D&D 5E Are ranged attacks too good in 5e?

[Bill Zebub]

I disagree.

Re-reading what I wrote earlier, I'll backpedal. A little.

Yes, one can concoct specific circumstances where it would be better to have a lower initiative roll. But these are vastly, overwhelmingly outweighed by circumstances in which higher is better, and I believe this debate started as a discussion of whether having +5 bonus to Initiative is a good thing for melee combatants.

So I'll change "it's always better to roll high" to "it's better to always roll high".

 

[James Gasik]

No fault of their own?

I know we kind of take food for granted these days, but if you go camping for a week in the deep wilderness and you didn't bring food, who's fault is that?

This wasn't a case of people not having bought rations, the adventure itself deprived us of food and the enforced the rule turning session one into a mass of failed die rolls.

 

[Maxperson]

Winning initiative is ALWAYS beneficial, because it gives you an extra turn!

Say Felix and GotreK encounter a pair of goblin, and the fight lasts 3 rounds. Felix won intiative, then goblins, then Gotrek. The last round of a fight is almost always "incomplete", unless the person last on initiative does the last attack/spell/action that finishes the fight.

So if Felix kills the last goblin on round 3, Gotrek only had 2 rounds.

Say Felix was too far(40 feet) to move and attack. If he wins initiative he can move to the goblin and then his first turn is done. If he loses the goblin likely rushes him and his first round is useful, instead of relatively useless.

Winning initiative is not ALWAYS beneficial.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Winning initiative is not ALWAYS beneficial.

Like I just said upthread, it's easy to invent scenarios where you would have been better off rolling lower, but it reminds me of the guy who concluded that seatbelts are dangerous because of that time somebody was trapped in a burning car and their seatbelt was stuck....

 

[Maxperson]

Like I just said upthread, it's easy to invent scenarios where you would have been better off rolling lower, but it reminds me of the guy who concluded that seatbelts are dangerous because of that time somebody was trapped in a burning car and their seatbelt was stuck....

Nah. These situations while uncommon, are not rare. They're worth considering.

 

[ECMO3]

No fault of their own?

I know we kind of take food for granted these days, but if you go camping for a week in the deep wilderness and you didn't bring food, who's fault is that?

You can take this further in D&D parlance - did not prepare spells to procure food, did not have backgrounds or skills that facilitate procuring food.

 

[ECMO3]

Say Felix was too far(40 feet) to move and attack. If he wins initiative he can move to the goblin and then his first turn is done. If he loses the goblin likely rushes him and his first round is useful, instead of relatively useless.

Winning initiative is not ALWAYS beneficial.

RAW Goblins have shortbows. If they won they would likely shoot him and either retreat (out of missile range or at long range) or take cover .... unless the DM playing them does not play smart.

 

[Maxperson]

RAW Goblins have shortbows. If they won they would likely shoot him and either retreat (out of missile range or at long range) or take cover .... unless the DM playing them does not play smart.

Example goblins have short bows, not RAW goblins. There is no rule for how they are armed.

 

[James Gasik]

You can take this further in D&D parlance - did not prepare spells to procure food, did not have backgrounds or skills that facilitate procuring food.

Why prepare a spell to conjure food if you have food on your character sheet? Come on now, lol. Nobody can prepare spells for every possible contingency. Now if the DM had said "in this adventure, you will need to survive in extreme conditions..." sure, you could say not being prepared is your fault.

The part that bothered me the most was the Wisdom Survival checks to gather food that all failed due to the disadvantage.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Say Felix was too far(40 feet) to move and attack. If he wins initiative he can move to the goblin and then his first turn is done. If he loses the goblin likely rushes him and his first round is useful, instead of relatively useless.

Also, I don't DM that way, and I don't appreciate it if the DM does, when I'm playing.

The goblins are smart enough to figure out the same thing the players are. They're not going to either move within easy range and just stand there, nor will they dash and then just stand there. Maybe move 30', then Hold Action (which the players won't know...).