D&D 1E Fireball throughout the ages

[mach1.9pants]

I thought it was a fantastic design choice. I prefer games with magic-users who can't instantly end every single encounter from 3 football fields away.

Fireball is not an encounter ender in 5E, just doesn't do enough damage for that, unless it is a pile o mooks. Not like it could be in OS DND

 

[tetrasodium]

Why? Makes sense to me at first glance

it removes the worries that went with being squishy if you can stand 2-4 rounds of dashing away from the fight & accurately target opponents/squares with pinpoint accuracy

 

[the Jester]

Lightning bolts used to bounce also. Lightning Bolt really needs to be widened to a 10' wide strip, or have bouncing added back.

One of the groups I run in 5e found an archaic wand of lightning bolts, with limited charges, bouncing bolts, and 6d6 damage.

 

[cbwjm]

I like looking at how things change across editions. I did something similar for the tiefling, it changed quite a bit over the editions.

An addition to the 4e fireball, it was later updated to be 4d6+intelligence modifier.

 

[R_J_K75]

Does anyone remember a dragon magazine article, I believe it was in a Sage Advice column with Skip Williams, where he said that instantaneous magical fire effects would incinerate whatever it came in contact with but didn't set anything on fire as the fire is gone as soon as it appears...in an instant?

 

[Lanefan]

An addition to the 4e fireball, it was later updated to be 4d6+intelligence modifier.

So...from pathetic to still-pathetic.

That extra die adds 3.5 points damage on average, which if you're a minion is irrelevant (because you're dead or not regardless) and if you're not a minion is still irrelevant (because 3.5 hit points to most 4e creatures is a tiny drop in a big bucket).

 

[cbwjm]

So...from pathetic to still-pathetic.

That extra die adds 3.5 points damage on average, which if you're a minion is irrelevant (because you're dead or not regardless) and if you're not a minion is still irrelevant (because 3.5 hit points to most 4e creatures is a tiny drop in a big bucket).

I mentioned it for completeness, I'm not saying its a huge addition, just that it was adjusted later on to be 4d6+int.

 

[fearsomepirate]

I mentioned it for completeness, I'm not saying its a huge addition, just that it was adjusted later on to be 4d6+int.

Note that in 4e, all spells were attack rolls and therefore could crit. In addition, magic items gave you bonus critical damage dice per plus. And finally, you swapped out your 3rd-level powers for higher-level powers eventually. Fireball was an encounter power, so you'd probably replace it at 13th or 17th level. At 17th, you can swap it out for Combust, which does 5d6 + INT.

Given how many hit points enemies had, that's still not much, though. Probably ~ 27 damage on average. This is at a level where anything you face has ~120 hp and up.

 

[fearsomepirate]

changing the range of so many spells to what was effectively "can I see the target clearly or hear them talk very loudly" was terrible design choice in 5e

AD&D: 300'
3.x: > 400'
5e: 150'

So you're saying the range on Fireball in 5e is too short, right?

 

[JeffB]

Pathfnder 2E

Fireball
FIREBALL
SPELL 3
Evocation Fire

Traditions arcane, primal

Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal
Range 500 feet; Area 20-foot burst
Saving Throw basic Reflex
A roaring blast of fire appears at a spot you designate, dealing 6d6 fire damage.
Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d6.