Countdown to Essentials - Powers, implements, feats

[Wormwood]

This line of thought has been making it's way into my brain of late. What are folks with active games going to do when Essentials comes out?

Speaking for my group?

If Essentials is really good (and all signs point to Yes at the moment), then we'll start a new heavily Essentials influenced campaign.

If Essentials isn't so good, however, we'll proceed as normal and just use the bits we like.

 

[YRUSirius]

You've missed the point; most of those static damage modifiers can only add to dice rolls and not flat damage--that's why ongoing damage 5 only ever DOES ongoing damage 5, and not ongoing damage 25 after you add in your Sorcerer's Soul, weapon enhancement, feat bonuses... It's a balance issue.

Yeah, okay, but I'm talking about changing the damage of the monsters as a DM from variable dice expressions (2d8 + 5) into static/fixed/flat/AVERAGE values (15) to speed up the gameplay. Player's still roll for damage. But the DM averages the damage expressions of his monsters. Like minions, you know?

Radiating Gnome played the delve he talked about with average dice values as fixed damage (bonuses included). That speeds up gameplay. Why not? It just makes the combat less swingy and more predictable, but not too much. The math and rules stay the same.

-YRUSirius

 

[Markn]

Yeah, okay, but I'm talking about changing the damage of the monsters as a DM from variable dice expressions (2d8 + 5) into static/fixed/flat/AVERAGE values (15) to speed up the gameplay. Player's still roll for damage. But the DM averages the damage expressions of his monsters. Like minions, you know?

Radiating Gnome played the delve he talked about with average dice values as fixed damage (bonuses included). That speeds up gameplay. Why not? It just makes the combat less swingy and more predictable, but not too much. The math and rules stay the same.

-YRUSirius

We currently do this. To keep players from metagaming we also roll a d6 along with the d20. If the d20 is even (and hits) we add the d6 to the average damage. If the d20 hits and is odd, we subtract the d6 from average damage. This creates a spread of 12 damage. It works very well.

 

[MrMyth]

You've missed the point; most of those static damage modifiers can only add to dice rolls and not flat damage--that's why ongoing damage 5 only ever DOES ongoing damage 5, and not ongoing damage 25 after you add in your Sorcerer's Soul, weapon enhancement, feat bonuses... It's a balance issue.

Well yes, in the normal rules.

If a DM instead tells his players, "Whenever you would roll a d6, just assume you roll a 4" or some other flat amount, you don't need to then purge all of their bonuses.

That seems to be what is being discussed - in the delve, in home games, speeding things up by just having some flat damage replace the dice roll. I don't think anyone would then insist this house rule has the 'ripple effect' of taking away all your normal damage bonuses...

 

[YRUSirius]

That seems to be what is being discussed - in the delve, in home games, speeding things up by just having some flat damage replace the dice roll. I don't think anyone would then insist this house rule has the 'ripple effect' of taking away all your normal damage bonuses...

Exactly.

-YRUSirius

 

[DracoSuave]

I just hope I can pick Ki focus proficiency without needing to multiclass monk. It makes so many character archetypes possible.

Not that multiclassing Monk is a bad thing! Iron Soul Flurry of Blows is a HAWS for defenders!

 

[Dice4Hire]

Hmm, making at-wills average damage sounds like a fine house rule in my games. I think I will still roll for encounters and up, though.