Why the die increase discontinuity?

[Scion]

At some point the standard rules for increasing damage dice from whatever means hits a discontinuity, generally with the jump from d8 to 2d6.

I was thinking about this in another thread, does anyone have any ideas as to why this happens? Does it happen at any other point?

Also, where does one find the extrapolation for very high damage dice? I know I have seen it, just cant find it right now.

It would be nice if the progression was like this:
Single chart of die advancement: d1 -> d2 -> d3 -> d4 -> d6 -> d8 -> d10 -> 2d6 -> 3d6 -> 4d6 -> 5d6 -> 6d6
So that would be avg: 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 7, 10.5, 14, 17.5, 21, etc

That is a very smooth adjustment that still gives some extra benefit to the very large creatures out there. It may take a little more adjustment in the very high end (at some point extra d6's should be added each time, likely after 6d6 it will add 2d6 each time for 3 times then 3d6 each time for 3 times and so forth.. that should be perfect.


Still though, it doesnt, and it does some odd things in various parts of the system where in one case your increase is fairly minor (d6 to d8) but with the same effect but in a slightly different place the increase is much more noticeable (d8 to 2d6 instead of d10).

Ideas?

 

[Crothian]

My guess is that who ever wrote it just made up the progression and everyone else just said ok

 

[Stalker0]

I think it may have to do with the oppurtunity cost of losing a hand going from one handed to two handed weapons.

Going from a light weapon to a one-handed weapon I don't really lose anything except access to things like weapon finesse...but I can still use my hand for other things.

But when you go two handed you lose all of that, so the corresponding daamge increase is bigger.

That's my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[boolean]

I think it's the Longsword/Greatsword comparison. Whoever designed the progression wanted a Large lonsword to do the same damage as a Medium greatsword.

 

[Particle_Man]

Personally, I think that the Greatsword should do 1d12, like the Greataxe. Or, as an alternative the greataxe should do 2d6, like the greatsword.

 

[Stalker0]

On the one hand the greataxe does less average damage than a greatsword. On the other hand you will get maximum damage much more often than you will with the greatsword. Its a personal preference that I don't mind that much, especially if I have a good rolling d12