PDA

View Full Version : Rough draft for making combat more interesting



Baby Seal
2018-07-12, 10:22 AM
I find that attack rolls can be boring in combat. You either hit and deal damage or you don't. It feels like there should be more to this exchange, and there clearly is, because you add your strength or dexterity to your attack, representing the weight or precision of your stroke, while you also add a dexterity modifier to your AC, representing your attempt dodge or defend yourself.

One thing that makes spell casting interesting in combat is saving throws. You can't generally dodge the spell if the caster rolls and hits. But you can resist it's effects.

Also rolling dice against each other is fun.

Here at some ideas I have.

1. Defense roll - the attacked character rolls a defense roll which is essentially an attack roll: D20+(dex allowed by armor - representing attempting to dodge)+(proficiency - representing attempt to deflect). If the attacked rolls higher, the attack misses, if the attacker rolls higher, the attack hits.

2. Armor - if the attack hits, the attacker rolls damage. Damage dealt to the attacked is equal to (attack roll) + (damage) - (defense roll) - (AC not including dex) - attacked characters str - representing a block with a shield or with a weapon).

For spells subtract the modifier for the attribute of the save and the defense roll instead.

3. Clash - if the attack misses, the attacker makes a dex saving throw with dc= defroll-atkroll. If they fail, the are thrown off balance by the defenders parry and have disadvantage on their next roll.

If the attack hits, the attacked makes a con saving throw with dc=atkroll-defroll. If they fail they are shaken by the blow and have disadvantage on their next roll.

This idea is still rough and I plan to test it in the next week or so.

Composer99
2018-07-13, 07:44 PM
I find that attack rolls can be boring in combat. You either hit and deal damage or you don't. It feels like there should be more to this exchange, and there clearly is, because you add your strength or dexterity to your attack, representing the weight or precision of your stroke, while you also add a dexterity modifier to your AC, representing your attempt dodge or defend yourself.

One thing that makes spell casting interesting in combat is saving throws. You can't generally dodge the spell if the caster rolls and hits. But you can resist it's effects.

Also rolling dice against each other is fun.

Here at some ideas I have.

1. Defense roll - the attacked character rolls a defense roll which is essentially an attack roll: D20+(dex allowed by armor - representing attempting to dodge)+(proficiency - representing attempt to deflect). If the attacked rolls higher, the attack misses, if the attacker rolls higher, the attack hits.

2. Armor - if the attack hits, the attacker rolls damage. Damage dealt to the attacked is equal to (attack roll) + (damage) - (defense roll) - (AC not including dex) - attacked characters str - representing a block with a shield or with a weapon).

For spells subtract the modifier for the attribute of the save and the defense roll instead.

3. Clash - if the attack misses, the attacker makes a dex saving throw with dc= defroll-atkroll. If they fail, the are thrown off balance by the defenders parry and have disadvantage on their next roll.

If the attack hits, the attacked makes a con saving throw with dc=atkroll-defroll. If they fail they are shaken by the blow and have disadvantage on their next roll.

This idea is still rough and I plan to test it in the next week or so.

IMO, having every attack be a contest leads to too much dice-rolling, and all you gain by adding the difference between the contested d20 rolls to the damage is needless number crunching.

Having written that, if your table enjoys it during testing, great! Go nuts if you want.