D&D 4E Tell me about your 4e combats (and 2h weapons)

[Old Gumphrey]

I went to D&D game day today, and I was expecting a streamlined, speedy combat system. While it was pretty darn streamlined, and everyone ALWAYS had something cool to do with their character, it didn't really seem any faster than 3e combat. At least not significantly so. I'm thinking it might be because everyone at the table was a newb with the 4e rules.

Also, I played the dwarf 2h fighter, and I did a whopping 1 point more max damage than the sword and shield fighter, who quite frankly embarrassed my character in combat. The S&B fighter had 2 less HP, 2 more AC, +2 more to-hit bonus, and 1d10+4 damage with a 1h weapon. Yeah, he had to spend a feat, by my feat was Dwarven Weapon Training, which, after looking at it, was not calculated into any of my damage figures. That looks a little better, but still makes S&B look a bit better overall.

What have you all discovered so far?

 

[jackston2]

Two hander weapons get better when you start multiplying your weapon damage (dailies etc)

 

[Makaze]

In my experience individual combat rounds take far less time but there end up being more of them overall. So it's almost a wash in total, but it's way more entertaining.

 

[Ioreck_Thorinback]

I've done alot of looking at 2handers... here's what I've found (basic stuff). There's a bunch more for specific weapons but meh:

Potent Challenge: tacks on con damage to your basic attack, which is what opportunity attacks are. nice since fighters get wis mod as a bonus to them.

Gauntlets: sort of even the playing field - get the damage ones to add another 2 damage to basic attacks.

Reach: fighters are best with it and the polearm gamble feat (use a glaive as well for heavy blade opportunist) - you whack the crap out of anyone that provokes an AO basically within a burst 2.

Weapon Damage: you want to use something that rolls two die (2d4, 2d6) by the time you can get the gloves that let you re-roll all 1s on damage rolls.

AC: by taking your armor optimization feat (+1 feat bonus to ac) you balance out the shield feat, keeping the ac diff at only 2.

Basically, the 2-handed fighter can pull ahead in damage, but not by much, just as shield fighters can't pull ahead in AC too far. The downside is that I believe there is only a single 2-handed power, whereas there are multiple for shields.

 

[thc1967]

I ran our group's first 4e session Friday night. Combats took a LOT longer than they did in 3e time-wise, but were done in fewer rounds. I attribute this to learning the rules.

A couple of my players spent some effort researching their characters and the rules that applied to them. Their turns went incredibly quickly. Those who were completely new to the system wound up taking a LOT longer to figure out what they wanted to do and mechanically how to do it.

Overall, I think once we get the hang of it combats will resolve more quickly over all.

I don't have anyone using 2 handed weapons so I can't comment on that.

 

[Thasmodious]

After making characters with half my group last night (2 players), the player of the gnome barbarian (fighter) challenged the player of the longtooth shifter cleric to a duel. The cleric won initiative, hurt him decently with cascade of light, in response the gnome turned invisible, moved up to the cleric and one shotted him with Brute Strike and a maul. Multiplying 2d6 damage makes a big difference.

(Yes, I know gnomes can't use two handed weapons, this one can)

 

[Old Gumphrey]

After more thought, I realized that we finished 3 combats plus a noncombat encounter in just under 3 hours. That is pretty significant, considering the same thing in 3e could have taken my group upwards of 6 hours.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Using a feat to use the bastard sword that does 1d10 vs using a two-handed weapon that has one lower proficiency bonus and does 2d6 damage seems too much of a no-brainer to me.

Let us say you are using a power that does 6[W] damage and you add 10 damage. You only use it when you have a 70% chance of hitting, or 75% with the bastard sword.

Average damage:
6d10+10 = 43 *0.75 = 32.25
12d6+10 = 52 *0.70 = 36.4

This is about as good at it gets for two-handed vs one-handed weapon. Almost all other scenarioes come out better for the one-handed weapon. Oki, not quite true, you can often add your con to damage as well, so lets say you have 20 con. On the other hand you will often give up a special effect for this to happen.

12d6+10+5 = 57 *0.70 = 39.9

Personally I would go for S&B since I really like the at-will power that lets you push people around if you are using a shield.

 

[Staffan]

From my point of view, they seem appropriately matched. Twohanders do a little more damage, and S&B has a pretty big defensive advantage. That's as it should be.

 

[Mirtek]

From my point of view, they seem appropriately matched. Twohanders do a little more damage, and S&B has a pretty big defensive advantage. That's as it should be.

A "little" benefit against a "big" drawback is not balanced.