tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post4152138525376740995..comments2024-03-26T15:35:56.004-04:00Comments on Delta's D&D Hotspot: Review of the 5E Battlesystem DraftDeltahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-57246578502154994872016-04-29T12:30:17.310-04:002016-04-29T12:30:17.310-04:00We disagree on most of the premises, starting with...We disagree on most of the premises, starting with the idea that a turn is 10 rounds, and that one attack doesn't represent one swing. Both of those ideas are later bolt-ons and essentially not rational (contradicted by missile usage, etc.) Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-30791944796023733822016-04-29T03:20:19.802-04:002016-04-29T03:20:19.802-04:00Part of the scaling issue is in the length of the ...Part of the scaling issue is in the length of the turn, 10 normal combat rounds. There needs to be a level of abstraction here or entire battles will be over the second a Wizard gets within range of the enemy forces and incinerates several hundred enemy troops by casting are of effect spells like fireball up to 10 times in a single turn.<br /><br />It has always been an abstraction within the rules that one "attack" doesn't represent a single swing of a sword. Leveled Players and NPCs are heroes and vastly more effective than the rank and file at making their swings count, combine that with the longer round and it doesn't shatter the suspension of disbelief that a hero can do normal weapon damage to 10 foes over 10 rounds. <br /><br />Also, a lone hero is at a severe disadvantage against a unit of enemy stands. The hero is disadvantaged on attacks while attacks against them are advantaged and do double damage. All of a sudden that "same 20 hp" and same "1d8 damage" is one half hitpoints and their enemies are attacking at an equivalent to +5 to hit, for more damage per round on top of the hit point disparity.<br /><br />From the draft "A solo is a significant creature on the battlefield-usually a players character or a powerful NPC or monster." Obviously normal Orcs don't fall into this category, no matter how hard you try to turn it into some kind of major problem with a set of guidelines for mass combat that totals 9 pages. Especially in a game where a single 150 pound human can win a melee in a small room against an intelligent 150 ton apex predator.<br /><br />You bemoan the lack of detailed morale rules, you seem to miss the idea that a hero capable of demolishing 20 orcs in combat might break the will of 200 orcs in a larger combat. Once again, D&D is not a tactical simulation, even moreso once mass combat starts. Just because a figure is removed doesn't mean that every individual in that figure died, they could just have easily scattered and ran for their lives in such a manner that no attempt to rally them on the battlefield would be possible. Gone is gone, how exactly they left doesn't really matter much during that particular battle.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419940277235929188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-66004257756568536942015-03-26T22:49:43.916-04:002015-03-26T22:49:43.916-04:00I agree with your assessment, of course, that'...I agree with your assessment, of course, that's always where the debate occurs. But if that's the desire then core D&D needs to have rules to work the same way; it shouldn't pop up as a mismatched accident in the mass-scale. Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-87304769762082560882015-03-26T16:18:16.588-04:002015-03-26T16:18:16.588-04:00There is such an interest in making the PCs look l...There is such an interest in making the PCs look like the Heroes from the LOTR/Hobbit movies in mass combat, able to swing things with one sweep of the sword. I get that desire, that's what the mass media and fantasy pushes - that the individual hero can change anything/everything. I've had some discussions to that fact when talking about "The Fellowship" rules. Michael S/Chgowizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052820400496340137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-11033451361995544362015-03-24T22:23:25.509-04:002015-03-24T22:23:25.509-04:00Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.dervishdelverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13803513672258666141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-58678839816898698442015-03-23T12:13:51.423-04:002015-03-23T12:13:51.423-04:00I truly wish that I had a single money-making bone...I truly wish that I had a single money-making bone in my body, but all evidence points to "no". Mostly I'm just pickled in these issues for the past few decades, and BOW is the best expression of my conclusions, so I do keep referencing that. Feel free to ping me at delta at superdan dot net for more evidence of that fact if you like. :-)Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-63426998763803636472015-03-23T11:23:33.567-04:002015-03-23T11:23:33.567-04:00Well, now you've made the Book of War sound so...Well, now you've made the Book of War sound so darn interest... that was your goal wasn't it, you biased greedy capitalist you. =DAnarchyDicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00098113863647319878noreply@blogger.com