D&D 4E How do you run attack rolls in 4e?

[Wormwood]

It seems like 4e is meant to be played pretty 'above board.' You know the details of status effects on you, there are quite a few powers that specify you can decide to use them after hearing the result of attack or damage roll, etc...

Yep. Shield would be a little frustrating if the DM obfuscated everything, IMO.

Anyway, when I DM I believe I fit option 3:

Me: The Orc Nutpuncher gets a 16 vs. your AC
Player: Miss

 

[deleteme123456]

I at least tell my players which defense was hit, and I can track temporary bonuses pretty easily, or if it's close enough that I'm not sure, I will default back to option 3 and just say "21 vs your AC?"

 

[Mengu]

Option 3 most of the time. When I ask "Does 19 hit your AC?" this also gives them a better idea of how useful it would be to use an immediate interrupt such as Staff of Defense, Shield, Disruptive Strike, Slippery Mind, etc.

 

[Siran Dunmorgan]

My local group tends to (3); informing the player of the attack roll and defense targeted tends to help them feel more involved in the game, as each player keeps track of their own bonuses, penalties, and conditions.

For us, use of (2) tends to be exclusively a prelude to (1), and that only in ambuscade situations.

Using (1) all the time suggests that the adventurers—who, at least in the view of our group are assumed to be competent adventurers—don't have sufficient situational awareness to know that they're being attacked, by what, and how well.

It's a bit like having a soldier in our world who, in the midst of a fight with well-armed foes, doesn't know the difference between an incoming attack with a knife, a taser, a grenade, or just getting yelled at, these being attacks vs. AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will, respectively.

—Siran Dunmorgan

 

[the_bruiser]

I actually go one step further - basically, players roll all dice that affect them. So rather than having a monster's +5 attack roll against a player's 16 AC, implying 50% chance of hit, I have the player roll a +6 AC roll vs. the monster's 17 defense roll, implying 50% chance of hit.

Key points: (i) perfect transparency to players (which I could see some people viewing as a negative, but it's fine for us), (ii) they feel like their AC is DOING something rather than passive, (iii) easier for me, and (iv) they know I can't fudge anything.

Note that you have to add +12 to enemy attack DCs compared to a +10 to PC ACs to make the math work out the same, because (i) 11 vs. 10 would be 'equal,' b/c both are 50/50 split adjustments, but (ii) you have to add an additional +1 from 11 to 12 to keep the 'tiebreaker' always on the benefit of the attacker the way that base rules imply.

Not sure if the above makes any sense, but this system has been fantastic for us.

 

[WhatGravitas]

It's a bit like having a soldier in our world who, in the midst of a fight with well-armed foes, doesn't know the difference between an incoming attack with a knife, a taser, a grenade, or just getting yelled at, these being attacks vs. AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will, respectively.

This. I also think people can tell a near hit (roll just missed by one) apart from something that went totally bonkers. If I throw something at you, you can tell whether it's a solid hit, a glancing hit, or way wrong. The PCs should know it similarily well, I think.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Jack99]

As a DM, all rolls that I make are in the open and has been like that for at least 10 years. So I just state what it hits (if it is in the neighborhood of something they have) and ask if it hits.

 

[Jack Colby]

I have the defenses written down, but find it difficult to reference them. I usually ask the players what their defenses are unless I remember, or it's obvious the attack was higher than anyone's defenses. Also, I do roll in the open, so everyone can see what happened and the player involved usually volunteers "that hits" without me asking (provided I say something like "vs. AC..." when I roll.)

 

[kouk]

I usually end up with option 3, but sometimes use option 2, usually at the beginning of a fight (sort of like they are feeling the enemy out).


My players love "Ah hah!" moments where they "get one over" on the monster by raising their AC at the last moment.

 

[jeffh]

Option 3 where it's not a foregone conclusion. Even if I know the character's relevant defence, I've gotten into the habit of announcing what the attack roll was anyway.

(On foregone conclusions: I was telling a player tonight that in 4E, even more than in earlier versions of the game, you can count on a natural 16 or better hitting and a natural 5 or worse missing unless something really strange is going on.)