Trimmed Down D&D Variant

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I've been thinking of a campaign using a simplified rules set, my initial thoughts:

1. Eliminate feats, except those gained by Fighters as bonus feats.

2. Level based skill advancement variant from UA.

3. Injury save variant from UA.

4. No Multiclassing

5. No Attacks of Opportunity.

6. Classes -

Fighter - Unchanged.

Cleric - Unchanged.

Rogue - "Feat" Special Ability not avalible.

Wizard - Domain Wizard from UA. No bonus feats.

Dwarf - Combines elements of Barbarian and Dwarven Defender.

Elf - Combines elements of Sorceror and Ranger.

Gnome - Combines elements of Bard and Druid.


Any other suggestions?

 

[Axegrrl]

Why reduce the power level of the rogue while boosting the power level of the wizard?

One big change to the rules: Attacks of Opportunity gotta go. I can think of no other single issue that has been as great a time sink and source of confusion in the groups I've played in.

Another big change: Metamagic feats are out. For newbies, trying to figure out which spells to memorize is a big enough headache without throwing in those sorts of complications. (Hmmm. This might be a reason to go with the domain wizard, after all.)

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Why reduce the power level of the rogue while boosting the power level of the wizard?

It's not really a power reduction for the Rogue, the player still has six other options to choose from. As for the Wizard...

Metamagic feats are out. For newbies, trying to figure out which spells to memorize is a big enough headache without throwing in those sorts of complications. (Hmmm. This might be a reason to go with the domain wizard, after all.)

Good point. I think I'll nix metamagic, and just say that spellcasters can create magic items at "requisite level". No need for the Wizard's bonus feats now, cool.

Attacks of Opportunity gotta go. I can think of no other single issue that has been as great a time sink and source of confusion in the groups I've played in.

Very good point.

I'll edit my first post to incorperate your suggestions, thanks.

 

[Nifft]

My suggestions:

• Limit classes. If you're going to do the race-as-class thing (like OD&D), I've got some suggestions for that, too. Personally, I'd limit PC classes to these:
  - Fighter
  - Bard
  - Cleric
  - Rogue
  - Sorcerer
  
• Reduce the frequency of Feats, especially in the beginning. Get rid of the 1st level general feat. Grant general feats at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th and 19th level. Fighters get a bonus feat at 2nd level, and every 3 levels after that (so, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 20th).
• Keep some simple feats. Here's the list that I'd put in:
  - Weapon Finesse
  - Weapon Focus
  - Weapon Specialization (requires Weapon Focus)
  - Animal Affinity -- allows you to make Animal Empathy checks, like a Druid
  - Animal Companion (requires Animal Affinity) -- grants an animal companion, like a Druid
  - Trapfinding -- allows you to Search for traps
  - Track -- allows you to follow tracks
  - Combat Casting -- allows you to cast spells even when threatened
  - Skill Focus
  - Precise Shot -- no chance of hitting your friend in melee
  - Cleave -- works like Great Cleave
  - Improved Initiative
  - Mounted Combat -- you can fight and shoot from horseback without penalty
  - Iron Will
  - Great Fortitude
  - Lightning Reflexes
  
• No armor or weapon proficency feats. You get proficencies from your class, and that's that.
  
• Combine similar skills. Here's the full skill list that I'd use:
  - Sneak (combines core Hide & Move Silently)
  - Spot (combines core Spot & Listen)
  - Athletics (combines Climb, Jump & Swim)
  - Acrobatics (combines Balance, Escape Artist & Tumble)
  - Handle Animal (combines Ride & Handle Animal)
  - Knowlege: Arcana (combines Spellcraft & Kn(Arcana))
  - Knowlege: Religion
  - Knowlge: Nature (combines Survival & Kn(Nature))
  - Search (combines core Search & Disable Device)
  - Sleight of Hand (combines core Sleight of Hand & Open Lock)
  - Bravado (combines Bluff & Intimidate)
  - Diplomacy (combines core Diplomacy & Gather Information)
  - Sense Motive
  - Perform
  - Craft
  (make Professions into rule-free background info)
  
• As with Feats, reduce the number of skill points available by class:
  - Fighter: 1 + Int bonus
  - Cleric: 1 + Int bonus
  - Sorcerer: 2 + Int bonus
  - Rogue: 4 + Int bonus
  - Bard: 3 + Int bonus
  
• Even if you eliminate AoOs, keep the idea that casters can't cast spells when "threatened".
  
• All spellcasting should be spontaneous. Thus, players spend less time looking up spells. Furthermore, Clerics should only pick their deity -- the Domain powers & spell list should be pre-picked for each deity. Here are some suggestions:
  - Heironius LG (Strength and War)
  - Pelor NG (Sun and Good)
  - Ehlonna CG (Animal and Travel)
  - Kord CN (Chaos and Strength)
  - Wee Jas LN (Law and Knowlege)
  - Obad Hai N (Plant and an Element -- Air, Earth, Fire, Water)
• In fact, I'd probably pre-pick the non-Domain Clerical spell list, too. (Note that these are all available spontaneously, as though the Cleric were a Sorcerer with all of these spells, plus their Domain spells, on their spell list. Thus, there are no direct damage spells on this list -- those are expected to come from the Domain spells.)
  0: Create Water, Cure Minor Wound, Detect Magic, Light, Purify Food & Water
  1: Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Magic Weapon, Protection from Evil, Remove Fear, Sanctuary
  2: Align Weapon, Augury, Bull's Strength, Cure Moderate Wounds, Hold Person, Remove Paralysis, Lesser Restoration, Shield Other
  3: Create Food & Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle against Evil, Prayer, Remove Curse, Remove Disease
  4: Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Divination, Freedom of Movement, Greater Magic Weapon, Neutralize Poison, Restoration, Tongues
  5: Atonemnt, Break Enchantment, Commune, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Dispel Evil, Disrupting Weapon, Raise Dead, Spell Resistance, True Seeing
  6: Blade Barrier, Mass Bull's Strength, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Greater Dispel Magic, Heal, Word of Recall
  7: Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Regenerate, Greater Restoration, Resurrection
  8: Antimagic Field, Mass Cure Critical Wounds, Holy Aura
  9: Mass Heal, Miracle, True Resurrection
  
• Limit mechanics. Make it a generic -4 to do something in unfavorable conditions.
  - Grappling: only for monsters with Improved Grab. PC attacks at -4 until they break free (a Strength check or an Acrobatics check).
  - Cover: Target has AC +4.
  - Target in melee: Target has AC +4, unless you have Precise Shot.
  - Firing while threatened: -4 to attack roll.
  - Horseback: -4 to all rolls, unless you have Mounted Combat.
  - Prone: -4 to melee attack rolls.
  

-- N

 

[rkanodia]

Just my two cents' worth. I think this is a Bad Idea[tm]. If you really want to go back to playing oldskool, without real branching class abilities and racial classes and all that stuff, buy a copy of the Rules Cyclopedia and go really oldskool. I think that trying to strip down 3.5 will end up being more complicated. "Err, sorry, you can't use that. I know it's in the book, but not in my simple variant."

 

[dren]

Elminate the arcane-divine divide. Sorcerers are the only spellcasters; some might call them priests, shamans or wizards. They can choose spells from any school or sphere. So some spellcasters can blast, others enchant and others heal.

Have fixed HP per level for both the PCs and monsters. (quick to calculate)

Eliminate all feats, but have certain combat abilities (such as parry, grapple, tumble, etc) as skills using opposed rolls to determine success.

Classes choose skills at 1st level which then doesn't change as they go up levels.

Get rid of ability and synergy bonuses; a X level character has +X to all of their skills...quick and easy to determine success. (To make it fair, lower the base chance of success for many skills.)

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Just my two cents' worth. I think this is a Bad Idea[tm]. If you really want to go back to playing oldskool, without real branching class abilities and racial classes and all that stuff, buy a copy of the Rules Cyclopedia and go really oldskool. I think that trying to strip down 3.5 will end up being more complicated. "Err, sorry, you can't use that. I know it's in the book, but not in my simple variant."

I loved the Rules Cyclopedia, and its a major inspiration for this idea. I want to combine the RCs simplicity with the streamlined D20 mechanics. I don't want to have to deal with THAC0 again, if I don't have to.

I'm not worried about what's in the PHB, since the players would be using My SRD.

Concerning magic; call me a traditionalist, but at least in this implementation, I'd like to keep the Divine/Orthodoxy and Arcane/Orthopraxy division. At this point I'm leaning toward splitting the difference between prepared and spontaneous casting and use AU style prepared spell list that can then be cast spontanously.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Nifft]

Can I ask the purpose of your simplification?

I'd assumed that you were making a simplified version to start newbies on, and then they'd graduate to the full real version.

If you're just doing it to make a better, simpler game, feel free to steal mechanics from other games -- for example, there is NO REASON that skills and combat need to use the same mechanic! Skills happen infrequently even during a skill-based encounter, while attack rolls happen frequently in a combat-based encounter.

Steal the Exalted (or any other White Wolf game) mechanic for skill checks.

-- N