Playtest: Am I Doing it Wrong?

[Estlor]

My playtest group just got to 2nd level. I've mostly thrown a collection of 1st level monsters at them (re-skinned goblins and kobolds so there's a little variety) plus an owlbear.

It feels like monsters simply can't hit in this playtest. Granted, my group went a little odd and they're all playing high Dex halflings with ACs ranging from 15 to 17, but the only person I seem to be able to tag is the fighter and he plays ultra-conservative and just uses CS to drop the damage down to a single digit.

So, really, anybody else experienced this, or am I just on a bad streak with my attack rolls?

 

[D'karr]

My playtest group just got to 2nd level. I've mostly thrown a collection of 1st level monsters at them (re-skinned goblins and kobolds so there's a little variety) plus an owlbear.

It feels like monsters simply can't hit in this playtest. Granted, my group went a little odd and they're all playing high Dex halflings with ACs ranging from 15 to 17, but the only person I seem to be able to tag is the fighter and he plays ultra-conservative and just uses CS to drop the damage down to a single digit.

So, really, anybody else experienced this, or am I just on a bad streak with my attack rolls?

The attack bonuses on the monsters with this packet is pitiful. So no, you are not doing it wrong. Make sure you note that in your feedback.

Give the monsters each a +2 bonus and you'll be in the ballpark to hit as would be expected. Then continue playtesting, or keep the bonus as current and you'll pull your hair in frustration.

 

[Estlor]

I feel a little better knowing that. It just seems like with most of the level 1/2 monsters only having a +2 to hit, you're only hitting the average PC ~30-35% of the time (On a 13/14+).

What I'm trying to grok is if this is a knee-jerk overreaction to the HP change, or by design to make 1st level a little less lethal. I felt like I was constantly ripping my PCs apart in the first playtest packet, and now it's one curbstomp by them after another.

 

[howandwhy99]

I noticed XP requirements dropped significantly (from 2000 to 650) while XP rewards are roughly about 2 1/2 x more.

I also noticed PC hit points dropped down to the formula monsters used, so HP totals dropped (for PCs at least). However damage output increased / round, so the game is even more deadlier per hit than it was before.

What didn't change were the odds of hitting. Monsters are still low percentage hitters, while PCs are higher than average hitters.

Except now the monsters fall like cards and the PCs are only able to sustain one lucky hit because a single hit's damage is so high compared to HP.

Now this changes with die rolls which keeps things variable. It's just the high end of damage rolls are so high compared to static HP rolls that low HP rolls are made to appear unplayable.