Old Rules You Never Used

Balbinus · February 12, 2007, 09:55:55 AM

Quote from: StuartWhat do you do if a character falls in a 20' pit? 2d6 dmg? 3d6 dmg? Saving throw? Something else?

You must have used some kind of rules for falling.

It comes up so rarely that I make a ruling on the spot. I don't use those rules enough to remember them and it's too slow to look them up in play.

Oh, encumbrance, I almost never use Encumbrance rules. RQ2 was the only game I ever bothered in because there it was at least simple and made sense. Otherwise I use common sense.

jrients · February 12, 2007, 11:19:41 AM

I usually ignore encumbrance beyond basing movement rates on armor worn.

I also don't make my players map. I do the mapping for them. It is too easy for me to say right when I mean left or other mistakes. The downside is that yesterday I borught the game to a halt as everyone had a good laugh over the fact that I had marked in a secret door before anyone searched for it.

"Uhh, the last person to use that secret door left it slightly ajar. Yeah, that's the ticket."

James McMurray · February 12, 2007, 11:23:43 AM

Quote from: baran_i_kanuspeed factor, weapon vs. armor type, and strict encumbrance.

That's the same trinity of rules we threw out. We do use encumbrance in games now, and use the other two when playing Hackmaster.

jrients · February 12, 2007, 11:35:18 AM

What's really sad is that I have never found a group that used the old Polearm vs. Polearm Adjustment chart.

blakkie · February 12, 2007, 11:58:54 AM

I think it would be sad if I found someone that did. :hehe:

Wil · February 12, 2007, 12:35:39 PM

There was a lot of stuff that I didn't use from AD&D, either because I didn't understand it or just never thought about it. Speed factors was one, along with almost any weapon adjustments other than damage or to-hit. Unarmed combat rules. Encumbrance rules. Training. Spell lists which I think I did completely wrong - I played it that the spellcaster only received the number of spells listed per level and automagically learned new spells when they went up in level. Spell components we completely ignored. There was so much I did wrong or ignored I probably can't remember all of it.

Gabriel · February 12, 2007, 12:44:07 PM

Oh, yeah, training. That was another one that no one used. It was a shocker when it came up in the SSI Gold Box D&D games. It almost always prompted a WTF?? along with spell preparation.

Sweep attacks were one that most people were ignorant about but immediately integrated into their games when they discovered them. The Sweep Attack rule gave a fighter a number of attacks equal to their level against all adjacent monsters of under 1 HD.

blakkie · February 12, 2007, 12:48:36 PM

Quote from: GabrielSweep attacks were one that most people were ignorant about but immediately integrated into their games when they discovered them. The Sweep Attack rule gave a fighter a number of attacks equal to their level against all adjacent monsters of under 1 HD.

AKA the Oh-Shit-Where-Did-All-These-Kobolds-Come-From-And-Why-Won't-They-Just-Stop-Coming rule. Which is I think when it tended to get discovered or remembered by someone. Trying to remember, was that rule in the DMG or PHB?

Gabriel · February 12, 2007, 12:50:04 PM

Quote from: blakkieAKA the Oh-Shit-Where-Did-All-These-Kobolds-Come-From-And-Why-Won't-They-Just-Stop-Coming rule. Which is I think when it tended to get discovered or remembered by someone. Trying to remember, was that rule in the DMG or PHB?

DMG

blakkie · February 12, 2007, 12:53:54 PM

Quote from: GabrielDMG

I guess that explains why it was relatively unknown. It has little-to-no purpose for the DM and the people whose characters it applies to wouldn't even know to ask to try it if they did like they were told in not reading the DMG.

Wil · February 12, 2007, 12:55:54 PM

I don't know if this counts as "wrong" or "we just did it that way" but any damage that was left over from one opponent got carried over to the next one without another roll. So a high level fighter would just mow through lower level opponents.

Wil · February 12, 2007, 12:56:29 PM

Quote from: blakkieI guess that explains why it was relatively unknown. It has little-to-no purpose for the DM and the people whose characters it applies to wouldn't even know to ask to try it if they did like they were told in not reading the DMG.

And I never even actually read the DMG all the way through...what do you expect, I was only 12

JamesV · February 12, 2007, 12:58:31 PM

I always found the entirety of RIFTS' combat rules to be a tangle, so I didn't use them all, though I can't tell you which ones those were.

Gabriel · February 12, 2007, 01:00:21 PM

Quote from: WilI don't know if this counts as "wrong" or "we just did it that way" but any damage that was left over from one opponent got carried over to the next one without another roll. So a high level fighter would just mow through lower level opponents.

That's a really common one I saw among quite a few groups. It's not rules legal, but it's interesting so many people handled it that way.

Mark my curiousity about how that one started in the same column along with wondering how a "natural 20" meant double damage.

Gabriel · February 12, 2007, 01:01:19 PM

Quote from: JamesVI always found the entirety of RIFTS' combat rules to be a tangle, so I didn't use them all, though I can't tell you which ones those were.

Don't worry. No two Palladium players play anything resembling the same game. I know this from experience.