$2018 Special Class Idea- D&D Build Sheets (Nerd Content)

With discussion of a potential $2018 Challenge special class underway, I thought I'd pitch something a little more nerdy and complicated- Dungeons and Dragons style build sheets.

For those of you who are too cool to know what I mean, let me explain: when creating a D&D character, you roll a 20 sided die to determine your stats (strength, intelligence, etc) with a 20 meaning perfect, 10 being average, and 1 being a complete failure. What if we did car builds that way?

Categories might be:
Handling- How well the car corners (AutoX)
Acceleration- How well the car launches (60ft times)
Horsepower- Self explanatory (trap speed)
Appearance- How good the car looks (Concours)
Reliability- How sketchy the mechanicals are (not breaking down)
Comfort- Duh (gutted interior/roof/etc)

At the $2017 challenge, a fellowship of the Dorks could convene, and roll stats for everyone's builds for this class in $2018. Your stats determine how much money and effort you put towards each category, and Concours scores for this class would take into account how tightly the vehicle conforms to it's stats.

The idea here would be to randomize what people build, and could make for some interesting choices- you rolled high for HP and comfort but low in reliability? Mercedes time! Rolled high for handling but low for HP and appearance? Chopped up Miata! Rolled a 1 for reliability but a 20 for everything else? We're about to see the worlds fastest $2k Maserati BiTurbo!

What do you think? Too difficult? Too random? I think it would be really fun to see what people would end up rolling and subsequently building, and you know that creating the stats themselves would turn into a spectator sport at the hotel.

Example stats sheet (made with online dice simulator):
HND: 15
ACC: 7
HP: 7
APP: 3
REL: 19
COM: 9

This would probably be some sort of ugly, small Japanese car with a bunch of new parts (given the high handling and nearly perfect reliability scores and incredibly low appearance score).

Oh man, I like this idea. Unfortunately won't be present at the $2017 Challenge (at least not to compete) but I might want in to compete in $2018. In my experience with D&D-esque things, I roll a natural freakin' 20 on one stat and then garbage on everything else, which could be funny

In reply to NickD:

That's OK! No reason we couldn't roll you a build sheet without you there (filmed to guarantee that all stats were randomized).

I feel like this can be an unofficial recurring sub class if it isn't recognized as an official one.

In reply to moparman76_69:

They're ALL unofficial recurring sub-classes

I was also thinking this could be an interesting deviation from the current standard of sub-class being a certain vehicle type, and instead turns it into a class of (probably) unbalanced builds that otherwise might not happen.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: In reply to moparman76_69: instead turns it into a class of (probably) unbalanced builds that otherwise might not happen.

*secretly hopes for high HP stat and low HND for autocross silliness *

I could get into this. I roll the die on occasion (OK I ran a game last month).

Just rolled an example:

HND: 20

ACC: 13

HP: 7

APP: 18

REL: 18

COM: 2

This one is going to be a little hard to hit.

This sounds like a REALLY well sorted bike engine track day car replica, like this:

Considering I would have to drive from NY to FL, if I get a low reliability score, I could get real berkeleyed

The nerd in me loves this idea.

NickD wrote: Considering I would have to drive from NY to FL, if I get a low reliability score, I could get real berkeleyed

I just made up a provision based off my own statement. Can we get 1 reroll of just 1 stat? Say, we get a 20 for HP and we know that we can't meet the criteria, we could reroll it. Or in my instance, I get a 3 on reliability and don't want to be parked on the side of the road every 20 miles from here to Florida, I could get something where I could match my character sheet without wearing out my AAA card.

Maybe instead we could let people trade sheets to suit their capabilities? We could also just not have reliability be a stat, but I thought it would make for some amusing choices. I considered aero or fuel economy but they seem less fun.

Reliability is also sort of in the eye of the beholder, I think if you got a low roll for that you could still put together a solid version of a typically unreliable car and still look like you fit the specs.

Fuel Economy wouldn't be awful. Reliability does have the potential to be funny, just that long haulers without a trailer (like moi) could get real screwed

In reply to NickD:

Sure, but you could also win the concours because you rolled a 1 for REL, bought a French car accordingly, and successfully drove it 1000 miles anyway.

Whoever wins, should be declared Sir Master And Commander, Level 99 (Sunset Overdrive reference)

In reply to singleslammer:

This being GRM, and the answer being the answer...

How about buy-a-stat?

If you get a stat you don't like, you can buy one for a $50 charitable contribution.

I say you could buy as many stats as you like (even all of them). There is still a randomness, because you have no idea how the judges will rule!

That would let anyone build whatever they want, and try to hit the mark- like bracket racing!

Oh, expenses incurred buying stats would, of course, hit the budget!

I like the idea; it has been a long time since I rolled stats and the nostalgia feels nice.

In reality, it sounds better for bench racing versus an actual year long build but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: In reply to singleslammer: This being GRM, and the answer being the answer...

Miata Superleggera!

Well having SIRI roll for me (no dice at work) I got this monstrosity.

HND: 17

ACC: 1

HP: 9

APP: 15

REL: 2

COM: 17

I mean, I don't even know what this describes??

In reply to KyAllroad:

A REALLY clean Buick Regal (non GS) that is set to handle like a mad man!

In reply to singleslammer:

I was gonna say a homebrewed halfassed diesel NC Miata with all the bells and whistles and interior still functional. Maybe start from a flood car.

In reply to KyAllroad:

Good handling, slow off the line, unreliable, comfy cool looking something....

That's part of the fun though, you roll it and go "how the berkeley do I build THAT?" and blow people away with your solution a year later.

HND: 5

ACC: 12

HP: 11

APP: 15

REL: 3

COM: 17

I'm saying cool-looking rat rod with stick axles and a time-bomb of a nitrous'd small block

In reply to NickD:

And a couch for a seat!