multiplication or addition?

[HoboGod]

Well, if it's simply a matter of speeding things up, there are a number of methods to solve this problem. DMs often rely on spreadsheets of randomly predetermined dice rolls for when they must fight with multiple combatants. The DM could ask his/her players to develop similar tables for their damage. Another, perhaps less appealing method, is to omit random damage, instead, players who must roll more than two dice to determine damage shall deal their average damage rounded up on every successful hit.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If somebody has more damage than they do dice, I use electronic dice. If electronic dice is not an option, I let them roll a certain number of dice, usually 6, and add the average of their remaining dice. For example, if they deal 28d4, they must roll 6d4+55 (the average of 1d4 being 2.5).

OR...if you have a 12d6 damage spell and only 6d6, you roll 6 of them, remember the total that comes out, or better yet write it down or have someone else remember, and then...roll the freakin' dice again! It's really not a big deal...

 

[HoboGod]

No, it's not a big deal, but it gets boring and tedious after a while. I for one am not so obsessed with "who has the biggest dice damage" to count 8+ dice every time I cast fireball.

 

[anest1s]

No one mentioned the obvious solution: Get more dice

 

[Herzog]

For me/us, rolling the dice is part of the game...

We always roll all the dice, and if there aren't enough dice, roll the same dice more than once.

Most of the time, you get a just-above-average or just-below-average result, but once in a while you get the 'crit' or 'fumble' result: 6 damage on 6d6, when you really needed that fireball to take out the swarms that have incapacitated all your allies, or 60 damage on that 10d6 roll that just about takes out the minions, leaving the BBEG open for your skirmisher...
That's as much a part of the game as that natural 1 and 20 on the attack rolls and saving throws.

And yes, sometimes it is a lot of numbers to keep track of. If you have people in your group who have a problem with math, it can turn into a drag when someone is spending a lot of time calculating his attack, then his damage, only to remember too late he was power attacking, having to recalculate his attack AND his damage, then remembering he is raging/fatigued, doing the math all over again....

That, for us, is the point where someone more math-savvy steps in and helps with the calcuations.

In several groups, we have computers at the ready for several managing tasks, in one even to project the battlemap and play over a skype connection. We use online calculators to quickly determine how much XP an encounter was worth. Several of us have electronic dice programs on our SmartPhones. None of us has ever suggested using these during a game.....

 

[FEADIN]

Yes, dice rolling is cool, like roll playing
We always roll all the dice, borrowing from other players to get enough for that big delayed blast fireball

 

[radmod]

Or, if you don't want to add all those dice and you're the DM, roll a bunch of random dice behind your screen, ignore them and make up a number!

Your players will be impressed with your math skills!

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I guess the DM and our group thought that as long as the rolls are done in the same way on 'both sides of the screen' that is was a way to speed up play (our group is 7 or 8 players).

If adding up multiple dice is avoided for the sake of "speeding up play" then I'd say your group has issues. It's good that this variant is being applied on both sides of the screen, but it IS highly unusual. In fact, I don't recall having heard of this being done before in 30+ years of playing D&D.

 

[Khazan]

If adding up multiple dice is avoided for the sake of "speeding up play" then I'd say your group has issues. It's good that this variant is being applied on both sides of the screen, but it IS highly unusual. In fact, I don't recall having heard of this being done before in 30+ years of playing D&D.

LOL then we're either A) goofy or B) trendsetters!



yeh, I'd probably go with A.

 

[Herzog]

Funny thing....

Yesterday's session, where we currently have a guest-player, first time in a long time someone rolled once, then multiplied...

Didn't want to correct him either. We'd already had our share of re-takes after having skirmish damage and sneak attack damage applied, only to have it removed again because the conditions weren't fullfilled. (outside 30', shadowy illumination, Uncanny Dodge)