5e (or D&D Next, or whatever you want to call it) has an interesting new rule called Advantage. As you know from 4e, you can use tactics like flanking (or class features, feats, etc.) to gain Combat Advantage, which gives you a +2 to your hit roll. There are two differences with 5e's Advantage. First, as the name implies, it's no longer just for attack rolls -- you can gan Advantage on skill checks and saving throws too. The other difference is that you no longer gain a flat +2 bonus to the d20 roll. Instead, you roll d20 twice and take the higher of the two rolls. (In the corresponding mechanic called Disadvantage, you roll d20 twice and take the lower of the two rolls.)
So, is Advantage better than Combat Advantage? In most cases, it is...but it all depends on the target number you're trying to beat. Assuming no other modifiers, Advantage won't help you if your target number is a 21 or 22, but obviously the flat +2 from Combat Advantage could get you there. On the other hand, let's say you need to roll an 11 or higher. That's a basic 50% chance. The +2 from the old Combat Advantage bumps you up to 60% (13 or higher). The new Advantage, however, gives you two unmodified d20 rolls to get an 11. That works out to a 75% chance.
If you plot the numbers on a graph, you're going to see a curved rather than linear distribution. Advantage has the least impact on the lowest and highest targets, and the greatest impact in the middle. Since most of the time in D&D your odds of success on a given d20 roll are probably between 40% and 60% (I have no data on this, but I feel it's a pretty good estimate), that's going to put you in the middle of the curve, where Advantage has the most impact...and therefore it will be more valuable than the flat +2 of yesteryear.
Of course, now we're also going to have to deal with the concept Disadvantage, which is going to hurt our PCs as much as Advantage is going to help them. All in all, it should be really interesting!
It is hard enough to carry out your character's purpose/role successfully. To have more extreme advantages or disadvantages established at random kills the purpose of roleplaying.
ReplyDeleteWe watch TV or movies to watch an entertaining story. People play characters to know their contribution makes a difference and it will help win/succeed. So even if you play your character in the best, most ideal, and fun way, you still might be running for your life because you lack an advantage.
In ADND, they introduced Wild Mages. It was an entertaining idea that each spell could be more or less effective. The reality was that while 'visually exciting' and keeping everyone off balance, they often fell (or ran away) due to a less than average effectiveness.