Barsoom
2013-05-08, 04:48 PM
Below are some observations I have gathered playing in different groups with different DMs. This is intended to be slightly tongue-in-cheek, but some serious ideas may [or may not] be lurking beneath the surface. Care to discuss and share your own observations?
A +1 attack bonus is forgotten about 75% of the time. Therefore, it's only worth +0.25.
A +2 attack bonus is only forgotten about 25% of the time. Therefore, it's worth +1.5.
A +3 or higher attack bonus is never forgotten. Therefore, it's worth at face value.
Bonuses to damage are worth slightly more than bonuses to attack. That's because you roll damage less often than you roll attacks, and are less likely to forget a bonus.
The less hit points you have, the better your AC becomes. Because you get better at remembering bonuses.
Permanent, static, bonuses that affect the entire party, may be worth a lot, but depending on your DM, they may also be worth nothing. Some DMs will simply adjust the to-hit or AC of the monsters for a total non-effect. Something that gives you +3 AC 1/day could actually be better than something that gives the entire party +3 AC always.
If your AC is such that an enemy needs 18 or higher to hit you, further AC increases are useless. A DM who rolls 18+ for an enemy will never actually check your AC, but will simply announce a hit. Depending on the DM, this may be adjusted to 17+ or, in extreme cases, even 16+.
A Diplomacy modifier of +10 is better than a Diplomacy modifier of +70. The latter characters, for some reason, only encounter undead and constructs (go figure!), while the former actually get enemies that can be negotiated with.
Similarly, managing to increase your Charm Person save DC from 14 to 29 is not only useless, it's counterproductive. You'll simply never meet a Humanoid again.
A +1 attack bonus is forgotten about 75% of the time. Therefore, it's only worth +0.25.
A +2 attack bonus is only forgotten about 25% of the time. Therefore, it's worth +1.5.
A +3 or higher attack bonus is never forgotten. Therefore, it's worth at face value.
Bonuses to damage are worth slightly more than bonuses to attack. That's because you roll damage less often than you roll attacks, and are less likely to forget a bonus.
The less hit points you have, the better your AC becomes. Because you get better at remembering bonuses.
Permanent, static, bonuses that affect the entire party, may be worth a lot, but depending on your DM, they may also be worth nothing. Some DMs will simply adjust the to-hit or AC of the monsters for a total non-effect. Something that gives you +3 AC 1/day could actually be better than something that gives the entire party +3 AC always.
If your AC is such that an enemy needs 18 or higher to hit you, further AC increases are useless. A DM who rolls 18+ for an enemy will never actually check your AC, but will simply announce a hit. Depending on the DM, this may be adjusted to 17+ or, in extreme cases, even 16+.
A Diplomacy modifier of +10 is better than a Diplomacy modifier of +70. The latter characters, for some reason, only encounter undead and constructs (go figure!), while the former actually get enemies that can be negotiated with.
Similarly, managing to increase your Charm Person save DC from 14 to 29 is not only useless, it's counterproductive. You'll simply never meet a Humanoid again.