Damage Reduction by reducing damage dice size

[MfA]

But I wonder... if D&DN used such a system, would folks throw a fit about it?

I wouldn't like it, I think Vancian mechanics should mostly be in world (ToB) and not meta (4e) ... I'm willing to compromise on that for something like action points, but not for something which gets used nearly every turn.

[Username17]

That would be cool, like weapons/armor each giving an encounter power

ex:
hammers disorient, swords parry, axes cleave

But I wonder... if D&DN used such a system, would folks throw a fit about it? A significant part of the fanbase got angry over encounter powers for fighters in late 3e, and then shit their pants when 4e came out.

Broadly speaking, that actually is what 4e did. Technically, "you" had the power to make an attack that slides enemies and another power to make an attack that slows a target, but the first one only works properly while you're using a spear and the second only works when you are using an ax, so the distinction is pretty meaningless. And of course, you have Card Hunter, which is a WoF game where your equipment puts cards into your deck and a better spear puts in more distance strikes and armor penetrating strikes, while a worse ax gives you more cleaves but probably some weak cards like a basic strike in there as well.

Now, 4e is an atrocity, but Card Hunter is a neat little game. So while what you're talking about can end up bad, it can also work.

Basically, people want it to matter whether you are carrying an ax, a hammer, a bohemian ear spoon, a flamberge, a skin flute, a morningstar, or a broadsword. But they also don't want to get stuck into a rut where they have to keep spending all their points (or feats, or gold, or whatever) on continually increasing their spear style so that their character just gets proportionately less and less able to do anything other than spam their five moves of doom over and over again.

And that to me says that the Card Hunter system is much better than the 4e one. Having special maneuvers unlock whenever you pick up a mirrorblade or a pincer staff seems way cooler than having personal abilities that only work when fighting with a dagger.

-Username17

[TheFlatline]

That would be cool, like weapons/armor each giving an encounter power

ex:
hammers disorient, swords parry, axes cleave

But I wonder... if D&DN used such a system, would folks throw a fit about it? A significant part of the fanbase got angry over encounter powers for fighters in late 3e, and then shit their pants when 4e came out.

Broadly speaking, that actually is what 4e did. Technically, "you" had the power to make an attack that slides enemies and another power to make an attack that slows a target, but the first one only works properly while you're using a spear and the second only works when you are using an ax, so the distinction is pretty meaningless. And of course, you have Card Hunter, which is a WoF game where your equipment puts cards into your deck and a better spear puts in more distance strikes and armor penetrating strikes, while a worse ax gives you more cleaves but probably some weak cards like a basic strike in there as well.

Now, 4e is an atrocity, but Card Hunter is a neat little game. So while what you're talking about can end up bad, it can also work.

Basically, people want it to matter whether you are carrying an ax, a hammer, a bohemian ear spoon, a flamberge, a skin flute, a morningstar, or a broadsword. But they also don't want to get stuck into a rut where they have to keep spending all their points (or feats, or gold, or whatever) on continually increasing their spear style so that their character just gets proportionately less and less able to do anything other than spam their five moves of doom over and over again.

And that to me says that the Card Hunter system is much better than the 4e one. Having special maneuvers unlock whenever you pick up a mirrorblade or a pincer staff seems way cooler than having personal abilities that only work when fighting with a dagger.

-Username17

That reminded me I had a beta for Card Hunter. Pretty fun stuff I just sunk a few hours into it.