D&D 5E Monster Manual and Players Hand Book Power Levels

[TDarien]

I'll just leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8951Wqi7iJ0

 

[obijon_kenobi]

Re: the "Epic!!11eleventyone!!" huge numbers of 3.x/PF

I've had the somewhat entertaining, somewhat mind numbing experience of generating a bunch of level 15 characters for an annual reunion of most of my friends who I started gaming with more than 20 years ago,and who are now scattered to the winds. (Pre generated so we can sit down and play, rather than wasting the day min maxing). All characters are generated using a 25 point buy, and gear is purchased using level appropriate wealth...and the numbers for any one of them are ridiculous. If I didn't have a good generator (thank you, PCGen), I'd have gone out of my mind.

It's almost like this is the last hurrah before we move on to 5E, and honestly I'm okay with that. 3.x and Pathfinder are great, but my opinion is that they're built to encourage power gaming. 4E is...well it's so mechanically tight, it's sterile. It's a turn based strategy game, not an RPG. 5E is a breath of fresh air, the system is built to emphasize role playing, rather than the efficient murder of wandering loot piñatas. I'll not miss the number crunch of 3.x at all. (As a side note, I love that straight arcane classes are viable right from the start without needing a pile of splat books!)

 

[fjw70]

The fact that when you say Dragon or Devil, players actually cringed at the very thought of even going up against such creatures. In 5E with high powered cantrips, class super powers, not a problem anymore. Oh and if I kick dirt into that demons face I get an advantage right?

Thanks for the reply. So it is more of a danger level for you. I understand that. I don't know how it plays out at higher levels but it has been pretty deadly at the lower levels so far (the PCs are at 4th level and 5 bugbears overwhelmed a party of 4 last week killing one and capturing another but the other two escaped).

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The fact that when you say Dragon or Devil, players actually cringed at the very thought of even going up against such creatures. In 5E with high powered cantrips, class super powers, not a problem anymore. Oh and if I kick dirt into that demons face I get an advantage right?

This proves you dont know what you are talking about sadly. All of those things you just mentioned are still super deadly. PC`s are still going to have a really hard time with them.

 

[Umbran]

No need for the snark...

really? So cantrips are not powerful huh? If you have played 5E which I doubt...

To ask someone else to not be snarky, and follow up with accusations... is unseemly.

If you don't like 5e, that's fine. But if you start going after people in this manner, you are unlikely to find the results pleasing. So I would recommend you tone it down a notch. Thanks.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

????
4 orcs at 1/2 CR are 100 XP each. That is 400 XP together and 800 XP after the multiplier is applied.
For a 4 person 1st-level party, that would be beyond deadly (400). At level 2 it would be at the top end of deadly. At level 3 it is within hard (900). At level 4 it is within moderate. At level 5 it is within easy. I think your multiplier might have been off or something.

That being said, I completely agree that enemies are deadly. I had a CR5 giant croc take the rogue from full to 1 hp in one hit (not a crit). I have had spell casters floor several members of the party with web followed by a fireball. Kenku have split up the party and swarmed individual characters. I have had characters stunned, swarmed and nuked. It is a regular occurrence for some character to be face down on the floor during an encounter.

Thanks for the correction - I used the correct 2x multiplier for 4 orcs, but forgot to multiply by party size. The proper math is as you described it, though of course simply increasing the amount of orcs (or adding a few ogres, orogs, wargs, etc. to the encounter) can ensure they still seriously threaten higher level characters.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned it, yet, but in my opinion...

• A +1 weapon in 5E is about what a +3 weapons was in PF/3X (15% compared to max BAB/Proficiency bonus).
• A +2 weapon in 5E is about what a +6 weapon would have been in PF/3X (33.33% compared to max BAB/Proficiency bonus).
• And, a +3 weapon in 5E is about what a +10 weapon would have been in PF/3X (50% compared to max BAB/Proficiency bonus).​

Therefore, to me, even though the numbers are smaller in 5E, the plusses for magic weapons and armor mean far more in 5E than they did in PF/3X.

Finding a +5 weapon in 5E would be like finding a +16 weapon in PF/3X.

 

[Nylanfs]

If I didn't have a good generator (thank you, PCGen), I'd have gone out of my mind.

Yea PCGen! Also a note that right now there isn't anything in 5e that we can't support. We're waiting on the license to come out, just like the rest of the publishing industry.

 

[SilverfireSage]

The fact that when you say Dragon or Devil, players actually cringed at the very thought of even going up against such creatures. In 5E with high powered cantrips, class super powers, not a problem anymore. Oh and if I kick dirt into that demons face I get an advantage right?

It seems pretty obvious that you haven't played the game at this point. Those things are still incredibly powerful. Just because their AC is lower doesn't mean they aren't still scary.

 

[Warunsun]

I am guessing that you didn't participate in the playtest, in which magic boni on weapons and armor only reach +3- and those are artifacts.

I did engage in the play-test but I didn't run a full campaign or get involved to the large level of testing I did for the 3rd edition one. However, it is traditional for these larger than life magic items in D&D and pretty much in every edition so far they have been used in official products. I don't expect it to stop now. Folks didn't expect Unearthed Arcana until it showed up and was like "what the hell" by some and "I have to use that" by most.