Something Awful leak.

[GreyICE]

3e, for all its flawed philosophy of "a stat for everything!" wound up less than ideal, did not disappoint me in this regard. 4e, with its philosophy of "Figure out what is for combat, and what is for not-combat, and here's the combat things, and the not-combat things don't matter," was a lot more problematic for my playstyle.

Actually, with monster reflavoring, you could easily make a 'cat' stat block out of pretty much any stat block you felt like.

Monster creation was dramatically easier in 4E than it was in any prior edition, hence me never really worrying about things not being statted. Only solos were in any way difficult to make. And that is as it should be.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I have but one thing to dsay about the deadliness of housecats: Man airlifted after fight with cat - Your Houston News: Cleveland

And the injuries were caused by.....


a knife. Small point.

 

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

Let me tell: the stats for house cats in 3e are ridiculous, look at that: Cat :: d20srd.org as each attack causes at least 1 point of damage a house cat will kill a commoner 1 most of the time!


House cats DON'T need stats!

 

[CM]

Let me tell: the stats for house cats in 3e are ridiculous, look at that: Cat :: d20srd.org as each attack causes at least 1 point of damage a house cat will kill a commoner 1 most of the time!


House cats DON'T need stats!

Edition War, year 5: It's been a long, bloody conflict but the 4llies are ready to unleash a potent new weapon upon the unsuspecting, pastoral Ax3s villages in the hopes of shocking them into surrender: kitten bombs.


<We now return you to your regularly-scheduled unfounded rumor thread>

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Let me tell: the stats for house cats in 3e are ridiculous, look at that: Cat :: d20srd.org as each attack causes at least 1 point of damage a house cat will kill a commoner 1 most of the time!


House cats DON'T need stats!

lets be honnest. the problem is not the cat (ok maybe it could be toned down) but the hp system.

In 3e a level 1 wizard has 3-8hp (8-18 con) with most mages having 4 or 5.
In 3e a level 1 rogue has 5-10hp (8-18 con) with most having 7 or 8.

a cat with 3 attacks that might hit a level 1 character dealing 1 damage or who might crit for 2-3 damage.


If you put a cat in 4e that had a 'pounce' double attack +1 Vs AC 1d3 damage and a bite attack +2 1d4 damage... 12hp and 13 AC 10 Fort 12 Ref 8 Will, that would work fine...

that stat block still is a house cat, becuse most characters have 20+hp at 1st level.

 

[I'm A Banana]

lets be honnest. the problem is not the cat (ok maybe it could be toned down) but the hp system.

That, plus the old attack logic that gave cats three individual attacks instead of one attack that was a summary of its claws and bite.

 

[Klaus]

That, plus the old attack logic that gave cats three individual attacks instead of one attack that was a summary of its claws and bite.

Everyone knows cats prefer to fight with rapiers!

 

[Dausuul]

No, the problem is the cat. As I said earlier, anything that deals hit point damage can kill. If the cat can deal hit point damage, the cat can kill. Give everybody ten times as many hit points; it doesn't matter, because when Jane the Bad-Ass Fighter has just been through a tough fight and is down to 1 hit point--but still on her feet and capable--a cat can walk up and bite her ankle and she falls over dying.

If you don't think it should be able to kill people, it should not be dealing hit point damage. It's that simple.

 

[Lanefan]

If you put a cat in 4e that had a 'pounce' double attack +1 Vs AC 1d3 damage and a bite attack +2 1d4 damage... 12hp and 13 AC 10 Fort 12 Ref 8 Will, that would work fine...

that stat block still is a house cat, becuse most characters have 20+hp at 1st level.

Most characters yes, but not most ordinary people; and house cats should not be able to kill ordinary people on a whim either.

If you don't think it should be able to kill people, it should not be dealing hit point damage. It's that simple.

Why not? Not all damage has to be lethal.

House cats may not kill people very often but they sure can hurt sometimes.

Which brings up, tangentially, another issue: I hope 5e has a useful system for non-lethal combat and-or damage.

Lanefan

 

[Halivar]

Eh. It's moot to me. In my 3E games, cats did not have stats, and did not deal significant damage any sort. I just ignored a lot of what I felt were extraneous (and quite frankly, ludicrously built) animal entries. I have no problem doing so again. Therefore, it is of no consequence to me if they are included or not. I certainly won't protest their inclusion, and people are asking for it*, so... might as well, yes?

*This is said in the spirit of creating a uniting edition, not with any measure of condescension.