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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5735004" data-attributes="member: 3192">20 is an easy number and in a decimal system it works pretty well. Add 20, subtract 20, or anything smaller down to 1 in either case. Other cases work too like multiply is double x10, divide is half x 0.1.  move the decimal place or something like that. Smaller numbers, but over 10 and we get into some trouble for some players doing quick math in their heads. So we should try and avoid the last two functions.When does the compare this number to another number get impractical? Well, I guess when we get off the natural number line or the numbers get so large they are actually a chore to read. But then we get shorthand notation like 8.3848 x10[sup]343[/sup] for example. Really, it's hard to impractical here. But there are other elements we might be missing. Why not roll a d10 instead? It's decimal-based, smaller than 2 digits for multiplication and subtraction, but the drawback is in granularity. The 10% chunks are a little big. Still, this could work.D100? D1000? D10,000? Not we get impractical, but some games use it still. Just order the d10s.  But additions get way out of whack. Not to mention subractions or anything else. d100 percentiles have been in viable systems, but the bump: +1, is often too small for some people. So we do d20. What can't it do well? Large modifiers make it irrelevant. d20+8,382 vs DC...... what? Who cares! The high roll is almost 42 times the modifier. So is the low roll. Why roll at all? You win! Just compare notes.Do some games work like this? Yep, diceless games are more common now. Many games remove randomizing mechanics altogether. But do you want them? What are they to the game designer, the DM, the player? For many it's the perceived risk with the built in anticipation. "I need a 12 or better" *rattle* *rattle* *rattle* roll....Die roll results are understood to be on average an even distribution. Make that distribution irrelevant to the game and the d20+mod vs. DC is no longer practical either. Not just because the functions are too hard or the numbers too large. The die roll is unnecessary and wasting players time. My question to you is: What does the d20 distribution represent? What is a 1 or a 20 for the type of roll you are making? 10 might be a hit, 15 a difficult hit, 20 near impossible. Add your modifier and these get easier. Add a modifier over 18 and the roll effectively makes all DCs 20 and below irrelevant. Why face them? They are impossible to fail without a penalty.Maybe that's okay though. Maybe we want to reach another tier of play where we reach another level? But the old stuff is like slapping mosquitoes. They end up as wake in our passage through the higher DCs. Another break happens at +39 and soon we're advancing without any regard for what's made irrelevant. It happens every level. My suggestion is d20+mod vs. DC has an upper mod score of 18 and that it makes several other elements impractical or irrelevant with 2-3 times that score.</blockquote>

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