CodexArcanum

291 reputation

bio	website	darkspiredesign.com
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visits	member for	2 years, 9 months
	seen	Feb 15 at 3:18
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	291 reputation	bio	website	darkspiredesign.com	visits	member for	2 years, 9 months
15 badges		location			seen	Feb 15 at 3:18

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Mar 19	awarded	Nice Question
Aug 9	comment	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls? An additional variant mechanic: Roll 3d20 but with 1 of them being distinct. This roll actually gives you 4 different distributions at once, which you can use for different purposes! You can do: take low die (low log curve), take mid die (bell curve), take high die (high log curve), or take distinct die (linear). I've experimented with this for 3d10 and it yields nifty results. One example tweak you could use: the lowest die is your value, but the distinct die is your critical hit check. That gives you the lower curve, but retains the same odds of critical hits as a linear 1d20 roll.
Aug 9	revised	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls? Just getting things in line with my math fix
Aug 9	awarded	Editor
Aug 9	revised	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls? Bad math, need to update pictures and adjust conclusions.
Aug 9	comment	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls? @SevenSidedDie Alright then! I waited till I got home so I could do some math and make pretty charts to back my suggestion. I hadn't wanted to post an answer since I wasn't really addressing the exact question, but at your suggestion I've tried to elaborate on why I think a Take High or Take Low mechanic better solves the stated problem than an inverse bell curve.
Aug 9	answered	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls?
Aug 8	comment	Is it possible to produce a bowl-shaped probability curve with dice rolls? It seems to me like having such a large swing towards high or low results is going to feel weird in play. To achieve your stated goal, I think a simple "Roll x dice, take the lowest, add modifier" mechanic would work better. This gives you a curve centered on the low results, which makes modifiers very valuable but with decreasing returns.
Nov 26	awarded	Yearling
Mar 18	awarded	Student
Mar 18	asked	In FATE, what is the relative value of each characteristic?
Feb 24	answered	Narrativist Gaming: How do you transition more traditionally-trained players into them?
Feb 17	comment	Systems that use ability tests with a descriptive result applied by GM interpretation? FATE uses a verbal scales (some variations) but it usually is just a coating over a numeric system. Like a "Good" attempt doesn't mean the GM just makes up stuff, it means "4". Closer to the question might be the Amber RPG, which uses rankings, but relies on GM fiat to determine when situational advantages are enough to swing favor.
Feb 17	comment	What counts as ground for Tenser's Floating Disk? Some players don't care for such "non-rules" interpretations, but this is always my stand by. Its supposed to be magic, so you can't "trick" it into working when it shouldn't. More over, I'd always imagined that it being on the ground was part of the nature of the spell, such that a mage would understand that it just doesn't work.
Jan 13	comment	What is a good gaming system for running a 'con man' game? +1 for Diaspora, the social conflict minigame in that has worked real well for us and the setting is pretty easy to adapt.
Oct 21	answered	What tools are useful to organize a GM's campaign notes?
Oct 20	awarded	Teacher
Oct 20	answered	Good first “indie” rpg to try out?
Oct 20	awarded	Supporter
Oct 20	comment	Good first “indie” rpg to try out? +1 for Diaspora. I've introduced many indie games to my generally traditional group, and Diaspora clicked instantly. Its just an excellent game.