Starting the iteration at DDXP: Reimagining Skills and Abilities

[fuindordm]

Interesting ideas, but I thought the skill systems of 3E and 4E both worked very well.

However, I have noticed that the rank system can discourage players from trying to do things if they don't have ranks in a skill and they think the chance of success is low.

If skill ranks are an optional rule, I could see the Core system saying:

"When a character wants to do something skillful that makes sense for their race and class, have them make an ability score check with DC 10-15. Examples include a dwarven priest appraising a smithed weapon, a human fighter looking for weak points in a palisade, and a hobbit bard reading a song written in an ancient dialect. Remember that the players can take 10 to accomplish easy tasks. If the DM thinks that a task falls outside your character's training, they can add 5 to the DC."

There you go, a complete skill system. It could be fleshed out with a few more examples, but it's good enough for most situations. The advantages of a system like this one are that it makes race (and character histories) more relevant, and that the barrier to trying unusual actions is low.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I think 3E/4E gets it close, but needs modification for simpler styles of play. If you retain "checks versus a DC or TN" philosophy -- which I'd prefer because I think players should still get to roll for their character's success or failure -- I think some options are:

(1) Fixed difficulties. So Easy = DC 10, Moderate = DC 15, Hard = DC 20, Daunting = DC 25, Impossible = DC 30.

(2) Flat progression. Check is d20 + Ability + Skill

(3) For the simple game, "Skill" is a set of fixed choices for the class, and the player does not choose them. "Trained" in a skill = +5 for that skill (or perhaps a staggered +1/2 level to max of +10).

(4) For the more complex game, the player chooses skills to be "trained", then allocates skill points, so your skill can be +1 to +5. As you gain levels you can allocate additional skill points, but no greater than (say) +10. Though if you want to skip the skill point route all together then just pick the "trained" skills and add +1/2 level.

(5) No Take 10 or take 20, no auto-succeed on 20, no auto-fail on 1. So once sufficiently skilled, with a high ability, Easy and then Moderate tasks become auto-success, but there's always a roll required for Hard and above difficulty. The highest level characters get to about 50/50 for "impossible" checks.

 

[DonAdam]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Difficulty Class Warfare)

This seems relevant.

 

[DMKastmaria]

I use ability checks for things that wouldn't come with the PC's class territory (3d6 to 5d6, depending) and either a saving throw (nice gauge of PC level) or a d6 roll modified by any relevant ability bonus/penalty, for adjudicating attempts at class related activities.

I also throw in a variant of the "Good At" system, (can't think of the fellows name who came up with that one.)

Basically, a player can choose an activity to make a "class-skill" every so many levels. Whatever he wants. Very minor magical talents are ok, too. So, if a Fighter wants to be the "Beastmaster" he can talk to animals at 1st level. Maybe see through their eyes at 5th.

Simple. Takes less than a page to completely describe. Doubtlessly, not fiddly enough for many gamers.

 

[A'koss]

Tidbits from DDXP:

Monte: Looking at all the editions of the game, you can easily see that ability scores are really important. Often times, people will use ability scores to help them define their character, or they'll have an idea for a character and then look at the scores first to make them fit that idea.

A couple of days ago I talked a little bit about how we want the core mechanic of the game to be the interaction between the DM and the player. And one of the great tools for that is the ability score. So what we want is to empower DMs and players so that if you want to attempt to do something "I want to open the door" then the DM doesn' thave to even have you roll, he can just look, see you have a 17 strength and says "Yeah, you burst through that door"

We want to get past some of the mundane rolls and not tie up a lot of table time with that and move on to the more interesting stuff and the table narative.

 

[A'koss]

Another:

Bruce: An example I saw yesterday was a rogue going into a room and looking for traps. You can describe what you're doing and roleplay what you're doing. If he says I look in the jar and I know there's a gem in the jar, I'm not going to have him roll. However, if something is more hidden, like a secret compartment on the shelf I would look at their intelligence and see if he can just automatically find it or if he's looking in the exact right place. However, if he's doing that check in the middle of some other stressor like fighting, then I'd have him roll.

Rob: Earlier this week I had some players fighting some kobolds in the room. One of the guys wanted to jump over a pit, he had a 15 strength so I let him just do it - it wasn't that big of a jump and it sped up combat. It's very liberating to be able to do that kind of thing and just keep the flow going.

 

[A'koss]

And another:

Greg: Another thing we've been talking about recently is saving throws and what you guys think about them and the future of D&D?

Monte: Making a saving throw against something has become something that's really a part of D&D. So again, what we've done is tie those into the ability scores. For example you'll make a strength saving throw or wisdom saving throw against a certain effect and so far it's become a big part of some effects and abilities.

 

[Phaezen]

This is big I think:

Monte: In classic D&D, race adds ability mods. We're playing with the idea of class giving ability mods.

 

[A'koss]

From:
Rolling20s Tracy



#dndNext #ddxp The attacker makes a check and that sets the DC for your saving throw.

 

[A'koss]

Stat Generation:

Greg: Speaking of ability scores, how are you guys planning on ability scores generation?

Rob: Looking at all the iteration of D&D, the classic way of doing ability skills is rolling. So the very basic we're working from are 4d6 drop the lowest for each stat. But since we're also looking at the modularity, those core books will also have options for other ability score generation which might be point buy, point arrays and other things.