Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2013 21:45:35 GMT
The proposed encounter system is as follows:
Reasons why you should endorse the alternate system:
- Roll for the encounter as normal.
- If you are hunting, also roll survival. You may modify the hunt roll up or down and amount up to your survival check / 2.
- To encounter a player party which does not want to be found, you must beat their track DC on a survival check.
- Both parties roll stealth and perception.
- Compare the perception check of each side with the stealth check of each side, ie (Side A perception - Side B stealth)
- The side which beat the others stealth check by the larger amount sees the other first, at a distance equal to (10 feet) times (difference perception check vs stealth check).
- This distance is halved in areas of low visibility, such as in a thick forest, a jungle, at night, or in thick fog. If there is a minimum sight distance, that is the minimum distance between parties at start.
- The highest perception modifier in the party is used. The lowest stealth modifier in the party is used. A -1 penalty per person after the first is also levied on the stealth check.
- A scout or scouts may be employed. The scout(s) must be at least 60 feet away from the party (30 in areas of low visibility). The scout(s) figure their perception/stealth modifiers as if they were a party without the rest of the group. The distance between enemy parties are measured from the scout.
- In the case where both parties fail their perception checks, place both parties 10 feet from each other. They can see each other.
- Scouts, if any, are placed the normal distance in front of their party, or 10 feet behind the enemy farthest from their party, whichever is farthest, but they are still hidden.
- Play proceeds from here. Spot checks and perception checks are made as normal according to the pathfinder base rules. Surprise rounds are as according to the pathfinder base rules.
- To escape, a party member must be 100 feet away from the nearest enemy. In this case, escape is a full round action that is automatically successful. In the case of exceptionally slow or fast enemies, the DM may increase or decrease the required distance at their discretion. (A general rule of thumb is that you can't escape if the enemy could take two move actions to become adjacent to you.)
The original encounter system is as follows (based on experience):
- Roll for encounter.
- Both sides roll perception.
- The highest perception modifier in the party is used.
- The side which rolled higher on sees the other first.
- Roll 1d20. That times 5 feet is the distance between you and the target.
- Players take actions in initiative order until they are spotted, in which case normal initiative immediately starts. There is no normal surprise round.
- Escape is a flat d100 roll, with a DC equal to the round number of the combat times 2.
Reasons why you should endorse the alternate system:
- It uses normal pathfinder game mechanics almost to the letter.
- It lets characters use stealth and survival skills, which should be very important in these encounters.
- It is substantially more realistic.
- If you think that the original system needs to be changed. Even if you disagree with specific points on this proposal, but support the general idea, then you can submit additional, less drastic proposals to modify the specifics.
Reasons why you should not endorse the alternate system:
- You think this will unnecessarily bog down the system. The proposed system has roughly the same number of steps, but has several rules that remove simplification, such as modifiers for environmental conditions, and the ability to use scouts. These are necessary for realism, and as streamlined as I could make them.
- You think this will unfairly favor certain classes over others more than the current system in a way that does not make logical sense. (I don't see such, others might)
- You like a different change proposal and intend to submit one soon.
- You're a DM and, try as you might, you don't understand the system and don't think you will be able to.