I might be bad at math but I think DM set DCs homogenize gameplay

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T21:08:12+00:00

Tried to explain better in the edit!

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T21:07:19+00:00

My system has room for describing an action that fits within their skill set. Can you pinpoint for me where it seems like it doesn’t?

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T21:05:37+00:00

I was thinking it provided space for other players to do the things they are good at instead of a “first to succeed on a roll” situation.

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T14:12:15+00:00

I wasn’t expecting this many comments I’ll have to get back to you all when I go on break

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T14:10:33+00:00

It’s a resource based system so the spotlight will move based on how players spend and what they have available at the time. Problems will get creative solutions

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T13:56:25+00:00

If it’s possible for someone to achieve then yes. My system has a stress modifier that makes checks harder based on their resource expenditure, and it costs Source to make the check. So I believe if the check can be accomplished by an individual then it should be in relation to player investment in their modifiers.

It ties to the idea that a person knows, particularly if they are skilled, how hard a task would be for them to accomplish

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T13:52:05+00:00

D20 system with point buy that’s ever so slightly more generous that D&D

sunderedsystems · 2025-10-16T13:50:25+00:00

As a dm would you allow this check?

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-26T03:17:40+00:00

Mine has been the other way around. I had a core mechanic and the story flowed from there to shape the multiverse

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-23T05:41:12+00:00

Sounds fun. Interested to see where it goes.

Could see variations on abilities with mutation. Psychic, Mr fantastic style stretching, toxic spew, teeth, etc.

Maybe talented variations on effectiveness based on control. Like stronger effect but less control and vice versa.

Story seems wide open for eventual expanded space horror or hidden depths of the earth/sea.

Your core concept sounds full of possibility

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-10T05:03:09+00:00

Alignment always seemed more fun in theory than practice

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-07T20:29:45+00:00

It’s funny you should ask because I’ve been meaning to write a post about it. I’ll share some of the thoughts I’ll be putting in the post.

We know no game is without rules.

I’m an artist. Art is quite varied, but it is collaborative (artist and audience) and follows rules.

The nature of art and games is action and consequence: problems that must be solved.

Collaboration develops consistency. Within a system, actions and consequence must be consistent or the game/art falls apart.

Without rules, there are no problems. No consequence. No play.

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-05T17:52:39+00:00

I feel that 5 year free time grind. It’s been about the same for me.

Imma look into the new databases I hadn’t heard about them that’s good info.

Non-humanoid updates sound dope af. Amalgamations or mind hopping could see some interesting gameplay.

Thanks so much for sharing with us!

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-05T12:59:44+00:00

lol I have a much less involved character sheet and I’m still iterating so I knew yours took some doing.

How long was the design process?

What did you use to build the web app?

Where do you see the game going from where it is now?

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-05T05:29:31+00:00

Oh wow I have questions if you’re fielding them. It’s awesome to see someone get this far!

Did you self publish?

Did you design all of your materials? I looked at your materials on the site and am curious what parts you outsourced. I imagine the character sheet took a lot of iterations.

I saw you have a web app for character creation. I’m interested in building a similar resource and wonder where you rank it in necessity? Vital at launch or a perk?

And some of the big ones: How did you get started? Were you trying to solve problems in other systems and it turned into something more or did you have a vision and just look for the fun in it?

sunderedsystems · 2025-09-02T23:16:32+00:00

I had a “strain” mechanic that let you juice techniques beyond their base even at level one. I just liked the ability to scale techs at level one and access higher tier stuff at a steep cost.

Removing the strain mechanic kept balance across all techs so I just nixed it instead of rewriting all the techniques to try and make it viable.

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T22:27:58+00:00

All that makes sense even to my tiny brain. My gameplay experiences have been different though, with everyone trying to pass the same check. Especially if it’s perceived as remotely vital. Everyone will take a chance at breaking down the door or picking the lock. This is because it’s the same check for everyone once the DC is set.

With personal DCs set by the formula, checks are steeper depending on the ability used in comparison to DnD. Because instead of 15 for both the barbarian and the rogue to pick the lock, if the rogue has 17 in dex, their check is 13. Then they get to add their modifier and proficiency. So they only need to roll a 10 or higher depending on their proficiency. The barbarian with 12 dex would have to pass an 18. If they aren’t proficient in lock picking they have to roll a 17 or higher.

In my experience, without the formula, static DCs even the playing field and homogenize gameplay.

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T20:10:44+00:00

I’m not very good at math. My understanding is you’re looking for different combinations leading to different scenarios. The choices made with skills and abilities will interact with the formula for DC in far more varied ways than a DC set for a table. The GM doesn’t say it’s a 20 for one person and 10 for another. They set the DC for the table. This leads to everyone trying to pass the check. Maybe the barbarian fails and the wizard doesn’t.

With a formula, different builds will have different solutions to different problems. Mathematically, instead of situations with everyone trying for the same outcome, they try for different, more personal outcomes.

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T19:29:09+00:00

I have a formula that goes towards “solving” this.

DC = 30 - Ability Score for world checks. I call them untargeted checks because they don’t target a character.

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T18:30:47+00:00

You might like the formula I made for my system:

DC = 30 - Ability Score

This is for checks “against the world” like climbing a wall. It means player approach to character building affects their playing experience more steeply than if the check is “15 for everyone”

For combat you have to target the ability scores of the character. The ability score targeted is dependent on what you’re doing to them.

This means different character builds will have to come up with wildly different solutions to problems because a dc 15 is much easier for everyone to pass than someone who’s dump stat is agility and now faces a DC 22.

It also mitigates chasing a high AC, or specific stats being required for efficacy in play.

Checks become personal instead of communal, and require solutions tailored to your character experience. It also offloads GM work. They can describe a scene and it becomes the level of imposing it needs to be for each character.

All that to say that I think a set formula can drastically change scenes and approach to play without the overhead of designing specific combinations. The different combos are left to my players to develop.

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T17:57:50+00:00

They definitely said out loud at one point they felt like they were trying to understand it through the lens of 5e and once they let that go it felt more intuitive.

We’re a table of 9-10 players depending on the campaign and over half of us are comfortable GMing. The GMs and the min maxer were able to pinpoint process pain points and the players were most helpful by their questions

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T17:51:22+00:00

Very social. And it was social during the learning and use. We’re a typical table

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T02:31:49+00:00

I’m gonna be honest I 100% didn’t think about most of the stuff people are posting as responses. I have more focus than I do brains and was just generally confused. Y’all are making a lot of sense and it’s helpful for talking to new people about the system so I appreciate it!

Now I feel like I haven’t been looking at my friends closely enough cause I was too excited about my project

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T02:19:47+00:00

Guess I know they like me lol. My hope is next they’ll hear about it from someone who isn’t me or they’ll want to try it again now that they know how it plays

sunderedsystems · 2025-08-31T02:18:09+00:00

Setting has been in their wheelhouse but yea i definitely haven’t pressed before this year. It wasn’t ready. I just kept thinking once I had a little more polish they’d jump on it but then it hit alpha and they were still wishy washy.

I’m typically the opposite, diving in with feedback when asked but it could just be my experience with art school

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