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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5061169" data-attributes="member: 22779">The problem with swingy'ness is that it only punishes the PC's in the long run.  A given monster, by and large, will only feature in one combat.  That one monster's lifespan is so short that the odds of the swing affecting this particular combat are pretty low.However, the PC's feature in every combat.  The odds of low chance events eventually reach 1 the longer you play.Take the crit.  A pretty obvious "swingy" element.  1 in 20 (well a bit less) you do double damage at the most basic.  Sure, a single crit doesn't usually make a huge difference.  Ignoring for a moment the higher crit weapons, because I don't want to assume humanoid opponents, there's still a chance of rolling two crits in a row.  1 in 400 is pretty low and the chances the PC's will do it to THIS monster are pretty remote.But, the chances that a monster will do it to the PC's becomes pretty high after a while.  Figure 10 combats (3e for this) per level, 4 rounds per combat, that's about 100 attacks per level.  Every 4 levels or so, something should be nailing a PC for two crits in a row.  Suddenly, your full hit point fighter goes from perfectly healthy to dead.Good tactics can't prevent this.  Nothing really can prevent this.  The DM gets on a streak, full attacks the fighter, pulls two crits and a third hit as well and the figher gets turned into a fine red mist.That's the problem with swinginess.  All the planning and tactics in the world can't help you.  The dice gods declare you dead and you die.  The troll hits you for 50 points of damage in a single round and your 4th level cleric is now rat jam.  This is one thing they got absolutely right in the 3e DMG - any effect which increases randomness only hurts the PC's, not the monsters.</blockquote>

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