Monster bonus damage on multiple attacks?

[Kzach]

If you're going to assume they have stealth, then they get the +1d6 to all three attacks. Stealth lasts until you finish resolving the action that breaks it. PHB2 pg 222.

The Halfling Slingers have a specific ability that allows them to attack from hiding without breaking stealth if they miss. Plus stealth is easy to get back if they have cover.

I think this is a good idea. To me stone rain is only scary dangerous when you focus fire. If you have to spread around the damage, its then solid but not outrageous damage.

And therein lies my dilemma. I prefer to play enemies as strategically as I think the opponent would be. I look at the halfling slinger and I think, "Now here is a cunning opponent who will use whatever advantage they can and strike with good tactics in mind."

That means having both halfling slingers in the encounter focus-firing, and communicating and using cover to hide and get combat advantage against the best targets.

This would be much alleviated if the power simply stated that all three attacks must be against separate targets.

 

[keterys]

Just to make it clearer:

Ah, duh, now I get it. Much clearer

Its damage output is still quite high in this scenario, especially if you consider multiple of them ambushing a party (for example, 3 of them targeting 3 PCs still nets you 3 attacks on each), but it's not quite as game breaking.

That said, I find the idea of slinging that fast a little dumb so I'd still be okay just finding some other niche to fix it

 

[DracoSuave]

I don't think it's that dumb.

I use the following test:

Is it dumb if Jason Statham, Jacky Chan, Quentin Terrantino or Tony Jaa is in this scene?

Someone tossing two rocks with slings really quick -is- dumb if it's an SCA reinactment. But if it's a Quentin Terrantino movie, it's Moment of Awesome.

D&D 4e is about the latter, by the way.

 

[keterys]

Fwiw, I'm actually totally okay with it tossing Area burst 1s and such. I just don't like the three attacks with a sling that can be anywhere around.

And none of those actors ever did anything like that with a sling. I would be totally okay with it for thrown weapons, a repeating crossbow, or a bow... but slings are not wicked fast use weapons.

That and generic halfling mook #7 (Slinger Bob) is _not_ one of those actors. The PCs? Sure.

 

[DracoSuave]

Fwiw, I'm actually totally okay with it tossing Area burst 1s and such. I just don't like the three attacks with a sling that can be anywhere around.

And none of those actors ever did anything like that with a sling. I would be totally okay with it for thrown weapons, a repeating crossbow, or a bow... but slings are not wicked fast use weapons.

That and generic halfling mook #7 (Slinger Bob) is _not_ one of those actors. The PCs? Sure.

Generic Mooks are Minions. This is more the two-on-two fight that lasts a little longer.

And if you can't picture someone in an over the top action movie going slingslingsling really fast (or in bullet time) while our hero ducks dodges and weaves, then you have no imagination.

Our wisecracking hero goes around the corner, then minininjas leap out, loading three rocks into their sling, hurling them out with deadly accuracy.

I might have even -seen- that stunt done in a movie. Seems totally like something out of Hero or House of Flying Daggers or something.

 

[Destil]

One point to note is that they're less likely to kill you than drop you. Once you're prone you get a +2 bonus to AC from ranged attack, canceling out any combat advantage. At that point the singer should most likely focus on a different target.

Of course if you're playing the monsters as smart the halfling gang will just hit and run, trying to kill one target then get the hell out and hope they can ambush the party again later...

 

[Squire James]

The most reasonable suggestion I've heard so far for Stone Rain is to limit it to a maximum of one attack per target. I'd go a little further and declare it a single Area Burst 1 attack. I think that interpretation represents the "rain of bullets" concept more soundly than the default ability (which seems more like an "semi-automatic sling" ability).

 

[keterys]

The most reasonable suggestion I've heard so far for Stone Rain is to limit it to a maximum of one attack per target. I'd go a little further and declare it a single Area Burst 1 attack. I think that interpretation represents the "rain of bullets" concept more soundly than the default ability (which seems more like an "semi-automatic sling" ability).

Precisely what I was trying to convey (poorly) earlier!

 

[nicholasgeorg]

I think that this is decided by the context. If the wizard just leveled 5 minions with some well placed 'burning hands', then the halflings cry 'SPELLCASTER!' and focus fire until either the wizard is dead or the party striker drops them.

But that's how I run my games. If the monsters are smart enough to recognize a serious threat, and know to neutralize the threat, then focus fire with huge damage till the cows come home. Thats what you have defenders for - to defend the poor spellcaster getting creamed by sneaky halflings (and to provide cover, dropping said halfling's to-hit bonus by another 2).

And not to derail the thread or anything, but if that wizard is dropped, but jumps back up next round due to a 'healing word'? The next time he goes down he gets the coup de gras.

 

[keterys]

Again, the objection is not to having effective monsters. Speaking for myself, I actually think a number of monsters should be made _more_ effective.

The objection is to having a monster who is so much better than other monsters at the same level and has a burst damage potential far greater than its level would indicate.

This particular 1st level monster is bad. Just like Needlefang Drake Swarms at 2nd level, for a more well known example.