Illogical Truth - Multiple Attacks?

[doctorbadwolf]

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.

Fair enough.

I’d say it’s been quite well established that EB is more reliably going to do moderate damage, while FB has a higher rate of high end damage, but a higher rate of no damage as well.

 

[Satyrn]

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.

Hey, it's not always the DM to blame! A couple players at my table keep rolling all their attacks at once, even after I told them them they didn't have to, and that they'd be better off not doing so.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Hey, it's not always the DM to blame! A couple players at my table keep rolling all their attacks at once, even after I told them them they didn't have to, and that they'd be better off not doing so.

I roll all the d20s at once (or, in quick succession, so that we know which attack was a crit if one should happen), and then we adjudicate those attacks one by one.

 

[Satyrn]

I roll all the d20s at once (or, in quick succession, so that we know which attack was a crit if one should happen), and then we adjudicate those attacks one by one.

Do you declare who you're attacking after you've rolled the dice?

Edit: Perhaps the better question is simply "When do you declare who you're attacking?" Those players at my table are essentially declaring targets for all their attacks before resolving any of them.

 

[5ekyu]

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

Then you are not comparing the cantrips but classes thst have chosen canttip boosting features using cantrips which is z different thing. How does the math work out when portent or empowered evocation get in the mix, much less other options like say potent cantrip on a save one, twinned or empowered firebolts from sorcs, etc.

For this comparison, I wonder how much the crit odds make any difference - fire bolt 1 in 20 doubling all dice vs 1 in 20 on each hit doubling one dice.

Given how many ways things interact on "a hit" or "an attack" most likely any deviations in raw odds and expected get overwhelmed by how well these other features coordinate.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Do you declare who you're attacking after you've rolled the dice?

Edit: Perhaps the better question is simply "When do you declare who you're attacking?" Those players at my table are essentially declaring targets for all their attacks before resolving any of them.

AH, yeah, we declare a target, and if it drops before all attacks are resolved, we select a new target. Unless we are splitting our attacks from the beginning, of course.

 

[Satyrn]

AH, yeah, we declare a target, and if it drops before all attacks are resolved, we select a new target. Unless we are splitting our attacks from the beginning, of course.

Oh. I don't generally let my players redeclare . . . Although I just remembered now that they also tend to tell me the results of all their attack rolls first, then roll all the damage together, so there's no way to know which attack actually felled the fellow.

 

[Charlaquin]

Hey, it's not always the DM to blame! A couple players at my table keep rolling all their attacks at once, even after I told them them they didn't have to, and that they'd be better off not doing so.

Yeah, I’ve seen this a lot too.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Brb going to learn statistics.

Combinatorics and probability, not statistics. Stats is for analyzing data, especially sample data or observation data which is representative of a given population and determining with some accuracy the value of some characteristic of the population as a whole. Combinatorics and probability are about dealing with the outcomes of unpredictable events by analyzing the entire set of outcomes.

 

[Dausuul]

Average damage, against a single target, is exactly the same: 22 (average of 4d10) x chance to hit. (Plus crit damage, but that also will come out the same.) Fire bolt is swingier but the average is identical. I don't know whether the error is in your inputs or a bug on the site, but there is definitely an error.

In practice, EB is superior because a) you will waste less damage on blow-through with multiple targets, and b) you will encounter fewer resistant/immune monsters.