D20 D&D

[Deleted]

Since the subject of die systems has been brought up recently, why not use a D20 as the sole die for OD&D?

Hit points = D20 + 3 for fighter, D20 for everybody else
Ability Scores = 3D20, arrange proportionately
Attack Roll = D20
Damage = D20
Gold = 3D20, with proportional increases in the prices.

It would take a bit of work to effect similar results as from a D6, but you could eliminate all but one die! Your D20 system today!

[Finarvyn]

Just curious -- would a d20 be the damage dice as well?

The problem that I see with using a d20 for hit dice and damage dice is that there is so much variation between the top and bottom. If one person gets 1 for HP and another 20, that's a big difference. For a d6 the same effect occurs, but it's a lot smaller!

[coffee]

For what it's worth, Lejendary Adventures uses a d20 for most damage rolls (possibly with a minimum, possibly with an addition).

But those characters start out with more hit points than 1d20, also.

[busman]

Why do people want to eliminate different types of dice? I don't understand this desire, honestly.

2d12 2d6 creates a (small) bell-curve, d20 creates no curve. I can't see the attraction to eliminating the 2d6 rolls; or any of the other non-flat rolls for that matter.

EDIT: Seeing my post quoted, I meant 2d6, not 2d12. Edited for clarity.

[Finarvyn]

I think that the allure is the notion that in the "good old days" there were mostly d6 dice, so making a single dice type gives a certain feel to the game. (At least, that's true for me.)

The advantage of percentile dice (d100) would be that there are smaller number increments. (You could add a 3% bonus, for example, rather than with a d20 which would be 5%.) I assume that the original poster's concept was somewhere along these lines.

Personally, I like some numbers to be near the average (bell curve) while others can be more linear. I like to have bell curve hit points and damage to eliminate most of the extremes, but I can see where a single die (linear) would work as well. It would just have a different feel to it.

I had a friend in high school decades ago who used a d20 in place of 3d6 to generate attributes. He reasoned that the number range was similar (1-20 vs 3-18) and felt that it fit his style better. I had suggested 2d10 instead to get that bell shape, but he was adamant about using a single d20. His game worked just fine, even though I wasn't happy with the way the numbers came out.

[Wothbora]

busman said:

Why do people want to eliminate different types of dice? I don't understand this desire, honestly.

2d12 creates a (small) bell-curve, d20 creates no curve. I can't see the attraction to eliminating the 2d6 rolls; or any of the other non-flat rolls for that matter.

I've moved to 2d6 for everything... Why? Because it does just about everything I need them to do.

Need a Percentage?

Number Rolled	2d6	Percentage Wanted	Actual Percentage
11	2d6	5%	5.5%
9	2d6	10%	11%
6	2d6	15%	13.8%
7, 12	2d6	20%	19%
7, 4	2d6	25%	25%
7, 8	2d6	30%	30%
6, 5	2d6	35%	33%
5, 6, 8	2d6	40%	38%
6, 7, 8	2d6	45%	44%
4, 5, 6	2d6	50%	50%
5, 6, 7, 8	2d6	55%	55%
3, 5, 6, 7, 8	2d6	60%	61%
5, 6, 7, 8, 9	2d6	65%	66%
11, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	2d6	70%	72%
All except 2, 3, 4, 10	2d6	75%	74%
All except 2, 4, 10	2d6	80%	80%
All except 3, 11, 12	2d6	85%	85%
All except 10	2d6	90%	91%
All except 11	2d6	95%	94%
All	2d6	100%	100%

Need to Calculate a Fraction?

Number Rolled	2d6	Fraction Wanted	Actual Fraction
11	2d6	1/20	1/18
11	2d6	1/19	1/18
3	2d6	1/18	1/18
11	2d6	1/17	1/18
11	2d6	1/16	1/18
11	2d6	1/15	1/18
10	2d6	1/14	1/12
10	2d6	1/13	1/12
10	2d6	1/12	1/12
10	2d6	1/11	1/12
9	2d6	1/10	1/9
9	2d6	1/9	1/9
9	2d6	1/8	1/8
6	2d6	1/7	1/7.2
7	2d6	1/6	1/6
7, 12	2d6	1/5	1/5.1
4, 7	2d6	1/4	1/4
5, 6	2d6	1/3	1/3
4, 5, 6	2d6	1/2	1/2
All	2d6	1/1	1/1

Need Probabilities?

Number Rolled	Chance to Roll Result Exactly	Chance to Roll Result or Less	Chance to Roll Result or More
2	2.78%	2.78%	100.00%
3	5.56%	8.33%	97.22%
4	8.33%	16.67%	91.67%
5	11.11%	27.78%	83.33%
6	13.89%	41.67%	72.22%
7	16.67%	58.33%	58.33%
8	13.89%	72.22%	41.67%
9	11.11%	83.33%	27.78%
10	8.33%	91.67%	16.67%
11	5.56%	97.22%	8.33%
12	2.78%	100.00%	2.78%

I've migrated because I think that Six-Sided Dice are amazing and I kind of like the idea of using something I can yank from another game or buy at a Gas Station in a real fix... These three little charts will accomplish just about everything I need them to do...

Plus, 6-Sided Die been used for thousands of years... Now that's what I call Old School!!!

[busman]

wothbora said:

busman said:

Why do people want to eliminate different types of dice? I don't understand this desire, honestly.

2d12 creates a (small) bell-curve, d20 creates no curve. I can't see the attraction to eliminating the 2d6 rolls; or any of the other non-flat rolls for that matter.

I've moved to 2d6 for everything... Why? Because it does just about everything I need them to do.

Need a Percentage?

Number Rolled	2d6	Percentage Wanted	Actual Percentage
11	2d6	5%	5.5%
9	2d6	10%	11%
6	2d6	15%	13.8%
7, 12	2d6	20%	19%
7, 4	2d6	25%	25%
7, 8	2d6	30%	30%
6, 5	2d6	35%	33%
5, 6, 8	2d6	40%	38%
6, 7, 8	2d6	45%	44%
4, 5, 6	2d6	50%	50%
5, 6, 7, 8	2d6	55%	55%
3, 5, 6, 7, 8	2d6	60%	61%
5, 6, 7, 8, 9	2d6	65%	66%
11, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	2d6	70%	72%
All except 2, 3, 4, 10	2d6	75%	74%
All except 2, 4, 10	2d6	80%	80%
All except 3, 11, 12	2d6	85%	85%
All except 10	2d6	90%	91%
All except 11	2d6	95%	94%
All	2d6	100%	100%

Need to Calculate a Fraction?

Number Rolled	2d6	Fraction Wanted	Actual Fraction
11	2d6	1/20	1/18
11	2d6	1/19	1/18
3	2d6	1/18	1/18
11	2d6	1/17	1/18
11	2d6	1/16	1/18
11	2d6	1/15	1/18
10	2d6	1/14	1/12
10	2d6	1/13	1/12
10	2d6	1/12	1/12
10	2d6	1/11	1/12
9	2d6	1/10	1/9
9	2d6	1/9	1/9
9	2d6	1/8	1/8
6	2d6	1/7	1/7.2
7	2d6	1/6	1/6
7, 12	2d6	1/5	1/5.1
4, 7	2d6	1/4	1/4
5, 6	2d6	1/3	1/3
4, 5, 6	2d6	1/2	1/2
All	2d6	1/1	1/1

Need Probabilities?

Number Rolled	Chance to Roll Result Exactly	Chance to Roll Result or Less	Chance to Roll Result or More
2	2.78%	2.78%	100.00%
3	5.56%	8.33%	97.22%
4	8.33%	16.67%	91.67%
5	11.11%	27.78%	83.33%
6	13.89%	41.67%	72.22%
7	16.67%	58.33%	58.33%
8	13.89%	72.22%	41.67%
9	11.11%	83.33%	27.78%
10	8.33%	91.67%	16.67%
11	5.56%	97.22%	8.33%
12	2.78%	100.00%	2.78%

I've migrated because I think that Six-Sided Dice are amazing and I kind of like the idea of using something I can yank from another game or buy at a Gas Station in a real fix... These three little charts will accomplish just about everything I need them to do...

Plus, 6-Sided Die been used for thousands of years... Now that's what I call Old School!!!

I agree. I enjoy the 2d6 rolls as well, but I enjoy using different dice for different actions. It helps to engage me into the game more.

d20s for typical to hits and other "skill" checks.
d12s for large weapon/monster damages.
d8s for hit points.
d6 for normal weapon/monster damages.
d4s for magical elements.

A long time ago, I had been working on unifying this feel across my AD&D game, I'll have to dig that up, if I still have it, and see if I can't move it back to OD&D without loosing the old school feeling.

[lordtwang]

Apr 2, 2008 6:06:24 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

Just curious -- would a d20 be the damage dice as well?

The problem that I see with using a d20 for hit dice and damage dice is that there is so much variation between the top and bottom. If one person gets 1 for HP and another 20, that's a big difference. For a d6 the same effect occurs, but it's a lot smaller!

You could roll the d20 and read only the one's digit, essentially making it a d10. That would bring the number range down. Not sure what you'd gain through any of that, though.

[lordtwang]

Apr 1, 2008 23:02:52 GMT -6 @greathierophant said:

Since the subject of die systems has been brought up recently, why not use a D20 as the sole die for OD&D?

Hit points = D20 + 3 for fighter, D20 for everybody else
Ability Scores = 3D20, arrange proportionately
Attack Roll = D20
Damage = D20
Gold = 3D20, with proportional increases in the prices.

It would take a bit of work to effect similar results as from a D6, but you could eliminate all but one die! Your D20 system today!

Sure, you could pull it off by rolling a d20 and consulting a chart. You could generate all kinds of interesting, customized results that way. For instance ....

Magic-User Hitpoints

d20 Points
1-3 ... 1
4-8 ... 2
9-14 ... 3
15-18 ... 4
19 ... 5
20 ... 6

But when you were finished, how much would it be OD&D?

[geoffrey]

Apr 2, 2008 12:04:43 GMT -6 busman said:

Why do people want to eliminate different types of dice? I don't understand this desire, honestly.

I strongly LIKE the various polyhedral dice. They add some magic to the game. A D&D game with only one sort of die (especially 6-sided) would become a bit less fantastic for me.