Well, since I was a bit bored I decided to make list of all the different energy types the various classes had access to.
However, having done that, I realized that it doesn't really matter much either way as long as the class has access to untyped damage which is really the single best damage type you can get because all of the energy damage types can be resisted by monsters (or even worse they can be immune).
4e monsters can have 'resist all' or 'resist <energy type>', but there's no equivalent to 'resist untyped'. Why is that? E.g. iron golems are an example that definitely should have that kind of resistance.
There is also insubstantial but it applies to all damage types equally.
Why this gap in design space?
The only reason to choose an energy type over untyped damage are monster vulnerabilities, as far as I can see. The problem is: (with the exception of radiant) they're totally underused!
Looking over MM1 and MM2, these are the vulnerabilities I found:
- undead, green slime & myconid: radiant
- eladrin & firbolg: necrotic
- treant & green slime: fire
- magma beast, phoelarch & water archon: cold
- fell taint & dimensional marauder: psychic
There's also a few odd ones:
- flux slaad: variable
- lycanthropes: silver
- swarms: close & area attacks
- troll: not described as a vulnerability though it should be: acid & fire
I'm sure I missed some, but still: except for the undead (of which there are hundreds), that's not many. And even those that exist sometimes don't do much, e.g. they may just cause the monster to be slowed for a turn.
Now, this might stray into house-rule territory, but I'd really like to see more monsters with vulnerabilities to make the different energy types more appealing.
I am sort of thinking about reversing resistances: make a monster vulnerable against everything it isn't resistant or immune to.
While immunities and resistances may (partially) negate some of your powers, vulnerabilities may make them more effective, i.e. it's actually an anti-grind mechanism.
Have you been doing anything like this?
Or how would you modify monsters to give them more vulnerabilities (ideally without changing their threat level)?
However, having done that, I realized that it doesn't really matter much either way as long as the class has access to untyped damage which is really the single best damage type you can get because all of the energy damage types can be resisted by monsters (or even worse they can be immune).
4e monsters can have 'resist all' or 'resist <energy type>', but there's no equivalent to 'resist untyped'. Why is that? E.g. iron golems are an example that definitely should have that kind of resistance.
There is also insubstantial but it applies to all damage types equally.
Why this gap in design space?
The only reason to choose an energy type over untyped damage are monster vulnerabilities, as far as I can see. The problem is: (with the exception of radiant) they're totally underused!
Looking over MM1 and MM2, these are the vulnerabilities I found:
- undead, green slime & myconid: radiant
- eladrin & firbolg: necrotic
- treant & green slime: fire
- magma beast, phoelarch & water archon: cold
- fell taint & dimensional marauder: psychic
There's also a few odd ones:
- flux slaad: variable
- lycanthropes: silver
- swarms: close & area attacks
- troll: not described as a vulnerability though it should be: acid & fire
I'm sure I missed some, but still: except for the undead (of which there are hundreds), that's not many. And even those that exist sometimes don't do much, e.g. they may just cause the monster to be slowed for a turn.
Now, this might stray into house-rule territory, but I'd really like to see more monsters with vulnerabilities to make the different energy types more appealing.
I am sort of thinking about reversing resistances: make a monster vulnerable against everything it isn't resistant or immune to.
While immunities and resistances may (partially) negate some of your powers, vulnerabilities may make them more effective, i.e. it's actually an anti-grind mechanism.
Have you been doing anything like this?
Or how would you modify monsters to give them more vulnerabilities (ideally without changing their threat level)?