Is it still D20 if you're using 3d6?

[joela]

One of the most interesting variants offered in WotC's Unearthed Arcana is replacing the d20 with 3d6 (found here). If one does so, however, is one still playing in the "d20" system?

[CourtFool]

Sacred cows!

I use to prefer the comfort of the bell curve. There is something to be said of the randomness of a d20. Although I like Hero Points/Conviction/Action Points/Whatever to stave off those situations when you finally get a chance to make a skill roll for the one thing you are good at and you blow it.

[JSL]

joela wrote:

One of the most interesting variants offered in WotC's Unearthed Arcana is replacing the d20 with 3d6 (found here). If one does so, however, is one still playing in the "d20" system?

This would probably be okay at low levels where most bonuses (skill, attack, save, etc.) are in a tight range like +3 to +6. However, as the link states, bonuses *will* be much much much more important that the die roll in determining outcomes. Anything to pump that bonus is really going to make a big difference.

As soon as characters bonuses spread out due to trained vs. untrained skills, good vs. bad saves, etc. You will find the game to be significantly more deterministic than with a d20. Although the article says this favors the PCs due to monsters generally being inferior, I'm inclined to disagree. Over the course of a campaign, the PCs will need to make many more important life-or-death rolls than monsters (who only live for one encounter). I'm betting that PCs start failing those important rolls where you need 13+ or 14+ on the die (dice) to avoid a death effect earlier in the campaign than they would with a d20.

I would be more inclined to try this under 4e rules than 3e rules because 4e tends to keep the bonus spread tighter than 3e.

[LazarX]

joela wrote:

One of the most interesting variants offered in WotC's Unearthed Arcana is replacing the d20 with 3d6 (found here). If one does so, however, is one still playing in the "d20" system?

The real question is if you and your players like what you're doing... does it really matter?

[Dale McCoy Jr]

I like 3d6. ALOT! Doing average with a d20 is just as common as critting and rolling a nat 1. That strikes me as wrong. VERY WRONG! I never liked that about the d20 system. 3d6, you're going to hit 9-12 far more often then you are going to hit 13-18 or hit 3-8. And doing average most of the time strikes me as right. Very Right.

YMMV!

[Lilith]

If for some reason you don't have your bag of dice on you, 3d6 are a lot easier to find if you don't have a game store handy. :)

[Sacred Cow]

CourtFool wrote:

Sacred cows!

Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo

Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo

[Duncan & Dragons]

Please move this to Other RPG Systems thread. Just kidding!

Although it may have merit, is it worth changing all the associated rules? (20 always hits, Threat range 18-20?, AC need to be lowered by 2 (3?), etc.) Just roll two d20's and average them if you want to heighten the curve.

EDIT: I guess this would create a bell curve. Moving from averaging two d20s to averaging three d20s would heighten the curve.

[CourtFool]

Sacred Cow wrote:

CourtFool wrote:

Sacred cows!

Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo

Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo
Moooooo Moooooo Moooooo
Moooooooooooooooooooo

Took you long enough.

[Craig Shackleton]

I've played using 2d10 before, and I found it a better balance of average versus swingy than 1d20 or 3d6.

[Duncan & Dragons]

Rambling Scribe wrote:

I've played using 2d10 before, and I found it a better balance of average versus swingy than 1d20 or 3d6.

This is better than my idea. Adding is better than averaging. No other rules need to change.

EDIT: Well, I guess two 1's would be an automatic miss.