Compromise and Conceit
Infernal adventuring…
Category: RPG Systems
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Spells are cast as a skill, with the base difficulty for partial success given by DC = 15 + Spell level + Effect Modifications Usually these effect modifications represent a decision to increase the number of targets beyond the basic amount allowed by the spell level; or an attempt to increase duration. Partial failure occurs…
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Over at Grognardia, Sir Grognard had a long-standing objection to the Thief character class, primarily on the basis that it takes a single character out of play for a short time and leaves the other players twiddling their thumbs[1], and he slates this as the cause of the ultimate play-wrecker, the Cyberspace hacker character, which…
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A while ago I mentioned that I used to like skill systems which incorporate partial success/ partial failure, but now I am not so enamoured of them. Since I wrote that I had to rejig my magic system slightly, because I had configured it to be a little too easy. As my magic system was…
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I envisage magic working very simply: many characters can learn magic, either as a central skill or as dabblers characters learn spells individually, almost like feats all characters who use magic have a certain number of fatigue slots, equal to their concentration skill all spells have a DC to cast all spells are cast using…
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The last 4 sessions of Compromise and Conceit have been conducted using the basics of the system I have been developing, with the main properties of this system being: All actions are skill-based, with no difference between saving throws, skill checks, magic use and combat All results are determined by a difference between the result…
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For the past few weeks I have been playing AD&D 4th edition at the pub, first with an excellent group of players who were actually nice, and then with the same group of players but a different DM. The first few sessions I played a first level rogue, followed by a first level warlock. The…
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Having written yesterday’s post about magic and its faults, I am today not so convinced that the problem I described is a big deal; and in any case, it can be resolved to some extent by inventing magic items which improve wizard’s save DCs. Nonetheless, I think the magic system is anachronistic in AD&D, representing…
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So, I just made a pair of characters using the rules exactly as written down in the DMG: a 19th level wizard-hunting thief and a 19th level wizard. The wizard-hunting thief used his spare cash to buy a stash of potions and scrolls; used his 19th level special ability to gain skill mastery in Use…
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Having described the imbalances between the combat and skill systems in the d20 system, I here present my proposal for an alternative combat system which combines them properly. This description relies on use of my proposal for ability scores which are represented entirely in the form of the ability modifiers; and it should be assumed…
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There are a few things about the d20 system which I think are unnecessarily cumbersome or burdensome and serve no real purpose, or are a historical artifact. Two which I think definitely need adjustment – one because it is just so silly, and one because it is so clumsy – are the stats system, and…
Compromise and Conceit 