Perfect 20 = "Real" Experience for a Player

[Stalker0]

One thing I'm always looking for as a DM is a way to make players feel special, that they stand out not just as heroes but from each other, so I thought about a way to give them benefits that don't require magic items or extra xp.

Basically, any time a player gets a perfect 20 on a roll, there's a 50% chance that they recieve "real world experience"

For example, a fighter is fighting orcs. He rolls a perfect 20 on his attack roll. Not only is it a possible crit, but there's a 50% chance he has learned a key weakness in how orcs tend to fight. If he gets the 50%, from now on when he fights orcs, he gains a +1 to attack against them.

When the party is getting hit by a fireball, the rogue rolls a perfect 20 on his reflex save. He not only passes, but he has seen a small opening in the fireball spell that he can exploit later. He gains a +1 to reflex saves against future fireball spells.

This can be as broad or as specific as the Dm wants, perhaps the bonus only applies against normal orcs, not classed orcs. Perhaps the bonus is only against fireballs from wizards, not sorcs, or not the spell like abilities of creatuers, only actually "spells"

Then if the same situation applies again, perhaps only give them a 25% chance. So if that fighter later on again rolls a perfect 20 against orcs, he has a 25% chance to now have a +2 against them.

You can customize this even further to hit each classes strengths and weaknesses. A fighter might have the straight up 50% for all swings, rangers might have a 80% chance against there favored enemies, and only 30% against other creatures, or maybe a 19-20 can activate the experience for a ranger's favored enemies. A wizard might activate it 70% on knowledge checks or spellcraft checks, rogues on reflex saves, etc.

The other nice thing about this system is that I can do it for monsters as well. Now I don't just have a gold dragon, but one who has a +3 to saves against fireballs, +2 to attacks against halflings and elves, and gets a +5 bonus to knowledge checks involving the high mountains. It allows an awesome amount of customization, but is not explained with weird magic or "just because" but actual living experience.


What do you guys think?

 

[Kemrain]

The amount of bookkeeping this could entail, especially in a long campaign, could be astronomical. However, the basic idea is interesting. Though, with my luck, I'd be the only person to fail every one of those percentile rolls, and have no real world experience.

I'd make it much more specified, as +1 to hit humans cold get absurd, especially in some games that only HAVE humans. It might be useful if you shrink it down to +1 against the opponent you rolled the 20 on, or simply taking the bonus into account when assigning a DC to a skill a character has lots of experience in.

How could this be abused? In my games you make LOTs of spot and listen checks... So you could end up with lots of plusses to spot and listen in the first 3 game sessions. Just some things to think about.

- Kemrain the Intrigued but Hesitant

 

[Destil]

Interesting, but I'd guess it's a bit unfair for classes who roll a lot of d20s vs. thoes who don't (like arcane spell casters).... also a lot of book-keeping.

 

[Stalker0]

I agree the bookkeeping could get ugly, but as I said its the dm's option to say how broad or narrow this works. He may not allow it for certain skills or perhaps in certain situations (if its a tense spot you might get a chance, but if its just like the 1000 or so spot checks you make all the time, no real chance of getting it).

The big problem I agree is how to help classes that don't make as many d20 rolls, like wizards. I could make it that when your resisting a spell and roll a 1, the spellcaster has learned how to break your defenses easily, gaining a +1 to his spell dcs in certain situations.

And as far as the bonuses getting out of control, that can be curbed with percentages. 50% for the first one may be way too high, perhaps 25% will work. Its something that is easily adjusted.

 

[Draugin]

The idea is very cool, in this way you add a skill experience system within the system.
D&D is very schematic with the bonds of its class-level mechanic, while other RpGs give you chances to increase your skills if you've used them during the gaming session.
So you're mixing and matching them. The result could be dangerous, because you're twisting the system (a 1st level ranger could have +8 to "spot in the woods"!).
Maybe put a limit on how many "experienced skill bonuses" you could have, such as level+3, or level*2, or what you like.
And I would not permit cumulative skill bonuses (no more than +1 per different "specialization"), or maybe only at higher levels.
And, at last, a limit on how many bonuses you could gain per session. If not, in a heavy-combat-action session you would see a spring of skill bonuses and that wouldn't be nice.

 

[Drawmack]

I think this seriously affects game balance.

Giving someone a +1 increases their chances of completing the task at hand by 5%.

Over time all the melee fighters are going to have a +1 against the stuff they normally fight. This 5% chance could mean the difference of a couple of rounds in dropping the baddie.

It seriously effects the CR system.

 

[Saepiroth]

It seriously effects the CR system.

So add a class level or two before you throw it at them. I like the idea, it gives that dynamic feel to things. Balance comes between players, not between players and the DM.

Another option, however, is to use that for Ranger's favored enemy system; Instead of choosing favored evemies they have a chance to gain them as they fight.

 

[Stalker0]

The idea is very cool, in this way you add a skill experience system within the system.
D&D is very schematic with the bonds of its class-level mechanic, while other RpGs give you chances to increase your skills if you've used them during the gaming session.
So you're mixing and matching them. The result could be dangerous, because you're twisting the system (a 1st level ranger could have +8 to "spot in the woods"!).
Maybe put a limit on how many "experienced skill bonuses" you could have, such as level+3, or level*2, or what you like.
And I would not permit cumulative skill bonuses (no more than +1 per different "specialization"), or maybe only at higher levels.
And, at last, a limit on how many bonuses you could gain per session. If not, in a heavy-combat-action session you would see a spring of skill bonuses and that wouldn't be nice.

Also don't forget, that the higher the bonus the lower the percentage chance. So to go from +7 to +8, there would only be like a 1% chance to get that, maybe less.

 

[Drawmack]

So add a class level or two before you throw it at them. I like the idea, it gives that dynamic feel to things. Balance comes between players, not between players and the DM.

the entire system is balanced. Everything makes assumptions based on everything else. I see this as causing some serious problems with those assumptions

 

[LostSoul]

the entire system is balanced

If you really want to balance it out, you could consider these bonuses as small magic items. I don't know how much they would cost, but it's something to work with in the system (if you really feel you have to).

I think it's a cool idea. I could see something like a +1 to AC or whatever when facing someone who fights with a distinct style - from the same teacher, or the same school. ("I see you're using the Epilard technique. I know your weaknesses, boy!")

I don't really like the randomness of it, though. Oh well.