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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 5189202" data-attributes="member: 87792">False.&nbsp; A good encounter takes into account the expected capabilities of the participants.&nbsp; And those capabilities are different edition to edition.&nbsp; You don't need to protect against Scry and Fry in low level 3e or in 4e.&nbsp;&nbsp;Assume there's a wizard with the party in both editions and a combat encounter.&nbsp; In 3e the wizard is either not going to do much other than plinking with a crossbow or he's probably going to eliminate almost the entire fight with Sleep if the PCs sneak up on the orcs.&nbsp; In 4e he's probably going to Thunderwave the orcs into the fire (which means the fire is part of the encounter rather than mostly scenery).&nbsp;&nbsp;I have no idea.&nbsp; (In other words I agree).&nbsp;&nbsp;Because we mentally discard options that suck.&nbsp; There are very few occasions where power attack is mathematically a good idea.&nbsp; The hit penalty is just too high.&nbsp; And for that matter it just replaces an attack that deals damage with an attack that ... deals slightly more damage.&nbsp;Trip isn't worth it.&nbsp; It leaves you wide open, as does disarm.&nbsp; Overrun both leaves you wide open and your opponent just steps out of the way.&nbsp; Feint costs an attack to do very little.&nbsp; Common use of Sunder will get things thrown at the DM by the players.&nbsp;A monster has the option to come into battle bouncing on a pogo stick, and attack by taking his armour off and throwing it at people.&nbsp; That doesn't mean that you count it when listing options.&nbsp; (The other thing is that Power Attack unless used at high modifier isn't very different from a basic attack.&nbsp; But people notice Skullthumper even if they aren't following the math of the fight.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 5189202, member: 87792"] False. A good encounter takes into account the expected capabilities of the participants. And those capabilities are different edition to edition. You don't need to protect against Scry and Fry in low level 3e or in 4e. Assume there's a wizard with the party in both editions and a combat encounter. In 3e the wizard is either not going to do much other than plinking with a crossbow or he's probably going to eliminate almost the entire fight with [I]Sleep[/I] if the PCs sneak up on the orcs. In 4e he's probably going to [I]Thunderwave[/I] the orcs into the fire (which means the fire is part of the encounter rather than mostly scenery). I have no idea. (In other words I agree). Because we mentally discard options that suck. There are very few occasions where power attack is mathematically a good idea. The hit penalty is just too high. And for that matter it just replaces an attack that deals damage with an attack that ... deals slightly more damage. Trip isn't worth it. It leaves you wide open, as does disarm. Overrun both leaves you wide open and your opponent just steps out of the way. Feint costs an attack to do very little. Common use of Sunder will get things thrown at the DM by the players. A monster has the option to come into battle bouncing on a pogo stick, and attack by taking his armour off and throwing it at people. That doesn't mean that you count it when listing options. (The other thing is that Power Attack unless used at high modifier isn't very different from a basic attack. But people [I]notice[/I] Skullthumper even if they aren't following the math of the fight.) [/QUOTE]

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