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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KDLadage" data-source="post: 1059148" data-attributes="member: 88">(cross posting to the Rules Forum, d20 Modern forum and House Rules forum)Something that has been bothering me: the d20 system is supposed to be a rules set that can be tailored to various genres in such a way that it can server as a solid foundation, thus keeping you from having to learn a new system all the time, as you play things like d20 Star Wars, d20 Dungeons and Dragons and d20 Modern. (1)For the most part, the theory holds true. However, in playing the d20 system in various genres, I a noticing some needless variation. By this, I mean that sometimes the rules are changed from one area to another with no good reason. For example: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Dying Characters: Quick! In the d20 system, how do you stabalize when you are a dying character (i.e.: when you have -1 to -9 hit points)? Well, in Dungeons and Dragons, you lose one point per round with a flat 10% chance to stabalize each round. Now, when you shift to Star Wars, since they use the Wounds/Vitality system, I understand that some changes needed to be made, so it uses a DC 10 Fort Check to do it. But in d20 Modern, you shift to a DC 20 Fort Check. Now, d20 Modern is supposed to be very close to the Dungeons and Dragons system -- so why this change? Is there a reason anyone can think of for the d20 and d20 Modern rules not being unified in this area? Especially with the release of 3.5? The only thing I can think of is because of the Threshold Rules, but still...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Threshold: In Dungeons and Dragons you have Hit Points; in Star Wars you have Wounds and Vitality; in d20 Modern, they went back to Hit Points but added the Threshold to make things a bit more realistic -- i.e.: any wound could be the one that does you in. Is there any reason anyone can think of for the Thrshold rules not being used in D&D 3.5 (most likely not as a standard rule, but it could have been in the DMG as an optional rule)?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Skills, and Feats galore!: There appear to be a multitude of skills and feats that operate differently (sometimes subtle differences, sometimes significant differences) from one version of the d20 system to the next. Can anyone explain to me why these variations exist? Again, especially after the release of 3.5, when much opf this could have been made uniform?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> And so on...</li> </ul>I ask this because each of these things makes for a difficult environment. A player learns (let us say...) Dungeons asnd Dragons. He then goes into an Urban Arcana game. Now, the rules are close enough that he feels comfortable to begin play, but different enough that it becomes frustrating trying to explain to the player how the rules are ever-so-slightly (but when combined, are effectively quite significantly) different now.Just curious.Also, have any of you modified one d20 rules set with the rules from another one? IE: has anyone used the threshold rules in D&D? Has anyone used the Wound/Vitality system in d20 Modern? And so on...==========(1) As well as many others... Call of Cthulu, Wheel of Time, etc and so on.</blockquote>

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