Rule of Three: 20/3/12

[GreyICE]

Are they keeping "miss damage?"

It's been in every edition of D&D. I doubt it's leaving now.

 

[Mark CMG]

It's been in every edition of D&D. I doubt it's leaving now.

Aside from being on the edge of a fireball and taking half damage, and the like, could you detail the various miss effects you believe carried over from "every edition of D&D" forward?

 

[GreyICE]

Aside from being on the edge of a fireball and taking half damage, and the like, could you detail the various miss effects you believe carried over from "every edition of D&D" forward?

Actually whenever a fireball missed you it did half damage. Most area spells did similar. Disintegrate did auto damage if you made the save. Many higher level spells did damage no matter what.

So you're complaining about something that has always been there.

 

[Mark CMG]

Actually whenever a fireball missed you it did half damage. Most area spells did similar.

Right, my point. You're on the edge, able to grab some cover, etc. was always the rationale for that save for half.

Disintegrate did auto damage if you made the save. Many higher level spells did damage no matter what.

So you're complaining about something that has always been there.

Not as such. Now, how many miss effects are only possible in a modern version of the game?

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Right, my point. You're on the edge, able to grab some cover, etc. was always the rationale for that save for half.

For those of us who have used minis since BD&D, nothing in the rules said you had to be "on the edge" to take half damage, IIRC. You could be dead-center of the fireball and still get your save. So, making your save could be rationalized as you say or others could be used. The same rationalizations are used when you are missed by a 4E fireball.

 

[pemerton]

At a certain point, the Kingpriest raised his voice to the heavens, demanding that the gods of Good bestow upon him the power to eradicate Evil, since they did so with the humble-born knight Huma and he (the Kingpriest) was a much nobler being. For trying to command the gods, the Kingpriest received a comet that hit Istar and caused the Cataclysm.

And somehow this mass murder consequence upon the actions of one particular individual is meant to be Good.

The inanity of D&D's alignment system knows no limits . . .

 

[pemerton]

Right, my point. You're on the edge, able to grab some cover, etc. was always the rationale for that save for half.

The DMG offers a number of possible rationales for taking half damage, including modifying the magic itself (if an MU saves), being protected by the gods (if a Cleric saves), toughing it out (if a fighter saves), etc. It is only 3E, by codifying the save as a Reflex save, that makes dodging/grabbing cover etc the canonical explanation for a successful save vs fireball and the like.

 

[Mark CMG]

The DMG offers a number of possible rationales for taking half damage, including modifying the magic itself (if an MU saves), being protected by the gods (if a Cleric saves), toughing it out (if a fighter saves), etc. It is only 3E, by codifying the save as a Reflex save, that makes dodging/grabbing cover etc the canonical explanation for a successful save vs fireball and the like.

I'd imagine that codified rationale stems from what we (many early players) always did, or understood it to be, prior to 3.XE and as far back as I can recall. This is how everyone I know thought of it as far as I can remember right back to the earliest days, so it no surprise to me that it finally became the "official" rationale at one point.

 

[pemerton]

I'd imagine that codified rationale stems from what we (many early players) always did, or understood it to be, prior to 3.XE and as far back as I can recall. This is how everyone I know thought of it as far as I can remember right back to the earliest days, so it no surprise to me that it finally became the "official" rationale at one point.

While I always assumed that that was what a thief or monk was doing, I tended just to follow the DMG suggestions for what was going on with the other classes.