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I would agree that they're largely a ribbon. That said, if dealing 1d6 (3.5 avg) instead of 1 damage is negligible, then so is the choice between a 1d8 (4.5) longsword and a 2d6 (7) greatsword. The difference in average damage is identical, unless the character has a feat or feature to modify...

Sort of. As I recall, the fighter could make their level in attacks against such creatures, but still needed to roll damage. Granted, with a high enough exceptional strength and/or specialization and/or magic weapons, any hit against such a low HD creature could be a guaranteed kill. But it was...

In Flee Mortals, minions do represent something in the fictional world. Two examples are the Pitling and the Blood-Starved Vampire. The Pitling is the lowest category of demon. Essentially abyssal vermin. They're capable of consuming the soul of a dying creature (making it dangerous to go to 0...

Coup de grace is only possible against a helpless target. That isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something like what a vorpal sword can do. Kill an active target that still has HP. Only, without magic (because decapitating someone shouldn't require magic, for reasons that I've...

To the best of my recollection, D&D hasn't ever had official rules for warriors non-magically one-shotting anyone in any edition. Unless you count reducing the enemy to 0 HP via standard attacks, and then simply narrating the attack as such. It's always been relegated to magic (Vorpal sword...

Officially no, but the minion rules in Flee Mortals look pretty good. I was planning to test them out last session, but wouldn't you know it, my darn players talked their way through every encounter. 😂

Even a vorpal sword doesn't allow you to decapitate everyone within 15' (unless you have the reach, number of attacks, and lucky rolls to make such an unlikely occurrence happen). Not really sure why you're bringing that into the conversation. I'm talking about things that are mundane. A...

That's basically just the "it's always worked this way" argument. Unless all you mean is that a fighter shouldn't be able to one-shot the Tarrasque (neither should a mage IMO). Then, sure, we're in agreement. IMO, the fighter arguably shouldn't be able to decapitate the Tarrasque with a vorpal...

The items are magical. The mechanics don't need to be. Worlds Without Number has the Execution Attack action that functions (mechanically) quite similarly to an arrow of slaying. But there's nothing mystical going on. The warrior sets up and executes a kill shot. How many foes does Conan...

Yeah, I would certainly agree with that possibility. All I'm saying is that the black arrow is not itself an arrow of slaying. Everything in Tolkien's passage suggests that Bard made an extremely skilled shot to the heart (possibly aided by the arrow), rather than the arrow having somehow...

A one class party isn't impossible. It's just more challenging (both for the DM and players). I believe all of the 2e Complete Handbooks had advice for running mono-classed parties. I played in a 2e campaign with no casters that went to a fairly high level (I want to say 9th?). My forum handle...

If it was a magical arrow that always landed a kill shot, then why did Bard save it for last? Was he some kind of psycho who enjoyed seeing how high a body count Smaug could rack up? He certainly doesn't across as such in the book. It seems it was his trump card that he was saving, and had the...

I see. So you're okay with a party of fighters stabbing the Tarrasque in the toe until it dies, as long as they're armed with +1 swords? That seems like an arbitrary distinction to me, but to each their own. No. That's not a use of plot armor that I've heard before, though I believe I follow...

I think you missed something. I said that the black arrow is magical but that I don't think it was an arrow of slaying (or at least there's no evidence to suggest that it was). Smaug was killed by a called shot to the heart. Had Bard opted to shoot Smaug in the big toe, it seems unlikely that...

You've also got a major influence of D&D in Tolkien, wherein a (relatively) mundane man (Bard) slays a gargantuan dragon with a called shot to the heart. I think the most magical thing about Bard was that he knew the language of birds? The black arrow was magical, but there's nothing to suggest...

It should require a party. It doesn't require that that party include non-"mundane" classes to slay the titanic monsters. D&D has always allowed one or more party members to be fighters and other "mundane" classes. D&D has always allowed for the all fighter party (even if it isn't necessarily...

IMO, if a group of fighters couldn't slay the Tarrasque or an Ancient Wyrm (without resorting to some extraordinary measures), that would definitely too mundane for high level D&D. The dragon slaying knight is iconic fantasy.

Since we're discussing mundane fighters, you might be right. Although that begs the question of how a group of T4 mundane fighters could slay a Tarrasque (or other beast of similar titanic stature)? Assuming they have a Wish in their back pocket, do they just stab it in the toe until it bleeds...

I mean, who would realistically want to adventure with someone that barks hysterically at every stranger they meet, chases every wagon they see, and has an irrational hatred of town criers? ;)

This is nothing new. As far back as 3e, clerics could gain power from a philosophy rather than a deity. Might even go back earlier, since I played a 2e specialty cleric that followed a philosophy (maybe my DM was just being nice, I don't recall). Even back in the early days of the game you...