None of the above - it means you roll 1d20 and add 5 to see the total attack value. If that number equals or exceeds the target’s AC, you deal 1d4+3 damage.
1d4 + 3 is what is rolled for damage. 5 is the average so if a DM doesn't want to roll dice to speed up play they can just use the flat 5 average damage.
None of the above - it means you roll 1d20 and add 5 to see the total attack value. If that number equals or exceeds the target’s AC, you deal 1d4+3 damage.
I think you are misreading it, it's not +5 to hit that the OP is listing, it's the damage done by the attack.
Take the Goblin's bow attack
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack:+4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
The Goblin has +4 to hit and on a hit they do 5 damage or the DM can roll 1d6+2 and use that damage total instead.
The average result of a[n even sided] die is half the number of sides, plus 0.5. in D&D with most values, if we need to round, we round down, so we can forget about the 0.5.
So, in this case, we halve the d4 for its average damage, which is 2. Add the damage bonus, which is 3, and we get 5, the figure you were asking about.
It's an easy way to speed things up because you can just roll to hit to see if they actually hit, then declare the damage they do. For me, it's not a big difference because I tend to roll both the to hit and the damage dice at the same time anyway, and I figure out how much damage was done while the players figure out if I hit or not, but for those who roll separately, it can speed things up a fair bit. It's also useful if you ever implement horde rules which uses the average damage.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yeah, it makes a lot of sense now. I was just confused by the notation, especially as I'm using the Encounter Builder and the monster stat blocks, where you roll the attacks from, didn't seem to take into account the number before the brackets. But that now makes perfect sense. It is the average (calculated as you said, thank you for explaining it) and the bracketed number is the die roll button. As the DM, it's my choice which to use (unless stipulated by some other condition?). Anyway, thank you all for explaining something so basic!
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--------- Ryval 0 “Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
I don't think it's ever stipulated beyond horde rules - but I could be wrong.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yea, it's not pointed out anywhere in the core rule books that the first number is just an average of the damage roll. This makes things easy for the DM. But, this is a niggling problem with how some things in the books are written, seemingly making assumptions about the readers familiarity with this complex game. A lot of people have pointed out that the game needs stronger support for new DMs.
Oops, because I had to look... the Monster Manual actually does have a single line that points this out. To quote (MM Pg.11); "You have the option of taking average damage or rolling damage; for this reason, both the average damage and the die expression are presented."
Thank you for finding that! I am getting to grips with things gradually. Once you get the core of the system, it's not nearly as daunting as it seems at first. Also, lots of really great resources out there, wow! I am particularly liking the Lazy DM guides, and Bob World Builder.
The game is like most "complex" stuff. It's not really that hard, there is just a lot of information that is interconnected, and there's only so much the brain can process at a time. As you play and add stuff on, it makes sense and seems simple. It's just smarter of letting it all sink in before adding the next batch.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
The average result of a[n even sided] die is half the number of sides, plus 0.5. in D&D with most values, if we need to round, we round down, so we can forget about the 0.5.
So, in this case, we halve the d4 for its average damage, which is 2. Add the damage bonus, which is 3, and we get 5, the figure you were asking about.
It's an easy way to speed things up because you can just roll to hit to see if they actually hit, then declare the damage they do. For me, it's not a big difference because I tend to roll both the to hit and the damage dice at the same time anyway, and I figure out how much damage was done while the players figure out if I hit or not, but for those who roll separately, it can speed things up a fair bit. It's also useful if you ever implement horde rules which uses the average damage.
As a further expansion on how to simplify the average score, it's alsoalways the lowest you can roll plus the highest you can roll, divided by 2, regardless of the number and combo of dice.
EG, 1d6 is (1+6)/2, so 3.5 average. 2d6 is (2+12)/2, so 7 average. 8d6 (fireball) is (8+48)/2, so 28 damage average. 1d12+1d8 is (2+20)/2, so 11 average.
It's a useful shortcut for if you're trying to work out the average output of some cool combo you have going on. Just remember to round down (EG 3d8 = (3+24)/2, =13.5, =13 average damage).
So, very new, read and watched a lot, but now that I'm getting ready for my first game, I have one question about notation:
Does this
mean "5 hit points PLUS (1d4 +3)" or "5 TIMES (1d4+3)", and if it's the first one, how would you notate 5d4 +3 each?
---------
Ryval 0
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
None of the above - it means you roll 1d20 and add 5 to see the total attack value. If that number equals or exceeds the target’s AC, you deal 1d4+3 damage.
1d4 + 3 is what is rolled for damage. 5 is the average so if a DM doesn't want to roll dice to speed up play they can just use the flat 5 average damage.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
I think you are misreading it, it's not +5 to hit that the OP is listing, it's the damage done by the attack.
Take the Goblin's bow attack
The Goblin has +4 to hit and on a hit they do 5 damage or the DM can roll 1d6+2 and use that damage total instead.EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Ah, so it's an OR not an AND or a BY. Got it. Thanks!
---------
Ryval 0
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
Just to expand a little on the numbers:
The average result of a[n even sided] die is half the number of sides, plus 0.5. in D&D with most values, if we need to round, we round down, so we can forget about the 0.5.
So, in this case, we halve the d4 for its average damage, which is 2. Add the damage bonus, which is 3, and we get 5, the figure you were asking about.
It's an easy way to speed things up because you can just roll to hit to see if they actually hit, then declare the damage they do. For me, it's not a big difference because I tend to roll both the to hit and the damage dice at the same time anyway, and I figure out how much damage was done while the players figure out if I hit or not, but for those who roll separately, it can speed things up a fair bit. It's also useful if you ever implement horde rules which uses the average damage.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yeah, it makes a lot of sense now. I was just confused by the notation, especially as I'm using the Encounter Builder and the monster stat blocks, where you roll the attacks from, didn't seem to take into account the number before the brackets. But that now makes perfect sense. It is the average (calculated as you said, thank you for explaining it) and the bracketed number is the die roll button. As the DM, it's my choice which to use (unless stipulated by some other condition?). Anyway, thank you all for explaining something so basic!
---------
Ryval 0
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
I don't think it's ever stipulated beyond horde rules - but I could be wrong.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yea, it's not pointed out anywhere in the core rule books that the first number is just an average of the damage roll. This makes things easy for the DM. But, this is a niggling problem with how some things in the books are written, seemingly making assumptions about the readers familiarity with this complex game. A lot of people have pointed out that the game needs stronger support for new DMs.
Oops, because I had to look... the Monster Manual actually does have a single line that points this out. To quote (MM Pg.11); "You have the option of taking average damage or rolling damage; for this reason, both the average damage and the die expression are presented."
Thank you for finding that! I am getting to grips with things gradually. Once you get the core of the system, it's not nearly as daunting as it seems at first. Also, lots of really great resources out there, wow! I am particularly liking the Lazy DM guides, and Bob World Builder.
---------
Ryval 0
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
The game is like most "complex" stuff. It's not really that hard, there is just a lot of information that is interconnected, and there's only so much the brain can process at a time. As you play and add stuff on, it makes sense and seems simple. It's just smarter of letting it all sink in before adding the next batch.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
As a further expansion on how to simplify the average score, it's alsoalways the lowest you can roll plus the highest you can roll, divided by 2, regardless of the number and combo of dice.
EG, 1d6 is (1+6)/2, so 3.5 average. 2d6 is (2+12)/2, so 7 average. 8d6 (fireball) is (8+48)/2, so 28 damage average. 1d12+1d8 is (2+20)/2, so 11 average.
It's a useful shortcut for if you're trying to work out the average output of some cool combo you have going on. Just remember to round down (EG 3d8 = (3+24)/2, =13.5, =13 average damage).
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