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Message: <blockquote data-quote="two" data-source="post: 1751082" data-attributes="member: 9002">Advantages of Hitting Fast, and HardSorren's analysis is leaving me rather ho-hum, if only because I think he's underestimating the power of doing lots of damage fast.If the Psion can put down high DC, energy-specified, target-specified, save-specified boom on opponents, and do in three rounds what it would take a socerer to accomplish in 5 (for example), that's very significant.Because it means that the stuff the Psion is trying to kill dies faster, thus:1)  The party cleric does not have to waste healing spells as quickly, because the enemy didn't get a chance to do as much damage.2)  Other party casters save more of their spells, becuase the enemy dropped faster.3)  Other party resources are not used up as rapidly (rages for barbarians, etc. etc.).I see this all the time in practice.  We don't play with Psions, but we do have some high damage-output PC's, who can do a lot of BOOM but not very often per day.  That's ok, because when they do go BOOM, the rest of the party doesn't squander many of their resources.  It's better for the party, overall, than if we all spent our 30% of resources each battle (individually).  Because by fight 4, (in the very rare instance when this happens), the clerics and casters still have spells to sling - even if the BOOM characters don't shine, they make the party stronger as a whole for keeping resources safe.And of course there might not be a fight 4 or 5 that day, in which cast all those saved up spells count for nothing.Also, not to be forgotten!  If the party is getting whaled on, and a PC or two is close to dying, you definately DON'T want a PC that can do a lot of damage over the long term.  Not needed.  You DO want a PC that can take out the injured baddies, right now.  The party resources saved by stopping a PC death can't be overestimated, and this is something that mass/fast BOOM can help with.I'm not really on a side here.  Just wanted to point out that having the option to do lots of damage very fast is a very powerful option.  In D&D where attack is easier than defense (in general)...those who hit harder often last longer.It's the difference between Melf's Acid Arrow and, well, Scorching Ray.  Sometimes you just need stuff dead, immediately.</blockquote>

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