Jennifer Clarke Wilkes on Paragon level Playtesting

[Intrope]

If I had a battle against a dragon last only 7 rounds without the cause being some amazing luck (or bad luck) on one, either or both sides, I'd be disappointed! :\

So would I! But it seemed (throughout 3.x) that most encounters tended to be very short (note: no Dragons are included in this). My theory is that 4e reduces the damage output/round of everything, so that combats will last longer and that larger numbers of weaker opponents are a meaninful challenge.

 

[hong]

If I had a battle against a dragon last only 7 rounds without the cause being some amazing luck (or bad luck) on one, either or both sides, I'd be disappointed! :\

The fight against Dragotha in the penultimate Age of Worms module took us 4 rounds, IIRC.

It's simple arithmetic. Dragotha has ~750 hp. The party (6 of us) can deal ~200 points of damage per round. Therefore the fight will last about 4 rounds, without any flukey die rolls.

 

[Irda Ranger]

1 PC to every 4 dragons, and 1 PC to every goblin? Methinks you've got your ratios backwards.

No. One dragon per 4 PC's.

Five is the assumed party size in 4e.

I know.

 

[Merlin the Tuna]

No. One dragon per 4 PC's.

Right. Your ratio is backwards. That was kind of the point.

 

[Ahglock]

The party consisted of five characters: a tiefling warlock (infernal, naturally), a halfling rogue, a dwarf fighter (polearm specialist and opportunity attack monster), a human cleric, and an eladrin wizard.

Wow that's playing to type.

I hope that is just because it was cool or it felt right and not because you are a gimp if you don't. Not that any edition has been great about this but I would really be disappointed if racial benefits are so large that its just a bad decision not to play to type.

 

[hong]

I just hope they put the high-level numbers through a more rigorous wringer this time than for 3E.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I hope that is just because it was cool or it felt right and not because you are a gimp if you don't. Not that any edition has been great about this but I would really be disappointed if racial benefits are so large that its just a bad decision not to play to type.

This is why all content should be playtested with 100 percent gnome parties.

 

[Ahglock]

I just hope they put the high-level numbers through a more rigorous wringer this time than for 3E.

What you don't like 1 hour 2 round fights where its assumed at least one PC will die every fight.

 

[Ahglock]

This is why all content should be playtested with 100 percent gnome parties.

Yeah but how can they start adventuring if they can't get off my lawn.

 

[WayneLigon]

If I had a battle against a dragon last only 7 rounds without the cause being some amazing luck (or bad luck) on one, either or both sides, I'd be disappointed! :\

Two weeks ago, the party in my game had their first real fight with a dragon at 12th level. 6 PC's; the only arcane caster is an artificer/Cannith Wand Adept; the others are a Ranger, a halfling paladin, a cleric, an elven rogue/fighter/initiate of the order of the bow, and a rogue/fighter/master inquisitive/citidal elite. Dragon is CR 14, advanced with 500 HP. Dead in five rounds, even with trapping people in it's freezing fog, and putting four of the six down to <10% of their hit points in that time.