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<blockquote data-quote="GMMichael" data-source="post: 9559502" data-attributes="member: 6685730">This was a project for me!&nbsp; I started off with simple stuff, like<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Roll damage at the same time as attack, just in case.</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rope Use is included with any other rope-adjacent skill.</li>
</ul>But that didn't cut it.&nbsp; There was bloat to trim like prestige classes, warlocks, Incarnum.&nbsp; Too many action types, and everything provoked an attack of opportunity.&nbsp; Which depended on 5 foot increment spacing, which had players counting squares instead of thinking of how to make their turns interesting.So I got rid of all that.Feats started becoming a way to do more math or make AoOs take longer.&nbsp;&nbsp; I turned them into perks and drew a line between them and ability scores and skill points.Watching the DM make rolls (Attack, monster saving throws) meant that PCs weren't rolling, which they love to do.&nbsp; So I made everything an optional roll on both sides.&nbsp; That got rid of &quot;I rolled low, so I miss.&quot;&nbsp; Now it's &quot;I rolled low, but the DM could still roll lower!&quot; Speaking of low rolls, rolling a Fail was incredibly boring, and seemed to mean &quot;nothing happens&quot; or &quot;just roll again.&quot;&nbsp; I changed that to a Con, which means the PC tells us what went wrong.&nbsp; The opposite, a Pro, doesn't have to mean a &quot;hit&quot; (especially against ghosts), but the PC makes progress against the opponent and decides what went right!I tinkered with some other things, like ability scores having a use, active defense, easy-to-read monster sheets.&nbsp; HP as meat or luck?&nbsp; I just got rid of hit points.&nbsp; Why can't the ability score just be the amount of damage you can take?&nbsp; Well, in the cutting room, I left a LOT on the floor, and spliced in some outside ideas as well.&nbsp; Now it's a different game.&nbsp; The PCs are engaged in every moment of combat.&nbsp; Maths rarely go above 30.&nbsp; Martials and casters are equals.&nbsp; Actions are just actions, and you make your own combos with them.&nbsp; There are no symbols to remember, and no tables to look up.&nbsp; If the GM wants a power to recharge on 5 or 6, she can do it without friction.&nbsp; Maybe best of all, PCs don't worry about dying and making a new character.&nbsp; But I can still get the satisfaction of beating a PC into &quot;mostly dead&quot; status, if bad decisions and/or dice call for it.So, um, yeah.&nbsp; 3.5 is fun to tinker with!- unedited.&nbsp; Apologies for typos.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GMMichael, post: 9559502, member: 6685730"] This was a project for me! I started off with simple stuff, like [LIST] [*]Roll damage at the same time as attack, just in case. [*]Rope Use is included with any other rope-adjacent skill. [/LIST] But that didn't cut it. There was bloat to trim like prestige classes, warlocks, Incarnum. Too many action types, and everything provoked an attack of opportunity. Which depended on 5 foot increment spacing, which had players counting squares instead of thinking of how to make their turns interesting. So I got rid of all that. Feats started becoming a way to do more math or make AoOs take longer. I turned them into perks and drew a line between them and ability scores and skill points. Watching the DM make rolls (Attack, monster saving throws) meant that PCs weren't rolling, which they love to do. So I made everything an optional roll on both sides. That got rid of "I rolled low, so I miss." Now it's "I rolled low, but the DM could still roll lower!" Speaking of low rolls, rolling a Fail was incredibly boring, and seemed to mean "nothing happens" or "just roll again." I changed that to a Con, which means the PC tells us what went wrong. The opposite, a Pro, doesn't have to mean a "hit" (especially against ghosts), but the PC makes progress against the opponent and decides what went right! I tinkered with some other things, like ability scores having a use, active defense, easy-to-read monster sheets. HP as meat or luck? I just got rid of hit points. Why can't the ability score just be the amount of damage you can take? Well, in the cutting room, I left a LOT on the floor, and spliced in some outside ideas as well. Now it's a different game. The PCs are engaged in every moment of combat. Maths rarely go above 30. Martials and casters are equals. Actions are just actions, and you make your own combos with them. There are no symbols to remember, and no tables to look up. If the GM wants a power to recharge on 5 or 6, she can do it without friction. Maybe best of all, PCs don't worry about dying and making a new character. But I can still get the satisfaction of beating a PC into "mostly dead" status, if bad decisions and/or dice call for it. So, um, yeah. 3.5 is fun to tinker with! - unedited. Apologies for typos. [/QUOTE]

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