Unsimplified Fractions -- why?

[jeffh]

This *isn't* a fraction (e.g. 5/5) that can be simplified (e.g. 5/5 = 1/1 = 1). For the example used, it is 5 points per every 5 levels. That means 5 pts at levels 1-5, 10 pts at level 6-10, 15 pts at levels 11-15, etc. A 3rd level caster does the same damage as a 5th level caster and a 7th level caster does the same damage as a 10th level caster.

You'd prefer fractions like: 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 5/5?

Was this an attempt at sarcasm? Because it seems pretty obvious to me what he means, from the title of the thread and the earlier posts. Instead of 5 every 5, he uses 1 every 1. (And he already understands how it works by the book, he just disagrees with it).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Scorching ray, from the PHB, works the same way. The reason it does this, as far as I can tell, is that it's more powerful than it should be at the level you get it.

The general guideline for energy damage-dealing spells is that they do 1d6/caster level. But a 3rd level wizard can do 4d6 w/ a scorching ray. Every four levels, they get an additional ray, So they're ahead of the 1d6 guideline at 3rd, 7th, and 11th, on par with the guideline at 4th, 8th, and 12th, and behind everywhere else.

Are the spells you mentioned more powerful enough that the awkward scaling is part of the spell balance?

In Scorching Ray's case, one reason might also be that they wanted to require multiple attacks with the spell, but if they used "1 missile per level dealing 1d6 points of damage each", the spell would be a pain to use (and useless against any fire resistant critter, too)

 

[Psion]

Why do I have to save all my presents till Christmas? Why can't I have them split into 365 peices parsed out to me during the year?

 

[Thanee]

Looking through the Spell Compendium, I see some weird cases of level-dependent bonuses to rolls, damage, and so on that just seem... odd. For instance, in the Energy Spheres spell, each orb of energy deals 5 points of damage per 5 caster levels. Why not just one point of damage per level?

For this specific spell, it's probably evolved. The original spell deals 1d4 per 4 caster levels for each sphere. They changed it a bit, but kept the basic idea.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Mercule]

This *isn't* a fraction (e.g. 5/5) that can be simplified (e.g. 5/5 = 1/1 = 1). For the example used, it is 5 points per every 5 levels. That means 5 pts at levels 1-5, 10 pts at level 6-10, 15 pts at levels 11-15, etc. A 3rd level caster does the same damage as a 5th level caster and a 7th level caster does the same damage as a 10th level caster.

You'd prefer fractions like: 5/1, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 5/5?

I guess I haven't seen the specific example listed. I'm thinking of a couple that specifically annoy me, like the "Death and Dying" option in Unearthed Arcana where the save DC increases by +2 for every 10 points of damage taken. Definitely simplified to +1/5 IMC.

As far as my, admittedly ignorant, thoughts on the example at hand, I don't see why it can't be simplified. It sounds like saying that a fireball spell that granted +5d6 for every five levels of the wizard or that Cure Critical Wounds heals 4d8 damage plus 5 hp per 5 cleric levels. How does it differ?