Greyhawk choices: what NOT to use. Pt 1

[captaincrumbcake]

I must preface the following with this: the ideas put forth in this post are my own thoughts on the matter, and will likely be in contrast to others' opinions. That now said, consider this:


1. Strength bonuses/penalties (p.7) I like. Mainly because players are at the mercy of the dice and it is not all that often that STR scores of 13+ are born. So I think of it as the character's fate... what the gods decree, in a way. But should one be so lucky (blessed) I find the bonuses can be wonderfully contributive to some great role playing for fighters; who are normally left with little to work with in this regard.

2. When using the above, do not use variable weapon damage for characters (p.15) or monsters (p.16-19). If a character rolls up an 18/100 STR, the most he will add is 6 to his or her damage rolls; that works out to 7-12. This is in strength about equal to a giant that gets 2d6 for damage (2-12). Sure, the fighter will have a minimum of 7, but how many 18/100s are there in your world? If a character manages to get an 18/100, it should mean something!

Now, why do I not recommend variable damage for characters/monsters?
1. There's no point to it.
2. It takes away the specialness of natural ability (as in STR; see above)and makes it mundane.

How?

Bumping up character damage ends up being countered by the monsters having increased (or more via attacks) damage. So why bother.
When a character can buy a 2 hander, and do small damage like an ogre and large damage like a stone giant, so many elements of the game end up being removed, and replaced by other elements that become detrimental (ubbery.) When 1st level fighting men and thieves wielding 2 handers can dispatch 1+1 to 2hd thingies fairly easily with one swing, it is easy to see the slippery slope beginning.

It might appear as if I am contradicting myself in the above, by recommending allowing one element, and not the other. But the greater context is the key to how it all works with the standard OD&D rules.

More to come.

[waysoftheearth]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Captain, and for offering the discussion

For me:

1. I don't favor any of the additional ability score adjustments (beyond +1 on a d20 for 13+, and +1 on a d6 for 15+ specified in the 3LBBs). The reasons: it represents (to me) a paradigm shift from ability scores which are primarily descriptive, to ability scores which are primarily mechanical. I find the absense of mechanical adjustments in OD&D gives players a freedom that goes when those adjustments are applied. It's the beginning of the desire/need/imperitive that players always have above average scores, that low scores are "unplayable", and the beginning of the "character build" sub-game, none of which appeal much to me.

FWIW, A result of 13+ is 25.9% likely to occur on any throw of 3d6. 1d6+6 yields the same mean result as 3d6-1 (being 9.5).

There was also table for percentile dexterity scores printed in one of the early zines (can't recall where off the top of my head). Does anyone here use percentile dexterity? Should we add percentile intelligence? Charisma? Etc.? Or if not, why not? Fun stuff


Edit: Percentile dexterity scores, by David Klempa, appear in SR #2.2 (April 1976).