Random Ideas

[LotusBlossom]

Though we could have a thread where people can place 5E system ideas that don't yet have a thread or that maybe don't even need their own thread. If an idea blossoms, then we can later move it into it's own thread for further discussion.

 

[LotusBlossom]

Here's a couple ideas that I noted from another 5E thread (can't remember if from a WOTC forum or EnWorld forum). Coincidentally, it also had 5E in the thread title.

- In stead of having an AC stat, just use Reflex, Fortitude, and Will. Attacks going against AC would be redirected against Reflex.
- Have armor reduce Reflex stat, yet provide damage reduction. So an armored person is easier to hit, but takes less damage. Possibly, it increases Fortitude stat?

The one criticism I've seem from the above is that a rogue attacking a knight with a dagger (if 1d4) might never damage a knight. I however, think this is fine. Unless the rogue criticals (which then might bypass all DR and go against HP/Body points directly), a dagger shouldn't really do anything against full plate. However, I would caveat this by then saying that a high level rogue should be able to critical fairly often against a 1st level knight. A high level rogue would have the experience and ability to stick the dagger in between the plates of mail for criticals. I like this idea, but it would require some kind of critical hit mechanism that depended upon the level difference between two opponents, or something like a critical happening if your to-hit roll is X over what is required (which happens in high level versus low level combats).

 

[LotusBlossom]

Some more food for thought to get people's creative juices going -- again, this might be similar to other systems or not.

PC have Physical, Mental, and Spiritual stats:

Physical........Mental.........Spiritual
------------..---------.....--------
Strength.......Intelligence..Charisma.........| Fortitude
Dexterity.......Perception...Sanity............| Reflex
Constitution...Wisdom.......Self-Discipline..| Will
==========.========...==========
Phys HP/Body.Mental HP/Mind.Spirit HP/Soul

The top row of stats are your power stats and affect your Fortitude. The middle stats are your Finesse stats and affect Reflex, and the bottom row stats are the resistance stats and affect Will.

Likewise, a PC's physical HP/Body is made from the physical stats (1st column), the PC's Mental HP/Mind is made from the Mental stats, and the PC's Soul/Spirit HP are made up from the Spiritual stats.

Having three sets of Body/Mind/Soul would allow different types of attacks and stuff. Physical/Melee is obviously Body. However, Domination and Mind Flayer type attacks could be attacking Mind Points, and perhaps, a warlock trying to summon a demon to control it would be battling with his Soul Points and trying to wear down the demons Soul points.

If we include in the Fatigue/Combat Points type idea, then one option would be to have a common Fatigue which gets worn down from attacks, using special skills, casting spells, channeling prayers, etc., and after that, the Body/Mind/or Soul stats start to get used up. Or, the second option is to have separate Physical Fatigue, Mental Fatigue, and Spiritual Fatigue. Physical skills/damage eat up Phy Fatigue, Spells and mental damage use up Mental, Praying and soul damage use up Spiritual Fatigue first.

 

[pdmiller]

- In stead of having an AC stat, just use Reflex, Fortitude, and Will. Attacks going against AC would be redirected against Reflex.
- Have armor reduce Reflex stat, yet provide damage reduction. So an armored person is easier to hit, but takes less damage. Possibly, it increases Fortitude stat?

Big fan of armour as DR, rather than it making someone harder to hit. A shield makes someone harder to hit, armour makes it easier - but harder to hurt the target.

I'm liking the different defence types, I agree AC could go and be replaced by Reflex. One sacred cow down....

 

[Blue]

Instead of having armor provide a set amount of resistance, it could provide a die. Maybe leather resists d4 damage, etc. So even without crits a dagger could occasionally hurt someone in plate.

Though this adds another roll by another person to each weapon strike.

One note about armor resisting physical damage is that we're not doing the same for magical damage. So we're splitting the amount of damage that we can expect to do (from a design perspective), pre-reducing it for attacks that aren't against physical defenses in order to balance it against weapon damage.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

One note about armor resisting physical damage is that we're not doing the same for magical damage...

I wonder?
If you term magical damage as of a particular type (Acid, Cold, Electrical, Fire, Sonic, Force), why wouldn't armor protect you (to an extent, and variably across those types) from such damage too? One of the many things I've been pondering.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Big fan of armour as DR, rather than it making someone harder to hit. A shield makes someone harder to hit, armour makes it easier - but harder to hurt the target.

I'm liking the different defence types, I agree AC could go and be replaced by Reflex. One sacred cow down....

Hello by the way - good to see you here, I was going to tell you about this little endeavour but you obviously beat me to it...

There is an aspect of this I'm struggling with but I think it worthy of a "Making Armor Work" thread. I'll have to set that one up.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[LotusBlossom]

I wonder?
If you term magical damage as of a particular type (Acid, Cold, Electrical, Fire, Sonic, Force), why wouldn't armor protect you (to an extent, and variably across those types) from such damage too? One of the many things I've been pondering.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

I like this as well. If the magical attack (from fire, cold, etc.) is doing physical damage, then DR should apply. Where I don't think it would apply is for something like Drain Life or a similar magical attack.

 

[Walknot]

OK, here's a random thought. Actually, it comes from some of the posts on "Making Magic Work" but it applies to other areas as well.

First, how it applies to magic: There is the old 3e Sorcerer vs Wizard. The Sorcerer used fewer variety of spells, but more of them. In 3e this effect was provided through the use of two distinct classes.

An alternate method could be this: Allow the magic user to become attuned through repetition. So, if you have been steadily casting "fireball" in encounters every single time, then it should be easier for you to cast "fireball" again. But with this focus comes a cost... other spells are harder for you.

This is not a class feature, but rather a dynamic effect on your character sheet. As you play, so you are. You play like a Sorcerer, then more power to you! More power that is for your fave spell(s), and less power elsewhere. (The trick is how to do the accounting.)

No, how this can apply elsewhere: Consider the fighter and the barbarian. Two separate classes in 3e, one full of feats and the other full of rage. In a sense, the Barbarian is corollary to the Sorcerer. She is stronger in her attacks, but less versatile than the fighter. Can you see how this be transitioned away from a class feature and towards a dynamic effect? That is, Barbarian/Fighter could be an effect of "as you play, so you are" ...

 

[LotusBlossom]

I was reading a thread over on the WOTC forums and a couple people were talking about PC Stats having to much influence on the game. This got me to thinking if there are other ways of using stats or stat bonuses. Now, I do think that a high STR should grant some bonus to melee attacks, or a low CHR should not help a diplomacy checks (I'm guessing diplomacy is CHR based), so it does make sense for stats to somehow modify or aid in a PC's abilities.

So, the first idea that came to my mind was: maybe stat bonuses should be averaged with skill bonuses or melee bonuses. Here's an example. Joe has CHR bonus of 0 and diplomacy skill bonus of +5 and Fred with a +4 CHR bonus and a diplomacy of +5. So, Joe's overall bonus is +2 rounded down (0+5)/2, and Fred's overall bonus is +4 rounded down (4+5)/2. Joe's just not going to be as good as Fred.

Now, if we used a skill leveling system (a system in which skill ranks are somehow acquired by PC leveling), then over a long time, as Joe and Fred raised their skill levels, the differences between them would level out. Let's say that at 10th level, both raised their diplomacy bonus by +5, making their bonus +10. Then. Joe would have an (0+10)/2 = +5 and Fred would have (4+10)/2 = +7.

Well, on second thought, this only seems to make the stat bonuses 1/2 as effective, and any purchased and initial skill bonuses 1/2 as effective. So, I don't think this idea isn't that great. But I guess the main idea is that there may be other ways in which we can use stats. Can we eliminate stat bonuses and still have stats matter for skills? Is there some other way stats can be effective in a system?

BTW: I like bonuses for the main reason that we can have a consistent roll-over system. It makes it a lot easier than roll-under for some things and roll-over for other things. But if there is another way to achieve consistency and have stats be used differently, then that might be interesting.