What modules should come out sooner rather than later? [Poll]

[Dedekind]

With 69 voters, I guess we can analyze the results.

Caveat: We've already discussed that some of us are thinking "sooner in playtest" rather than "sooner in final release." I fall in the latter camp, though I don't really think that changes the interpretation below.

Salient points to me:

1) Top three are Tactical (65%), Alternate magic(54%), and Exploration (54%). The first two don't surprise me, but Exploration does. In your minds, what does that include, exactly? (Or is it really just a skill module?) Why must it be "sooner rather than later"?

2) Next two most popular are Strongholds/minions and Alternate hit point/healing. A lot of discussion about alternate hit points in other threads, but the Stronghold/minion system seems to attract less attention. I utilized followers (NPCs of some power doing your bidding) in 2e and 3e, but that didn't get a huge vote. Why Strongholds? Is this purely flavor? Or are you envisioning a Birthright-like system? Why must it be "sooner rather than later"?

3) The least popular was "Alignment with mechanical effects." I'm a little surprised because there has been a fair amount of discussion on this. Is it the "mechanical effects" part that drove people away or do we just want alignment as a roleplaying device? Or is it just that this can come later?

4) Finally, changing character complexity has received so much attention, but only got modest votes. Is this because you think it should be Core? Or do you lump Tactical in with Character Complexity? Or is this just nebulously defined and doesn't attract attention as an option? (IOW, you were a victim of my poorly worded poll?) Or is it just that this can come later?

 

[Dedekind]

I am not sure that the 'modules' are always going to be in the form people seem to be expecting. Stuff like 'Non-Vancian Casting' may well end up being 'Here is a Warlock and a Shaman, don't use Wizard and Cleric'.

Totally true. Though I do think they have discussed avoiding class bloat?

This does raise the question of what a module really is. To me, it sounds like most things could be similar to a system of houserules that, by the way, the designers have balanced and will receive official support. I think back to "Skills & Powers" (except not painfully broken).

However, something like Mass Combat rules would involve heavy translation. "A unit has the following attack bonuses and stats." "This is what a crit does in Mass Combat." "Here is how you use a dragon in this sub-system." etc.

 

[jadrax]

For me, Exploration would be some decent Hex Crawling guidelines.

 

[Yora]

What do people mean when they mark exploration?

 

[GX.Sigma]

When I voted exploration, I meant clear, simple rules for dungeon exploration (not necessarily 10-minute turns, but something that solves the same problems) and wilderness exploration (not necessarily hex crawl, but something that solves the same problems).

 

[Yora]

Yes, but what is exploration?

I don't need rules to say "I take a look inside that room".

 

[jadrax]

Yes, but what is exploration?

Encounter Tables
Settlement pattern generation diagrams
Dungeon Design Templates
Travel Rules (speed, logistics, scouting)
Unique locations


That sort of thing.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Yes, but what is exploration?

I don't need rules to say "I take a look inside that room".

Dungeon exploration:

• If a party enters the dungeon at 5:00 PM, is it dark yet when they leave the dungeon?
• If the Cleric casts a spell with a duration of 1 hour, how do you decide when that hour is up?
• If there's no way of keeping track of time, why would the party not search every room and wall for traps, treasure, and secret doors?

10 minute turns solve these problems: You can move a certain distance in 10 minutes (which I defined in my houserule as twice one's tactical speed; or ten times if they're not mapping), and some activities take up the whole of 10 minutes (searching for traps, disarming traps, searching for treasure, searching for secret doors, etc.). Every 20 minutes, there is a 1 in 6 chance of a wandering monster. Even if used solely on the DM's side as a means of eyeballing duration, this system solves the above problems.

Wilderness exploration: Without exploration rules, a cross-country journey is either

1. A fade to black
2. A single random encounter roll (or a series thereof)
3. Encounters the DM has prepared earlier

All of these have the same problems:

• Restricts player choice (i.e., is not a form of exploration)
• Makes the world seem small
• Makes travel time seem insignificant (and/or difficult to quantify)
• Requires either advance DM preparation or emergency DM adjudication
• Is not an engaging or interesting mode of gameplay

The hex crawl solves these problems: The world map is laid out on a hexagonal grid, making distances easy to count. It takes a certain amount of time for the party to move to a different hex, and there is often (if not always) a random encounter roll and/or a chance of getting lost, each modified by the type of terrain. Some hexes may have predefined things within them (castles, wizard towers, dungeon entrances, etc.), and some regions may have events occurring throughout them (a war between two types of monster which the party may be able to exploit, etc.). This system allows the players to make meaningful choices, and gives them an actual world to actually explore.