The Dresden Files > DFRPG

Do you think they'll do a D20 version of this?

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Slife:

--- Quote from: Set on December 23, 2006, 05:04:21 PM ---Personally I hate how the D20 systems have taken over. I like HOW the systems are set up, just don't like the D20 itself. Much rather have a %s based system. If anyone has played the old RollMaster system, that was the best. Just don't like how the lowest you can go on a D20 is at a 5% incriment.

--- End quote ---
You could always do 2d20 to increase precision...

jtaylor:

--- Quote from: Set on December 23, 2006, 05:04:21 PM ---Personally I hate how the D20 systems have taken over. I like HOW the systems are set up, just don't like the D20 itself. Much rather have a %s based system. If anyone has played the old RollMaster system, that was the best. Just don't like how the lowest you can go on a D20 is at a 5% incriment.

--- End quote ---
Really? I despised the Rollmaster system. When I was gaming all the time the systems I played were all versions of D&D, Gurps, Hero, Palladium, d6 Star Wars, and occasionally Rollmaster/MERP. I really don't want to roll % on 27 different hit and miss tabels every time I attack an opponent. One round of combat took longer than entire battles in other systems.

Set:
I didn't say I preferred the 2 hour long combat chart system. I just like the 1-100% options vs the 1-20 (5% incriments). Much better.

The Last Bean:
Personally my biggest problem with the straight-probability systems (d20) is that they tend to add way too much variability to a person's actions. The bell curve of probablity you'd expect from, say, shots by a trained gunman are negated, and even the best shot will drop his gun every 20 statistical bullets. That's why I've come to favor the dice-pool/success systems, and up/down systems (like FATE or Fung Shui). It takes away that somewhat ridiculous element of regular critical failures in skills that a character is a theoretical master of.

Honestly, I'm not sure why d20 is so popular. It's far more complex and confusing than a lot of other systems, and the sheer volume of computation and chart-consultation required to play really stifles roleplay. It's great for vey crunchy, combat heavy, hack-and-slash, min-maxy gameplay, but I'm just surprised that that's the only real market for role play games.

/rant

To the point, I'm sure that with a skill-based, relatively loose magic system, a d20 version of Dresden could be made. But the strengths of a d20 system do not lie in the direction of flexibility and cinematic drama, so doing so would be counterproductive. You'd end up fighting your chosen system the whole way, rather than having it enhance the important aspects of the game.

Samldanach:
d20 has a few real strengths, apart from hack and slash.

If you keep the supplements, especially the wacky third-party supplements, to a minimum, it is very well-balanced.  Even to the point of, in certain variant rules-sets, allowing for an antagonistic GM (i.e., one who wants to "beat" the players) to take part, without arbitrarily winning (assuming, of course, he follows the rules, and isn't simply a killer GM who gets off on ruining other peoples' fun).

It is extremely extensible and flexible.  You can cover just about any genre, and most settings, with a d20 variant.  And, at this point, most of the genres are covered by at least one d20 product in print, so your work doesn't have to be huge.

The rules, while arguably complicated, are very black and white.  Everything is spelled out as to exactly how it works.  The extensive use of standardized terms throughout the rules (e.g., "sickened," "aberration") helps tremendously.  And, about 75% of the system is just calculating the modifiers to a straightforward d20 roll.

Social interactions and non-combat skill use can be handled with the same level of abstraction and exactitude as combat.  It is possible to build Sherlock Holmes, and have him both accurately reflect the concept, and have that concept have the appropriate mechanical benefits.



As for the bell curve issues, that is a very common and very valid complaint about the system.  The most common workaround I've seen is to use 2d10 or 3d6 instead of d20, which recreates the bell curve.  (Naturally, you have to redefine where critical successes and failures are encountered.)

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