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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 3255516" data-attributes="member: 2011">Often???Bad choice most of the time.Mathematically, it is always inferior. For example:8D6+8 * 50% + 4D6+4 * 50% = 278D6 * 60% + 4D6 * 40% = 22.4The reason is that:x*9/7 * y% + x*9/14 * (100-y%)  > x * (y+10)% + x*1/2 * (90-y%)x*9/7 * (y% + 1/2(100-y%))  > x * ((y+10)% + 1/2 * (90-y%))x*9/7 * (1/2y% + 50%)  > x * (1/2y% + 55%)9/7 * (1/2y% + 50%)  > (1/2y% + 55%)9 * (1/2y% + 50%)  > 7 * (1/2y% + 55%)y% > -85%The percentage for not saving will always be a positive number (even if it is just not saving on a 1), hence, the greater sign in this equation is correct. Any other sign (like < or <=) would result in an invalid equation. The percentage for saving is always greater than a negative percentage which means that Electricity always averages less damage, regardless of the saving throw of your opponent.It is so bad that even taking Spell / Power Resistance into account, the boost to that for Electricity only sometimes changes the damage from better for Fire to better for Electricity (although it does in some cases like when the opponent has an extremely high SR and it is rare that you get through it, but I won't bother to post numbers for that).Even when the opponent normally saves on a 2 and now suddenly saves on a 4 (tripling the times he takes full damage from 5% to 15%), the extra damage is still greater:8D6+8 * 5% + 4D6+4 * 95% = 18.98D6 * 15% + 4D6 * 85% = 16.1The only time to select Electricity is when you know your opponent is more vulnerable to it than other forms of attack, or when you know your opponent has extremely good Fort save, Reflex saves and Spell Resistance. For example, Electricity may be slightly better against very powerful Dragons.But as a general rule of thumb, never use Electricity or Sonic unless you know that your opponent is more vulnerable to them than Fire or Cold.</blockquote>

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