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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7447055" data-attributes="member: 42582">In the episode of play I referenced, skill checks (or abilities gated by skills, like driving a speeding ATV out of a starship hold to assault a base) were at the core of the action. But D&amp;D doesn't give you PCs who are centrally defined by skills. The closest it gets to this is the classic Thief class, but that itself is a pre-determined bundle of skills. So D&amp;D simply doesn't permit an INT 2 bruiser who also happens to have Computer-2. Even if the fighter has &quot;cross class skills&quot;, it's the nature of D&amp;D that skill checks are not the main way of addressing the challenges posed by the game - they're simply not that big a part of PC build. (Even in 4e, and even in a skill challenge, skill checks are supplemented by healing surges, action points, power use, etc.)Is it possible to have a version of D&amp;D that is all skills? D20 Cthulhu comes closest, perhaps, but it still has combat mechanics hived off, feats, hit points, etc. It does not have the mechanical play or feel of Traveller.And then we get to the fact that Tactics and Leadership were crucial in the episode I referred to - they factored into the action both in the starship (with the two fireteams - the PCs got surprise, in part because of the boost from those skills, and so dominated the situation) and assaulting the base.I didn't make much of the close range and hand-to-hand combat which was an element of the session. This didn't feel remotely like D&amp;D, as the Traveller rules produce a large amount of &quot;dropped to zero but not dead&quot;, which is pretty much the opposite of D&amp;D, and results in short anti-climactic combats rather than dramatic ones. (This may or may not be a good thing, but it's clearly different.)Which completely bypasses the general combat resolution system. It doesn't play at all like emotional or mental stress, or similar complications, in Cortex+ Heroic.As far as I know [MENTION=29398]Lanefan[/MENTION] has not played any RPGs but D&amp;D, and has not read many others either. So I'm not just going to take his word as to how flexible D&amp;D is, and how much it can emulate other systems!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7447055, member: 42582"] In the episode of play I referenced, skill checks (or abilities gated by skills, like driving a speeding ATV out of a starship hold to assault a base) were at the core of the action. But D&D doesn't give you PCs who are centrally defined by skills. The closest it gets to this is the classic Thief class, but that itself is a pre-determined bundle of skills. So D&D simply doesn't permit an INT 2 bruiser who also happens to have Computer-2. Even if the fighter has "cross class skills", it's the nature of D&D that skill checks are not the main way of addressing the challenges posed by the game - they're simply not that big a part of PC build. (Even in 4e, and even in a skill challenge, skill checks are supplemented by healing surges, action points, power use, etc.) Is it possible to have a version of D&D that is all skills? D20 Cthulhu comes closest, perhaps, but it still has combat mechanics hived off, feats, hit points, etc. It does not have the mechanical play or feel of Traveller. And then we get to the fact that Tactics and Leadership were crucial in the episode I referred to - they factored into the action both in the starship (with the two fireteams - the PCs got surprise, in part because of the boost from those skills, and so dominated the situation) and assaulting the base. I didn't make much of the close range and hand-to-hand combat which was an element of the session. This didn't feel remotely like D&D, as the Traveller rules produce a large amount of "dropped to zero but not dead", which is pretty much the opposite of D&D, and results in short anti-climactic combats rather than dramatic ones. (This may or may not be a good thing, but it's clearly different.) Which completely bypasses the general combat resolution system. It doesn't play at all like emotional or mental stress, or similar complications, in Cortex+ Heroic. As far as I know [MENTION=29398]Lanefan[/MENTION] has not played any RPGs but D&D, and has not read many others either. So I'm not just going to take his word as to how flexible D&D is, and how much it can emulate other systems! [/QUOTE]

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