Treblain
2011-09-07, 10:57 PM
I'm working on a new homebrew setting using heavily adapted D20 rules, but I'm having some trouble figuring out the mechanics and the math. I'm posting to talk it out with myself, but I'd really appreciate some feedback and suggestions on a few things. I'm happy to provide details for the confused.
The problem I'm dealing with now involves attack bonuses. I'm taking some ideas from D&D 4th Edition, like proficiency bonuses and the three saves as defenses. I am attempting to build a system where all attacks, be they spells or weapons, use attack rolls.
I am doing away with iterative attacks, and not automatically applying STR and DEX to attacks and damage. Instead, I fell upon the idea of "proficiency attack bonuses" for weapons. My idea gives weapons proficiency bonuses from +1 to +5. Weapon proficiencies are actually difficult to obtain; no class is proficient with all weapons right off the bat. There is no unarmed class, but an unarmed fighter can be quite effective, since your unarmed proficiency bonus is equal to your STR mod. Spells will all have their own attack bonuses.
As it stands, a character who spends the feats to wield a greatsword becomes nearly as good a fighter as a warrior class. I don't want to deny other classes the ability to wield good weapons, but I want to find ways to further distinguish warriors from less combat-oriented characters. I'm thinking they'll mostly lie in class features and feats to represent combat training.
I'm also wondering what I should do about scaling attack and defense bonuses. I'm probably using class defense bonuses of some kind; there's armor, but heavier armor doesn't fit the classes and setting. It's pointless if attack and defense scale at the same rate, but hard to balance if they do otherwise. I don't like large disparities in BAB, but making them all the same doesn't work either, so it seems like the best idea right now.
Thanks for reading my musings. Comments and feedback are welcome.
The problem I'm dealing with now involves attack bonuses. I'm taking some ideas from D&D 4th Edition, like proficiency bonuses and the three saves as defenses. I am attempting to build a system where all attacks, be they spells or weapons, use attack rolls.
I am doing away with iterative attacks, and not automatically applying STR and DEX to attacks and damage. Instead, I fell upon the idea of "proficiency attack bonuses" for weapons. My idea gives weapons proficiency bonuses from +1 to +5. Weapon proficiencies are actually difficult to obtain; no class is proficient with all weapons right off the bat. There is no unarmed class, but an unarmed fighter can be quite effective, since your unarmed proficiency bonus is equal to your STR mod. Spells will all have their own attack bonuses.
As it stands, a character who spends the feats to wield a greatsword becomes nearly as good a fighter as a warrior class. I don't want to deny other classes the ability to wield good weapons, but I want to find ways to further distinguish warriors from less combat-oriented characters. I'm thinking they'll mostly lie in class features and feats to represent combat training.
I'm also wondering what I should do about scaling attack and defense bonuses. I'm probably using class defense bonuses of some kind; there's armor, but heavier armor doesn't fit the classes and setting. It's pointless if attack and defense scale at the same rate, but hard to balance if they do otherwise. I don't like large disparities in BAB, but making them all the same doesn't work either, so it seems like the best idea right now.
Thanks for reading my musings. Comments and feedback are welcome.