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Would you be happy with fixed damage?
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<blockquote data-quote="LordEntrails" data-source="post: 8050611" data-attributes="member: 6804070"><p>I get it, but it's not enough randomness for my table.</p><p></p><p>I've been playing D&D with my brother for over 40 years. He also happens to be a mathematics teacher. It doesn't matter if he tries to min/max/optimize or not. He innately knows the how long various combats will take, what the chances of things going as planned are, how many rounds the fighter can, on average and with enough reliability, last before he needs healing. Or how many of the monsters the fireball will take out, or a thousand other things.</p><p></p><p>It's not that he thinks about it, it's not that he needs to read up on monster stat blocks. But with years and years and tens of thousands of combats, this stuff just becomes second nature. And when you have a mind like his, it's just something known. So, the more randomness the better.</p><p></p><p>I also use random initiative, we like it because of the unknown nature of it. Maybe the cleric can't wait to heal because next round the cleric might go after the BBEG. Maybe the the wizard can't wait to cast web. Maybe, maybe, maybe.... That variability adds to the chaos and uncertainty of combat. Something we enjoy and like. If their is no chance of losing a combat, or even having a character killed, then we feel there is little value in bothering to roll. If the story is going to be told along one path with out the randomness of dice, then why bother using a die system?</p><p></p><p>(Note, there are a lot of other things I do to keep the whole party guessing, I rarely tell them the type of creature they are fighting unless their character knows it. I also use amped up mooks and lots of other things. Like the group of kobold commandos, dragonshields and sorcerors the party recently encountered. "Oh look, a bunch of kobolds. You go take care of them while I polish my boots. What do you mean the kobold with the spear and shield didn't die when I slapped him? Oh sh!t, did that kobold just cast fireball at us?")</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LordEntrails, post: 8050611, member: 6804070"] I get it, but it's not enough randomness for my table. I've been playing D&D with my brother for over 40 years. He also happens to be a mathematics teacher. It doesn't matter if he tries to min/max/optimize or not. He innately knows the how long various combats will take, what the chances of things going as planned are, how many rounds the fighter can, on average and with enough reliability, last before he needs healing. Or how many of the monsters the fireball will take out, or a thousand other things. It's not that he thinks about it, it's not that he needs to read up on monster stat blocks. But with years and years and tens of thousands of combats, this stuff just becomes second nature. And when you have a mind like his, it's just something known. So, the more randomness the better. I also use random initiative, we like it because of the unknown nature of it. Maybe the cleric can't wait to heal because next round the cleric might go after the BBEG. Maybe the the wizard can't wait to cast web. Maybe, maybe, maybe.... That variability adds to the chaos and uncertainty of combat. Something we enjoy and like. If their is no chance of losing a combat, or even having a character killed, then we feel there is little value in bothering to roll. If the story is going to be told along one path with out the randomness of dice, then why bother using a die system? (Note, there are a lot of other things I do to keep the whole party guessing, I rarely tell them the type of creature they are fighting unless their character knows it. I also use amped up mooks and lots of other things. Like the group of kobold commandos, dragonshields and sorcerors the party recently encountered. "Oh look, a bunch of kobolds. You go take care of them while I polish my boots. What do you mean the kobold with the spear and shield didn't die when I slapped him? Oh sh!t, did that kobold just cast fireball at us?") [/QUOTE]
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