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View Full Version : Instead of +DEX to damage: Roll to get another attack.



johnbragg
2019-07-20, 08:20 AM
You shoot the beastie with an arrow. It hits or misses.
As part of your attack action, make an attack roll vs AC 10 with a DEX weapon (ranged, finesse). If it hits, you're fast enough to attack again this turn. Roll.

More attacks is a better fit for Dexterity than more damage--part of Dexterity is speed and taking advantage of momentary advantages to strike.

The drawback, obviously, is more dice rolling. "I make my main attack. OK, let me make my check for my extra attack. I get it! I roll a...."

BarneyBent
2019-07-20, 08:28 AM
As if Sharpshooter wasn’t already OP...

nickl_2000
2019-07-20, 08:30 AM
Also that is a huge boon for hunters mark and hex.

johnbragg
2019-07-20, 08:31 AM
As if Sharpshooter wasn’t already OP...

I didn't really mean for this to be in the 5E forum. +10 damage closes the 5E archers' damage gap nicely.

Damon_Tor
2019-07-20, 09:24 AM
You shoot the beastie with an arrow. It hits or misses.
As part of your attack action, make an attack roll vs AC 10 with a DEX weapon (ranged, finesse). If it hits, you're fast enough to attack again this turn. Roll.

More attacks is a better fit for Dexterity than more damage--part of Dexterity is speed and taking advantage of momentary advantages to strike.

The drawback, obviously, is more dice rolling. "I make my main attack. OK, let me make my check for my extra attack. I get it! I roll a...."

Counterpoint and a counter proposal:

Dex to damage models precision, not power. So the arrow isn't hitting harder, it's hitting a slightly more vulnerable area.

As such a more suitable replacement for dex to damage is dex to crit chance: deduct your dex modifier from the number you need to hit to get a crit. So with a dex score of 16 you crit on a 17+. With a dex score of 20 you crit on a 15+.

johnbragg
2019-07-20, 10:08 AM
Counterpoint and a counter proposal:

Dex to damage models precision, not power. So the arrow isn't hitting harder, it's hitting a slightly more vulnerable area.

As such a more suitable replacement for dex to damage is dex to crit chance: deduct your dex modifier from the number you need to hit to get a crit. So with a dex score of 16 you crit on a 17+. With a dex score of 20 you crit on a 15+.

I think I like this. And if you're fighting something with an "impossible" (only-on-a-nat-20) AC, then the crits convert to regular strikes--which models nicely the Dex-as-precision model. EVerything has a weak spot (natural 20), more precise characters hit that spot more often.

BoringInfoGuy
2019-07-20, 04:15 PM
Counterpoint and a counter proposal:

Dex to damage models precision, not power. So the arrow isn't hitting harder, it's hitting a slightly more vulnerable area.

As such a more suitable replacement for dex to damage is dex to crit chance: deduct your dex modifier from the number you need to hit to get a crit. So with a dex score of 16 you crit on a 17+. With a dex score of 20 you crit on a 15+.


I think I like this. And if you're fighting something with an "impossible" (only-on-a-nat-20) AC, then the crits convert to regular strikes--which models nicely the Dex-as-precision model. EVerything has a weak spot (natural 20), more precise characters hit that spot more often.
Dexterity is already too useful as a stat. As is, it improves your initiative, AC, a common save, and several skills.

Dex builds are so common because that attribute gives the best return on your investment.

Having your Dex score improve your chance to score critical hits - particularly to such a high degree - would just further over balance the value of Dex builds.

Tl;dr
Dex builds are already strong, they do not need any house rules to make them stronger.

johnbragg
2019-07-20, 09:32 PM
Dexterity is already too useful as a stat. As is, it improves your initiative, AC, a common save, and several skills.

Dex builds are so common because that attribute gives the best return on your investment.

Having your Dex score improve your chance to score critical hits - particularly to such a high degree - would just further over balance the value of Dex builds.

Tl;dr
Dex builds are already strong, they do not need any house rules to make them stronger.

The idea wasn't to make Dex builds stronger. It's *instead of*, not *on top of*. I'll have to do the math comparing "dex-to-damage" to "add dex to crit chance" and see what it looks like.