Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Feb 11, 2004 10:51:08	There seems to be a rash of threads all over the boards whereby players and DMs are offering rules to make combat more realistic; there are two threads on this board alone (.here and here ). Most of them are well thought out variants to the rules set provided with the core rule books. However, there is an exception I take to them and, that is, the variants become so involved that they almost represent a rules system of their own. That then, is the root of this article; if the rules set provided with D&D or D20 are not to ones liking there are other choices besides the D20 system. This article is not a review of other gaming systems. Let’s face it, any D20 system is going to be relatively the same when it comes to combat and we all accept that it isn’t brutally realist. We understand that Hit Points represent experience and luck more so than a direct representative of ones life force; we understand that Armor Class is a relatively simple concept. This is to say, combat in D&D is meant to be relatively simple. One might wonder why this is, and many, myself included, do believe this is because the game designers are still leaving the imagination part up to the DM and players while leaving the rules mechanics light and easy to use; so that one combat does not take all night. It leaves figuring out why an 18 doesn’t hit but why a 19 does hit for 10+ points of damage up to the DM and players. Coming up with our own descriptive details using the combatants involved and the background to devise our own reason why it worked that way is something that many DMs and players alike enjoy in using the D&D/D20 combat system. For some however, it simply isn’t believable, every point of attack bonus must represent something, every point of damage dealt stems from a given finite of possibilities and every point of AC is meticulously accounted for because of some absolute reason. These players seek realism and they seek it at the expense of completely altering the rule system that they purchased. Well, I’m here to herald an old concept that many people have found of their own accord. This is that D20 and D&D isn’t the only gaming system on the market. There are plenty more that offer combat systems far more realistic than the one presented in the D20 rules set. The extent, which anyone may explore at his or her leisure, is quite impressive. It is one of the things I have enjoyed myself, exploring and playing various gaming systems. When I see someone accounting for damage absorbed by armor, I know I can find such a game system on my gaming shelf. When I see someone looking for a magic system that doesn’t involve memorizing spells, I also know there are game systems on my shelf that have already accounted for this. When someone is talking about the lack of in-depth skills, I can again refer to my gaming shelf for very in-depth skill based gaming systems. This isn’t an article to say spend as much money as you can to get every gaming system out there. This article is to say that most gaming stores do have their own shelves of games, much like the one in my home, whereby any customer may browse the games to find a system they like. This isn’t meant to be sarcastic, but rather to say the books are left open on the shelf for the purpose of being browsed. Much like there are small video game stands for the major console game systems at any store that sells a considerable amount of video games; this is to allow potential customers to play with the game a little to see if they might like it. Likewise, gaming conventions have two very big venues that most people like: the floorshow and the events. Gaming companies will sponsor events that use their game systems. This is like browsing at a normal store, except potential customers can take 2-6 hours or more in one event to get a better feel of a gaming system and then, afterwards, walk over to the floor show and locate the company stall that makes the game system. Now, one of the biggest drawbacks that people have against using another game system is the claim that they cannot find anyone else to play the game system that they like. However, if the group is already willing to try a semi-radical change to a core rule set as provided, it isn’t too much to fathom that just such a group is also willing to try a completely different system as well. In the same vein, if the group isn’t willing to try a different system, it also stands to reason that they enjoy the rules as provided with the core rule books. Also, as with game events at conventions, people can and do go to gaming stores to host games using the systems they like; while it serves as a ‘demo’ for some, many also use it to increase interest in the game system they like which, in turn, leads to a large player base to choose from when playing the game. Another drawback people have to trying other systems is the lack of support they receive from the companies that make them. This isn’t really a problem of the company; it is a problem that stems from them not having a large enough customer base to financially support making too many spurious gaming supplements. The only problem I see with the argument that there isn’t enough support material is that the time one spends developing ones own combat system within a given rules set is about the time equivalent to laying down some of their own flavor material for a rules set as given as well. Also, even if D20 is well supported, changing the rules set also means all the support material given needs to be adjusted to ones own variant of the rules set; again this is time that could be spent working on ones own campaign in a rules set as provided within a gaming system already. I would never say that one cannot change rules in a game to suit the enjoyment of the all the players at their table playing; this is much like the free-parking variant in Monopoly, whereby a sum of money is received when landing on free-parking. That is to say, if everyone is having fun with the rules change, then by all means use it. But before one considers radically altering a given rules set they might want to see what else is available on the market. I myself have found some pretty surprising systems that our available which do provide a very gritty, realistic system of combat that is far simpler to use than adding more rules to the D&D/D20 system. Instead of further bogging down combat, which can become bogged down in many systems, head out to the nearest game retail store and browse the shelves to find the right gaming system for you.
#2 gilean_dup Jul 13, 2005 11:20:06	And don't forget the possibility of building a system yourself. It is not as hard as it sounds, and one should scavenge many existing ones for ideas.