DracoSuave
First Post
While I get what you're saying, the math doesn't include damage outlay from the monsters vs player's non-numerical defenses (hp, resistace, etc), and doesn't include things like standard tactics, player powers that are designed to disrupt tactics, etc. 'A monster hits on a 2' doesn't mean anything in a vacuum. 'A monster hits on a 2 and instakills your level 30 character' is a far more holistic statement, and not what I'm getting from this.
Take a wizard for example.
At level 1, he's got 10+Con hps, and monsters can typically do enough to knock him below blooded in a single hit. However, these same monsters have a lesser chance to hit, normally +6 vs an AC that can easily be 16. It's hard to get more precise than that without a definitive Con score, but assuming a con of 14, that's 24 hitpoints. Goblin Warrior, can easily get +6 to hit vs AC, doing 2d6+2 or 9 points on average.
This makes a DPR of 4.5, and an 'Attacks Until Unconscious' for the wizard of 24/4.5 or 5.33 rounds. The lower this is, the higher the relative damage (or threat) of an attack, making that attack have a damage-threat value of 19%.
This same wizard at level 30 will have 130 hps. He'll have +6 armor, +2 from masterwork, +4 from attribute bonuses, and +15 from level, for a total of +27 to 16, or 43 AC.
Orcus has his wand of Orcus, which does 3d12+12 damage for +37 to hit. This means it deals 31.5 average damage with a roll of 6 or higher. 6 or higher means a 75% chance to hit, meaning the DPR of this at-will is 23.625. The threat value of this is 23.625/130 or... 18%.
So... the threat of a level 1 sharpshooter's at-will to a level 1 character is for all practical purposes the same as the threat of a level 35 solo's at-will to a level 30 character... provided you ignore the powers that character has at the ready.
It isn't the chance to hit of a monster that is important. It's the chance to hit and the damage it does -relative to the hps of the target- that actually matters.
This is what I mean by the statement that examining the to-hit mechanics alone are not enough to get the right picture.
Take a wizard for example.
At level 1, he's got 10+Con hps, and monsters can typically do enough to knock him below blooded in a single hit. However, these same monsters have a lesser chance to hit, normally +6 vs an AC that can easily be 16. It's hard to get more precise than that without a definitive Con score, but assuming a con of 14, that's 24 hitpoints. Goblin Warrior, can easily get +6 to hit vs AC, doing 2d6+2 or 9 points on average.
This makes a DPR of 4.5, and an 'Attacks Until Unconscious' for the wizard of 24/4.5 or 5.33 rounds. The lower this is, the higher the relative damage (or threat) of an attack, making that attack have a damage-threat value of 19%.
This same wizard at level 30 will have 130 hps. He'll have +6 armor, +2 from masterwork, +4 from attribute bonuses, and +15 from level, for a total of +27 to 16, or 43 AC.
Orcus has his wand of Orcus, which does 3d12+12 damage for +37 to hit. This means it deals 31.5 average damage with a roll of 6 or higher. 6 or higher means a 75% chance to hit, meaning the DPR of this at-will is 23.625. The threat value of this is 23.625/130 or... 18%.
So... the threat of a level 1 sharpshooter's at-will to a level 1 character is for all practical purposes the same as the threat of a level 35 solo's at-will to a level 30 character... provided you ignore the powers that character has at the ready.
It isn't the chance to hit of a monster that is important. It's the chance to hit and the damage it does -relative to the hps of the target- that actually matters.
This is what I mean by the statement that examining the to-hit mechanics alone are not enough to get the right picture.