Yakk
2008-09-11, 05:55 PM
These powers suck. I'll include a spoiler at the bottom of the post demonstrating that they do, indeed, utterly suck.
But the main question is -- how do we fix them?
The first idea is to have them grant full [W]+Stat damage.
That is pretty flavorless.
The second idea is to grant them an increase to-hit bonus. I find that the level of bonus needed to make them not-suck ends up being pretty ridiculous.
Another idea is to have them have a free attack reroll built into them. Ie, roll twice, take the best attack roll. Even then you need to increase their to-hit modifier above +2, or give them a chance (say, both attack rolls hit) to deal extra damage above [W], for them to suck.
Thoughts?
Evidence they suck:
Let A be the average non-stat-based attack damage.
Let S be your stat-based attack damage.
Let P be your chance to hit.
Looking at the fighter first, and using reaving strike with a 1 handed weapon, we get:
RS = P*(A+S) + (1-P)*S/2
SS = (P+.1)*A
Subtracting:
RS-SS = P*S + (1-P)*S/2 - .1*A
= S/2 + P*S/2 - .1*A
Set it equal to zero, and solve for P:
A = S*5*(1+P)
(1+P) = A/(5S)
P = 1-A/(5S)
Chances to hit under this amount are better for sure strike. In particular, if
5S > A
then reaving strike is always better than sure strike against a non-minion.
Getting your non-stat based damage to average more than 5 times your stat-based damage is quite a feat.
So that leaves Sure Strike being a better attack against minions than reaping strike.
...
For Rangers, the situation is in a sense worse. Ranger twin strike does:
2AP
damage, plus (if Q is quarry damage),
(2P-P^2)Q
quarry damage.
Careful Attack meanwhile does A(P+.1) damage, with (P+.1)Q Quarry damage.
Subtract:
2AP-A(P+.1) = AP-.1*A
ie, careful attack does more damage on average if your P < .1 from your non-Quarry damage. Note that very shortly afterwards, the natural 20 rules kick in, which give advantage back to twin strike.
Quarry damage delta:
(2P-P^2)Q - (P+.1)Q
(-P^2+P-.1)Q
P = [-1+/-sqrt(1-.4) ] / -2
P = .89 or .11
ie, also in the "10% chance to hit" or "10% chance to miss" ranges.
And shortly thereafter, the natural 20 rules kick in...
Which basically reduces Careful Attack to doing more damage on average when you need exactly a 19 or 20 to hit the target. If you need an 18, twin strike is better...
But the main question is -- how do we fix them?
The first idea is to have them grant full [W]+Stat damage.
That is pretty flavorless.
The second idea is to grant them an increase to-hit bonus. I find that the level of bonus needed to make them not-suck ends up being pretty ridiculous.
Another idea is to have them have a free attack reroll built into them. Ie, roll twice, take the best attack roll. Even then you need to increase their to-hit modifier above +2, or give them a chance (say, both attack rolls hit) to deal extra damage above [W], for them to suck.
Thoughts?
Evidence they suck:
Let A be the average non-stat-based attack damage.
Let S be your stat-based attack damage.
Let P be your chance to hit.
Looking at the fighter first, and using reaving strike with a 1 handed weapon, we get:
RS = P*(A+S) + (1-P)*S/2
SS = (P+.1)*A
Subtracting:
RS-SS = P*S + (1-P)*S/2 - .1*A
= S/2 + P*S/2 - .1*A
Set it equal to zero, and solve for P:
A = S*5*(1+P)
(1+P) = A/(5S)
P = 1-A/(5S)
Chances to hit under this amount are better for sure strike. In particular, if
5S > A
then reaving strike is always better than sure strike against a non-minion.
Getting your non-stat based damage to average more than 5 times your stat-based damage is quite a feat.
So that leaves Sure Strike being a better attack against minions than reaping strike.
...
For Rangers, the situation is in a sense worse. Ranger twin strike does:
2AP
damage, plus (if Q is quarry damage),
(2P-P^2)Q
quarry damage.
Careful Attack meanwhile does A(P+.1) damage, with (P+.1)Q Quarry damage.
Subtract:
2AP-A(P+.1) = AP-.1*A
ie, careful attack does more damage on average if your P < .1 from your non-Quarry damage. Note that very shortly afterwards, the natural 20 rules kick in, which give advantage back to twin strike.
Quarry damage delta:
(2P-P^2)Q - (P+.1)Q
(-P^2+P-.1)Q
P = [-1+/-sqrt(1-.4) ] / -2
P = .89 or .11
ie, also in the "10% chance to hit" or "10% chance to miss" ranges.
And shortly thereafter, the natural 20 rules kick in...
Which basically reduces Careful Attack to doing more damage on average when you need exactly a 19 or 20 to hit the target. If you need an 18, twin strike is better...