The bard gets 3 attacks. 1 regular and 2 with true strike. That puts the average damage over all hitting at 70.5. It may just be a critter smite or using bardic dice for damage. I think it’s certainly possible to reach 100 damage, but mores going on to do it IMO.
I just edited to correct my post. True Strike takes an action and grants a single attack, not an attack action.
True Strike Casting time 1 action
Guided by a flash of magical insight, you make one attack with the weapon used in the spell’s casting. The attack uses your spellcasting ability for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity. If the attack deals damage, it can be Radiant damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice).
A valor bard gets a bonus action attack due to casting a spell that requires an action, but that bonus attack doesn't include the damage from True Strike. The bonus action attack averages 20 point of damage on a hit, so even if they hit twice it only averages out to 47 points of damage.
I wonder if conjure minor elementals is involved - the 2024 version is over the top when upcast.
For example, if it was up when the fight started (duration is 10 minutes so easily could be) and upcast to say, 7th level - that's 8d8 extra - per attack.
I just edited to correct my post. True Strike takes an action and grants a single attack, not an attack action.
True Strike Casting time 1 action
Guided by a flash of magical insight, you make one attack with the weapon used in the spell’s casting. The attack uses your spellcasting ability for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity. If the attack deals damage, it can be Radiant damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice).
A valor bard gets a bonus action attack due to casting a spell that requires an action, but that bonus attack doesn't include the damage from True Strike. The bonus action attack averages 20 point of damage on a hit, so even if they hit twice it only averages out to 47 points of damage.
The typical reading is that the Bards extra attack feature lets the bard attack once and true strike as part of the attack action.
The level 14 battle magic ability then procs off the true strike used in the attack action from his level 6 extra attack ability (the bard cast a spell), thus granting 2 true strikes and an attack for using his action and bonus action.
The typical reading is that the Bards extra attack feature lets the bard attack once and true strike as part of the attack action.
The level 14 battle magic ability then procs off the true strike used in the attack action from his level 6 extra attack ability (the bard cast a spell), thus granting 2 true strikes and an attack for using his action and bonus action.
Ah ... since cantrips can be taken in place of an attack for a valor. I see said the blind man. I'd probably rule that you can only do that for one attack per round but I can see it both ways. The bonus action attack still doesn't get the extra radiant so I still don't get to 100.
But even if it is accurate, the fights that take a single round are not hard according to the new guidelines which is the root cause IMHO.
Quick note on XP budgets and stats for this "adventure" (which OP's group seems to have run as a Boss Rush style game one after another to test 2024 possibilities? They're intended to be pre-made lairs you can drop into existing campaigns more like) IIRC, the minion is either 4 or 5 per the XP budget? I can't remember 100% from the Flee, Mortals encounter building which operates under its own math:
-Encounter 1 is two CR10 and one CR5 (5900+5900+1800). The CR5 is an ambusher with some buffs they can add to the CR10s (like a whirling rock storm that does 5 damage for each 5ft you move inside of it, and the Force of Irons can use that to good effect to be really tanky or resistant or whatever makes the most sense). You can also talk your way inside.
-Encounter 2 is 20 CR20 minions (2500xp per 4?). Minions in MCDM's stuff only die on a direct hit, or a failed saving throw. If they succeed, they have specific HP buffers to offset things like Fireball and other AOEs wiping the entire crowd out at once. They alert the people in the next room, especially upon hearing the outer door attacked (magically warded, pretty tanky).
-Encounter 3, given that this room was alerted, is a CR 16, (15,000) CR 13 (10,000), and two CR5s (1,800). While the CR5s can grant some powers to other elementals, they seem to just be roadbumps used because MCDM didn't have anything else that fit in the budget.
-Encounter 4, CR19 and CR 12(22,000+8,400). The CR12 is a support character with chip damage + blinds, that also heals the CR19 who is supposed to help with attrition by having some melee abilities that eat HD and stuff.
Most MCDM creatures are built around comboing bonus actions that give them adaptive choices depending on teh tactical situation, multi-attacks with interesting swaps, and in this case elemental buffing effects. It can be easy to lose track of though.
Note that the boss can do things like sacrifice one of the minions to revive any two other creatures, use a reaction to halve damage on another elemental hit around her, and other stuff.
(the minions are also her Legendary Resistance basically - her quirk is a willing sacrifice dies so she can succeed on a saving throw. all MCDM bosses have a "I lose something to use this" feature to make it feel a little less like "a ha! I just save")
Quick note on XP budgets and stats for this "adventure" (which OP's group seems to have run as a Boss Rush style game one after another to test 2024 possibilities? They're intended to be pre-made lairs you can drop into existing campaigns more like) IIRC, the minion is either 4 or 5 per the XP budget? I can't remember 100% from the Flee, Mortals encounter building which operates under its own math:
-Encounter 1 is two CR10 and one CR5 (5900+5900+1800). The CR5 is an ambusher with some buffs they can add to the CR10s (like a whirling rock storm that does 5 damage for each 5ft you move inside of it, and the Force of Irons can use that to good effect to be really tanky or resistant or whatever makes the most sense). You can also talk your way inside.
-Encounter 2 is 20 CR20 minions (2500xp per 4?). Minions in MCDM's stuff only die on a direct hit, or a failed saving throw. If they succeed, they have specific HP buffers to offset things like Fireball and other AOEs wiping the entire crowd out at once. They alert the people in the next room, especially upon hearing the outer door attacked (magically warded, pretty tanky).
-Encounter 3, given that this room was alerted, is a CR 16, (15,000) CR 13 (10,000), and two CR5s (1,800). While the CR5s can grant some powers to other elementals, they seem to just be roadbumps used because MCDM didn't have anything else that fit in the budget.
-Encounter 4, CR19 and CR 12(22,000+8,400). The CR12 is a support character with chip damage + blinds, that also heals the CR19 who is supposed to help with attrition by having some melee abilities that eat HD and stuff.
Most MCDM creatures are built around comboing bonus actions that give them adaptive choices depending on teh tactical situation, multi-attacks with interesting swaps, and in this case elemental buffing effects. It can be easy to lose track of though.
Note that the boss can do things like sacrifice one of the minions to revive any two other creatures, use a reaction to halve damage on another elemental hit around her, and other stuff.
(the minions are also her Legendary Resistance basically - her quirk is a willing sacrifice dies so she can succeed on a saving throw. all MCDM bosses have a "I lose something to use this" feature to make it feel a little less like "a ha! I just save")
Yeah, except for the 5th encounter, the rest were either under budget or on the low end of the 2024 XP budget from what I see, which you're supposed to maximize per the DMG24. I have to agree with @Oofta that these were too easy and led to the result the OP experienced. Looks to me like the MCDM modules are NOT balanced for 2024 rules, but for it's own encounter rules
Yeah, except for the 5th encounter, the rest were either under budget or on the low end of the 2024 XP budget from what I see, which you're supposed to maximize per the DMG24. I have to agree with @Oofta that these were too easy and led to the result the OP experienced. Looks to me like the MCDM modules are NOT balanced for 2024 rules
Adjust the encounters using the new budget rules if you're using new PCs. If your mod calls for 4 monsters of type X you may want to add a 5th. That's what my wife has been doing for her campaign. It's still compatible. For that matter, she had to adjust difficulty before we went to the new rules because the fights were too easy for our particular group. Just like we've always done.
Unless of course you just want to complain about how it's not exactly the same game. If that's the case, never mind.
Yeah, except for the 5th encounter, the rest were either under budget or on the low end of the 2024 XP budget from what I see, which you're supposed to maximize per the DMG24. I have to agree with @Oofta that these were too easy and led to the result the OP experienced. Looks to me like the MCDM modules are NOT balanced for 2024 rules, but for it's own encounter rules
I've used the FM encounters-by-level building to good effect in 2014 campaigns, with stuff at its Medium to Hard guidelines doing a good job challenging a 4pc party. MCDM did significant playtesting of these encounters with a 5 player group in mind, and they incorporate lots of 4e design ethos to make combat more active (Dazed vs hard CC, a more generous use of save-ends effects, emphasis on interesting abilities vs spells, reactions and bonus actions, etc) that we've seen WOTC adapt in the 2024 MM.
OP's group however sounds like moderate to significant optimizers using good party tactics and coordination (see: smart use of CC, lots of multi-classing, taking advantage of crafting possibilities). Additionally, the arenas are largely not that complex, especially in this level 19 lair - so if some of the elementals didn't get their slowing/movment affecting abilities off, the party will obviously have an easy time getting stuck in and munching.
Adjust the encounters using the new budget rules if you're using new PCs. If your mod calls for 4 monsters of type X you may want to add a 5th. That's what my wife has been doing for her campaign. It's still compatible. For that matter, she had to adjust difficulty before we went to the new rules because the fights were too easy for our particular group. Just like we've always done.
Unless of course you just want to complain about how it's not exactly the same game. If that's the case, never mind.
I'd probably rule that you can only do that for one attack per round but I can see it both ways. The bonus action attack still doesn't get the extra radiant so I still don't get to 100.
