OGC Question

[DnDChick]

Hello everyone.

I have written a critical effects system for D20, and I wish to share it pro bono with the EnWorld and D20 community at large.

I need to know how I should word a statment declaring it OGC on the website where it is located, or even if I should do so at all.

You can find my crit effects chart at http://members.aol.com/CountryGrrlHere/crits.html

If you want to follow the evolution of the crit effects, the thread where it was critiqued and discussed can be found at http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1320

 

[RangerWickett]

Hey, I'd love it if you'd submit this to Asgard magazine. Then it would probably reach even more people, since I think something like 3000 people download each copy. It's all volunteer work, but you're doing that right now, so there's no great loss. Would you be interested?

 

[DnDChick]

Not a bad idea at all...right now Im still tweaking a little of it, so Im not 100% sure its ready for real publication. Im just exploring my options.

Umm...what would be the deadline for submission for Asgard 5? Would A6 be more realistic?

And submitting it to Asgard would be a great idea anyway since so many folx here at EnWorld had a hand in critiquing and playtesting it!

 

[RangerWickett]

Heh. Russ and I are discussing Asgard right now. If you recall, he had some trouble with his email a few weeks ago. Lost most everything for the next issue, so we're starting from scratch. If you want to submit it, just send me an email some time before Saturday.

 

[DnDChick]

Ok. I trust your judgment as a game designer, player, and publisher. Looking over the crit chart and the lengthy discussion about it on these boards, do you think its ready for publication?

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, admittedly it could use some touching up, a few clarifications of rules, and a better introduction, but we could work on that. Right now it's not really layed out in article fashion, and I would like to see you tie the magical healing more to hitpoints healed than to type of cure spell. Vampiric Touch heals, and some bizarre effects might grant healing, so it's better not to base it directly on cure spell levels. But all in all, it is a nice system, and I think it's worth being seen.

But I have to be honest. If you want to submit this to Asgard 5, we'd need to hurry, before Saturday. Could you do a quick rewrite, starting with an introduction of what the rules do, why people would want to use them, and how they affect the game. Then get into the rules, clarifying how long effects last (like the daze from a minor wound, and how long the window is open to heal a wound before it creates a permanent effect that requires a restoration spell), and cleaning things up in general. Then hand it to the nearest person who doesn't know D&D and see if they can get a vague idea of what it means. If they're confused, you still probably have a good article, but if they know what you're talking about, then you have a great one.

 

[RangerWickett]

Also, it'd probably help to clarify the difference between a normal hit and a critical hit. Why does getting attacked with a sword only sometimes create a major wound, for instance?

 

[DnDChick]

This is certainly food for thought, and I will work on your suggestions ASAP. My schedule at school is picking up a little so unfortunately I doubt Ill be able to get it to you for Asgard 5. Ill do what I can though.

Thanks!

 

[DnDChick]

Also, it'd probably help to clarify the difference between a normal hit and a critical hit. Why does getting attacked with a sword only sometimes create a major wound, for instance?

The same could be asked of crits in general. Why does getting attacked with a sword only sometimes create a crit?

Any normal hit that does hit point damage, regardless of the value, is just like normal hit point damage. Minor bumps, scrapes, bruises, etc. This is also why the Minor criticals have the largest range: its most likely that any crit rolled will be no different from any normal crit in 3e: just hit point damage.

And as for how long a Dazed condition lasts: normally 1 round. I used the condition descriptions directly from the DMG when I reference things such as "stunned," unconscious," "disabled," and "dying."

I addressed non cure-spell magical healing in the Healing section, but granted its only patchwork there and does need a LOT of work.

And Ive never thought about a window of opportunity for using a cure spell to stop any potential permanent damage. Very good point, and certainly something Ill have to think about.

Thanks!

 

[DnDChick]

Also, one of the things that not clear in the description is that hit point damage from a critical is separate from the critical effect.

One email I got about the system is, "You're saying that, since minimum critical damage from a club is 2, my character with 68 hit points can take 2 points of damage from a critical and get a shattered skull? That's stupid!"

Well...my reply was to him that it wasnt the 2 points of damage that shattered his skull...it was the critical. Crit effects have nothing to do with how many hit points you took, except when determining the value of any necessary Fortitude saves. The above character took 2 hit points of damage and had his head caved in. The two points of damage didnt cave in his head; the critical did that. But because the Fort save for a 2-hp wound would only be 12, its likely that a high level character would resist the head-caving anyway.

Thats why the healing rules for the crit effects arent tied to hit point damage. Say that a 1st level fighter with 10 hit points is reduced to 0hp by a Serious critical. At the same time, a 10th level fighter with 70hp is also reduced to 0hp by a Serious crit. One cure medium wounds spell would have the 1st level fighter back on his feet in no time. It would take multiple cure spells to completely heal a high level character. If I base the healing on hp value only, its a lot easier for a low-level character to recover from a horrible injury! Thats not particularly fair to high-level characters--and when a crit system like this is put into effect, balance is a high priority!

Unfortunately, my technical writing skills arent as sharp as they should be for someone wanting to get into "the industry," and I dont know how to explain that well. Im good at monsters...not so great at rules descriptions.