johnbragg
2019-07-19, 10:59 AM
Single-roll save-or-die or save-or-suck is bad game design. So say we all. Whether it's knocking a PC out of the fight with a single blown save, or bringing down the Big Bad the same way.
3rd edition had ladders of conditions, especially for fear effects (shaken / frightened / panicked, with cowering on the side). 5e has 6 levels of Exhaustion, counting death.
Escalating effects on the same theme are very dramatic. They also provide players decision points as the tension escalates.
So I want to generalize a system of escalating conditions, from 1 (no effect) to 6 (encounter-ending condition). Each character puts a D6, 1-side-up, on the table as their "Condition D6." (Fear d6, exhaustion d6, insanity d6, sleep d6--the idea is to have a mechanic that applies to a variety of condition ladders)
Each round, characters roll against the source of the condition. On a failure, increase the die and the condition gets more severe.
For example, using the 3rd edition fear conditions:
1. No effect.
2. Shaken
3. Shaken
4. Frightened
5. Frightened
6. Panicked
Or you could use "cowering" at 3 & 5.
5E has fewer conditions, but we can invent some without much difficulty
1. No effect
2. Cannot approach the source of the fear effect.
3. On any roll with Advantage, save vs the fear effect or lose that Advantage. (Multiple sources of Advantage count separately)
4. Frightened condition--Cannot approach the source, Disadvantage on attack rolls & ability checks
5. Character must use their full movement to get away from the fear source.
6. Character must use the Dash action to move as far away from the fear source as possible
Increase the difficulty: Roll twice per round, move up zero, one or two conditions per round.
Decrease the difficulty: Roll twice. 2 failures, move down one. 2 successes, move up one. 1-and-1, status quo.
3rd edition had ladders of conditions, especially for fear effects (shaken / frightened / panicked, with cowering on the side). 5e has 6 levels of Exhaustion, counting death.
Escalating effects on the same theme are very dramatic. They also provide players decision points as the tension escalates.
So I want to generalize a system of escalating conditions, from 1 (no effect) to 6 (encounter-ending condition). Each character puts a D6, 1-side-up, on the table as their "Condition D6." (Fear d6, exhaustion d6, insanity d6, sleep d6--the idea is to have a mechanic that applies to a variety of condition ladders)
Each round, characters roll against the source of the condition. On a failure, increase the die and the condition gets more severe.
For example, using the 3rd edition fear conditions:
1. No effect.
2. Shaken
3. Shaken
4. Frightened
5. Frightened
6. Panicked
Or you could use "cowering" at 3 & 5.
5E has fewer conditions, but we can invent some without much difficulty
1. No effect
2. Cannot approach the source of the fear effect.
3. On any roll with Advantage, save vs the fear effect or lose that Advantage. (Multiple sources of Advantage count separately)
4. Frightened condition--Cannot approach the source, Disadvantage on attack rolls & ability checks
5. Character must use their full movement to get away from the fear source.
6. Character must use the Dash action to move as far away from the fear source as possible
Increase the difficulty: Roll twice per round, move up zero, one or two conditions per round.
Decrease the difficulty: Roll twice. 2 failures, move down one. 2 successes, move up one. 1-and-1, status quo.