai]

I'm impressed with the amount of variant rules collected in this book... even though I am very satisfied with standard D&D, I could pick it up and see how it can be used to expand the game into grim'n'gritty, low-magic and other subgenres that D&D as it is doesn't model as well as the usual heroic high magic fantasy.

How do you rate the new magic rules? This is a major draw for me.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Just a few details?

What's so different about the alternate XP system?

Instead of making the amount necessary to gain a level a fixed amount (1000 * Level) and the value of a monster relative to the level of the character...

The value of each monster is fixed, and the XP necessary to gain a level is relative.

I think that's about it. Not sure why anyone would feel the need to do it this way (except for diaglo and similar hard-core 1e'ers for who this method feels more "natural.")

How are they implementing armor as DR? How does this work with the different types of armor bonuses?

Poorly, in my opinion; however, see my post above about Damage Conversion. That's the killer app.


Wulf

 

[nikolai]

Instead of making the amount necessary to gain a level a fixed amount (1000 * Level) and the value of a monster relative to the level of the character...

The value of each monster is fixed, and the XP necessary to gain a level is relative.

The XP to gain a level is relative to what? And what's the benefit of the system. I don't get it, sorry if I'm just being dense...

 

[jester47]

Poorly, in my opinion; however, see my post above about Damage Conversion. That's the killer app.

Wulf

As Armor DR goes this one is the best I have seen, and I have seen another that is not published yet and it does it much much worse... The only real tweak it needs is a house rule saying all crits bybpass armor DR.

The "Killer App" if you must have one is the combination of Armor DR with damage conversion with the injury rules.

What I like about the rules in unearthed arcana is that many can be used side by side with the current rule system with little or no changes.

Aaron.