TheDungeonMathster
Villager
Question for the masses:
On pages 502-503 (Designing Monsters), under "Special Attacks," there is some language that causing me confusion. For area attacks, "If a monster can use an area attack every turn, reduce the damage it deals to about 70% compared to a normal attack." The example the author gives does just this, reducing a 32-point damage attack to 22 points.
However, in the next subsection ("Limited-Use Abilities"), it says, "Abilities that can be used once per day or once per short rest, or have a recharge of 6 or 5–6, are limited-use abilities. They typically allow a monster to exceed its damage-per-round budget on one turn, making up for it by dealing less damage on other turns. For every two points of damage that a limited-use ability exceeds the damage per turn budget, reduce the total damage dealt on other turns by one."
THE CONFUSION: The example the author gives takes the previously reduced damage of 22 points and increases it to 32, stating that, "we should reduce the firebird’s damage on other turns by half that (–5)."
The problem is, now the wing attack is not every turn, but instead limited-use. Therefore, the language in the "Area Attacks" section does not apply. Hence, should not the language be, "If the firebird’s wing flap attack recharges on a 5–6, making it limited use, it can deal extra damage. If we keep the damage at 32 damage, the firebird’s talon attack can still deal 32 damage; however, if we increase the wing flap damage to 42 (thereby exceeding the per round damage by 10), we must reduce the talon attack to 27 damage."
On pages 502-503 (Designing Monsters), under "Special Attacks," there is some language that causing me confusion. For area attacks, "If a monster can use an area attack every turn, reduce the damage it deals to about 70% compared to a normal attack." The example the author gives does just this, reducing a 32-point damage attack to 22 points.
However, in the next subsection ("Limited-Use Abilities"), it says, "Abilities that can be used once per day or once per short rest, or have a recharge of 6 or 5–6, are limited-use abilities. They typically allow a monster to exceed its damage-per-round budget on one turn, making up for it by dealing less damage on other turns. For every two points of damage that a limited-use ability exceeds the damage per turn budget, reduce the total damage dealt on other turns by one."
THE CONFUSION: The example the author gives takes the previously reduced damage of 22 points and increases it to 32, stating that, "we should reduce the firebird’s damage on other turns by half that (–5)."
The problem is, now the wing attack is not every turn, but instead limited-use. Therefore, the language in the "Area Attacks" section does not apply. Hence, should not the language be, "If the firebird’s wing flap attack recharges on a 5–6, making it limited use, it can deal extra damage. If we keep the damage at 32 damage, the firebird’s talon attack can still deal 32 damage; however, if we increase the wing flap damage to 42 (thereby exceeding the per round damage by 10), we must reduce the talon attack to 27 damage."
