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Target 20 as new to-hit mechanic?
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<blockquote data-quote="Blacky the Blackball" data-source="post: 5844291" data-attributes="member: 6688526"><p>Well, I can only repeat that <em>in my experience</em>, new folk (especially children) do find it easier.</p><p></p><p>I don't think one is particularly more complex (pretty much by definition they have the fundamentally the same complexity because they have fundamentally the same variables). It's more of a psychological thing.</p><p></p><p>If it helps, think of it this way:</p><p></p><p>You're doing [d20 + Single Modifier], compare to [Other Number].</p><p></p><p>I'm doing [d20 + Combined Modifier], compare to 20.</p><p></p><p>There are two differences there.</p><p></p><p>The first is that your way has two variables - your daughter has to add a modifier to her roll and then has to compare it to another arbitrary two digit number. My daughter (who is one of my players and was 7 when we started using this system although she's 8 now) has to add a modifier to her roll and then compare it to a fixed value of 20 (a round number). Clearly in this respect my way is simpler than yours.</p><p></p><p>Contrariwise, your daughter has to add a single modifier (her to-hit - which will likely be a single digit positive value) to her roll, whereas my daughter has to combine two numbers (her to-hit and the monster's AC - both of which are likely to be single digit positive values) to get a modifier before adding it to her roll. Clearly in this respect your way is simpler than mine.</p><p></p><p>So overall, it's fairly balanced in complexity and the "easiness" depends on psychological factors. Single-digit maths is easier than double-digit and comparison to round numbers is easier than comparison to arbitrary numbers.</p><p></p><p>At higher levels, when armour classes can go negative (meaning you need to subtract rather than adding) and when attack bonuses start reaching double figures both those psychological factors disappear. But by then the players are more used to the system anyway so the ease of learning doesn't matter so much.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Blacky the Blackball, post: 5844291, member: 6688526"] Well, I can only repeat that [i]in my experience[/i], new folk (especially children) do find it easier. I don't think one is particularly more complex (pretty much by definition they have the fundamentally the same complexity because they have fundamentally the same variables). It's more of a psychological thing. If it helps, think of it this way: You're doing [d20 + Single Modifier], compare to [Other Number]. I'm doing [d20 + Combined Modifier], compare to 20. There are two differences there. The first is that your way has two variables - your daughter has to add a modifier to her roll and then has to compare it to another arbitrary two digit number. My daughter (who is one of my players and was 7 when we started using this system although she's 8 now) has to add a modifier to her roll and then compare it to a fixed value of 20 (a round number). Clearly in this respect my way is simpler than yours. Contrariwise, your daughter has to add a single modifier (her to-hit - which will likely be a single digit positive value) to her roll, whereas my daughter has to combine two numbers (her to-hit and the monster's AC - both of which are likely to be single digit positive values) to get a modifier before adding it to her roll. Clearly in this respect your way is simpler than mine. So overall, it's fairly balanced in complexity and the "easiness" depends on psychological factors. Single-digit maths is easier than double-digit and comparison to round numbers is easier than comparison to arbitrary numbers. At higher levels, when armour classes can go negative (meaning you need to subtract rather than adding) and when attack bonuses start reaching double figures both those psychological factors disappear. But by then the players are more used to the system anyway so the ease of learning doesn't matter so much. [/QUOTE]
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Target 20 as new to-hit mechanic?
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