(A) Saving Throws and Lucky Archetype
This is archival material from previous blog
I do think about saving throws a lot. More than I think about Roman Empire. And I try to base some of my setting on it. I do this because saving throws are a weird mechanic. They are like PCs reactions but only for specific scripted situations. I read some people calling them plot armour. I'd rather use "quicktime events". Event happens -> roll your save or below -> thing happens based on the result.
I'm not saying I don't like them. But I kinda feel dissatisfied with them. I wondered a lot whether I'd take classical five (Death, Paralysis, Wands, Breath, Spells), modern three (Reflex, Fortitude, Will), modernest (based on attributes) or just one (one number to roll them all). I tried to find a blog post about this topic I read some time ago, where they talked about all approaches and ended up with "one is the best".
But trying to decide exact number was tough for me. I wanted to make it one save but then everything felt the same. Do I make one number and modify by attributes? Wouldn't it be more like three-saves type? Wouldn't it be burdensome to adjucate which modifier to use each time? It is, in the end, just a game of chance, mostly luck. And what to do to determine yes-or-no? Toss a coin.
And then, kinda inspired by this post https://vaultingskies.blogspot.com/2024/01/classless-fmc-basic-and-why-i-love.html I decided how do I want my 'rogue' class to look like. Not a skill-monkey. Not some quasi-magical sneaky person. I want it to be Lucky. What happens when there is a possibility enemy finds you when in hiding? Toss a coin, 50/50 chance. If you're Lucky and you chose Detection as your save toss two coins - only one has to succeed.
You can choose then types of saved to get bonus coin. Being detected? Death? Spells? Finding something? Not being hit by traps? Not being caught while pickpocketing? All of the Thief's goodness and more. Just choose in which thing your luck helps and that is it. You are your own kind of expert.
And then everybody (aside of Lucky) has the same chance to succeed in these situations. Dragon breaths fire on you all? 50/50 to avoid some it. Old trap would be 2-in-6 to spring. Now it's 50/50, unless you're Lucky with it. I think it simplifies this stuff while also makes clear these situations are based on pure luck. I think I like it, for now at least.
Also making this archetype ('class' don't seem to fit) Lucky makes me feel like it's White Hack. And I would never expect my design to take that turn, ha ha