Recent content by kilpatds

Googling tells me "multiple EV by N/(N-1)"? So ... d8 =~ 5.14?

As a mechanic, success by 10 == crit is a good one (and similarly for critical failures). It's just too easy to access by dint of level, instead of characterization.

I've only played at pretty low level, but my sense so far is that I like most of what they've done (3 action and how they've balanced that, caster/martial balance, etc). I just really REALLY wish they'd picked up bounded accuracy from 5e. The treadmill feels really really bad when you're on the...

This is one of those cases that Organized Play makes more relevant. If it's a long campaign and my DM hates his scene/plot getting derailed by an illusion, I know not to play an illusionist and move on. If it's organized play, my mileage varies wildly by DM in a way that's ... "not optimal"...

In AL play, one session is one adventure, and you start the adventure fresh. There might be long rests in the adventure, but are usually not any combat relevant ones. (all combats will be on 'the same day'). Same for LFR. In my last home game (years ago) I did an "episode" each session, which...

I don't know if this was mentioned, because this is a fast growing thread, but tubthumping? ("I get knocked down, I get up again, you'll never ever keep me down") P2 has a "wounds" mechanism that is roughly equivalent to "if you go down again during the same combat, gain a number of death...

Narrative Powers. Likely also something that annoys people, but things where the player gets to pass the stupid-ball to the enemies, mediated by the system... love that. MM3 monsters on an index card. Easy encounter design. Have a theme/the ability to invent decent riders/powers/etc, and you...

The usual way to measure balance out-of-combat is "screen time"? In a given pillar, how much TIME to you get to shine.

The difference is that the mythic is defined by his abilities, and can use them (and slant-use-them) more freely, but can't change them. The wizard can change their spells each day, and so gains way more flexibility.. but that flexibility should come at the cost of raw power. Let wizards/full...

I'm less convinced than you, but I agree on the problem. My go-to example here is the 4e Epic Destiny "Dark Wanderer", which says "you can walk from anywhere to anywhere in 1 day. Different planes? Yes? Did I stutter?" How? Because you know/can find all the cross-planer shortcuts. You walk to...

Well, casters cap out, as you show, at ... well less than the numbers I'd target. But, directionally yes. Limited use damage spikes are equivalent no matter the source.

As someone who's spent a LOT of time in higher-level play and (mostly 4e) theoretical DPR analysis... DPR can be overrated, and I think treantmonk has a video touching that. Always-on DPR isn't a thing that willingly happens/should willingly happen... combats are less than 10 rounds, and a...

Treantmonk is focused on optimizing for the game-as-is, I get the feeling you're talking more about "game-as-it-should-be[according to me]". In Treantmonk's case, the comparison is "against a 2-level dip and not otherwise caring at all". If you can't do as much damage as a 2-level warlock dip...

I'd ask for some changes to the DPR columns, "DPR (optimal)" and "DPR (uncomfortable)" or something, where DPR-optimal should look a lot like the single-target-highest-level-spell column, and DPR-uncomfortable should look about what you have as DPR. If what-you-do-is-damage, your damage should...

I recently played an AL adventure where the BBEG had a room full of counterspelling wards. Two adventures later in the same path, BBEGs have counterspell and a large willingness to use it, and counterspell chains are a regular occurance. (That one's likely technicall DMEmpowerment, not the...