Especially if it was Hulks and Horrors?

Right now, H&H Core goes to 6.  

My publisher wanted to see more, so I was planning to expand to 12, but now it looks like I'll be self-publishing, so I don't have to do that anymore.

I think 6 is actually a pretty good number the way the game is written, if you want to keep things low-powered, and there are optional rules in the back to go past that and keep getting new HP and to-hit bonus at least, but no new spells, and the present monster scaling kinda caps out at 8HD meaningfully speaking.

What about you folks?  I'm on the fence about it, personally.

I would have no problem with it.

Also, if you're current top monster is at 8 HD then it seems logical to cap it out at level 6.

I'm willing to try out anything one of my buddies is willing to DM.  I do not, however, have a need to DM a 6 level clone.

I see that you are capping hit dice at 8.  To use the AD&D power scale, will spells and such be compressed into the fewer levels?  So, at 6th level will a character be able to cast 9th level spells?  Will a first level character have access to magic items normally given to 3rd level?  Will the chance to hit be also compressed? Or were you just saying you were planing on keep the same scale, but not include anything beyond the standard AD&D level progression? Just wondering how you were approaching it.

Yeah, I prefer lower powered games in general.
I'm also starting to prefer shorter campaigns... not these things that go on year after year.

Quote from: Kuroth;623681I see that you are capping hit dice at 8.  To use the AD&D power scale, will spells and such be compressed into the fewer levels?  So, at 6th level will a character be able to cast 9th level spells?  Will a first level character have access to magic items normally given to 3rd level?  Will the chance to hit be also compressed? Or were you just saying you were planing on keep the same scale, but not include anything beyond the standard AD&D level progression? Just wondering how you were approaching it.

At present, there are basically, in traditional terms, three spell levels, and then it just stops.  The optional rules for going past 6 extend the amount of spell points you get and allow for learning some new spells, as well as advice on adjusting their effects to scale with level a bit, so they stay relevant.  

Adjusting the monster hit die scaling is trivial (I'm actually working on it in another window right now), but I feel like if I went to 12 completely, I'd want to include at least two more spell levels worth of abilities there.

Yeah, I wouldn't have an issue. If I was really going to do long-term play instead of a shorter campaign arc, I might have to look at alternate progression, but that would be something I'd have plenty of time to work out. In short, not a deal-breaker.

I've played in very few games where any player reached sixth level, so it doesn't bother me.

Starships & Spacemen 2e was only going to go to level 8 or something, but I complained about that for one main reason: compatibility.

By sticking as close to old school D&D norms as possible, it's much easier to borrow things from it and vice-versa.

Only six levels sounds like a feature rather than a bug to me.

I sort of like it, and not from an E6 comparison, but thinking about when players start to develop more powerful PCs in TSR-era D&D. It's a good cut-off point if those are the systems inspiring H&H and you want something that remains somewhat gritty.

I like the spell levels ending there, actually.

Quote from: FASERIP;623715I sort of like it, and not from an E6 comparison, but thinking about when players start to develop more powerful PCs in TSR-era D&D. It's a good cut-off point if those are the systems inspiring H&H and you want something that remains somewhat gritty.

I like the spell levels ending there, actually.

It was pretty directly inspired by B/X, and the level cap is actually an artifact of the original intention to do a Basic/Expert type split for H&H as well, with 1-6 in one book, and 7-12 in a second expansion.  Over time this evolved into a "Core/Expansion" set splits, because I realized that as written, 1-6 seemed like a very good level range in fact, one that gave a uniquely low-powered split while still being roughly compatible, at least in range, with B/X, just not the CMI sets.

Yes, I would, because ...

Quote from: smiorgan;623701Only six levels sounds like a feature rather than a bug to me.

... and ...

Quote from: everloss;623696I've played in very few games where any player reached sixth level, so it doesn't bother me.

Regarding magic:

Quote from: J Arcane;623686At present, there are basically, in traditional terms, three spell levels, and then it just stops.

With just 6 character levels I would change a bit at the distribution of the spells. I'd give the M-U more 1st level spells. But that's something that I can easily houserule.

So instead of this:


I'd rather have this:[B][U]Level   1   2   3[/U][/B]
  1     3   -   -
  2     4   -   -
  3     4   1   -
  4     4   2   -
  5     4   2   1
  6     4   2   2

(The M-U capacity at level 5 and 6 is the same, but the spell progression is more spread out. I never understood why a M-U had to start with one measly spell while at later levels he got up to four new slots at once.)

(This gives me the opportunity to let thieves learn one or two first level spells at a later level if they want to go the Grey Mouser route, and still be inferior to the weakest real sorcerer.)

You'll design a better game if your heart's in it 100%. 6 levels seems fine to me.

In fact, why not have half-levels so people can go up more slowly?

The way you could do this is divide characters' abilities into, say, Dungeoneering and Fighting. Fighting would cover hit-rolls, hit points and weapon proficiencies. Dungeoneering would cover saving throws, thief skills, non-weapon proficiencies and spells. So your progression could be for instance:-

0 XP = level 1 Dungeoneering & Fighting
1,000 XP = level 2 Dungeoneering, level 1 Fighting
3,000 XP = level 2 Dungeoneering, level 2 Fighting
6,0000 XP = level 3 Dungeoneering, level 2 Fighting
10,000 XP = level 3 Dungeoneering, level 3 Fighting
etc.

Edited to add:- actually probably better to let them go up in Fighting levels first, as getting 2nd level HP quickly will help survivability for low-level characters of all classes.

Quote from: J Arcane;623670if you want to keep things low-powered, and there are optional rules in the back to go past that and keep getting new HP and to-hit bonus at least, but no new spells, and the present monster scaling kinda caps out at 8HD meaningfully speaking.

If you're capping out the spells at 3rd level i.e. 5th level spellcaster and the monsters at 8 H.D., then post-6th HP progression should be 1 HP per certain amount of XP for all classes. This does allow magic-users to seem to catch up with fighters eventually but this is mitigated by the fact that they're not getting any snazzy new spells. Magic-users could also get extra spells/day.

I think it could be a neat system.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;623827*snip*

For reference, the scientist table looks like this:

Level Charge Programs
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
1 2 2
2 4 2
3 6 3 1
4 8 3 1
5 11 4 2 1
6 14 4 2 1