SRD Additions

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Isawa mate!

Nice to know you're staying humble about the whole thing, UK.

Well I thought the winking smilie gave me a 'get out of jail for the pretentious free' card!?

We'll see whats what soon enough though - people will make up their own minds how good (or bad) elements are. I am happy to stand up and be counted when that time comes.

And to hijack the thread further, and yet bring it full circle in a roundabout way...

Yes, it would be nice to see D&Dg added to the SRD (along with the non-D&D pantheons, since they belong to the whole world), and possibly the ELH as well, but my biggest problem with both of these books is that they point out exactly how badly the game breaks down at high levels.

I agree.

For example, DCs over 50. Personally, I find that 50 seems to be the max DC that makes any sort of sense when you have a single d20 as your randomizer. A highly skilled (23 ranks), highly capable (+5 stat bonus) person, with the right circumstances (+2 circumstance bonus) can do it if they're extremely lucky - a 20 on the roll. With more bonuses (even better circumstances, Skill Focus, and possibly magical assistance - like a +10 on the check from a spell), a lesser person could hit the DC as well.

Beyond that, though, it starts getting dodgy. Take the DC 80s and such we saw in the ELH previews. Have less than a +60 mod to your roll? Don't even bother... and you'll want at least a +70 to have a 50/50 chance. The randomization band is too narrow for DCs of that magnitude.

Basically what you need to do is 'watch your tail'! Epic characters/Deities have many facets to accomplish this.

But the bottom line is if you find yourself in a situation you can't handle you shouldn't be there in the first place.

Now, I know that the same situation exists at lower levels - after all, you have the exact same randomization band (1 - 20), and that for some rolls you just need a higher modifier to succeed. However, the random numbers you're dealing with fit the lower DCs much better than the higher ones. 1d20 fits a range of 5 to 50 much more than it does 65 to 110. It's also easier to picture the difference between an extremely simple task (a DC 5) and an extremely difficult task (a DC 50). The examples given in the DMG (IIRC; might be in the PHB) fit nicely. The village idiot can track a gang of hill giants across a muddy field, but it takes a ranger of great skill and familiarity with goblins to track a band of goblins who passed two weeks before and have had their tracks covered with fresh snow.

Meanwhile, what's the difference between a DC 65 and a DC 110 task? A somewhat superhuman task versus an extremely superhuman task?

I thought the Epic Level Handbook had a whole chapter on explaining what high Skill DCs represented? (I don't yet have the book yet so I could be wrong, but isn't this sort of thing covered?

Of course, I fully expect UK to insist that I'm horribly wrong, illogical, and/or crazy, but what else is new?

Your crazy; often illogical and always horribly wrong when you oppose me...however, somehow planets must be in alignment because I agree with the fundamentals of what you are saying above mate.

 

[Blacksad]

Ah, but what about differing levels? If XP is awarded on the basis of normal CR, a drow Wiz40 will barely get XP for facing an elf Wiz30, but U_K's system will give out many XP. Either way, though, the elf will have little chance of penetrating the - caster level check 30 to 34 vs. SR 51! I'm not talking about the power level of drow in general, just their applicability to U_K's XP system.

I haven't my ELH on hand, but I'm gessing that the DC increase for Epic spell to bypass SR isn't big, is it?

because I don't think that a level 30 wizards will use level 9 spell vs a level 40 drow, or he deserve to die.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I haven't my ELH on hand, but I'm gessing that the DC increase for Epic spell to bypass SR isn't big, is it?

No, it's not big. Epic spells are 10th level for such effects.

because I don't think that a level 30 wizards will use level 9 spell vs a level 40 drow, or he deserve to die.

Uh, OK. I don't see what that has to do with the issue at hand.

 

[Blacksad]

Uh, OK. I don't see what that has to do with the issue at hand.

Well, didn't you said that the drow SR had a meaning when the opposing character was several level under the drow?

Because the opposing character couldn't bypass a SR 15 or 20 points above his level? But if the epic spell can ignore SR, then the drow SR is a non-issue, is it?

 

[Gez]

Too long matey!

My fault obviously!

Rather mine, I didn't found much to say... And that's forgetting it's perfectly fine to speak to say nothing, just as I'm doing right now

Well, how will you equate power with balance? If you ignore a Balors Challenge Rating how will you know if it constitutes a feeble/worthy/deadly challenge...best guess!? [/B]

Ah ! We French have a secret tool called the "pifomètre" (nosometer ?). Basically, it consists in establish thing 'at nose view", that is to say, nigh randomly. Ain't that balanced ?

So, yeah, by "best guess" method (and, given that the party in my campaign don't match the DMG guidelines, it's the best way I've found).

 

[CRGreathouse]

Well, didn't you said that the drow SR had a meaning when the opposing character was several level under the drow?

Because the opposing character couldn't bypass a SR 15 or 20 points above his level? But if the epic spell can ignore SR, then the drow SR is a non-issue, is it?

Epic spells ignore SR?

 

[CRGreathouse]

Serious Response
I would like to see Peter Adkison take the helm. In fact, I think he just might do that at some point.

But whomever it is that eventually takes this bull by the horns, I hope they make PRIORITY 1 the finalization of the SRD -- and then immediately publish it as the d20 System Reference Document, Volume I: Fantasy Roleplaying Edition. Once completed, and the d20 Modern Rules are published, I would then like to see the publication of the d20 System Reference Document, Volume II: Modern Roleplaying Edition. Both books should be hard-cover books, with plain white covers and plain black letters in the title. No artwork. Both should include the Licenses and the various FAQs for the licenses for the use of the material contained within. Both should also be sold with a CDROM edition in HTML, RTF, or TXT format so that the material can be cut-and-pasted into new documents.

Hmmm.... some good ideas in there.

AV

 

[War Golem]

I'll have the first pdf section ready when that happens, with the remainder to closely follow at intervals of a week or two.

Hi U_K,

Are there still plans to release IH in a hardbound print edition?

All this delay time should be giving you opportunity to raise extra cash to pay for color art, too, right? Or maybe at least color plates for the monster pictures? Although I see Brom snapped up Feng Zhu's services for Dark Age.

Cheers,

War Golem

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi U_K,

Hi War Golem mate!

Are there still plans to release IH in a hardbound print edition?

I am confident that it will happen - but I can't tell you that its definately going to happen...if that makes sense.

All this delay time should be giving you opportunity to raise extra cash to pay for color art, too, right? Or maybe at least color plates for the monster pictures?

Yes, and with all the millions I have raised I hired HR Giger to do the whole book. Then I wake up...

Although I see Brom snapped up Feng Zhu's services for Dark Age.

Wow! I didn't know that. Where did you read that?

Feng would have been perfect for the IH!

I am stuck in a 'Catch-22' situation whereby the work won't get published until after the pdf is released, we don't have any money to throw at the pdf - so artists would be on a percentage of god knows how much* (or how little), which pretty much means no professional would undertake the job. Yet if we illustrate the pdf will they be used in the published material? If we don't illustrate the pdf would it have the same impact?

*No pun intended.

So I'll probably end up illustrating the first section myself (for the pdf) and then we can see how that goes.

 

[War Golem]

Wow! I didn't know that. Where did you read that?

Feng would have been perfect for the IH!

http://www.dark-age.com/ourTeam.php

Brom also managed to snare the services of one of the most highly respected miniature painters out there as well - Jennifer Haley - she's got a bit of a cult following in the fantasy miniature painting circles.

Sandra Garrity's well known from her Reaper sculpts; I don't know much about the other people on the Dark Age team. But I love Brom's stuff, and these other talents make this a company to keep an eye on.

Cheers,

War Golem