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Message: <blockquote data-quote="francisca" data-source="post: 1246745" data-attributes="member: 9734">Yeah.  Right.  Simple.   Thanks for clarifying that.  Simple, as in:PC: OK, I get +18 on this roll.DM: How do you get 18?PC: Well I got this feat from Ferret's Essential Whoop-Ass PowerGamer, and I get a synergy bonus with (blah blah blah)DM: Show me.(endless page flipping, other players are rolling eyes)PC: It's here somewhere....The mechanic is simple.  The rules/feat/skills/etc that all add into that misc modifier can be a long, tedious process to figure out, and is therefore complex.Now as a DM, it's my call what to allow into the game, so maybe the Ferret book won't make it, and that particular example won't really happen.  But there is enough in the PHB to sort through to make it a real pain in the neck quite often.  Not only does this slow down game play, but it makes creating meaningful NPCs quite a chore, when it should be fun.So to summarize my big beef #1:  The mechanic is simple, but the modifiers which apply are often complex to figure out.  Coupled with the fact that you use this same mechanic/process for *everything*, and by that I mean potentially every action, you end up with a rules-heavy system.  No wonder they came up with take 10/20.  Sure, it's handy to use the same mechanic for everything, but is it easier to remember which die to pickup for whatever mechanic you need to roll for or is it easier to argue about what misc modifiers apply to the given situation?  Probably depends on the players.So, to summarize my big beef #2:  There's a rule and about a million potential modifers for everything. Therefore, much of the DM's discretion has been removed from the game.On one hand, I agree with the beef that as characters advance, the roll becomes less important.  Reminds me of Tunnels and Trolls.  On the other hand, experienced characters should have their actions determined by skill, rather than random rolls.</blockquote>

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