D&D 5E 2024 D&D is 2014 D&D with 4E sprinkled on top

[Minigiant]

I think a good example of the problem I have with Graze is the Pixie. Dragons it kinda make sense. They are huge and, probably, hard to miss, but they have tough scales. So a powerful hit from a large greatsword you can kinda see doing some damage even if it doesn't "hit". Right? A mighty blow that is deflected by the scales, but still does some bruising or something. Not significant to a might beast like a Dragon, but something.

The Pixie though is a completely different situation. If you have a Pixie flying around the party taunting them, turning invisible and dodging while pulling their hair. If the dexterous rogue attacks, he can miss. The swashbuckler with the flashing rapier, can miss. The barbarian with the mighty greataxe, miss. But the fighter with the greatsword? CAN NOT MISS. Two swings and the pixie is dead (assuming 20 Str). Doesn't matter if the pixie is dodging, Disadvantage makes no difference. If the pixie is invisible, as long as the fighter picks the right square, it doesn't matter, he can't miss. Two swings and Splat! Dead.

Sure, the wizard can throw his once-a-day Fireball, but that is in the realm of "Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure." It's massive overkill. But that's what wizards (and sorcerers, etc.) are for.

The pixie never made contact with the greatsword.

The greatsword is so big that the pixie had to use a lot of energy to dodge it when the fighter swung at it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The pixie never made contact with the greatsword.

The greatsword is so big that the pixie had to use a lot of energy to dodge it when the fighter swung at it.

So much so that the pixie died without the sword making contact? Did they have a heart attack?

 

[Minigiant]

So much so that the pixie died without the sword making contact? Did they have a heart attack?

If they died, they clearly didn't dodge enough.

0 HP means you failed to defend yourself and stay alive.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If they died, they clearly didn't dodge enough.

0 HP means you failed to defend yourself and stay alive.

How does that jive with missing the attack?

 

[Remathilis]

How does that jive with missing the attack?

It dodged the object so hard it flew into another object, took damage and died.

 

[dave2008]

How does that jive with missing the attack?

The mistake is in thinking it is missing the attack. It is a miss on the roll. The game could do with with some clarity of language.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It dodged the object so hard it flew into another object, took damage and died.

So you make something up in the fiction on the spot in order to explain non-intuitive mechanics?

Sorry, hard pass. I strongly dislike doing that.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The mistake is in thinking it is missing the attack. It is a miss on the roll. The game could do with with some clarity of language.

But the point being made earlier is that it is impossible not to have an effect with such a weapon, which means if the enemy hp is low enough it's impossible to swing a sword at them and not kill them. This is a problem for some people.

 

[Minigiant]

How does that jive with missing the attack?

Like I said, Falling to 0hp means you failed to defend yourself regardless of it is a hit or miss.

A miss doesn't necessarily mean contact nor no contact.


You can succeed a saving throw but still no have enough HP to survive the effect.

The pixie can succeed a fireball save (you are fast enough to dodge) but she is too tired to fully leap out the way (you take half damage and dodge to 0).

The pixie AC can be higher than the greatsword roll (you are fast enough to dodge) but he is too tired to fully fly out the way (you take graze damage and dodge to 0).

That's who some boxers fight. They gas them until their opponent is too tired to perform what their body has being trained to do. The punch isn't clean (a miss) but you are too hurt and too tired to take the graze to the cheek and crumple..

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[Micah Sweet]

Like I said, Falling to 0hp means you failed to defend yourself regardless of it is a hit or miss.

A miss doesn't necessarily mean contact nor no contact.


You can succeed a saving throw but still no have enough HP to survive the effect.

The pixie can succeed a fireball save (you are fast enough to dodge) but she is too tired to fully leap out the way (you take half damage and dodge to 0).

The pixie AC can be higher than the greatsword roll (you are fast enough to dodge) but he is too tired to fully fly out the way (you take graze damage and dodge to 0).

That's who some boxers fight. They gas them until their opponent is too tired to perform what their body has being trained to do. The punch isn't clean (a miss) but you are too hurt and too tired to take the graze to the cheek and crumple..

1..
2..
3...
4...
5...
6...

Explained the problem with this idea above.