Fire-linked weapons damage: Opinions

[Roudi]

Fire-linked weapons allow groups of similar weapons to be fired together for greater damage effect in a singe attack roll. The current d20 Future rule for fire-linked weapons states:

Each full doubling of the number of fire-linked weapons (two weapons, four, eight, and so on) increases the damage by one-half the base damage.

This could be represented a number of ways, but d20 Future continues with an example in which the damage is increased by one-half the base damage DIE

For example, a fighter using two fire-linked rail cannons (damage 6d12 each) deals 9d12 points of damage with a successful attack.

However, I want to present a method of calculating fire-linked damage that isn't going to hinge on die division and rounding down (also, I find the current method of explaning fire-linked damage to be a mouthful, and requires examples to make the concept comprehensible). Here is how I would present the above example, two fire-linked rail cannons, as a multiplier:

6d12 x 1.5

Each full doubling of weapons increases the multiplier by 0.5 (so four fire-linked weapons are x 2, eight are x 2.5, sixteen are x 3, and so on).

So, of these two methods, which do you prefer? Stat-heads: will either method produce siginifcantly different results than the other?

(note: voting in this poll directly benefits the development of Mechævolutions)

 

[ValhallaGH]

More dice leads to a more consistantly average result. A few dice and a multiplier tends to give widely varied results.

Which method is favored depends upon the intended flavor of the results. If you want hits to vary a lot individually then you'll want to use multipliers; this method includes a low damage 'glancing blow' and a high damage 'lucky shot'. If you prefer to have a mathematically predictable battle ("the freighter will be destroyed in five rounds") then you'll want to use the method that leans most towards the average, i.e. lots of dice.

Over an infinite time line both methods will tend towards average damage but the larger dice pool will be more likely to be average on any specific roll.


Man, I really hope that makes as much sense to you as it did to me.

 

[Roudi]

Yep, I followed you. Thanks for the input... you make a good point.

 

[arscott]

More dice is going to be easier mathwise than multiplication, if you've got the dice for it. It's annoying to muliply things by three and a half.

 

[Roudi]

Hmm. I don't follow the "easier math" idea. I don't see how this:

6d12 x 1.5

is harder than this:

6/2 + 6 = 9d12

or that this:

7d6 x 3

is harder than this:

7/2 = 3.5, rounded down to 3, multiplied by 3 (three doublings) = 9, added to original base dice (7 + 9) = 16d6

The main factor here is that fire-linked weapons never have their damage values conveniently listed for the players and gamemasters: fire-linking is an option applicable to weaponry, and the onus is on the player or gamemaster to figure out what the end result damage will be. I figured multipliers would take the hassle out of the base damage die calculations.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Don't take this the wrong way, Roud my man, but: All but two of the weapons in the d20Future list involve an even number of dice. The two that don't can't be fire-linked anyway (Mines).

Dividing even numbers in half is very easy on the fly and doesn't involve rounding at all. "Half of six is three, three plus six is nine." The next doubling (4x) is 2x the original dice, again an easy number - "Two times six is twelve."

I can do that in my head at a glance again and again. "Half of fourteen is seven, seven plus fourteen is twenty-one."

1.5x(Random Number) is always going to involve a calculator. By definition, you don't know what the variable is until you've rolled the dice and added them up. Very often THAT I won't be able to do in my head at a glance ... 43x1.5 = ? 57x1.5 = ?

That the "Bucket O Dice" weapons of D20Future all have even numbers of dice is, I'm sure, a hard design decision just for this purpose.

--fje

 

[hobgoblin]

and make for a very interesting read when you hit the higher level mines

 

[arscott]

Also, If you're adding dice, you really only have to do the calculation once. After you've figured out that your fire-linked rail cannons do 15d12, you can just remember that for the next time you use the cannons. If you're multiplying the die resulty, you have to multilpy your 6d12 by 2.5 every single time you shoot.

 

[Roudi]

You guys all make some very salient points. Thank you.

 

[Peterson]

This might sound weird, coming from me, but there's another point to consider here in regards to this poll.

Multiple dice just looks/sounds cooler than a straight-up multipler.

9d12 has more of an "Yeah baby!" look to it than 6d12 x 1.5.

Or, at least, it does so in my last group.

Just a thought.

Peterson