Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Is D&D combat fun?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 8410145" data-attributes="member: 45197"><p>Hiya!</p><p></p><p>(Quick note to [USER=9984]@mrswing[/USER] ; I think your DM ran "UK3 - The Gauntlet" incorrectly; it's basically a "siege" where the PC's are sort of caught in the middle; the 'arriving forces' want something from the 'defending forces' in the Keep and ask the PC's to do it for them...if they do it, the 'arriving forces' leave; so, basically, the PC's aren't really supposed to try and massacre everyone in the Keep...or outside the Keep; anyway, this is just my interpretation, as I never DM'ed it...got close, but the PC's chose other paths)</p><p></p><p>Now... 5e Combat is "Generally OK". The biggest problem we had/have is once PC's even get close to 'mid level' (for us, that's 5th), the "solo" bad guys HP pool is just way to much with very little 'actual' threat from them....and it can easily turn into a slog. I have toyed with simply lowering HP's, but think simply adding some more "deadliness" to combat would be better. Which is... you get a Critical if you hit your opponent by MORE than 5 points. If you do that, double damage. If you do that AND the roll is a Natural 20, you <em>maximum</em> double damage. This may cut down on the HP's faster...and make the creature a bit more deadly! But...never tried it yet. Maybe next time I DM. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>I prefer Hackmaster 4th Edition combat the best out of all the "D&D systems"...with BECMI coming in a very close second. I have 'simplified' HM4 combat in some minor respects (Armor HP's only go down by the amount of dice damage minimum; e.g., 2d6 weapon takes of 2hp and only on a Critical, for example). But the "Penetration Damage", "Follow-through Damage", "Threshold of Pain", "Fatigue", "Spell Mishap", "Fumbles" and those <em>lovely</em> "Critical Hit Tables" make combat so fun and often unpredictable! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Compared to HM4 combat, 5e combat is watered-down gruel. But then again, it isn't called HACKmaster for nothing! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> With 5e, the combat is supposed to be 'exciting, but not any more important than anything else'; meaning the PC's are generally "supposed to win in a few rounds" except for the 'major' fights. Different design goal. Not bad, but, well, "Generally OK". <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>^_^</p><p></p><p>Paul L. Ming</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pming, post: 8410145, member: 45197"] Hiya! (Quick note to [USER=9984]@mrswing[/USER] ; I think your DM ran "UK3 - The Gauntlet" incorrectly; it's basically a "siege" where the PC's are sort of caught in the middle; the 'arriving forces' want something from the 'defending forces' in the Keep and ask the PC's to do it for them...if they do it, the 'arriving forces' leave; so, basically, the PC's aren't really supposed to try and massacre everyone in the Keep...or outside the Keep; anyway, this is just my interpretation, as I never DM'ed it...got close, but the PC's chose other paths) Now... 5e Combat is "Generally OK". The biggest problem we had/have is once PC's even get close to 'mid level' (for us, that's 5th), the "solo" bad guys HP pool is just way to much with very little 'actual' threat from them....and it can easily turn into a slog. I have toyed with simply lowering HP's, but think simply adding some more "deadliness" to combat would be better. Which is... you get a Critical if you hit your opponent by MORE than 5 points. If you do that, double damage. If you do that AND the roll is a Natural 20, you [I]maximum[/I] double damage. This may cut down on the HP's faster...and make the creature a bit more deadly! But...never tried it yet. Maybe next time I DM. ;) I prefer Hackmaster 4th Edition combat the best out of all the "D&D systems"...with BECMI coming in a very close second. I have 'simplified' HM4 combat in some minor respects (Armor HP's only go down by the amount of dice damage minimum; e.g., 2d6 weapon takes of 2hp and only on a Critical, for example). But the "Penetration Damage", "Follow-through Damage", "Threshold of Pain", "Fatigue", "Spell Mishap", "Fumbles" and those [I]lovely[/I] "Critical Hit Tables" make combat so fun and often unpredictable! :) Compared to HM4 combat, 5e combat is watered-down gruel. But then again, it isn't called HACKmaster for nothing! ;) With 5e, the combat is supposed to be 'exciting, but not any more important than anything else'; meaning the PC's are generally "supposed to win in a few rounds" except for the 'major' fights. Different design goal. Not bad, but, well, "Generally OK". :) ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Is D&D combat fun?
Top