tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post8600963634138928348..comments2024-03-26T15:35:56.004-04:00Comments on Delta's D&D Hotspot: Haste Effect Poll ResultsDeltahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-31145453527953267162016-01-02T11:45:43.421-05:002016-01-02T11:45:43.421-05:00Cool! Although in my most recent update, I did dow...Cool! Although in my most recent update, I did downgrade haste back to the OD&D original, that is, just double movement and no extra attacks at all (for up to 20 people). Initially my friend Paul said, "Now it will never get used", but it's still being used by any caster who can access it.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-8129859379146436972015-12-31T12:15:50.006-05:002015-12-31T12:15:50.006-05:00Thanks for this pair of posts...I needed 'em f...Thanks for this pair of posts...I needed 'em for a "haste issue" I was working on, more than 4 years later. Definitely a spell that needs a lot of thought on balancing.<br /><br />I will say the B/X version seems just fine, but only due to the nature of B/X: fighters never gain multiple attacks, so the spell amounts to no more than 1 extra attack per round.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-64001173076394989602011-08-22T02:01:39.085-04:002011-08-22T02:01:39.085-04:00I do agree that the aging is an important balancin...I do agree that the aging is an important balancing factor in AD&D.<br /><br />However, that aging effect doesn't exist in the Moldvay/Mentzer B/X D&D lines, and yet they do still maintain the duration of "3 turns" and the effect of "double move an attacks", so we still need to consider if its balanced in that context. I'd argue "no" to that -- and point out that Mentzer found it necessary to have a special outside section sort of gimping <i>haste</i> and warning about how dangerously powerful it was. <br /><br />The other thing I'd say is that if we took a poll a lot of people would admit that they overlook the implied AD&D aging & system shock check to the spell (you need to see the DMG added notes to be aware of it). And yet it's probably balanced anyway because AD&D did specify the duration in rounds (unlike B/X, copying forward what was written in OD&D Vol-1).Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170237526012357403.post-51753392376118475672011-08-18T15:25:59.631-04:002011-08-18T15:25:59.631-04:00Note that in tournament play the aging effect is m...Note that in tournament play the aging effect is meaningless, but in a longer-running campaign non-Elves are pretty careful about it. <br /><br />But, on p12 of PHB 1E there is a note under System Shock, that you must roll System Shock to survive various physical transformations like polymorph and magical aging. <br /><br />So if you have a CON of 9 your chance of surviving a Haste spell is 65%, at 15 it's 91%, meaning almost everyone will have between a 50-50 chance and a 1 in 10 chance of dying. Only those with CON 17+ can undergo Haste with impunity. <br /><br />If you apply that rule, even a turns-long Haste that doubles attacks and movement is balanced by the risk of death. Only at levels high enough where Wishes are common or CONs are universally astronomical will anyone consider Haste worthwhile. <br /><br />Looked at another way, if you Haste a unit of cavalry, they count as double the men and have incredible speed for a battle or two, but after the spell wears off a third of the men and a third of the horses will die. So maybe it's a kamikaze spell, a last-ditch effort. Powerful for its level but generally undesirable to use it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com