tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post1651503655922805956..comments2023-06-08T08:26:07.304-05:00Comments on Advanced Gaming & Theory: The Ives Method of Stat ChecksRipperXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-74637870037559219312008-10-05T07:45:00.000-05:002008-10-05T07:45:00.000-05:00Abilities, to me, are more important then just get...<I>Abilities, to me, are more important then just getting a better to hit number, or telling a player the level of Wizard spell that he can cast, they also show us how well the character gets along in the world around him.</I><BR/><BR/>It's a perfectly defensible approach; it's just a late approach in the history of <I>D&D</I>, being a late 1e innovation. For myself, class is more important than ability scores, which is why it's the important factor in helping me decide whether a given character is able to do something successfully or not.<BR/><BR/>It's a question of taste primarily, though there's the historical angle too. As I said, I think <I>AD&D</I> -- and <I>Greyhawk</I> before it -- made a mistake by over-emphasizing the mechanical importance of ability scores. It was the first tentative step on the road that led us to 4e and I'd just as soon go down a different path.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-24467052348430446852008-10-03T13:18:00.000-05:002008-10-03T13:18:00.000-05:00I've been going with the certain number of dice ag...I've been going with the certain number of dice against an ability score method. Usually d6s (3,4 or 5) depending on the difficulty of task and if the characters background gives any examples. This method is fast and the players can argue about whether a task is made too difficult which keeps me honest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-11106275872088293442008-10-03T11:45:00.000-05:002008-10-03T11:45:00.000-05:00I suppose that it depends on how you started playi...I suppose that it depends on how you started playing the game. The first MOD I ran was Night of the Walking Dead, and it showed me how to incorporate ability scores into a game, I've done it ever since! <BR/><BR/>Abilities, to me, are more important then just getting a better to hit number, or telling a player the level of Wizard spell that he can cast, they also show us how well the character gets along in the world around him. The stat check is just my way of keeping a player on his toes, and in some cases, forcing players to roleplay when they choose to ignore their stats.RipperXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-71857143087683747452008-10-02T22:09:00.000-05:002008-10-02T22:09:00.000-05:00I'm not a big fan of codified systems for deal...I'm not a big fan of codified systems for dealing with on-the-fly activities by the PCs. I'd rather just eyeball it on the spot and come up with some mutually agreeable way to resolve its success or failure. I'm also not a big fan of treating ability scores as being a major, let alone primary, determining factor in how successful such activities are. One of my biggest beefs with the transition from OD&D to <I>AD&D</I> is the greater emphasis placed on ability scores.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-88573434385137637512008-10-01T21:56:00.000-05:002008-10-01T21:56:00.000-05:00I don't know about you, but sometimes I literally ...I don't know about you, but sometimes I literally have no idea how to rule a situation fairly. For situations like that, this system is perfect! I also thought it to be historically interesting. This thing was developed before Proficiencies were, and quite possibly, are a direct link to their inclusion to later editions.RipperXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7370162161693557709.post-28781364596982393102008-10-01T15:04:00.000-05:002008-10-01T15:04:00.000-05:00So exactly what does this system have over the usu...So exactly what does this system have over the usual "GM guesses"? Does it somehow feel more interesting because you follow an official method and it involves more dice rolls? I'm not sold on why this system is so damn good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com