From: Clayten_Hamacher@mindlink.bc.ca (Clayten Hamacher)
Subject: 'New' way to do attack rolls.
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 11:21:53 GMT

I was recently playing Champions and noticed how 'realistic' their combat
system is (aside from X-rays beams from the eyes etc... :) ).

Armour doesn't make you harder to hit (and in some cases makes you easier to
hit), it does on the other hand, absorb damage.

Dexterity doesn't absorb damage, but it keeps you from being hit at all.

The system I'm proposing works thusly.

DCV = how hard you are to hit.. Dex, Shield, Displaced etc..
OCV = Basically like Thac0..Weapons skill.
(offensive/defensive Combat Value)

3d6

Target roll (try to roll under)
3
4   |  DCV
5   |   /.   |   |
.   |   |
16 \/
17 OCV
18

If your target roll is 16 then you need to get 16 or under..

Skills would start at 8-10 (depending on dificulty of weapon) and go up one
per point you spend on it..(or, per time you specialize..) You would be
allowed to specialize as many times as you want and would have more slots to
reflect the fact that your OCV isn't dependant on level. (or adjust Thac0 a
little and use it)

If you roll 6 or more UNDER your target roll you would score a critical hit
(same type of thing as a 20)..

If you roll 6 or more HIGHER than your target roll then you score a critical
miss (sorta the same as a 1)..

A 3 always hits, an 18 always misses, 4 and 17 would probably be 'special' in
some way as well (chance of a 3 (or of an 18) on 3d6 is 1 in 216..)

After the hit damage is taken off, dependant on the type of armor vs the type
of damage (piercing, slashing etc..) and on any misc. magic items that might
affect this.

Example.

John, using sword +2, skill of 12 (3 slots)
Orc, shield +1, chain armor.

John's unmodified target roll is 14, skill + magic weapons etc..

Orc's shield +1 gives him a +2 DVC, his chain gives him 3DmgRes hp Slash
etc..

John's target is a 12, his skill etc (14) - Orc's DVC (2).

John gets a 9, he hits.

Rolls damage normally, gets a 6.

It's slashing so the orc get's 3hp taken off that.

Orc suffers 3hp damage..


The parts I'm looking for suggestions on are, considering the VAST majority
of roll are between 9-13, putting skill up 1 per every time thac0 goes down
(class dependant) would quickly make you unstoppable.

Therefore, how to make characters better fighters as they go up levels, give
weapon profs. each level, what?

What should apple to DCV and what to DamRes.. Should +2 armor help you avoid
shots, or just help absorb damage? Should magic armor encumber people (plate
would give you a -1 or -2 DCV because you can't move fast in it). Suggestions
about how to implement magic items etc..

Historical fact, what types of weapons do what type of damage, what armors
are good for what type, how cumbersome certain types are...How hard weapons
are to learn (affecting the base starting skill).

And, any suggestion on implementing this and/or any other similar things.


Reasons for using this system. d20 is to flat..1 in 20 and you miss no matter
what, 1 in 20 and you hit.. No curve so numbers all across the range are
equally likely (as likely to totally flub a shot as to do average)..or 3d6
you have a much higher chance of doing a normal hit, criticals are much rarer
(and therefore should be much better/worse.. Triple damage on 18 maybe, Lose
sword on a 1..) They would happen 2 in 216 times and a 'moderate critical', a
2 or 17 would happen 6 in 216 times..

The obvious fact that someone in plate is NOT going to be hard to hit, but if
you do hit them you're gonna hafta go through a thick steel shell to hurt
them.


P.S. any decent critical tables welcomed, none of this 'on a 1 you have a 10%
chance of stabbing yourself in the throat', by decent I mean, different
disabilities for a critical hit, and different forms of fumbles (and maybe
MINOR self injury) for critical fails.

--

Clayten_Hamacher@Mindlink.bc.ca                 Land of the rising snow.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd