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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Retired Mod in the Playground Retired Moderator
    Join Date
    Apr 2004

    Default Fixed vs Rolled Damage: How Big of a Difference?

    Just how big of a difference does rolling for NPC/Monster damage typically make? My guess is that, on balance, it would be harder on the players (high damage will take players down early, while low damage won't really change anything for all but the longest and/or most dangerous fights), but I guess the question is by how much? Does this problem get better or worse as you climb the CR ladder? How much do you typically have to rewrite encounters to account for this? Does a partial solution work any better/worse (eg take fixed damage on all but one die, which you roll)?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    DwarfFighterGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Belgium
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Fixed vs Rolled Damage: How Big of a Difference?

    For big fights with lots of mooks it's more interesting to take the average dmg because it speeds things up.
    For a fight against the bbeg or big scary solo creature its better to roll, it adds some tention. Also if you want to fudge some numbers to save someone from dying straight out, its more interesting to roll.
    The encounters with the lots of mooks is mostly just to get the andventurers to burn some resources, so the dmg there isn't really the main concern.

    That is how our DM sees it and I do agree.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Netherlands
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Fixed vs Rolled Damage: How Big of a Difference?

    Something you have to watch out for when your players catch on you're using avarages is that all the randomness falls away and they can start planning things out to a unfun level. "No, you don't need to come help me, they'll do only 12 damage to me this turn." The damage-hp interaction is reduced to simple legos, instead of poker, if you catch my drift. It makes it feel a lot more gamey, and prohibits all the interesting situations that might arise because of odd dice rolls.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Planetar

    Join Date
    May 2018

    Default Re: Fixed vs Rolled Damage: How Big of a Difference?

    Roling dice takes time (and counting the result too).
    The PCs usually like to roll dices, so it's not wasted time.
    The PCs usually don't care if the monster roll dice, so it's wasted time.

    Few exceptions:
    One PC is near 0 HP -> Rolling damage dice against him add tension, and is fun.
    The attack is something important (first breath of the dragon, high level spell, ...) -> Taking the time to roll the dice show that this attack is important.

    Mixed version:
    Rolling only part of the dice -> DON'T do this. It has the disadvantage of both rolling and not rolling.
    Rolling only the dice of few enemies (either always the same, or arbitrarily depending on your mood) -> works pretty well.

    Do you need to change the CR? No, randomness in the attack roll are far more relevant than randomness in damage rolls.
    Maybe an exception for the first few levels.

    Does it get better or worse? It get better at high level. 8d6 will rarely makes any result different from ~40, while 1d6 can do anything from 1 to 6. Moreover, low level characters are limited in what they can do (no powerful spells) to compensate for lack of luck.
    The more the levels advance, the more 1) You roll too many dice for random to be relevant 2) The PCs have solutions to every problems (it will just cost them A LOT).
    The only random thing that get worse are "save or die" spells, but those spells are save rolls, not damage rolls.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Kobold

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Fixed vs Rolled Damage: How Big of a Difference?

    About 0.5, on average.

    It can be a timesaver for mass battles... but I typically save on d20 rolls and use mob autohit rules if there are that many attackers.
    Why yes, Warlock is my solution for everything.

    Quote Originally Posted by obryn View Post
    Active Abilities are great because you - the player - are demonstrating your Dwarvenness or Elfishness. You're not passively a dwarf, you're actively dwarfing your way through obstacles.

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