Mathematically that much of a difference between these two empower options?

[dagger]

I am in two different groups and they each handle the following situation differently.

Let’s say we have a 10th level wizard casting empowered fireball.

Group 1: We just roll 15d6 for the fireball.
Group 2: We do it as per RAW and add half of 10d6 to the total.


What do you think of method 1 versus method 2?

 

[Jarrod]

15d6 is more fun Handfuls of dice! but will have a greater chance of a midrange result.

10d6 * 150% will have a larger variance.

Mathematically they are not equivalent, but probably not enough to care.

 

[Thanee]

Not such a big difference.

As Jarrod said, the main difference is in the spread.
The 10d6x1.5 version has a higher chance for extremely high or low results.

In a game, this difference will hardly be noted.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yep. As above.

Look at the chances for a maximum or minimum roll in each case.

For 10d6 * 1.5, the chances for a maximum (or minimum) roll are (1/6) ^ 10, or 0.0000017%.

For 15d6, the chances for a maxmimum (or minimum) roll are (1/6) ^ 15, or 0.00000000021%.

In other words, you are 7,776 times as likely to get maximum damage using the 10d6 method than you are using the 15d6 method.

Something to think about, anyway.

 

[Thanee]

you are 7,776 times as likely to get maximum damage

Without the actual percentages, that would really sound like a big difference.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Without the actual percentages, that would really sound like a big difference.

Don't you love selective statsistics?