Balance For Irresistable Damage?

[Rystil Arden]

_IF_ I have a psion in my party. I do not intend to manipulate the makeup of the group just so I can be safe against one spell.



_IF_ I have a psion in my party.



Well, the turtle monster will just have to suck it up, won't it? It's still going to be taking less damage than the blitzkrieg monster against everything else out there, and one irresistible-damage spell, properly designed, won't kill it before it gets to hit back. If it _can't_ hit back, well, see what I said about extreme builds.

The Wizard who can Dispel Otto's before it becomes an issue will still have Mind Blank up every day (at least in my games, no Wizard is ever without it at that level--yup, I've also never had a Wizard barred from Abjuration).

As to the turtle--you made Mr. Turtle cry The point is that the Irresistible Damage specialist will kill the turtle and the blitzkrieg monster exactly the same rate (assuming equivalent HP), so despite two CR X monsters, one of them is arbitrarily easier (if we say that this spell is only 50% efficient because of low damage, but the turtle was 75% protected from other attacks, then the turtle is twice as easy as usual--so it was really only worth EL X-2).

 

[hong]

The Wizard who can Dispel Otto's before it becomes an issue will still have Mind Blank up every day (at least in my games, no Wizard is ever without it--yup, I've also never had a Wizard barred from Abjuration).

See above about mandatory team members. I don't make people play a wiz if they don't want to, just so they can have all their weak points covered. Similarly, I don't want to have wizards in every climactic encounter just so the bad guys' weak points are covered.

As to the turtle--you made Mr. Turtle cry The point is that the Irresistible Damage specialist will kill the turtle and the blitzkrieg monster exactly the same rate (assuming equivalent HP), so despite two CR X monsters, one of them is arbitrarily easier (if we say that this spell is only 50% efficient because of low damage, but the turtle was 75% protected from other attacks, then the turtle is twice as easy as usual--so it was really only worth EL X-2).

Yes. So? The irresistible damage spell will do the same damage to both monsters, but as a _party_, the group will still damage the blitzkrieg monster at a faster rate. One spell does not make for an entire fight.

Why are you throwing the group against lone, extreme builds?

 

[FireLance]

Yes. So? The irresistible damage spell will do the same damage to both monsters, but as a _party_, the group will still damage the blitzkrieg monster at a faster rate. One spell does not make for an entire fight.

Actually, the wizard won't be using the irresistable damage spell against the blitzkrieg monster, so even if they both have the same hit points, the blitzkrieg monster will take more damage from the wizard's spells.

Perhaps with the irresistable spell, the wizard is at 33% effectiveness against the turtle instead of at 25% effectiveness. For a party of four, that's an average increase of 8% [25% + 25% + 25% + 33%]. So, they might kill it in nine rounds instead of in ten.

 

[hong]

I reckon D&D what needs is a decent hero point/drama point system (no, not the wimpy Eberron thingy). This could act as a replacement for SR, as well as helping prevent other instances of being killed in one hit.

Spend 1 hero point = avoid Otto's irresistible dance
Spend 1 hero point = avoid being bull rushed off a cliff
Spend 1 hero point = avoid the 100-point crit from a greataxe
etc.

Come 4E, this will be... or something.

 

[KarinsDad]

I reckon D&D what needs is a decent hero point/drama point system (no, not the wimpy Eberron thingy). This could act as a replacement for SR, as well as helping prevent other instances of being killed in one hit.

Spend 1 hero point = avoid Otto's irresistible dance
Spend 1 hero point = avoid being bull rushed off a cliff
Spend 1 hero point = avoid the 100-point crit from a greataxe
etc.

I prefer in character methods over "fate points".

For example, the PCs find a slightly more potent than their level wand, but with few charges. So, they have an in game mechanism to "go to the well", but not often.

I hate totally artificial game mechanic ways for players to know that their PCs will indeed be saved, no matter how stupid of actions they take. That takes the challenge out of the game for me.

 

[James McMurray]

Rampant stupidity will quickly overwhelm, even the most player friendly fate point systems.