"No save or die", but now "20 and TPK".

[Henrix]

At that point, why not retain saves? Its faster to ask the players to roll their saves than roll a different attack for each of them.

Because this way the player spellcasters gets something to roll, and can crit or fail.


One attack roll might be good for all mooks, though.

 

[olshanski]

I am assuming that the assumptions assumed by the assumers on this thread are merely assumptions.

 

[Aloïsius]

I agree, it would be nice if some WotC designer could post something along the line of "no problem, we take care of that".

 

[Henry]

I am assuming that the assumptions assumed by the assumers on this thread are merely assumptions.

I'm assuming that your assumption is correct.

One thing I hope they do (and with Dave Noonan on the project I'm sure they have) is to reduce the number of dice you have to roll for the Dragon's breath. Remember that article where he talked about streamlining the 2006 "Red Dragon vs. level 20 PCs Gencon Event" article? He says he took the Dragon's 24d10 and came up with an average value for the damage, while still letting the DM roll a respectable number of dice on the table. (I think he went from 24d10 to 9d10 + 80, or something like that?)

 

[Bagpuss]

I am assuming that the assumptions assumed by the assumers on this thread are merely assumptions.

Nah, more like "best guesses".

 

[ThirdWizard]

I can't remember the last time a dragon used a breath weapon and the PCs didn't have protection from energy up. Double damage might hit 20-30 or so under 3e rules. Dunno how 4e will handle all this.

 

[BryonD]

I am assuming that the assumptions assumed by the assumers on this thread are merely assumptions.

Except for when they are guesses.

 

[Blothar]

I can't remember the last time a dragon used a breath weapon and the PCs didn't have protection from energy up. Double damage might hit 20-30 or so under 3e rules. Dunno how 4e will handle all this.

In the Dragon fight article they even mention the wizard having some protection, and it sounded like an at will power at that.

 

[Cake Mage]

More proof evidence pointing towards of criticals on Area effect attacks.


Wizards already can critcal with their ray spells, the ones they can't critical with tend to be area effects like fireballs.

Now you might think you roll a d20 against each target in the area effect.

Is it really going to speed up the game if the wizard now rolls a d20 for each creature that is under the fireball template, and then has to apply separate damage to each one depending on if he missed (half damage) hit (full damage) criticalled (double damage). .

But remember that fireballs no longer do 1d6/level. Could be less, could be more! We don't know.

But I think that if it does more maybe like 1d10/level and they can crit with that, then WotC would have some kind of counter measure like all creatures are going to have alot more HP. or better saves, resistances, something.

My guess is that spells that deal damage will all have the same level or power dependancy for bonus dmg.
So fireball would deal base dmg of 25 points. Then you would add +1 per caster level or something.

 

[Paraxis]

My guess.
We already know they want fewer dice pools of damage for spells, best guess is something like 3d6+X for fireball with X being a number based on level. What if this is done for all spells and monster effects like breath weapons.

Now just change crits to do double "Dice" damage. Makes crits still "Fun" and exicting but means it helps keep total TPK with area effect attacks, and controls current game breaking things like 2-handed power attacks.

Again we are abunch of blind guys touching an elephant and they are not even letting us have the whole elephant in the room yet its more like we are all touching the foot.

Assumptions and speculation are fun, but lets reserve making new house rules and saying things are broken atleast untile May.