Combat issues: slayer + at-will magic missile.

[B.T.]

Two flaws in the game thus far.

• The fighter automatically kills a kobold every round, no matter what, even if he misses.

• The wizard kitespams magic missile and kills a kobold every round no matter what.

Suggestion: drop the 4e-inspired dreck. No damage on a miss and no at-will magic missile. I would simply remove the fighter ability, would turn magic missile into a normal daily spell, and offer the wizard orb of acid that does 1d6 + magic modifier as an at-will attack.

 

[Sunseeker]

Because magic missile is really a big deal?

I agree that damage on a miss should have to deal with something special, but really, is Magic Missile that special?

 

[hafrogman]

Suggestion: drop the 4e-inspired dreck.

Well, it's good you're keeping an open mind.

I agree on the reaper ability. The issue is that it's boring. When fighting the kobolds in the adventure, the fighter doesn't even need to bother rolling. Part of the problem though is the hit-points on the kobolds. However since this playtest doesn't have finished monster design, it becomes an issue. Once monsters have more hp, it fades into just a minor element. Perhaps it should simply be exchanged for one of the other level abilities and don't make it the first ability under slayer.

The magic missile issue, as you suggest, isn't the at will, it's the fact that when you try and put an attack roll on magic missile, people go through the roof. They tried it in 4e. This time the editions inspiring the problem are something else.

 

[B.T.]

This time the editions inspiring the problem are something else.

Number of problems with daily magic missile: none.
Number of problems with at-will magic missile: kitespam.
Number of problems with at-will magic missile with an attack roll: it's not D&D.

 

[hafrogman]

Number of problems with daily magic missile: It's massively ineffective when compared to spells like sleep that can cancel an entire encounter. Simply put, it's not worth a level 1 spell.
Number of problems with at-will magic missile: no sense of risk or reward.
Number of problems with at-will magic missile with an attackroll: none.

See, different people have different opinions about what D&D is, and what a problem is. I'm not saying that you aren't entitled to your own opinions and suggestions, but try not approaching every brand new thread you start with a veiled, or not-at-all veiled approach on one specific edition of D&D. Instead try and actually quantify what you're looking for.

 

[1Mac]

Magic Missile should either require a check or have limits on its use. I'd prefer the former ("Drop the 3e dreck," to paraphrase the OP), but an inerrant, infinite Magic Missile is a little crazy.

 

[The Little Raven]

I'm not saying that you aren't entitled to your own opinions and suggestions, but try not approaching every brand new thread you start with a veiled, or not-at-all veiled approach on one specific edition of D&D. Instead try and actually quantify what you're looking for.

Some people's definition of compromise is "Those other idiots drop their nonsensical beliefs and agree with me completely." Those are exactly the kind of people that WotC should not be listening to.

 

[DogBackward]

Number of problems with daily magic missile: It's massively ineffective when compared to spells like sleep that can cancel an entire encounter. Simply put, it's not worth a level 1 spell.

Not quite true. Sleep can only put to sleep anybody with 10 or less HP... and even then, they can still make a saving throw to resist it. Magic Missile, even as a daily, will be automatic damage, no matter what.

What I'd like to see is a Magic Missile that gives you five missiles at level one, for 1d4+1 automatic damage as normal. You can target up to one missile per caster level on a single creature. That means that, at level one, you have to target five separate creatures (that's five kobolds down, however). You can't hit one creature with all five missiles until level five.

At this point, Magic Missile is much more in line with other daily spells... yes, including Sleep. With Sleep, you *might* put all of the kobolds in a room to sleep. With Magic Missile, you *will* automatically kill five kobolds, no matter what.

Then, I'd give the Wizard an "Arcane Lance" at-will.
A ranged spell attack for 1d8+Intelligence arcane damage, within 50ft.

 

[eamon]

I think it's fine the way it is. A minor creature can be taken out of the combat by a PC each round. Kobolds will be dangerous only in numbers. That's... just peachy.

 

[jeffh]

For those that at least partially agree with BT (more people seem to agree on the fighter than on the wizard), would you mind saying why this is a flaw? So far, I don't see that anyone in this thread has done that. It certainly isn't self-evident, at least to me - I'm fine with both of these on paper, at least enough to be willing to see how they play out.