LogFAQs > #896787653

shadowsword87 posted...

Oh, you can't go above 20 of a stat except one specific case when the barbarian is level 20.

Yeah, I know - hence the exclamation point.

What I was basically saying is, in order to match the defensive benefits of heavy armor, you basically have to have a Dex higher than what you're actually allowed to have (at least not without magic items that can boost over 20). Meaning that Dex defense (without other Feat/power factors or magical armors) is inherently weaker than heavy armor for defense.

Which is why I suggested that it seems like a Dex-based character is sort of gambling on the extra advantages of high Dex (like better stealth rolls, faster initiative, or dodging certain spell effects) to counterbalance what they lose in terms of damage and defense. At least if you're talking Dex-based Fighter or Paladin, as opposed to classes which are actually built around Dex like Ranger or Rogue (and doubly so if you're a Fighter or Paladin using finesse weapons instead of ranged attacks).

Or if you are deliberately sacrificing solely for flavor purposes. Which was sort of the root of the question - just how much is the player really giving up, and is it minor enough to be worth it for making a cooler character, or is it so crippling that even narrative justification can't really justify it under normal circumstances?



shadowsword87 posted...

Past that, a d8's average damage is 4.5, a d10's is 5.5, and 2d6 is 7. So you're missing out on an average of 1-2.5 points of damage per hit by going dex, which isn't that bad.

See, this is the kind of granular crunch mechanics and math that my head doesn't really wrap around, which is why I asked you the question. ~grin~

Now, if you need to invent 2000 years worth of backstory history for multiple nations in your world, give me a call. :-P



shadowsword87 posted...

The reason why Dex doesn't deal that much damage though, is because they have all of the good skills (stealth, slight of hand) and it feeds into AC (so if you do get a magical bonus to dex, it feeds into it).

Oh, I understand full-well why Dex is balanced the way it is in-game, especially when used as intended.

But I feel like making a Dex-based martial build with classes that are traditionally Str-based loses some (or even most) of those positives. As an example, for my hypothetical (though it's becoming less and less hypothetical, because I'm probably going to stat it out and write it up as a fully playable 4th level character eventually) Moon Elf Sorcerer/Paladin, I'd probably wind up with skills like Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, Persuasion, and Religion. I don't think there's actually a single Dex skill that I CAN choose for that, let alone one that would fit the concept (and my saves are Con/Wis/Cha, not Dex).

(Ironically, half of those skills correlate to Int, which is actually the lowest stat for the character as it stands in my head. Two others are Str and Wis, which are tied for second lowest, and only Persuasion really benefits from a higher stat, because Charisma is the Paladin secondary stat and the Sorcerer primary, so it's my second highest behind Dex).


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