Yakk
2008-09-07, 04:11 PM
This is a modification to 3e. In 3e, modifiers to d20 rolls are linear, but the results of a d20 roll are based off of affine mathematics.
This causes the "auto-fail" and "auto-win" effects that are endemic in mid to high level 3e game play.
What you are seeing here is not at all polished, but it is an attempt to exploit exponential functions to generate a 3e like "add up the bonuses of multiple classes" etc, but have the modifiers to the d20 rolls agree with the affine nature of the d20 decision process.
I doubt that what I'm about to post is playable as is. But it is a start.
It has a number of tables that are stand-ins for using logarithmic functions and some strange scaling.
Under this system, a fighter gets far more "attack skill points" than a cleric or a wizard does as they gain levels. But even at level 20, the fighter keeps an edge on being able to hit opponents, instead of it being an auto hit-miss situation.
Similarly, skills scale like 3e skills. Spell attack power scales like modifiers to 3e spell DCs. Etc.
I did scale some of the factors up a bunch, because 3e is full of fractions that exist merely because of the scale of the d20. (ie, +1 modifier every 2 stat points, +3 attack every 4 cleric levels, +1/2 skill cap on cross-class skills, etc).
I enjoyed crunching the math -- maybe someone will enjoy reading it. :-)
Here it is:
[d20 alternative]
This is a crazy system based off of linearly adding up power from classes, and the fact that the d20 is an affine randon number generator.
Your TALENT at an action is equal to (STAT + SKILL).
You then look at the following table for your MODIFIER:
The Core Talent <-> Modifier table
0 -INFINITY
1 -13
2 -9
3 -6
4 -5
5 -3
6-7 -2
8 -1
9-10 +0
11-12 +1
13-15 +2
16-18 +3
19-21 +4
22-25 +5
26-31 +6
32-37 +7
38-44 +8
45-52 +9
53-63 +10
64-75 +11
76-89 +12
90-106 +13
107-127 +14
128-... +15
If your TALENT is more than 128, look up half your TALENT and add +4 to the modifier.
For a base for this system, I'll use 3e. Use the base 3e classes, and transform as follows:
+1 BaB classes add +3 to thier ATK skill every level, and you get a +10 class bonus to ATK for having any full-BaB class in your progression.
+3/4 BaB classes add +2 to their ATK skill every level, and you get a +5 class bonus to ATK for having any 3/4-BaB class in your progression.
+1/2 BaB classes add +1 to their ATK skill every level.
Skill points at each level are doubled. Skill caps are LEVEL + (number of levels with that class as a class skill) + 5. Cross class skills cost 1 per level (but tend to have lower caps).
At level 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20, you add +2 to two different stats, only 1 of which can be one you increased the last time.
At level 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, you add +1 to all but 1 stat.
At level 20, you tend to have +20/+14/+12/+6/+6/+0 over your base stats.
We'll use the 4e DEFENSE idea.
You have 4 defenses -- AC, Will, Fortitude, Reflex. These have TALENT and MOD values as well.
AC TALENT is equal to (Dex amount) + LEVEL*2 + Armor
AC TALENT modifier of armors is x2 of standard 3e. Each +1 enchantment on the armor increases the multiplier by x1. So +5 Full Plate is +56 AC.
The same is true for shields.
Light armor adds your Dex to your AC.
Medium armor adds half your Dex to your AC.
Heavy armor adds 1/4 your Dex to your AC.
Reflex TALENT is equal to DEX + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-reflex save classes)
Will TALENT is equal to WIS + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-will save classes)
Fortitude TALENT is equal to CON + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-fortitude save classes)
Other modifiers to defenses add +5 TALENT for each +1 they used to add.
Spellcasters have a spell attack TALENT equal to:
Stat + (Character Level) + (Caster Levels * 2) + (5* things that used to modify your spell DCs)
Half-caster level classes (like Paladin) can, instead of getting +2 every 2 levels, simply get +1 every level.
---
DC transformation.
Old DC New DC
10-11 10
12 11
13 12
14 14
15 15
16-17 18
18-19 17
20 18
21-22 19
23-24 20
25-27 21
28-29 22
30-32 23
33-35 24
36-39 25
40-42 26
43-46 27
47-50 28
51-55 29
56-60 30
61-66 31
67-72 32
73-79 33
80+... 34
For DCs above 80, look up half of the DC, and then add 8.
This causes the "auto-fail" and "auto-win" effects that are endemic in mid to high level 3e game play.
What you are seeing here is not at all polished, but it is an attempt to exploit exponential functions to generate a 3e like "add up the bonuses of multiple classes" etc, but have the modifiers to the d20 rolls agree with the affine nature of the d20 decision process.
I doubt that what I'm about to post is playable as is. But it is a start.
It has a number of tables that are stand-ins for using logarithmic functions and some strange scaling.
Under this system, a fighter gets far more "attack skill points" than a cleric or a wizard does as they gain levels. But even at level 20, the fighter keeps an edge on being able to hit opponents, instead of it being an auto hit-miss situation.
Similarly, skills scale like 3e skills. Spell attack power scales like modifiers to 3e spell DCs. Etc.
I did scale some of the factors up a bunch, because 3e is full of fractions that exist merely because of the scale of the d20. (ie, +1 modifier every 2 stat points, +3 attack every 4 cleric levels, +1/2 skill cap on cross-class skills, etc).
I enjoyed crunching the math -- maybe someone will enjoy reading it. :-)
Here it is:
[d20 alternative]
This is a crazy system based off of linearly adding up power from classes, and the fact that the d20 is an affine randon number generator.
Your TALENT at an action is equal to (STAT + SKILL).
You then look at the following table for your MODIFIER:
The Core Talent <-> Modifier table
0 -INFINITY
1 -13
2 -9
3 -6
4 -5
5 -3
6-7 -2
8 -1
9-10 +0
11-12 +1
13-15 +2
16-18 +3
19-21 +4
22-25 +5
26-31 +6
32-37 +7
38-44 +8
45-52 +9
53-63 +10
64-75 +11
76-89 +12
90-106 +13
107-127 +14
128-... +15
If your TALENT is more than 128, look up half your TALENT and add +4 to the modifier.
For a base for this system, I'll use 3e. Use the base 3e classes, and transform as follows:
+1 BaB classes add +3 to thier ATK skill every level, and you get a +10 class bonus to ATK for having any full-BaB class in your progression.
+3/4 BaB classes add +2 to their ATK skill every level, and you get a +5 class bonus to ATK for having any 3/4-BaB class in your progression.
+1/2 BaB classes add +1 to their ATK skill every level.
Skill points at each level are doubled. Skill caps are LEVEL + (number of levels with that class as a class skill) + 5. Cross class skills cost 1 per level (but tend to have lower caps).
At level 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 20, you add +2 to two different stats, only 1 of which can be one you increased the last time.
At level 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, you add +1 to all but 1 stat.
At level 20, you tend to have +20/+14/+12/+6/+6/+0 over your base stats.
We'll use the 4e DEFENSE idea.
You have 4 defenses -- AC, Will, Fortitude, Reflex. These have TALENT and MOD values as well.
AC TALENT is equal to (Dex amount) + LEVEL*2 + Armor
AC TALENT modifier of armors is x2 of standard 3e. Each +1 enchantment on the armor increases the multiplier by x1. So +5 Full Plate is +56 AC.
The same is true for shields.
Light armor adds your Dex to your AC.
Medium armor adds half your Dex to your AC.
Heavy armor adds 1/4 your Dex to your AC.
Reflex TALENT is equal to DEX + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-reflex save classes)
Will TALENT is equal to WIS + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-will save classes)
Fortitude TALENT is equal to CON + LEVEL + (2*LEVELs of high-fortitude save classes)
Other modifiers to defenses add +5 TALENT for each +1 they used to add.
Spellcasters have a spell attack TALENT equal to:
Stat + (Character Level) + (Caster Levels * 2) + (5* things that used to modify your spell DCs)
Half-caster level classes (like Paladin) can, instead of getting +2 every 2 levels, simply get +1 every level.
---
DC transformation.
Old DC New DC
10-11 10
12 11
13 12
14 14
15 15
16-17 18
18-19 17
20 18
21-22 19
23-24 20
25-27 21
28-29 22
30-32 23
33-35 24
36-39 25
40-42 26
43-46 27
47-50 28
51-55 29
56-60 30
61-66 31
67-72 32
73-79 33
80+... 34
For DCs above 80, look up half of the DC, and then add 8.