Option 0: comrade raoul's fix
Suggested Houserule:
All non-Ranger at-will or encounter powers that hit more than once must be made against separate targets. Non-Ranger multi-attack encounter powers that have an effect resulting from hitting the same target more than once are instead bumped up to a Daily power of the next tier of dailies and can hit the same target more than once (may need to be given Miss: Half Damage?).
Why:
Well, spreading damage out amongst multiple targets is far less objectionable and powerful than massive damage against one target. This is also very simple and doesn't mess with the math behind monster HPs and such. However, this doesn't do anything about the extremely high Ranger DPR.
Option 1: Monster resistances
Suggested Houserule:
Cut monster HP by some percent (20% as a guesstimate?), give them more resist all at the enhancement bonus levels:
Resist All (stacks with other resistances):
Monster Lvl 01: +1
Monster Lvl 06: +2
Monster Lvl 11: +3
Monster Lvl 16: +4
Monster Lvl 21: +5
Monster Lvl 26: +6
Why:
Basically, your weapon's enhancement bonus is canceled out by the higher resistances, so the enhancement bonus is equally effective for single-attack powers and multi-attack powers. Multi-attack powers still gain more benefit from Weapon Focus (oh well). However, multi-attack powers still synergize better with stuff that grant vulnerabilities (Lasting Frost should be nerfed, but there's always power-imposed vulnerabilities). Plus, there's Irresistible Flame and Flaming weapons. Meh.
Option 2: Apply non-power damage bonuses once per creature per power per round
Suggested houserule (thanks to JoeNotCharles for rewording):
Whenever a single action causes several melee or ranged attacks on the same target, do not roll separate damage for each attack. Instead, add up the damage given for each attack and treat this as a single damage roll. For example, Two-Fanged Strike with a ranged weapon does 1[W] + Dex modifier damage per attack, plus Wis modifier damage if both attacks hit. So if you hit once, you do 1[W] + Dex modifier damage and if you hit twice you do 2[W] + Dex modifier + Dex modifier + Wis modifier damage. Other bonuses or penalties that affect damage such as enhancement bonuses, feat bonuses, and resistances and vulnerabilities only apply once to each target.
Why:
Multi-attack powers will still benefit because people have more chances to hit, but instead of N attacks adding {damage x hit chance x N} expected damage, it now only adds {damage x [(1-(miss chance)^N)]} in expected damage. For two attacks and a 50% hit chance, each point of bonus damage adds 1 point of expected damage under the normal rules and 0.75 points of expected damage under the houserule, compared with 0.5 expected damage for a single attack power.
Also, it balances resistances against multi-attack powers. A character with multi-attack powers shouldn't be overpowered against monsters without resists and really sucky against monsters with resists.
More extreme version:
All fixed-value damage bonuses or penalties not specified in the power used is applied only on the damage roll associated with the first attack roll associated with this power against a creature per round. If the first attack roll against the target doesn't hit, the damage bonuses or penalties do not apply.
It's harder to implement and you have to ask why a monster's resists don't apply if the first attack is a miss. However, the less extreme version might not be enough to balance out multi-attack powers, this rule would make a damage bonus equally attractive to single hitters and multi hitters. Anyone volunteer to crunch the numbers
? I'll try to run some when I get the time. If you use that DPR spreadsheet, just put all the bonuses into the Hunter's Quarry column and I think that should work.
Suggested Houserule:
All non-Ranger at-will or encounter powers that hit more than once must be made against separate targets. Non-Ranger multi-attack encounter powers that have an effect resulting from hitting the same target more than once are instead bumped up to a Daily power of the next tier of dailies and can hit the same target more than once (may need to be given Miss: Half Damage?).
Why:
Well, spreading damage out amongst multiple targets is far less objectionable and powerful than massive damage against one target. This is also very simple and doesn't mess with the math behind monster HPs and such. However, this doesn't do anything about the extremely high Ranger DPR.
Option 1: Monster resistances
Suggested Houserule:
Cut monster HP by some percent (20% as a guesstimate?), give them more resist all at the enhancement bonus levels:
Resist All (stacks with other resistances):
Monster Lvl 01: +1
Monster Lvl 06: +2
Monster Lvl 11: +3
Monster Lvl 16: +4
Monster Lvl 21: +5
Monster Lvl 26: +6
Why:
Basically, your weapon's enhancement bonus is canceled out by the higher resistances, so the enhancement bonus is equally effective for single-attack powers and multi-attack powers. Multi-attack powers still gain more benefit from Weapon Focus (oh well). However, multi-attack powers still synergize better with stuff that grant vulnerabilities (Lasting Frost should be nerfed, but there's always power-imposed vulnerabilities). Plus, there's Irresistible Flame and Flaming weapons. Meh.
Option 2: Apply non-power damage bonuses once per creature per power per round
Suggested houserule (thanks to JoeNotCharles for rewording):
Whenever a single action causes several melee or ranged attacks on the same target, do not roll separate damage for each attack. Instead, add up the damage given for each attack and treat this as a single damage roll. For example, Two-Fanged Strike with a ranged weapon does 1[W] + Dex modifier damage per attack, plus Wis modifier damage if both attacks hit. So if you hit once, you do 1[W] + Dex modifier damage and if you hit twice you do 2[W] + Dex modifier + Dex modifier + Wis modifier damage. Other bonuses or penalties that affect damage such as enhancement bonuses, feat bonuses, and resistances and vulnerabilities only apply once to each target.
Why:
Multi-attack powers will still benefit because people have more chances to hit, but instead of N attacks adding {damage x hit chance x N} expected damage, it now only adds {damage x [(1-(miss chance)^N)]} in expected damage. For two attacks and a 50% hit chance, each point of bonus damage adds 1 point of expected damage under the normal rules and 0.75 points of expected damage under the houserule, compared with 0.5 expected damage for a single attack power.
Also, it balances resistances against multi-attack powers. A character with multi-attack powers shouldn't be overpowered against monsters without resists and really sucky against monsters with resists.
More extreme version:
All fixed-value damage bonuses or penalties not specified in the power used is applied only on the damage roll associated with the first attack roll associated with this power against a creature per round. If the first attack roll against the target doesn't hit, the damage bonuses or penalties do not apply.
It's harder to implement and you have to ask why a monster's resists don't apply if the first attack is a miss. However, the less extreme version might not be enough to balance out multi-attack powers, this rule would make a damage bonus equally attractive to single hitters and multi hitters. Anyone volunteer to crunch the numbers



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