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Target 20 System
<!doctype html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>Target 20 System</title> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="author" content="Daniel R. Collins" /> <meta name="description" content="Fantasy role playing game supplements for Original Dungeons & Dragons" /> <meta name="keywords" content="D&D, OSR, fantasy, role playing, games, miniatures, wargames, dungeons & dragons"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="../style.css" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://www.oedgames.com/target20/Target20-Logo-Color-200px.gif"/> </head> <body> <header> <h1> <a href="http://www.oedgames.com/"> <img class="titleimage" src="../images/OED-games.gif" alt="OED GAMES" /> </a> </h1> <p><b> Information on the <cite>Target 20</cite> system. </b></p> </header> <main> <img class="productimage" src="Target20-Logo-Color-200px.gif" alt="Target 20 Compatibility Mark" style="width: 200px; height: 200px" /> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>What Is Target 20?</h2> <p> Target 20 is an easy and elegant way to adjudicate combat in classic D&D – without any tables or new statistics, using just the original rules. Here’s the basic idea: <b>Every roll is d20 + level + modifiers, with a result of 20 or more indicating success.</b> </p> <p> Easy, right? Many DMs have been using this to simplify their games for years now. The mechanic is purely additive, which most people find easier than an inverse-subtraction method (e.g., THACO). The target is always 20, and AC is just another added modifier – there’s no need to invent a new target score for every opponent or skill check (e.g., as in the d20 System). Here’s some more detail: </p> </div> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>Attack Rolls</h2> <p> Attacks are resolved by rolling <b>d20 + fighter level + modifiers + target AC</b> (success on 20 or more). For actual fighters and monsters, the base addition is just their level or hit dice (for other classes, we take a ratio: ⅔ level for clerics and thieves; ½ level for wizards). Players may wish to document their total attack adjustments; but the DM doesn’t need any new stats, because they just add the HD value for any attacking monsters. When PCs attack a monster, we usually keep the AC secret and add it mentally after the player announces their roll; note that using the classic descending AC means that the better the armor, the less an attacker gets to add. </p> </div> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>Saving Throws</h2> <p> Saving throws work likewise: <b>roll d20 + character level + modifiers</b> (success on 20 or more). The modifiers in this case are by type of save: +0 vs. spells, +1 vs. breath, +2 vs. stone, +3 vs. wands, +4 vs. death. With this simplification, we don’t even bother to record saving scores on PC sheets anymore. </p> </div> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>Thief Skills</h2> <p> Thief skills get the same treatment: <b>roll d20 + thief level + modifiers</b> (success on 20 or more). We grant the thief’s Dexterity modifier as a bonus to this roll. We don’t even bother writing down separate skill categories with this streamlining. </p> </div> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>How Accurate Is It?</h2> <p> In 2018 we learned that the <a href="http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2018/09/why-did-armor-class-descend-from-9-to-2.html"> pre-publication draft</a> of the original D&D rules used no combat tables, and was instead based on a simple formula equivalent to the one we have here. You'll see a link from that site back to our blog, where we deduced this fact a decade or more prior. Compared to the table versions that we do see in the official books, Target 20 tends to produce results, on average, within 1 or 2 pips (regardless of which classic edition you use). For example, with attacks, the results are identical to Original D&D at 1st level, and grow a bit more generous with advancing levels. Likewise, for thief skills (assuming a 1 or 2 point Dexterity bonus), results are identical to OD&D at 1st level, and then fall slightly behind at higher levels. For a more detailed statistical analysis, <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2018/02/target-20-system-accuracy.html">please visit our blog</a>. </p> </div> <div class="textjustify"> <h2>How Can I Get Started?</h2> <p> There’s nothing new you need to add to your game. Just start adding level + classic AC, and look for that magic number 20. No tables required, no new statistical documentation, and no reverse-subtractions of modifiers. </p> <p> But if you’re writing a new game product, and want to indicate that you expect use of Target 20 with it, then feel free to use the <b>compatibility mark</b> image at the top of this page! (And maybe also a link to this explanatory site.) Questions are welcome at the address below. We hope that makes your classic D&D game even more furious and fast-paced. Fight on! </p> </div> </main> <footer> <p>Contact: <a href="mailto:delta@oedgames.com">delta@oedgames.com</a></p> </footer> </body> </html>