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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kinematics" data-source="post: 7344759" data-attributes="member: 6932123">Assume you start with an AC where the mob can hit you by rolling a 2.  In order to reduce the damage you take by half (also factoring in the double dice from rolling a 20), you have to increase your AC by 10, to where the mob has to roll a 12.In order to reduce the damage you take by half again, you need to increase your AC by 5, to where the mob needs to roll a 17.In order to reduce the damage you take by (almost) half again, you need to increase your AC by 2, to where the mob needs to roll a 19.In order to reduce the damage you take by another third, you need to increase your AC by 1, to where the mob needs to roll a 20.So AC is more and more valuable the more of it you already have.Assuming you're starting at 16 Str, and you're comparing axe+shield (1d6 + 3 = 6.5) to greataxe (1d12 + 3 = 9.5) for damage, you're increasing your damage output by 50%.  That means that if it took 3 rounds to kill a mob with the axe, it would take 2 rounds with the greataxe.  You'd be reducing your damage taken (in terms of time) by 33%, but you'd be losing 2 AC to do so.If you dropped from 19 to 17 to-be-hit, you'd be doubling your damage taken.  If you dropped from 17 to 15 to-be-hit, you'd be increasing your damage taken by 40%.  If you dropped from 15 to 13 to-be-hit, you'd be increasing your damage taken by 30%.In both of the latter two cases, you'd be taking roughly the same or less damage than before, but only with respect to a single target.If you were fighting two enemies at once, and each took 3 rounds to kill with an axe (ignoring your accuracy), and 2 with a greataxe, but you'd drop from either a 17 to a 15 to-be-hit, or a 15 to a 13 to-be-hit:Axe 17: 35 dice per 20GAxe 15: 28 dice per 20Axe takes 25% more damage.Axe 15: 49 dice per 20GAxe 13: 36 dice per 20Axe takes 36% more damage.This assumes you have initiative advantage on the enemy, so the mob doesn't get to swing at you on the last round of attacks.  If the enemy had initiative advantage on you:Axe 17: 45 dice per 20GAxe 15: 42 dice per 20Axe takes 7% more damage.Axe 15: 63 dice per 20GAxe 13: 54 dice per 20Axe takes 17% more damage.Now, factoring in your hit rate, assuming 65% (Str 16 + 2 Prof vs AC 13), and back to having initiative:Axe 17: 64 dice per 20GAxe 15: 49 dice per 20Axe takes 30% more damage.Axe 15: 90 dice per 20GAxe 13: 63 dice per 20Axe takes 43% more damage.And enemy having initiative:Axe 17: 69 dice per 20GAxe 15: 63 dice per 20Axe takes 10% more damage.Axe 15: 97 dice per 20GAxe 13: 81 dice per 20Axe takes 20% more damage.~~~So axe gains relative to greataxe with:1) Higher accuracy2) Higher existing to-be-hit value (ie: higher AC)3) Fewer enemies attacking you4) Having initiative over the enemyHowever even with all that considered, for typical low-level stuff, you're probably going to be better off with a greataxe.  Note, however, that if you went with, say, a two-handed longsword with 1d10 damage, expected damage taken goes up by about 20% compared to the greataxe, making the comparisons much closer, and possibly in favor of the axe.And in fact, if you were going with a longsword that you could switch between one and two-handed use, instead of axe vs greataxe, I would say that if you have initiative, go with two-handed, but if the enemy has initiative on you, pull out the shield and go one-handed.</blockquote>

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