D&D 5E Random Starter Set Teaser from Google+

[Plaguescarred]

Splint armor! Interesting STR threshold on speed penalty...

 

[GX.Sigma]

Because a player might feel that a greataxe fits their character concept better than a maul.

Yes, and the game punishes that player for not mastering the system first.

2d6 averages higher than d12, but it also does max damage less often. 2d6 gets 12 1/36th of the time, while d12 gets it 1/12th of the time.

Yes, but it also does minimum damage less often. And it never does 1 damage. You can't argue with the math.

 

[DDNFan]

Ugh, the weapon list.

Okay, so, Real Talk for a second. I'm an alpha tester. The weapon list is the only part of the game that I ever thought was legitimately, objectively broken. I told them it was broken as often as I was allowed to. And it's still broken in the release version of the game.

First of all, similar weapons have different costs. Why in the world would anyone buy a greatsword when they could get a maul for cheaper?

Second of all, the greataxe is useless. Look at it. 1d12. The maul and greatsword (which are otherwise similar to the greataxe) have 2d6. Just think about that for a second. The greataxe can deal 1-12 damage. The maul can deal 2-12 damage. In fact, if you do the math, 2d6 averages one point higher than 1d12. So why in the world would anyone use the greataxe?

I'm also seriously p*ssed about the greataxe. They lifted the 2d6 straight out of pathfinder without realizing that this will be three editions in a row now where using an axe is a stupid choice, even at level 1 since you can easily afford any of these weapons.

Wizards can be totally clueless sometimes. Greatsword is flat out numerically superior in every way, as well as a much more common drop (with better properties too) in the magic item tables.

Does 1d12 damage confer any benefit for crits over 2d6? If so, that slightly makes up for it, if you're a warrior.

Somebody at Wizards really, really doesn't like axes.

 

[Mistwell]

Yes, and the game punishes that player for not mastering the system first.

Yes, but it also does minimum damage less often. And it never does 1 damage. You can't argue with the math.

I've yet to see you accurate run the math, and yet you're chastising someone else for pointing out what you obviously never noticed in your playtesting report (the crit die)? The thing you called "broken" when at worst it doesn't come anywhere close to breaking anything and is an extremely minor issue however the math plays out?

 

[DDNFan]

Do all weapons have to be exactly equal? Why can't some be better than others? I'm fine with it. I'm not a fan of balance just for it's own sake - it's a tool, not a goal.

Yes, but if anything Greataxes should deal more maximum damage than a greatsword, if you're going by realism. If you're going by gameplay, it's stupid to make one weapon strictly better than another, because it pushes everyone into a corner.

There is literally no reason to ever use a greataxe in 5th edition, even at level 1. Is that 20gp savings from not buying a greatsword going to allow a fighter to afford better gear with his starting gold? Not really.

 

[Mistwell]

Does 1d12 damage confer any benefit for crits over 2d6? If so, that slightly makes up for it, if you're a warrior.

Yes, it does convey a benefit for crits, and that benefit of course increases if you can get your crit range to increase. The calculation is far less simple than he's making it out to be.

 

[DDNFan]

I've yet to see you accurate run the math, and yet you're chastising someone else for pointing out what you obviously never noticed in your playtesting report (the crit die)? The thing you called "broken" when at worst it doesn't come anywhere close to breaking anything and is an extremely minor issue however the math plays out?

Are you saying in the final rules that it's been confirmed that greataxes deal more max damage on a crit than greatswords or mauls? If so, that makes greataxes not so stupid. If not, shame, shame on Wizards.

 

[DDNFan]

Yes, it does convey a benefit for crits, and that benefit of course increases if you can get your crit range to increase. The calculation is far less simple than he's making it out to be.

I'm okay with that then, but we have yet to see the crit rules.

 

[Mistwell]

There is literally no reason to ever use a greataxe in 5th edition, even at level 1. Is that 20gp savings from not buying a greatsword going to allow a fighter to afford better gear with his starting gold? Not really.

It's one thing to be a charop guy.

It's another to not even comprehend that most people are not charop'ers.

Use your imagination. Why do you think someone might want to choose a greatsword over a greataxe? No, stop talking about DPR and math at all, and ask yourself why someone might want one over the other.

If you really cannot figure it out, that will be telling.

 

[Mistwell]

I'm okay with that then, but we have yet to see the crit rules.

You roll one die of the base damage for the crit damage. So if it's a 2d6 base damage, the crit die is 1d6. If it's a 1d12 base, the crit die is 1d12.