Improved Divine Smite

[Gladius Legis]

Indeed. For many (I'd even posit most), the math isn't the end all, be all for how they enjoy the game or think of it "balanced". Especially so, when the item of topic incentives or drives other behavior. The example I gave in the other thread is that in my games, I've seen how divine smite works resulting in players of paladins to not cast spells at all, but to save them for crits to use divine smite, even when it might be more beneficial to the group as a whole to use a spell like bless or revivify.

This idea that "here is the math based on white room analysis, so your argument and opinions are invalid" needs to die in fire. If for no other reason, the game is not played in a white room.

What I read is: "Let's take the only truly objective, fact-based means of determining whether something is overpowered in this game (i.e. math) and dismiss it entirely because I don't want to admit my opinion is based on a complete misunderstanding of what I'm criticizing."

The only thing that is objective is if you are having fun at your table.

Wait, so fun is objective but math is not? What are you even talking about?

1984 wasn't meant to be an instruction manual, you know.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Say what now? What does 1984 have to do with what I said. That makes no sense. And we're not talking about whether something is overpowered or no. We're talking about what we feel makes the class better or not. In that context, it's entirely subjective, with the only objective part being "are you having fun with it". It's objective because it's a singular measurement we each make without any influence of anyone else's opinion.

You're caught up in the math. Good for you. But not everyone thinks that really matters in what they consider "better" or "worse". Most people think about how it impacts all aspects of the game. If you doubled the average damage of paladins, does that make them better? Only in your context, but that's not the context most people are using. They are comparing it to the rest of the game. And doubling the average damage of the paladin would most likely result in a "worse" experience for people.

Not sure why this is so hard to understand, and not sure why you insist on insulting anyone who disagrees with you like they are an idiot who just doesn't get it.

 

[jaelis]

If you say, "I don't like the paladin rules, and I want to change them," no one will argue with you.

If you say "I don't like the paladin rules because their nova is too powerful," then it is a reasonable thing to compare the nova abilities of different classes. If we find that a fighter has a stronger nova than a paladin, but you like fighters, then maybe the thing you dislike about the paladin is not what you thought it was.

If that leads you to fixing the thing about paladins that truly bothers you, then "white room math" has performed a valuable service.

 

[Satyrn]

. . . the game is not played in a white room.

Speak for yourself. My wife went on a minimalist design kick recently and now the walls - and furniture - are all white


Okay, it isn't so much that she went on a design kick; rather, she kicked me out and kept all my stuff, so we play in this apartment I'm renting and can't be bothered to paint.