I started thinking today about when I next run a Dark Silver game, how I'm gonna use Crypts & Things. As much as C&T is great, I decided there will be at least a few house rules I'd implement, some to fit the setting, some just to fit me as a GM.
Percentile ability rolls like in BRP will be my main "skill" resolution system, rather than Saving Throws as in basic C&T. I'll keep the Saving Throws, but they will be for when the character is passive/reactive in the situation - resisting poison, dodging falling boulders, ect. - while the percentile rolls will be for when they're actively trying to do something. So I'll be like "Give me a CONx3 roll" or whatever. If something comes under a class skill like the Barbarian's Tracking or the Thief's Legerdemain I'll bump it up a multiplier, so a DEXx4 would become DEXx5. Autosuccess if it would be above x5, no point rolling without a significant chance of failure.
At even-numbered levels characters can choose to get less HP (maybe 1d4+CON mod instead of the normal amount, or does that seem like not enough difference?) in exchange for +1 AC to represent improving defensive skills. Probably up to a max of +4.
Simple fatigue system: Make a Saving Throw. If you fail either take 1d4 damage (it says in the C&T rules that HP represents exhaustion as much as anything else) or a -1 to all attack rolls, Saving Throws and any multipliers on percentile rolls until you rest.
Generic weapon stats: a Small axe is the same as a Small dagger, a Large spear is the same as a Large sword. Smaller weapons do less base damage but get higher sneak attack/crit damage and can be thrown further. Light bows do less damage than Heavy bows but have longer range. Same for armour: Light/Medium/Heavy rather than Leather/Chain/Plate.
Don't track HP for mob enemies. Instead, 6+ damage in one hit kills them, 5 or less wounds them. Wounded mob enemies die from one hit, even if it only does 1 point of damage.
Will probably use D20 Warheart's deadly hits mechanics for taking damage past 0HP. It is very grimdark, very brutal, with results on the table ranging from "Wrist dislocated, 1d4 temporary Dexterity damage. Hand is incapacitated until medical attention is received. Conscious but disabled." to "Head flies off in random direction, landing 2d6 feet away."
Magicians do normal damage with all weapons. Don't need a spellbook, instead they must bargain with demons/elementals to "learn" their spells - actually demons/elementals loaning them their powers in exchange for propitiation or sacrifices or whatever. Rather than studying their spellbook to prepare spells they must do shamanic dancing/chanting routine in a crazy headdress and facepaint (or something) to re-establish the bond with their supernatural patrons.
EDIT: To refer back to my previous thread (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,209599.0.html) about magic in Dark Silver, you could say that spells are Invocations, and that "learning" them is done via Rituals which bind the relevant demon or elemental into granting your Invocations at a later date.
Quote from: KindlingAt even-numbered levels characters can choose to get less HP (maybe 1d4+CON mod instead of the normal amount, or does that seem like not enough difference?) in exchange for +1 AC to represent improving defensive skills. Probably up to a max of +4.
Generally speaking, for this to be balanced, the HP bonus you're giving up should be equal to (0.05 * average rounds * average monster damage). This also means that as monster damage rises, the bonus becomes "worth" more.
So, for example, if your fights last about 4 rounds, and monsters inflict about 10 damage per hit, a +1 AC bonus and a 2 HP bonus help you about the same amount. However, if monsters inflict 20 damage, a +1 AC bonus is now worth 4 HP, because it's preventing more damage.
This means it really becomes a no-brainer choice as characters rise in ability.
Thanks Sparkle. So should that be average monster damage for ALL monsters or just ones of a certain HD bracket? Should the amount of HP characters normally get per level make any difference?
It's whatever the average monster damage is at the point in time that the person is considering the upgrade.
When I talk about the "HP bonus," I mean, the amount of HP that you get for choosing to get more HP rather than choosing the AC bonus. So the amount that characters normally get matters, in the sense that I'm looking at the difference between that value and the value you'd get if you took the AC bonus instead.
I should also clarify that my very simple math assumes a character gets attacked, on average, about once per round. This may be higher for fighters and lower for spellcasters-- you can also incorporate a multiplier for the average number of times you get attacked per round to take this into account.
Cool. So, I've done some (probably wrong) maths and come up with about 1.56 HP to the AC conversion rate.
In C&T Magicians get 1d6 HP per level, Barbarians and Thieves get 1d6+1 and Fighters get 1d6+2. So I'm thinking if I go for 1d3+class mod instead of 1d6+class mod when buying AC bonusses, that's like an average of 2 rather than 3.5 - a reduction of 1.5 HP on average. Sound good?
Well, I don't know much about the details of the system you're using, but that's a pretty low HP reduction. Of course, based on those hit dice, the system seems to use low HP in general, so, that might not really be a problem.