Re[2]: [WW] DMG?

[Allan Seyberth <darious@darious.com>]

 >As to key concepts of d20: on www.wizards.com/d20 you will find files
 >for the core rules (like environmental effects, death and healing, and
 >so on). Quite a few concepts are in there. So you might come up with a
 >way to go around the PHB/DMG/MM trilogy. I believe the things
 >explicitly not in there are character generation and character
 >advancement. But how hard is it to make up a character? Roll 4d6, drop
 >one and assign as you wish. Pick your class, feats and skills.
 >Character advancement is new level = sum of all old levels * 1000
 >(example: lvl 4 = 1+2+3 = 6 * 1000 = 6000 xp). Pick new feats, skills,
 >etc.

Okay. . . this one I can't just let go by.

First.
Race.  Pick one.  Apply stat modifiers, skills modifiers, gain a few free 
skills and special abilities
Class.  Pick one of 8-15.  Cross compare benefits and racial tie ins.  Note 
that some classes are more powerful then others.  Gain hit points at first 
level.  Apply con bonus to hit points.  Gain other starting 
abilities.  Gain a number of skill points to spend, based off of class 
base, racial bonus or penalties, stat bonus or penalties.  Spend skill 
points based on cross-indexed chart, some skills cost one per level, some 
cost two and some you can't buy.  Gain feats, modify feats by racial and/or 
class bonuses.  Spend feats.  But first memorize feat table because some 
feats are less useful than others (and note - the feats that come out in 
the expansion books generally are more powerful than the ones in the core 
book) and you need to have memorized the feat table so you can plan your 
feat progression - after all some feats have other feats as a 
prerequisite.  Saving throws - gain base from chart and apply stat and 
racial bonuses if any.  Spells - pick your starting spells, gain extra 
spells for domain (maybe), stat (maybe), race (maybe).  Memorize spell 
chart as not all spells are created equal.  Copy all data on spells known 
to character sheet because you WILL have to look things up in the middle of 
combat.
Level up - gain a level, but do you cross-class, gain hit points and apply 
racial and stat bonuses.  Does your new class . . . you get my point.  That 
to call ANYTHING about the D20 system as simple is. . . inaccurate.

We've been playing D20 DnD for 8 or so months now on a regular weekly 
basis.  EVERY night we have to go to the rulebooks to look something 
up.  Usually three or four times.  I'm not saying that Deadlands and other 
games don't have there complexities, but this is a group that has played 
dozens of games, included Champions and Phoenix Command.  AND WE STILL have 
to look up rules every game night - even though we have expressly forbidden 
anything from the expansion books except on a piece by piece basis. (We've 
allowed three things so far - one spell from the cleric book, one feat from 
the MU book and the expanded familiar table from the MU book).

On a similar note - combat was not discussed.  As just the leading edge of 
the whole combat complexity I want to point out that my character has at 
least 7 different AC values - based on full AC w/ Dodge, w/out Dodge, 
Flanked, Surprised, Touch, Surprised and Flanked, Bypass normal armor. And 
probably a couple more to throw in.  What I do is just tell the GM to see 
if they hit a value 20, if so then I'll figure out the situational mods to 
see if he really hit.



-------------------
Allan Seyberth
darious@darious.com
Deadlands fan site - http://www.darious.com/

The best of man is like water,
Which benefits all things, and does not contend with them,
Which flows in places that others disdain,
Where it is in harmony with the Way.