Comments for The Walk Between Worlds

Comment on HD&D: An Alternative Magic System? by iourn

iourn — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:57:58 +0000

Hi Steve. The roll to cast a spell is a skill check, but it is not an attack roll. That means that a natural 1 is not an automatic failure. Of course, you’d still have to be a pretty high level to be able to cast spells with no chance of error. On average, you’d have to be 15th level before rolling a 1 on a d20 would still be enough to succeed in casting a first level spell.

Should high level wizards and the like be immune to these sort of mishaps in casting magic? A high level fighter still has a 1 in 20 chance of failing to hit the broad side of a barn. So there’s precedent already in the system.

However, I do take your point. Rolling to cast magic (all magic) greatly alters the character of the magic system. It is a potential misstep. The magic system won’t feel the same any more, and that was something I was hoping to avoid.

It’s also a pretty poor way of regulating unwelcome (or “utility”) spells outside combat. Even if a healing spell recharges every five minutes, that still limits the casting of that spell to just 180 times per day (assuming an hour off for lunch). Under the skill system, if we assume that every other casting is a success, then the same spell could be cast 4500 times per day.

So, yes. I still prefer the Recharge idea. But many others didn’t, so I’m just throwing this out there.

Comment on HD&D: An Alternative Magic System? by Big Poppa Steve

Big Poppa Steve — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:25:45 +0000

Hmmmm. I don’t think I am keen on this one. Outside combat environments utility spells will be used excessively without another factor to limit their use. Personally, I don’t object to recharge magic as said utility spells might only recharge every few hours outside of a combat environment.

If you do adopt this system then one dice roll for both DCs is the way forward otherwise it drastically reduces the chance of hitting anything.

Furthermore it would lead to some very silly scenes e.g. Narramac appears before the assembled on the top of mount Korvast and casts a spell to turn Garnir on his head and freeze time. He then rolls a 1 and says “sorry guys, hang on a minute I can get this” while he recasts. Plus one in twenty times the firewalker would look a dope as he failed to light his cigar.

Comment on HD&D: Actions in Combat by Big Poppa Steve

Big Poppa Steve — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:33:26 +0000

WFRP definitely had some good features. I quite liked the fact that the difference between starting charcacters and high level ones wasn’t anywhere near as extreme a D&D. The wounds and injury locations were a lot of fun though. If you ever got two guys without a big strength fighting with staffs the combat became an absolute epic with every wound and injury crucial. The careers were a bit silly though. Your character sheet would say you were a jailor but actually you didn’t jail anybody and went adventuring instead. The races were hideously unbalanced too. Still it had its good points – I might dig it up and bring it along to the next retreat.

Comment on HD&D: Well that won’t work, will it? by iourn

iourn — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:49:12 +0000

I tend to agree with you, Malcolm. I think the less forgiving system should be the baseline. From there it’s easy to recognise what the result could have been if you had a slightly higher skill. A sort of “here’s what you would have won” moment.

I find it slightly unsettling that we’re talking about playtesting, when the system is still less than half finished!

Comment on HD&D: Well that won’t work, will it? by Mal

Mal — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:44 +0000

I’d be willing to run through both skill tests in a session but we’d need one authoratative winner. If one system represents a success and the other a fail then we can’t have a series of parralel worlds opening up as we track every eventuality.
If the DM keeps track of the differences and how significant they would be it would be useful but one system or the other would need to be the base line. It would be lovely to take whichever system gives the better result at the time but highly impractical.

Comment on HD&D: Well that won’t work, will it? by iourn

iourn — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:52:15 +0000

Hi Jon. Yes, we could run both systems simulataneously. We could just use my original idea and take into account of the fact that under the newer system, all skill checks in trained skills would probably be +2 points higher.

That might be a shorthand way to get around it without two separate lists of skills.

Comment on HD&D: Well that won’t work, will it? by Jon

Jon — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:19:40 +0000

Neil,

It may slow down the INITIAL playtesting – but run your first couple of test adventures using boths set of skill checks (everyone makes one dice role which has 2 results). You’ll soon see if one plays better than the other.

Comment on HD&D: Movement in Combat by iourn

iourn — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:36:39 +0000

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t think I’ve really heard “hustle” used in conversation at all. But maybe you listen to more American sports commentators than I do?

Comment on HD&D: General Feats by iourn

iourn — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:29:56 +0000

Yes, I think the temptation is still there. If a character with an Intelligence of 13+ wanted to get hold of the Spellcraft skill there’s no reason why they’d pick Skill Training over Arcane Initiate. I *think* I’m okay with this. There are many skills, and the multiclass feats only give direct access to a select few. And I think you’re right – the prerequisite of 13+ many put them out of reach of lower level characters.

Of course having a multiclass feat doesn’t mean much unless you choose other feats and talents from the new class. As always… we’ll see.

And I thought you would see the appeal of Tavern Brawler…

Comment on HD&D: General Feats by Big Poppa Steve

Big Poppa Steve — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:21:29 +0000

Tavern Brawler is great. After a first read I didn’t see any problems with the pre-requisites and think it is a solid list as a starting point.

I still think there will be a temptation to multiclass instead of taking extra skill training. Perhaps though, a point buy system for player attributes will lead to characters having less attributes that are 13+.