Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[PeteAtoms]

Let's assume that using a calculator or program to generate random numbers is fine (save money on buying dice).

How would the gameplay/mechanics of the system be affected if we could use any dX roll? So it would be possible to have a d5 or a d11 for traits/skills.

I can see it having an effect on advancement (the costs of increasing skills and traits) but can those costs be readjusted somehow? Will it balance or no?

[kreider204]

You could still allow the same advance rates, but also allow to split points between traits. For example, you could still spend one skill point to raise a trait from d4 to d6, or you could split it and raise two d4 to d5.

I do occasionally wish for a more fine-grained system, especially when I want to give very small bonuses to skills (minor magic items, etc.), so it would certainly be an interesting system.
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"It only takes an extra second to be courteous."
- Constable Benton Fraser

[Peanuts]

It does seem like you could just double the amount of skill points and attribute points and keep everything generally as is, but I don't know how badly (or if at all) it would mess up the maths. You wouldn't even need dice roller programs necessarily. I think a d9 is the only dice between 2 & 12 I haven't seen some variety of oddly shaped/numbered dice for (Even seen a d7 before). I would kind of like a bit more granularity to the system, but it is slipping away from FFF a bit adding in all those odd dice.

[Magnus]

[ValhallaGH]

[77IM]

The main dice I would want are d14, d16, d18, d20, d22, etc. etc. etc. Because rolling, say, d12+8 really kind of defeats the purpose of using a step-die system in the first place. Most of these dice do exist and can be purchased, but those d12+ rolls don't come up often enough to justify it (which is probably why Savage Worlds doesn't use them; everybody has d4-d12 but "go buy a d14-d24 before you can play" doesn't sound very FFF).

-- 77IM
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Stuff I made: Arcane Abilities · Talent Edge · Savage Fading Suns · Savage Wuxia!

[Cryonic]

[Mylon]

I've toyed with this idea myself. It may seem attractive to add a d3, d5, d7, d9, d11 all to add a bit more granularity, but at 16 advances before legendary it doesn't seem too necessary.

I do like the concept of adding a d14, d16, etc instead of the d12+1 and d12+2 edges though.

[Slugsabi]

[Mylon]

That doesn't quite work, Slugsabi. D12 + d4 is going to make a result of 1 impossible. No more being shaken on spellcasting or hitting innocent bystanders when shooting! Even working around that, there's a slight curve added to what would otherwise be a flat roll. Oh, and addition is now thrown into the mix. If by some weird chance a group of extras have a d14 roll, resolving all of their rolls at once is a bit weird. d14s, d16s, and d18s do exist. And if using a computer then the matter is irrelevant.

[Slugsabi]

Fair point on the bell curve and GM rolls and as you say those die exsist. Maybe my player base just aren't lazy

[robert4818]

[Mylon]

Wait, what? If my d12 lands on 12, I'd rather reroll the d12 than a d4!

[robert4818]

[newForumNewName]

[robert4818]

[Slugsabi]

Yup, as I said, technically you could roll it as I described although yea it means the 12 disappears into a void and the bell curve is sorta borked too.

Soooo... That means I was wrong, mark it on the calendar

[Mylon]

Kinda a side point, but I've been wanting to develop a computer RPG that runs entirely based on 1dX versus a TN of 1dY, where X is a composite score based on skill, circumstance factors, etc. Thus even an expert could occasionally roll low and fail a task. Likewise even a novice could have a TN roll low and succeed. This would replace exploding dice and ought to generate a nice S curve.

Diablo 2 actually used a very similar method for attack rating. But with the way everything ramped up and modifiers got piled on, I can't be sure it was entirely relevant.