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Hi folks. I thought this might be a good time to step back and take a look at what other companies have done with modifying the SRD. I know Green Ronin created True20 as a slimmed down version of d20. What did they see as "needing fixing" and how did they do it? I guess I'd be interested in hearing as specifically as possible how they tweaked the rules and how well it plays, and maybe later if there are any of these ideas that Pathfinder should consider incorporating. Thanks!
Ability scores have been done away with in favour of ability modifiers a la Ars Magica, Silhouette and other game systems
3 classes: Warrior (combat), Adept (magic), Expert (skills). Most class abilities have been rolled into feat trees: each class gets a feat every level and some feats are restricted to one of the three classes.
Each class has a core ability (like the core class abilities in Spycraft) that can only be picked up if you take your first character level in that class i.e. you don't get it if you multiclass into the class.
Characters start with a set number of skills at 4 ranks each and then get to assign ranks as desired each level thereafter.
The magic system is a skills and feats system derived from the Force powers in the first two versions of Star Wars d20.
No hit points. Characters have wound levels and a Toughness save is made against damage to avoid dropping wound levels. Minions have no wound levels and are unconcious if they fail to save.
Reduced and consolidated skill list as with most recent d20 games.
Jim.
Well, that sounds like the cross-overed the D20 system with the Storyteller system of White Wolf.
Another big OGL game is Coman which I've had two game sessions with, last few months. Its very good and very much like 3.X except they magic system (due to the settting) and the additon of a Dodge and Perry defenses. The latter part has started me thinking along the lines of putting them into 3.P. As an old time Palladium player one thing I never liked about 3rd was that there was no dodge or perry roll.
I think what I like the most about True20 is the total character customization you can do (I really hate the fixed abilities of DnD Class).
For exemple, in True20 I don't need to increase my rogue sneak attack ability at every 2 level... If I want I could choose Evasion and Improved Evasion at first and second level and then improve my sneak attack for 5 levels in a row if I want.. The abilities and powers of every character are buy like the Pathfinder Rogue Talent.. And this his what I expected from the Pathfinder rules, but instead most class have now more rigid class abilities at specific level then ever..
I was expecting something more like Monte Cook Book of Experimental Might...
It could have been pretty easy to give the possibility to customize your character and still respecting backward compatibility... A player choosing the same abilities and at the same level than the core class would obtain the same character... and NPC from 3.5 published adventures could be build exactly as they are with the new rules. But players, for exemple, could also have the option to create a monk who don't have still mind at lev 3 and purity of body at lev 5 and replace it with improved evasion or a bonus feat (or any other abilities available at his level). In Pathfinder, It's not possible to build a lvl 9 rogue without +5d6 sneak attack... But I would like to have the possibility to replace one or two dices of those damage for one of the rogue talents for exemple...
The other improvement of True20 his the playability at higher level... Another threat in this forum is currently talking about the sweet spot and the lack of enjoyement of playing at high level (15+ but I would personnaly put 12+)... The absence of iterative attacks, the lack of hit point, the magical (powers) system and the fact that you don't need magical items to be effective make True 20 Higher level combat almost as quick as those of lower level...
I really don't know what Pathfinder can do to increase the higher level playability but nothing in the rules so far show any indication that they want to do something about it (and since the Paizo staffs will be submerge by backward compatibility complaint, I don't think that they will be able to do anything about it).
Those are the main unresolve issue that explain why I don't want to play 3.5 or Pathfinder RPG anymore...