Maginomicon
2013-12-31, 12:46 PM
For a while now I've wanted to create a "combo" system (like that seen in fighting videogames) for tabletop games, and for D&D 3.5 in particular. However, this is understandably incongruous with the feel of a tabletop gaming session in which it can take 4 hours to run a 5-round battle.
However, if you happen to be using the Bell Curve Rolls variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/bellCurveRolls.htm) and the Action Points variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm), the fact that you can spend an action point to turn your 3d6 into a 4d6 gave me an idea.
Now, personally, I also use the Players Roll All the Dice variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/playersRollAllTheDice.htm), so players are rolling not just to make Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, and Caster Level Checks but also to make AC checks, Magic checks, and SR checks. Thus, in a given round, players have a lot of circumstances where they roll 3d6.
Imagine the following scenario:
You're an 8th level monk. You use a full attack with flurry of blows at 5/+5/+0. Hit. Hit. Hit. You're on fire today. The dragon you hit uses its breath weapon on you at point-blank range. Wouldn't it be nice (especially if you have evasion) if you could get an advantage on your Reflex Save from being especially lucky with your hits?
Imagine this other scenario that uses the Players Roll All The Dice variant:
You want to punch some mofo in the face, but to get to him in a single move action you have to make a number of Tumble checks through enemy squares and/or provoke some AoOs. Somersault. Dodge. Roll. Dodge. You get through everything in your way and you're ready to clock that smug bastard. It would suck if you were to get this far and miss on your attack roll. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get an advantage on that attack roll from being especially lucky getting there?
How It Works:
Using an action point to add 1d6 to your 3d6 roll now doesn't count against your limit of 1 action point use per round (you're still limited to one action point per 3d6 roll though).
Whenever you choose to use an action point to add 1d6 to your normal 3d6 roll, you determine the extra die roll as normal. You then have a choice. You can...
Add it to your 3d6 roll as normal (making it 4d6), or
Choose three dice from the four you've rolled and set the last one aside.
If you set a die aside, you are betting that the chosen 3d6 will succeed on their own. With the chosen 3d6, a...
Success results in using the leftover die to create a “combo pool” and you get your action point back.
Failure is just a failure (and you don’t get your action point back).
Every time thereafter when you use an action point to add 1d6 to your normal 3d6 roll and choose option #2, you choose your 3d6 from among the initial 3d6, your action point die, and the dice in your combo pool (the remaining dice are your leftovers). With the chosen 3d6, a...
Success results in the leftovers (which have now grown by one die) becoming your new combo pool and you get your action point back.
Failure results in your combo pool dice being discarded (and you don’t get your action point back).
No matter how long you lengthen your combo, it only lasts for 1 round (ending on the 2nd round at the beginning of the initiative count that created the combo). When the combo ends, all dice in the combo pool are discarded. You can start up a new combo at any time by discarding all dice in your combo pool at the time you pick option #2.
Once your ECL is high enough to have multiple action point dice, you follow the procedure for determining your one action point die as normal before deciding on whether or not you’ll try to create/lengthen your combo.
Expected Results:
Every time you spend an action point to get an extra die, you have to make a risk-vs-reward analysis for whether it's worth risking the loss of your combo pool to add a die to your combo pool. After-all, you can always choose to add the die to your 3d6 (making it 4d6) as given in the normal rules for action points (and not risk losing your combo pool).
Combos allow you to rack up a long string of awesomeness on potentially just 1 action point (each time you add to the combo you're gambling on the chance that you'll get your action point back). People that are likely to make more rolls in a given round (such as full-attackers) will get a much greater benefit out of this system than those that don't (such as casters).
In fact, since you're choosing which dice in your combo pool are used for your 3d6, you can effectively guarantee critical hits by building up a combo and saving high-value dice to then use on the attack roll and critical confirmation roll.
If you're also using the Players Roll All The Dice variant, enemies don't get to build up combos, period, since they aren't rolling 3d6 in the first place on their attack rolls, saving throws, and caster level checks vs player SR. Since the players are now making those rolls from the defensive side, this gives the players more of an "action hero" experience than would be possible without this combo system (and that's always a good thing).
What I Want To Know:
Are my "Expected Results" accurate and complete?
How easily could this combo system translate to other systems such as 4e?
Under what circumstances can this system become broken or overpowered?
Should I increase how many rounds a combo pool lasts?
However, if you happen to be using the Bell Curve Rolls variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/bellCurveRolls.htm) and the Action Points variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/actionPoints.htm), the fact that you can spend an action point to turn your 3d6 into a 4d6 gave me an idea.
Now, personally, I also use the Players Roll All the Dice variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/playersRollAllTheDice.htm), so players are rolling not just to make Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, and Caster Level Checks but also to make AC checks, Magic checks, and SR checks. Thus, in a given round, players have a lot of circumstances where they roll 3d6.
Imagine the following scenario:
You're an 8th level monk. You use a full attack with flurry of blows at 5/+5/+0. Hit. Hit. Hit. You're on fire today. The dragon you hit uses its breath weapon on you at point-blank range. Wouldn't it be nice (especially if you have evasion) if you could get an advantage on your Reflex Save from being especially lucky with your hits?
Imagine this other scenario that uses the Players Roll All The Dice variant:
You want to punch some mofo in the face, but to get to him in a single move action you have to make a number of Tumble checks through enemy squares and/or provoke some AoOs. Somersault. Dodge. Roll. Dodge. You get through everything in your way and you're ready to clock that smug bastard. It would suck if you were to get this far and miss on your attack roll. Wouldn't it be nice if you could get an advantage on that attack roll from being especially lucky getting there?
How It Works:
Using an action point to add 1d6 to your 3d6 roll now doesn't count against your limit of 1 action point use per round (you're still limited to one action point per 3d6 roll though).
Whenever you choose to use an action point to add 1d6 to your normal 3d6 roll, you determine the extra die roll as normal. You then have a choice. You can...
Add it to your 3d6 roll as normal (making it 4d6), or
Choose three dice from the four you've rolled and set the last one aside.
If you set a die aside, you are betting that the chosen 3d6 will succeed on their own. With the chosen 3d6, a...
Success results in using the leftover die to create a “combo pool” and you get your action point back.
Failure is just a failure (and you don’t get your action point back).
Every time thereafter when you use an action point to add 1d6 to your normal 3d6 roll and choose option #2, you choose your 3d6 from among the initial 3d6, your action point die, and the dice in your combo pool (the remaining dice are your leftovers). With the chosen 3d6, a...
Success results in the leftovers (which have now grown by one die) becoming your new combo pool and you get your action point back.
Failure results in your combo pool dice being discarded (and you don’t get your action point back).
No matter how long you lengthen your combo, it only lasts for 1 round (ending on the 2nd round at the beginning of the initiative count that created the combo). When the combo ends, all dice in the combo pool are discarded. You can start up a new combo at any time by discarding all dice in your combo pool at the time you pick option #2.
Once your ECL is high enough to have multiple action point dice, you follow the procedure for determining your one action point die as normal before deciding on whether or not you’ll try to create/lengthen your combo.
Expected Results:
Every time you spend an action point to get an extra die, you have to make a risk-vs-reward analysis for whether it's worth risking the loss of your combo pool to add a die to your combo pool. After-all, you can always choose to add the die to your 3d6 (making it 4d6) as given in the normal rules for action points (and not risk losing your combo pool).
Combos allow you to rack up a long string of awesomeness on potentially just 1 action point (each time you add to the combo you're gambling on the chance that you'll get your action point back). People that are likely to make more rolls in a given round (such as full-attackers) will get a much greater benefit out of this system than those that don't (such as casters).
In fact, since you're choosing which dice in your combo pool are used for your 3d6, you can effectively guarantee critical hits by building up a combo and saving high-value dice to then use on the attack roll and critical confirmation roll.
If you're also using the Players Roll All The Dice variant, enemies don't get to build up combos, period, since they aren't rolling 3d6 in the first place on their attack rolls, saving throws, and caster level checks vs player SR. Since the players are now making those rolls from the defensive side, this gives the players more of an "action hero" experience than would be possible without this combo system (and that's always a good thing).
What I Want To Know:
Are my "Expected Results" accurate and complete?
How easily could this combo system translate to other systems such as 4e?
Under what circumstances can this system become broken or overpowered?
Should I increase how many rounds a combo pool lasts?