The Ultimate (A)D&D Kitbash

[ExploderWizard]

My ultimate D&D is in developmment. Its a mix of elements from most editions (even 4th )

The Basics: OD&D/ B/X- 3 classes, lower average stats, less stat bonus and penalty

races separate from classes

no racial level limits

full multiclassing

skills without skill points

simple easy statblocks

no " menus of skills, feats, and powers" to make character creation take forever.

simple to design monsters/npcs

magic items worth owning

fighters that can protect others without needing to "mark" anything

Don't have time go on at length right now, will get a better post after work.

 

[Greg K]

1e:
- The tone of the DMG

2:
a) Settings
b) Specialty Priests
c) kits: Good concept that suffered from the patchwork nature of 2e. The class customization sample in the3e PHB and 3e UA variants were kits done right.
PO: Combat and Tactics critical hits
d) PO: Spells and Magic: the variant specialists/ castingstyles as something you start as rather than 3e style PrCs. Also, that they don't grant extra spells, but other abilities.
e) PO: Spells and Magic : the variant spell point system styles of magic
f) sourcebooks that focus on a specific class or race rather than the 3e style splats.

3e
a- the unified core mechanic
b)unified ability modifier progression
c) the sorcerer
d) the skill point system and skills. Although, I would get rid of use rope and, maybe, combine both spot and listen into perception and both hide and move silent into Sneak. However, that would be the limit of my skill consolidation.
e) three saving throws
f) monsters have ability scores
g) the SRD and OGL
h) various from UA
---- class variants
---- specialist wizard variant abilities
---- weapon groups
---- Action Points (although preferably done like Mutant and Masterminds 2e Hero Points)
---- spontaneous divine casters
---- complex skill checks
---- incantations
i) various classes and alternative mechanics from third parties

4e
- non biological aspects of race become feats
- toning down the spellcasters
- pruning the Christmas tree syndrome (even if I don't like the method)
- defense bonus that increases with level (however, I would like it have rates by class)
- unified saving throw
- multiclassing
- monster creation
- removal of xp costs to do certain things (e.g, make magic items)
- removal of level drain

 

[thedungeondelver]

From D&D (1974): Simplified psionics.

From AD&D - well, the lion's share of it. To-hit mechanics. Spell casting system. The bulk of the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE and all of the MONSTER MANUAL and PLAYERS HANDBOOK. Of course all of the modules. THE WORLD OF GREYHAWK. Little bits and pieces of UNEARTHED ARCANA like a few of the spells, magic items, and so forth. No cavalier class, or one that was greatly modified (see "from 3rd edition" below). No, I repeat NO "barbarian" class. Paladins would not be a cavalier subclass.

From AD&D 2nd EDITION: initiative system, but not individual initiative. I'd keep group initiative.

From DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 3rd EDITION. Some GREYHAWK updates. The cavalier prestige class, and how it works to become one, meshed (mashed?) with the AD&D rules.

I'm afraid "4e" is so far afield as to be entirely useless.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

In point of fact I am currently engaged in assembling a kitbash game. It's more house-rule than kitbash but I have no shame in stealing good ideas when I think they'll work - or at least be fun/interesting. I just hope I get to PLAY it.

Foundation is 1E AD&D. Putting together a house-rule revision of 1E Psionics (if it works in "playtesting" I'll even use it!) From 3E I'm taking initiative rules, movement rates, maybe some other things. Sort of planning a VERY loose "Make up your own skills/feats" thing. There'll be a lot of changes aiming to eliminate insta-kill and save-or-die phenomena.

 

[Orius]

I'd use a base of 3e rules and add heavy 1e/2e flavoring. Maybe sprinkle in some rules from 4e adapted to blend well with that combination.

 

[Loonook]

Really, I'd have to say that for my usage and the breadth with which it can cover nigh anything, I would have to go with d20 Modern and its different manuals as the 'base' of any D&D project I'd like to take on. This is due to:

- Class Familiarity/Depth: Personally I hate the 'striker/controller/etc.' issue because Modern did it better. If you want a definitive 'easy to explain what they do' class set, you don't get easier than Strong/Fast/Tough/Smart/Dedicated/Charismatic. The depth comes in with the ease-of-build that are talent trees... sweet, simple talent trees.
- Has a 3e/d20 vibe, but can be more easily molded: Yeah, whenever you try to call up Al-Qadim or other 'lost' settings at the table you get crap because there isn't a Sha'ir/Clockwork Master/Zaharan Petal Merchant PrC. In d20 Modern the flexibility of the classes and the ease to 'port' prestige classes to advanced classes and vice versa combined with other materials... well, no issue.

Adjustments (Mechanical)
But d20 Modern's 5-level magic system sucks for 'epic fantasy'! And it's combat resolution mechanics, blah blah blahs...

And so, the 3rd Party materials come in:

-Blood and Fist: Great martial arts feats which, while missing a few D&D styles, can easily be adjusted. Also, the explanation of HOW to build new martial feats is so simple and down right in the text with balance discussions... good times.

-EoM: Mythic Earth: After all sorts of complaints and discussions, EoM:ME works quite well, and can be balanced based on other factors. Again, pretty easy to make new feats/adapt other traditions to the styles of your campaign's setting/world.

To resolve issues of heavy feat usages adjust feat and ability boosts.

Setting: Anything. Once I get a group and the setting is explained it's the choice of what we're going with, how we're adjusting, what WotC/3rd party is available, and PL and we're off to the races. Games have included 'classic fantasy', an Al-Qadim knockoff (because I didn't have my books in the house ), and numerous mixes of horror, adventure in strange environments, and (of course) modern fantasy.

Anything from 3.X/Modern or analogues can be torn up and tossed into the pot; I can create most anything I want with a decent knowledge of rules across-the-board, and my knowledge base expansion as DM makes for varied approaches which can be offered to my players. Really the best thing about Modern is the lack of setting baggage. You get to bring in any baggage you want, but you can insert at will.

But being able to create a wide and varied generic game, where a character can walk through settings from primitive to high future with small corrections. Little adjustments (use of Wealth and Reputation, addition of talents and races) have occurred, but overall it makes for a great base and development for my specific playstyle for almost any game.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[amysrevenge]

Mine would basically be 4E, but with the 3.5E skill system and 9 alignments.

 

[babomb]

I like this thread.

I started playing with 2e, so I wouldn't know what to take from editions before that.

2e -

• The fluff. 3e books seem to be about the rules ("more of a ruleplaying game" ). A lot of 2e books seemed to take the stance "This what a medieval fantasy world is like, and by the way, here are the rules for it." That flavor is a big part of what made D&D so interesting to me.
• Specialty priests. I like that they felt different from each other.
• Specialist wizards. Again, they had a totally different feel from each other, and they were presented front and center. 3e had them as practically a footnote, and they weren't differentiated enough. And 4e gets rid of the schools completely! I would likely make them prestige classes.
• I like the idea of combining NWPs with skills from upthread, so I'll take that too.
• Making characters was a lot faster than 3e.
• The monster manual with all kinds of neat info like ecology, and monsters starting on the top of a page. Also, the great picture of the invisible stalker. Apart from stat conversions, my only major change would be calling the demons demons.
• Some of the old spells, especially the quirky ones. 3e spells seem a little more systemized than I'd like.

3e -

• The base system, but try to find a fix for multi-class casters.

4e

• Simplified skill system. We almost never did anything but pick x skills and max them out anyway.
• Reduced number spread between different classes. The math got a little wonky at high levels in 3e.
• Similarly, simpler bonus type stacking, etc.
• I like that there are more interesting decisions for a fighter to make than simply picking whom to swing his sword at. Probably I'd convert some of the powers to feats or something. I have no problem with a fighter being less complicated than a wizard, however.

 

[Shades of Green]

I actually like the 2E multicalssing rules as they make multiclassing relatively rare and thus make classes more meaningful as archetypes rather than building-blocks.

 

[Walknot]

Here's some other forms of play, who's strengths can enhance D&D...

Rock-Scissors-Paper --> there are no absolutes
Speed Chess ---> there is no think, only do or do quickly
Pyromania ---> glee thru superior fire's - power