Fixed/Random Damage

[Guest Iroquois]

Does anyone know or can point me to the algorithm used in game to determine damage dice rolls and fixed damage. If you don't know, but have an idea I'd still like to hear it. It affects just about every damage spell in the game, and short of trial and error, I can't seem to grasp it. For small damage dice and fixed damage it seems to work, but scale anything past like 8 and I get strange results. For instance, Melf's Acid Arrow doesn't do 2d4 damage even though it is supposed to. I have gotten it to work by using 1d9 +1 fixed damage, but why that works I don't have the slightest clue. This gets retarded when using high damage spells, because the XdY damage isn't working the way it is supposed to, and the fixed damage isn't working right either(unless I'm an idiot and completely missing something). Any insight on this would be much appreciated.

[CamDawg]

Are you using core difficulty? Anything else and the damage rolls get skewed for or against the party.

[Guest Iroquois]

Are you using core difficulty? Anything else and the damage rolls get skewed for or against the party.

 

I just about always play on normal, but I did what you asked and changed it to core rules and it doesn't seem to make any difference. For instance, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting is listed as doing 9d8 saveable damage and 9d8 unsaveable damage at level 18. I have never seen it do anywhere near it's potential of 144 damage at level 18. I blasted about 50+ orcs and umberhulks with it and my highest damage was 55.

[Galactygon]

xDy damage means a y-sided dice is rolled x times, rather than a minimum damage of x and a maximum damage of (x*y).

 

Therefore the chances of maximum (or minimum) damage could be astronomically low.

 

For example, for Horrid Wilting, you will have to roll an 8 nine times (!) in order to recieve maximum damage.

 

-Galactygon

[Guest Iroquois]

xDy damage means a y-sided dice is rolled x times, rather than a minimum damage of x and a maximum damage of (x*y).

 

Therefore the chances of maximum (or minimum) damage could be astronomically low.

 

For example, for Horrid Wilting, you will have to roll an 8 nine times (!) in order to recieve maximum damage.

 

-Galactygon

 

I understand XdY, I have been playing D&D for twenty years. Thank you for trying to help, though. The chances of doing 8 damage on a Melf's Acid Arrow is not astronomically low, and I have never pulled off an 8 damage MAA even when the spell damage is set as 2d4. The only way I have gotten it to do the correct damage is 1d9 +1 fixed damage like I stated. Melf's Acid Arrow, even though it is flagged as 2d4, will do 2-6 damage with a favored score of 3.

 

Load up any damage spell and cast it over and over, and I believe you will see what I am talking about: the damage is incorrect(lower) and the randomness is in favor of a certain median number. This is very easy to see with high damage dice spells or spells with high fixed damage; both are affected by this. Play a level 18 mage, and chain cast Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, and let me know when you do more than 100 damage. 100 damage for 18d8 isn't astronomically low, either. I doubt you will even see anything over 60 damage.

[Guest Iroquois]

Disregard this post, I am an idiot. lol=)