Illogical Truth - Multiple Attacks?

[TwoSix]

The important thing to remember is that the term "more consistent" has no mathematical meaning, and that the standard deviation is at best loosely correlated with what we might feel the term "consistent" actually means.

A low standard deviation is for values where there's a lot of response rate around the mean, and high standard deviation means there's more response rate away from the mean. It has little to do with consistency. The 40% peak at 0 is going to make Firebolt's standard deviation really high.

 

[Wiseblood]

Brb going to learn statistics.

 

[Jester David]

And then you factor in critical hits, as spells crit 5% of the time. So something like 10% of firebolts that hit will crit and do 8d8 damage, and a comparable number of eldritch blasts, which only do 2d10. But with multiple attacks, you also have a higher chance of a crit: instead of once every 20 rounds it’s once every 5 rounds.

And there’s also the overdamage. A firebolt can kill a creature and waste the damage. But an eldritch blast can spread out the damage.

 

[Charlaquin]

And there’s also the overdamage. A firebolt can kill a creature and waste the damage. But an eldritch blast can spread out the damage.

Assuming the DM allows you to see the results of one beam before declaring the target of the next. Not an unreasonable assumption to make, but also not a guarantee.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Assuming the DM allows you to see the results of one beam before declaring the target of the next. Not an unreasonable assumption to make, but also not a guarantee.

You’re making multiple attacks. Is there a RAW basis for not “allowing” that?

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Most characters casting EB are Warlocks. So each blast gets stat bonus to damage?

Only if you get the corresponding invocation. But you'll probably do if you plan to use EB as your main damage spell (so there's hardly any point in getting Fire Bolt as Warlock, you will want utility cantrips aprt from EB as your main spells are always of highest level and consequently more suitable for damage).

 

[Jester David]

Assuming the DM allows you to see the results of one beam before declaring the target of the next. Not an unreasonable assumption to make, but also not a guarantee.

You’re making multiple attacks. Is there a RAW basis for not “allowing” that?

Same as a fighter making additional attacks with the Extra Attack feature.
Page 293-4 covers that, saying you pick the target, roll, and resolve. There’s nothing mandating you to declare prior in the rules.*

But... even if your DM does rule that you have to declare all the targets at once, a clever player will spread out the attacks when facing mooks.


*It should be noted that the rule for moving between attacks explicitly says "weapon attacks"

 

[Charlaquin]

You’re making multiple attacks. Is there a RAW basis for not “allowing” that?

No, but I’ve seen enough DMs rule that way anyway that I no longer take for granted that the RAW will be followed in this case.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Same as a fighter making additional attacks with the Extra Attack feature.
Page 293-4 covers that, saying you pick the target, roll, and resolve. There’s nothing mandating you to declare prior in the rules.*

But... even if your DM does rule that you have to declare all the targets at once, a clever player will spread out the attacks when facing mooks.

No, but I’ve seen enough DMs rule that way anyway that I no longer take for granted that the RAW will be followed in this case.

Guess this boils down to one of those things where I believe players should tell the DM no when they make a ludicrous, bad, ruling. IMO, any DM who cant handle that shouldn’t be a DM.

 

[Charlaquin]

Guess this boils down to one of those things where I believe players should tell the DM no when they make a ludicrous, bad, ruling. IMO, any DM who cant handle that shouldn’t be a DM.

Sure, if the players have a problem with the ruling, the DM should be willing to hear their case and try to find an equitable solution. Though the call is ultimately the DM’s to make. But we’re getting pretty far afield of the topic here.