In the event a character can make multiple attacks per turn (i.e., extra attack), should they A) roll all hits first before damage die, or should they B) roll one attack at a time followed immediately by the damage die?
This gets into questions on how to handle a rogue’s Sneak Attack, or a paladin’s Divine Smite.
Rolling all attacks at once -> followed by the damage die can speed things up and make combat much easier to track. However, because rogues and paladins can choose when to apply their Sneak Attack / Divine Smite damage, this approach seems to give them an extra edge as they can defer their choice of when to apply those bonuses, particularly if they want to wait and see if one of the attacks rolls was a crit first.
The best advice for this I found online was to “ask your DM”, but I was curious to know if there is an official ruling for this somewhere that I missed in the books.
There is nothing official about rolling all at once, that I know of. Personally I prefer, and does this automatically on the VTT we use for our games, is roll both attack and damage roll at same time one attack at a time. So if I’m attacking with a longsword one-handed I would roll a d20 and d8 at the same time. If I have two attacks I do it a second time.
But I see no real reason not to roll everything at once. The crit only happens 5% of the time so let them have their moment
Saving Divine Smites for a critical hit is pretty standard, so I wouldn't worry about that.
The biggest concern with rolling attacks simultaneously is that sometimes the order does matter, such as if you want to target multiple enemies. And sometimes, an enemy dies before all of the attacks are resolved, so you wouldn't want to roll a bonus action attack at the same time as your normal attacks.
My solution for this is either to roll each attack independently, or to get a set of different dice that you can easily prioritize. I have a set of metal d20's that are red, blue, green, pink, and yellow. I use the Red, Green, and Blue dice as the first, second, and third rolls sequentially.
Regardless, as long as no one is actually cheating the dice rolls, it won't impact the game much to let the players benefit from circumstance from time to time.
Because of possible reactions and other triggers and effects, I demand on my table strict one attack at a time. With multiple attacks all at the same time, crit fishing and timing sneak attacks or smites would be a bit too easy.
One attack at a time, but I have my players roll the attack and damage roll together to save time. Doing it the other way would open up to shenanigans with critical hits, and other effects/reactions that occur on a hit/taking damage, etc.
Saving Divine Smites for a critical hit is pretty standard, so I wouldn't worry about that.
The biggest concern with rolling attacks simultaneously is that sometimes the order does matter, such as if you want to target multiple enemies. And sometimes, an enemy dies before all of the attacks are resolved, so you wouldn't want to roll a bonus action attack at the same time as your normal attacks.
My solution for this is either to roll each attack independently, or to get a set of different dice that you can easily prioritize. I have a set of metal d20's that are red, blue, green, pink, and yellow. I use the Red, Green, and Blue dice as the first, second, and third rolls sequentially.
Regardless, as long as no one is actually cheating the dice rolls, it won't impact the game much to let the players benefit from circumstance from time to time.
Yup. I once made the mistake of my paladin attacking an imp, rolling both attacks and declaring a smite only to find out it was just a familiar, and I could have killed it with the first hit, then moved on to the warlock who it belonged to. After that, I just go one at a time attack-damage-attack-damage. If we're pressed for time, I will roll attack and damage at the same time, since that won't change anything.
Yeah, attack rolls shouldn't be streamlined, attack rolls should be literally deliberated. A multi attack character can often fell an opponent and then provide their additional attacks to another situation in the fight.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
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In the event a character can make multiple attacks per turn (i.e., extra attack), should they A) roll all hits first before damage die, or should they B) roll one attack at a time followed immediately by the damage die?
This gets into questions on how to handle a rogue’s Sneak Attack, or a paladin’s Divine Smite.
Rolling all attacks at once -> followed by the damage die can speed things up and make combat much easier to track. However, because rogues and paladins can choose when to apply their Sneak Attack / Divine Smite damage, this approach seems to give them an extra edge as they can defer their choice of when to apply those bonuses, particularly if they want to wait and see if one of the attacks rolls was a crit first.
The best advice for this I found online was to “ask your DM”, but I was curious to know if there is an official ruling for this somewhere that I missed in the books.
There is nothing official about rolling all at once, that I know of. Personally I prefer, and does this automatically on the VTT we use for our games, is roll both attack and damage roll at same time one attack at a time. So if I’m attacking with a longsword one-handed I would roll a d20 and d8 at the same time. If I have two attacks I do it a second time.
But I see no real reason not to roll everything at once. The crit only happens 5% of the time so let them have their moment
Saving Divine Smites for a critical hit is pretty standard, so I wouldn't worry about that.
The biggest concern with rolling attacks simultaneously is that sometimes the order does matter, such as if you want to target multiple enemies. And sometimes, an enemy dies before all of the attacks are resolved, so you wouldn't want to roll a bonus action attack at the same time as your normal attacks.
My solution for this is either to roll each attack independently, or to get a set of different dice that you can easily prioritize. I have a set of metal d20's that are red, blue, green, pink, and yellow. I use the Red, Green, and Blue dice as the first, second, and third rolls sequentially.
Regardless, as long as no one is actually cheating the dice rolls, it won't impact the game much to let the players benefit from circumstance from time to time.
Technically it is attack roll and damage roll, then next attack roll amd damage roll.
Attacks are made 1 at a time.
Because of possible reactions and other triggers and effects, I demand on my table strict one attack at a time. With multiple attacks all at the same time, crit fishing and timing sneak attacks or smites would be a bit too easy.
One attack at a time, but I have my players roll the attack and damage roll together to save time. Doing it the other way would open up to shenanigans with critical hits, and other effects/reactions that occur on a hit/taking damage, etc.
Yup. I once made the mistake of my paladin attacking an imp, rolling both attacks and declaring a smite only to find out it was just a familiar, and I could have killed it with the first hit, then moved on to the warlock who it belonged to. After that, I just go one at a time attack-damage-attack-damage. If we're pressed for time, I will roll attack and damage at the same time, since that won't change anything.
Yeah, attack rolls shouldn't be streamlined, attack rolls should be literally deliberated. A multi attack character can often fell an opponent and then provide their additional attacks to another situation in the fight.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.