D&D 5E Thoughts on Divorcing D&D From [EDIT: Medievalishness], Mechanically Speaking.

[Stormonu]

So, would something more along the lines of Masque of the Red Death, but updated to 5E and maybe pushed from the 1880's to the 1920's being what you're trying to hit?

 

[Yaarel]

Magic, by definition, breaches the laws of physics. It doesn't mean they don't exist.

Especially in a modern setting, I define "magic" as: the ability to impose an effect by means of a thought.

So, for example, having "wetware" computer implants in ones brain, can allow one to speak "telepathically" with others who have the same wetware. This this is "magic".

For those in the modern setting who belief in mystical magic, it tends to be more "synchronicity", and miracles of coincidence.

 

[Cadence]

First on the list, I think, is to greatly reduce or eliminate the focus on armor as a thing. Certain classes should be proficient in Defense (adding their PB to their AC).

I think I am a fan of something like PB adding to AC in general - in theory, because experience should make you harder to hit/hurt. But hit points are also measuring that harder to hit/hurt. If you let AC go up with level, should hit points do less of that?

I also wonder if there are some easy adjustments to make when missile weapons are more common. Should your AC get a penalty if you are taking time to aim (it feels like that makes you a great target)? Should your too-hit get a penalty if you are not taking to aim? How does shooting into melee work - your target isn't paying attention, but they are moving around a lot, and what's the chance of hitting the other combatant on a fumble?

 

[Yaarel]

You would want to alter the travel rules -- or, rather, have a defined mechanical difference between Travel and Exploration: you take a steamship to Skull Island, but you have to hexplore in search of Kong.

Yes, modern transportation is kinda like a "Teleportation Circle" with specific destinations.

Oppositely, in the medievalesque setting, I treat the town-owned Teleportation Circle like a modern airport, with security personnel, and people waiting around, in seats or in bars, or shopping, until their destination connects to the Teleportation Circle.

 

[Yaarel]

@Reynard

It might be possible to have a "Passive Dexterity" check, in other words its saving throw is Take Ten. Then opponents with guns need to roll a d20 to overcome the Passive Dex check.

(I wish Agility was a separate ability from either Strength or Dexterity. But that would be a deep mechanic that would need to work for all of D&D, including the medievalesque settings.)

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I'm not sure what the purpose of this response is, other than to attempt to veer the thread into dangerous waters. Please don't do that.

Usually when people talk about "medievalism" it's a historical discipline; are we not discussing history here?

 

[Celebrim]

Another thing that was pointed out to me:

When you see a scene of a "war-torn land" you see mud, burnt and broken trees, smoldering fires here and there, shattered homes. That's a direct and lasting impact from WWI and later artillery on filmmaker's psyches. Regular cannon fire didn't (usually) start fires or break more than a couple trees. Yes, cannon can be devastating, but mostly at a point only. Broad area of destruction and incendiaries are from WWI on.

Guns from before the 19th century don't change very much owing to their very low rate of fire and relative low power. They do give a small leg up to low level characters in terms of "first strike" power so that a group of 1st level fighter riflemen with flintlocks is vastly more dangerous to PCs than any other 1st level fighter but we aren't yet to the point where real weapons are outperforming fantasy weapons.

This starts to change in the 19th century with the introduction of cap locks with rifled ball ammunition, breach loading carbines, and early repeaters developed by figures like Colt and Spenser. At that point you start dealing with the fact that the weapons are outperforming fantasy weapons and the gap between a low level fighter with the weapon and a high level fighter is dropping rapidly because of the accuracy, hitting power, and range of the weapon. At this point you can only start dealing with this by giving your high level fighter fantasy levels of speed and durability or plot protection, and at some point being superhuman. You have to bullet proof your heroes.

By the time you get to the 20th century, you're dealing with weapons that replicate fairly high level spellpower in the hands of low level fighters. You have an infantry platoon with grenades, automatic weapons, mines, and large caliber sniper weapons and now you have gone from having 1 10th level fighter being worth hundreds of 1st level foes to 40 1st level characters being able to take down a party of 10th level characters. What happens when you empty an automatic weapon toward a higher level character, even one that might be hard to hit? What happens with command detonated mines and tossed grenades? Even if the damage isn't fireball level, suddenly things are hitting really hard compared to the expectations, and with a sniper type weapon even with conservative modelling of damage (less than it would take even with a critical to one shot large animals in D&D) it really only takes one nat 20 to ruin the target's day.

And that's just small arms.

 

[Reynard]

So, would something more along the lines of Masque of the Red Death, but updated to 5E and maybe pushed from the 1880's to the 1920's being what you're trying to hit?

I'm not super familiar with that setting, but I understand itvto be more Gothic horror and sort of trying to un-D&Dify 2E in order to do that.

My intent is more in line with steampunk and pulp adventure, where the things PCs get up to are recognizably D&D, but away from castles, knights, villages, nobles, etc...

 

[Reynard]

@Reynard

It might be possible to have a "Passive Dexterity" check, in other words its saving throw is Take Ten. Then opponents with guns need to roll a d20 to overcome the Passive Dex check.

Isn't this just a ranged touch attack?

 

[Reynard]

Usually when people talk about "medievalism" it's a historical discipline; are we not discussing history here?

No. I probably should have used "medievalness" instead. I am talking about the medieval-ish tropes and set dressing common in "standard" D&D.