Escalation dice

[Waller]

Does the escalation dice apply to monsters, or just PCs?

What's the general effect of it in your experience? Does it work as intended?

How do I get one of those special dice from the cool GenCon dice video?

Why a dice and not a... OK, I don't have a better idea. Dice it is!

 

[MerricB]

Only to PCs. Certain monsters (like dragons) also benefit, but it's called out in their descriptions.

It is pretty interesting, especially when the players gain benefits above and beyond just the bonus to their rolls.

 

[Balesir]

How do I get one of those special dice from the cool GenCon dice video?

No idea, but I got a 36mm size d6 from DiceOnline (I think it was) and it is a real fistful and looks pretty cool

 

[Morrus]

One interesting effect is that it reverses 4E habits. Many 4E combats start with the big powers being fired off at the start of a combat, and the combat tailing off with a whimper as the PCs whittle down the monster by plib-plibbing with the at-wills which are all they have left.

The escalation dice encourages folks to save their big guns until later rather than blow them early. The result is that a combat builds towards a spectacular climax rather than dissipates into a lengthy attrition. It's really rather clever.

 

[Stalker0]

Its my favorite mechanic from 13th age. So simple and elegant, and works to fix such a common problem in RPG combat. Though I am curious to see how effective people find it. Its true that with the mechanic firing my doom spell on round 3 instead of round 1 gives me a solid advantage...but is that +2 to DC really worth waiting 2 rounds of combat?

 

[Balesir]

One interesting effect is that it reverses 4E habits. Many 4E combats start with the big powers being fired off at the start of a combat, and the combat tailing off with a whimper as the PCs whittle down the monster by plib-plibbing with the at-wills which are all they have left.

In general I agree with your thought, here, but I am finding that the "blow your load early" tendency has faded somewhat among my players as they have become more experienced with 4E. Nowadays they quite often open with some fairly low-key powers to set a situation up - and then unload the big guns when they have a good number of bonuses from the tactical situation.

The escalation die does add to this, though, and some of the uses of it other than the + to hit (various monster and PC powers may only be used on certain escalation die numbers) are really quite neat.

 

[pemerton]

In general I agree with your thought, here, but I am finding that the "blow your load early" tendency has faded somewhat among my players as they have become more experienced with 4E. Nowadays they quite often open with some fairly low-key powers to set a situation up - and then unload the big guns when they have a good number of bonuses from the tactical situation.

That's my experience too, although at Epic low-key still tends to mean encounter powers (except for the ranger, of course). The players hold off on their dailies in part to build up situational advantages and in part to find out whether they should be spending or conserving them.

 

[Garthanos]

One interesting effect is that it reverses 4E habits. Many 4E combats start with the big powers being fired off at the start of a combat, and the combat tailing off with a whimper as the PCs whittle down the monster by plib-plibbing with the at-wills which are all they have left.

The escalation dice encourages folks to save their big guns until later rather than blow them early. The result is that a combat builds towards a spectacular climax rather than dissipates into a lengthy attrition. It's really rather clever.

I like that thought more than a little I postulated using Desperation powers as replacements for dailies when you were out and perhaps the character/party was at half surges/bloodied or something similar. Partly so that party fire power doesn't have a fading out model but rather gets more wild and whooly as the day progresses.

 

[Garthanos]

That's my experience too, although at Epic low-key still tends to mean encounter powers (except for the ranger, of course). The players hold off on their dailies in part to build up situational advantages and in part to find out whether they should be spending or conserving them.

That ties in to my "Desperation Powers" too though sort of inversely, as I want some encouragement for spending the dailies instead of always saving them up for the biggest confrontation... see you don't get the desperation powers unless you are running out of juice... which if you save up which in my experience is the norm doesnt happen.

 

[Imaro]

Only to PCs. Certain monsters (like dragons) also benefit, but it's called out in their descriptions.

It is pretty interesting, especially when the players gain benefits above and beyond just the bonus to their rolls.

Yeah I really like this aspect of the escalation die, I have a wood elf player in my group who gets to try and roll under the escalation die each round to see if he gets an extra action... I don't even have to remember to raise it because he reminds me every round if I forget, lol.