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Think Tank is a mathematical methodology for determining how long a character can take a beating before death, incorporating not only AC, but more esoteric defensive measures as well.
This is the link.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. The example Fire Giant only has three attacks, while something like the Adult White Dragon has six. As the number of attacks increases, the value of DR rises and things like Mirror Image (which is ablative) decreases.
I also feel the example is misleading because Mirror Image is basically Russian Roulette. You don't take an average of ~13 damage, you take none or some multiple of ~ 33 damage.
It would be nice if you expanded this so it would cover critical hits and such. Do an evaluation of if something like Fortified Armor is worth the cost.
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I might do that crit stuff.
You will never convince me that mirror image is anything but incredible.
BretI wrote: The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. That and the presence or absence of any of the several spells, or senses, that can counter or nullify it.
Drahliana Moonrunner wrote: BretI wrote: The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. That and the presence or absence of any of the several spells, or senses, that can counter or nullify it. Yeah. Those go from practically nonexistent to everywhere around CR 11.
I adjusted this guide to use better numbers in the examples, and more closely demonstrate the new AC benchmarks in my Bench Pressing article.
I'm pretty happy that the level 5 benchmarks in this guide pretty much match my new benchmarks from Bench-Pressing.
Drahliana Moonrunner wrote: BretI wrote: The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. That and the presence or absence of any of the several spells, or senses, that can counter or nullify it. That is pretty much just true seeing and blindsight. Neither is especially common.
And echolocation, and tremorsense.
I like your work.
One thing I look for when assembling defenses is the ability to avoid taking full attacks.
Isn't Fire Giant overpowered for CR 10 creature?
Monster Creation High Average Damage should be about 45 (if all attacks in full round attack are successful) for CR 10 creature. Without Power Attack his highest damage output (wiout criticals) is 76,5 and 103,5 with Power Attack. The damage output is about CR 18, chance to hit (+18 on Low attack) is about CR 15, Hit points about CR 11, AC about CR 10, good save about CR 10, poor saves CR 7,5 (avarage). So on average Fire Giant should be about CR 12, not CR 10. Pretty strong melee with bad Reflex.
CR 10 creature should have around 12 BAB (8 for Feys; 11 for Abberations, Animals, Humanoids, Oozes, Plants, Undeads and Vermins; 12 for Dragons; 13 for Constructs, Magical Beasts, Monstrous Humanoids and Outsiders).
I would use natural attacking full BAB for benchmark (APL+2) with same number of them as appropriate number of itterative attacks (maximum of 3). Low Attack and divided High Avarage Damage between attacks (due to power attacking). So benchmark for 10th level would be: bite +15 (18 damage), 2× claw +15 (18 damage).
What do you think Le Petite Mort?
Le Petite Mort wrote: Drahliana Moonrunner wrote: BretI wrote: The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. That and the presence or absence of any of the several spells, or senses, that can counter or nullify it. Yeah. Those go from practically nonexistent to everywhere around CR 11. Magic Missile.
I like layers of defense. A Miss Chance, high, AC, DR, Fast Healing, some other stuff. I like getting as many layers as I can.
One of my favorites is a combination of Scent, Blind Fighting, and carry an Eversmoking Bottle. True Sight is no good against an Eversmoking Bottle: you truly see smoke.
Another good one is just use Dirty Tricks to make your opponents Blind and/or Deaf.
Blind them with a Mudball Spell.
I like Protector Familiars, especially via levels in Alchemist. Level 5 Protector Familiars protect their masters with Shield Other. Alchamal Tumor Familiars offset this with Fast Healing 5.
Your article seems to leave out Saving Throws and Spell Resistance. How do you defend against that stuff?
Most of my characters don't have spell resistance, but most of my character builds multiclass extensively, and their saving throw bonuses end up getting wicked high.
Scott Wilhelm wrote: Le Petite Mort wrote: Drahliana Moonrunner wrote: BretI wrote: The effectiveness of Mirror Image depends heavily on the number of attacks. That and the presence or absence of any of the several spells, or senses, that can counter or nullify it. Yeah. Those go from practically nonexistent to everywhere around CR 11. Magic Missile. Or closing your eyes :-)
Scott Wilhelm wrote: Your article seems to leave out Saving Throws and Spell Resistance. How do you defend against that stuff? He has covered it in his previous article BENCH-PRESSING: CHARACTER CREATION BY THE NUMBERS.
Scott Wilhelm wrote: Most of my characters don't have spell resistance, but most of my character builds multiclass extensively, and their saving throw bonuses end up getting wicked high. I switched to Fractional Base Bonuses after they were published. It is more balanced and prevents wicked dipping for saves.
Natural 1s wrote: He has covered it in his previous article BENCH-PRESSING: CHARACTER CREATION BY THE NUMBERS. Cool.
Natural 1s wrote: I switched to Fractional Base Bonuses after they were published. It is more balanced and prevents wicked dipping for saves. In the campaigns you run, you mean? Interesting: why did you switch to the variant set of rules to prevent wicked dipping? Do you have a lot of players who dip a lot in their character builds? What problems does it create?
Personally, while I recognize that higher saving throws seems to be an artifact of dipping, that's not why I do it. I build my characters with an eye to put together combinations of Feats and Class Abilities that I think are cool and create powerful effects, and I tend to have characters that don't have more than 4 levels in anything by the time they are level 12. If I were playing under those variant rules, I'd probably dip the same amount, and I seem to dip more than anybody else I know. That's with my melee characters anyway. I dip a lot less with caster characters. Of course even then I'd dip after a fashion. I have a Mystic Theurge, for instance. I was thinking about an Arcane Archer that becomes an Eldritch Knight first. But I don't know if that counts.
Anyway, I always thought of dipping as a rare occurrence and therefore not really a social problem in Pathfinder or Pathfinder Soceity. I'm curious what kinds of problems you've seen it create.
Because I was using them to powerbuild :) It seems more balanced (less favorable for dipping – particurarly full BAB).
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