JohnWithAgun
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Joined: Sat 18 Jun 2022, 14:27

Attributes, get rid of them?

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 10:55

You roll up the attribute values at character creation, note down a few values, then set your starting skill levels, and then forget about most of them entirely. (don't think charisma is even used for anything).

Why not just add skills that replace attributes that are used throughout the rules? health for constitution, focus for willpower, might for encumbrance and strength damage, split mobility into evasion and movement and tag agility damage onto one of them.

Now you have 2 types of character mechanics instead of 3. Skills (who can all be improved) and willpower using abilities. Its simpler.
Conan the barbarian wont be forever handicapped for not getting that D6 to strength damage at the first session, he can hit the gym and get it later.

Keep the skills grouped so the condition system still works, maybe get rid of one group (merge int and willpower for instance).

Anyone else wondered this while reading through? is there some benefit to static values made at character creation i am missing? did i miss something?
If anyone have an input please share :)

edit:
post post idea: Could also take all these values derived from attributes(str/agi dmg, movement, health and willpower) and make them fixed for the various profession to give them more individuality.
for example: A thief has a high movement modifier but a low/no strength damage die.
Last edited by JohnWithAgun on Mon 05 Dec 2022, 15:06, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Fenhorn
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Re: Attributes, get rid of them?

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 11:09

Then the game would be a completely new game with very little connection to the original game.
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CEBedford
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Re: Attributes, get rid of them?

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 14:41

I like the skill system lean and the attributes are a catch all for whatever the PCs want to do that I can’t apply easily to one of the existing skills. We would need a lot more skills if attributes were being removed. I’d much rather keep them both personally.
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Melvin
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Re: Attributes, get rid of them?

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 15:46

I like the skill system lean and the attributes are a catch all for whatever the PCs want to do that I can’t apply easily to one of the existing skills. We would need a lot more skills if attributes were being removed. I’d much rather keep them both personally.
100% agree!
 
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Vile Traveller
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Re: Attributes, get rid of them?

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 19:49

I agree that attributes + skill are part of what makes DoD DoD. As mentioned, attributes can be used to keep the number if skills down, and they make for a handy 'default' roll if a PC wants to do something they're not skilled in. An alternative might be to replace attributes with 'general' skills, but that's just a re-skin.

(I'm not against no-attribute all-skill systems on principle, in fact I'm writing one myself.)
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Ebrim
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Re: Attributes, get rid of them?

Tue 06 Dec 2022, 17:08

There are games that do this and it works well. I respect that part of this game, however, is being part of a lineage which makes it less desirable as an approach here I think.

The attributes also have a nice role in this in very much simplifying initial skill score determination. DoD character creation is so fantastically simple, I don’t want to live far away from that.

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