D&D 5E 5e fireballs

[JRRNeiklot]

Monte Cook: "Fireball is a static 5d6. If you want more damage, you
use a higher-level spell slot."

Unless hit points are scaled back dramatically, this is a REALLY bad idea. Fireballs in 3e were useless, due to hit point inflation. I really hope I can ignore this rule without breaking the game.

 

[Hassassin]

Monte Cook: "Fireball is a static 5d6. If you want more damage, you
use a higher-level spell slot."

Unless hit points are scaled back dramatically, this is a REALLY bad idea. Fireballs in 3e were useless, due to hit point inflation. I really hope I can ignore this rule without breaking the game.

I really hope they've scaled back hit points! 5d6 always seemed like the optimal number of dice for a fireball. So many that is feels a lot, but not too many to quickly eyeball the total.

 

[Ahnehnois]

One hopes that hit points, or health and lethality in general, were adjusted in such a way that 5d6 remains meaningful for a while.

That being said, Fireball was an awfully good use of a spell slot up until its damage cap. It may have been underpowered relative to other spells, but it was pretty good compared to what the other characters could do. That's why they felt the need to do something like this which sounds like a really good idea to me, as long as other spells are well-balanced in context with it.

 

[Wormwood]

Monte Cook: "Fireball is a static 5d6. If you want more damage, you
use a higher-level spell slot."

Unless hit points are scaled back dramatically, this is a REALLY bad idea. Fireballs in 3e were useless, due to hit point inflation. I really hope I can ignore this rule without breaking the game.

Game reports imply that hit points have been scaled back.

Monte wants a wizard to be able to do damage in a single round equivalent to nearly a combat's worth of fighter attacks.

I think fireball may be scary again.

 

[Ichneumon]

I wholeheartedly welcome a fireball that properly clears the room of low-level trash again, rather than just gives it a light singeing.

But what I really want to know is: Does lightning bolt bounce?

 

[Fanaelialae]

I'd say that there isn't enough information at this point to make such a determination.

It's possible that there may be damage modifiers. Bonus damage might increase the damage to where it should be.

We also don't know whether fireball is still a 3rd level spell (17 points of AoE damage is pretty potent at 1st level, even in 4e). As far as I'm aware, it's possible that they dropped it down to a 1st or 2nd level spell.

And, of course, it's also possible that hp are just lower in 5e.

 

[Dragonblade]

I reserve judgement on stuff like this until I see it in context with the whole system. I think its way too early for people to get riled up over this stuff either for or against without seeing the big picture and actually playing the game.

 

[Banshee16]

I really hope they've scaled back hit points! 5d6 always seemed like the optimal number of dice for a fireball. So many that is feels a lot, but not too many to quickly eyeball the total.

5d6 is useless if HP aren't scaled back. It averages to...17-18 damage before a save.

I *hope* Monte's going towards scaling powers....like augmentations from the 3E psionic system or the channeling of the old Wheel of Time game.

I prefer the capped HP systems of OGL adaptations like the Conan or A Game of Thrones games. And if some kind of parry/dodge mechanic was added it would make combat way more interesting.

Banshee

 

[ferratus]

I wholeheartedly welcome a fireball that properly clears the room of low-level trash again, rather than just gives it a light singeing.

But what I really want to know is: Does lightning bolt bounce?

I hope not. Lighting bolts are supposed to have the electric current take the path of least resistance to the ground, not bounce off walls.

Bouncing lightning bolts ruin verisimilitude.

 

[BryonD]

I think it is important to keep in mind that it was said higher level slots could provide more damage. So it seems that if you know fireball, as soon as you gain 4th levels spells you instantly "know" L3 fireball and L4 fireball. (obviously assuming here that fireball is level 3, but you get the point).

I like the idea that a L3 spell SLOT is always a L3 spell slot. So it doesn't matter if a L5 wizard or a L10 wizard uses it. And it could still be that the L10 wizard has more tricks he can apply to that slot, may have more range, etc...

To me it looks like some of Monte's Arcana Unearthed stuff, only without being tied to the D20 core system so it goes further in rebuilding. Which MIGHT be really cool.

Need more time to get more detail. But I'm interested here.