What game mechanics do you like?

[rounser]

Aww, but it'd be so much more fun to see Psion and Rounser duke it out, deathmatch style.

Good thinking, RangerWickett. A duel to the death, armed only with d20s. Either that, or we could just delete the silly side track above. I think I'll go do that now.

 

[Psion]

.

 

[Kilmore]

Well, I'm glad that PirateCat has a good mechanic, but I certainly hope he never needs a rules lawyer!

 

[Darkness]

Well, I'm glad that PirateCat has a good mechanic, but I certainly hope he never needs a rules lawyer!

Who could someone ever need a rules lawyer, anyway?

 

[rounser]

Given Psion's views on the strengths of the Vancian approach, is the ELH's spell seed* approach as successful? From what I gather, it seems to go for flexibility that the vancian system can't achieve, but may pay for that in terms of robustness. What about flavour?

*Is that the way to refer to it? I haven't read the book.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I miss surprise rolls.

I second that. That is what I miss the most. In fact it's the only thing I miss.

In the past when the DM called for a surprise roll it was pretty similar to a Keeper calling for a san-check. Nowadays the DM calls for initiative like it was a game of friggin Warhammer Fantasy Battle. It's a big difference in flavor. Formerly you felt like they were out to get you. Now it's like you are out to get them, if you see what I mean.

The surprise roll rules were pretty lousy though and it's a shame we didn't get to see a d20-overhaul of that rule.

 

[Arnwyn]

Well, I like the feats, skills (though it makes creating NPCs an absolute nightmare in this edition - the skill points quadruple the time it takes to stat an NPC, and even more if the NPC is multiclass), multiclass rules, critical hit rules, more intuitive saving throws, cleric spontaneous casting, prestige classes (well, the concept at least), and better-statted monsters.

I miss the superior monster descriptions (habitat, ecology), specialty priests, race/class restrictions, surprise rolls, and weapon speed factors. [However, I've easily re-introduced all of these except the surprise roll into my 3e game with no detrimental effects.]

For modern/futuristic settings, I prefer FUZION's skill-system as well as its auto-fire rules. I'll stick with FUZION for any futuristic campaign.

 

[Voadam]

Third-edition D&D shares quite a bit with its earlier incarnations, but it also borrows quite a bit from other modern games. What game mechanics do you just love? Are there any mechanics from earlier editions that you miss? What mechanics from other games do you really like? Can you retrofit them into D&D?

3e good mechanics
Uniform xp chart
Multiclassing and level limit restrictions are gone
The way they handle multiclassing
The way saves are only three types
Feats
Rogues get tons of normal skills
customization of fighters
initiative is set than you go in that order
AC is up instead of down
Monsters have full stats
item creation rules are somewhat consistent, plausible and workable

Previous editions
Simple monster stat block (1 line!)
Being able to say "Make a save vs Death!"
Specialty priests

Mechanics from other games
I prefer Ars Magica or Mage the Ascension schools over D&Ds
Some better way to dodge or get a defensive bonus (WoT is good).
Armor reducing damage.
XP awards from GURPS, Shadowrun and storyteller all felt better than a set amount based on toughness of opponent you overcome.

 

[The Halfling]

I second that. That is what I miss the most. In fact it's the only thing I miss.

In the past when the DM called for a surprise roll it was pretty similar to a Keeper calling for a san-check. Nowadays the DM calls for initiative like it was a game of friggin Warhammer Fantasy Battle. It's a big difference in flavor. Formerly you felt like they were out to get you. Now it's like you are out to get them, if you see what I mean.

The surprise roll rules were pretty lousy though and it's a shame we didn't get to see a d20-overhaul of that rule.

Actually, it was. The surprise roll was just replaced by the Spot/Listen Roll. Instead of saying, "Roll for surprise." , you would say,"Roll a Spot (or Listen) check." Pretty well detailed in the PHB, and expanded upon in the DMG.

Given that 1E/2E Rangers, and 1E monks and barbarians, were very hard to surprise, it makes sense that these classes, plus the skill-master Rogue, are the only classes to have Spot as a class skill.

A lack of surprise is not a failing of the system, but rather a failing of the DM for not understanding the uses of the various skills.

 

[Zaruthustran]

(read Vance sometime).

Who is "Vance"?