Quote from: Vortigern;613685I really like the idea of weapons that scale with user level. "This is my fathers sword" and all that. One might even level them based on their history... "This is the sword that struck Sauron and shattered, now reforged to take vengance". Sounds like it could make for cool plot-points.

I'd probably give fighters some spell-like abilities on high levels to even out things against magic-users; and possibly some buff for magic-users on low levels for good measure.

In my heartbreaker I have been playing with the idea of Dooms, Boons, curses and pacts. These are the things that make the heroic fighters of legend 'special'.
Some occur as a result of battling with certain creatures, and the creature creation rules include the options of adding effects for unique higher level ones. So if you kill the Giant Scorpion Jurellax that comes with a curse/boon, like it's spirit infects you somehow which is rolled on a table or can be picked by the GM and tied directly to that creature.

Or in play you can choose to spend a couple level worth of xp (you spend XP as you level to take class abilities) to take a Doom and you roll on a table, might be the revelation on an ancient birthright or Divine provenance or whatever.

It's still very much in the "to be thought about" category and will be entirely optional enabling more mundane games to continue unaffected but it seems like a way to make higher level mundanes not just more effective, which is just half the issue, but also more interesting without relying on magical gear.

I am also looking at a way to scale items with level and am currently stuck with them giving bonuses as a % rather than a flat number. So a sword might give +40% to hit so if you have an attack of +5 you get +2 and if you have +10 you get +4. But its awkward and messy.
I am more prone to remove 'mundane' magical items altogether and introduce quality equipment to replace it. Then all magic items will be unique artefact like pieces and very rare possibly with a slight double edge to them based on curses and dooms again. So rather than a magical +1 sword you get a Fine Damascus steel +1 sword. If you find a magical item it will be Azarus the Flaming sword of the West, it will have a handful of abilities and a history and backstory. History, backstory and all stuff to be rolled on random tables or created by the GM of course.

If I had to explicitly change 10 things, I'd rather find something closer to what I want.

I'd like armor as damage reduction, some kind of active defense and a general toning down of magic (especially from 3e) but that would make it not D&D in my mind and I have games that are a lot better at not being D&D than D&D is.

Disadvantages (i.e. Negative feats) like in GURPS. UA introduced a bit of them with the "traits/flaws" system.

I forgot about negativer feats and armor as DR. Both are good in my opinion.

I like some of these ideas, but I'd like to note that the 3 Saves system screws over Wizards, and some other "High Save" types who are generally good with saving throws even if they have low HP.

Quote from: Silverlion;613956I like some of these ideas, but I'd like to note that the 3 Saves system screws over Wizards, and some other "High Save" types who are generally good with saving throws even if they have low HP.

Depends how you implement a 3 save system you don't have to lift it from 3e whole cloth you can decide that Wizards have higher saves then everyone or that wizards get an additional +2 to all saves versus spells no matter where they fall.

Personally I want to introduce a counter spell, basically allow a wizard to make a reflex check to blow a spell slot of same level or higher to counter an opponent's spell as it'ss cast. Or something.

hmmm...does paring the core back to core concepts count as a single choice?

Anyhow

strip it down, keeping wargame and boardgame play elements intact

add a uniform substructure for race, class, and spell building an underlying point system won't prevent all unbalances but it sure beats just making stuff up

give suggested attributes for monsters because sometimes it matters

scrap the spells of each level table for a lower total levels per day

weapon damage by size
 
hit dice by size

give a hit dice for level 0

Cut bonuses to +1 / 2 levels

huh...looks familiar somehow...actually I'd like to change the OGL so you are in breach if anything you release isn't compatible with the substructure and can then be sued for a bazzillion dollars...

Quote from: jibbajibba;613991Depends how you implement a 3 save system you don't have to lift it from 3e whole cloth you can decide that Wizards have higher saves then everyone or that wizards get an additional +2 to all saves versus spells no matter where they fall.

Personally I want to introduce a counter spell, basically allow a wizard to make a reflex check to blow a spell slot of same level or higher to counter an opponent's spell as it'ss cast. Or something.

Wizards should have the best save vs magic, at least vs wizard spells.
 I would go so far as to say a wizard should be able to attempt counterspelling without expending resources.

I'm pretty happy with D&D, so I would struggle to come up with ten changes. The ones that come to mind though...

Ascending AC
Get rid of the 3-18 spread and just note the bonuses
Limit stat bonuses from +1 to +3 and have no minuses
Have one 50/50 saving throw complimented by a relevant stat bonus
Include an extended skill check of three rolls
Give fighters cleave and power attack at 1st level

That's about it.

The big one for me would be to eliminate the d4 and d12 Hit Dice from the game.  All d4 Hit Die entries would bump up to a d6 and all d12 Hit Dice entries would be bumped down to a d10.  It's just a pet peeve; I can't stand the d4 Hit Die for some irrational reason.

Quote from: Drohem;614214The big one for me would be to eliminate the d4 and d12 Hit Dice from the game.  All d4 Hit Die entries would bump up to a d6 and all d12 Hit Dice entries would be bumped down to a d10.  It's just a pet peeve; I can't stand the d4 Hit Die for some irrational reason.

I hate d4s.

They are pointy and evil.

The d12 is fine though.




Should make that a Haiku.

Main one is for combat. One roll to hit and damage. Score 1 point of damage for each point above to hit number, and add a bonus from the weapon used up to it's max damage.

Example:

Thief uses a dagger, needs to roll over 15 to hit, gets a 20 (which let's say, explodes). Total roll is 31. 31-15 = 16 damage, plus 4 (max damage) from dagger.

If using a sword that would be 8 damage (swords max) and so on.

Instead of hit points going up, characters would have hit points at first level, and their luck points would go up. Luck can be used to increase or reduce rolls (stated before dice are rolled, or costs double luck after dice are rolled), reduce damage and so on. Always found it hard to get round the fact my Fighter had more hit points than a horse, a rhino, a giant and so on. This way, they don't, they are just luckier.

I would run the game 1e RAW, using the 10 most obscure and unused rules in the entire game.

1) All the Initiative rules.
2) All the spells.
3) Weapon vs. AC
4) Save or Die.
5) Energy Drain
6) Unrestricted Spell Research.
7) No re-rolls if you roll 1 on Hit Dice
All rules from Unearthed Arcana and the Survival Guides
9) Death at 0 hp or less.
10) Move OR action during a combat round.

Oh wait.  I'm doing that already.

Quote from: Blackhand;614224I would run the game 1e RAW, using the 10 most obscure and unused rules in the entire game.

1) All the Initiative rules.
2) All the spells.
3) Weapon vs. AC
4) Save or Die.
5) Energy Drain
6) Unrestricted Spell Research.
7) No re-rolls if you roll 1 on Hit Dice
All rules from Unearthed Arcana and the Survival Guides
9) Death at 0 hp or less.
10) Move OR action during a combat round.

Oh wait.  I'm doing that already.

Don't forget spell components.

Quote from: Bill;614227Don't forget spell components.

GRRAAAH!  Missed that one.  That would make it 11, though.

Could also add:  Level Training and XP blocking at xp for sufficient level.