Poll of the Day > D&D: Party keeps telling my Wizard to frontline, should he?

(+) Yeah! (+)

First few levels, he had the highest AC and HP of the party. (Bad rolls and bad stat-spreads on some of the other party members)

Now he just has the highest AC. (the d8 Druid and Monk finally caught up and the Ranger was replaced by a Barbarian)

The one time I intentionally frontlined was to heal a party member who was making death saves.

Are there good reasons for a Wizard to frontline, or should he keep doing what he is doing?
It is all mainly in-party banter, but it does make you wonder, at what point game mechanics overtake character logic.
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In my current game I frontline a lot despite being a stealthy assassin because I have a high AC and the party is mostly low AC sorcerers. We have a Paladin as well who is usually frontline, but we are really the only "tanks" in the party.

He can probably stay frontline, but should manage his spells such that he can take advantage of that (less long ranged, more up close).
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What edition are you playing under?

Your wizard had the highest starting HP and AC? Reroll the rest. That's dumb.

rjsilverthorn posted...

What edition are you playing under?

5e

SushiSquid posted...

Your wizard had the highest starting HP and AC? Reroll the rest. That's dumb.

16 Con and averages, others characters insisting to roll for HP. The Ranger was just all kinds of MAD, lower Dex than my Wizard (and wore Light Armour...) and a bunch of 1's on his HP rolls.
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Nichtcrawler X posted...

others characters insisting to roll for HP.

Oh, that's why.

When I DM, I always let players reroll 1s for stat and HP rolls

If they have a hit die of 10 or higher I let them reroll 2s as well
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Mead posted...

When I DM, I always let players reroll 1s for stat and HP rolls

If they have a hit die of 10 or higher I let them reroll 2s as well

Or just go with HD/2+1
It's just fine, no need to deal with rolling.

Yep, the Ranger rolled several 1's, which probably helped towards his early demise.
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shadowsword87 posted...

Mead posted...

When I DM, I always let players reroll 1s for stat and HP rolls

If they have a hit die of 10 or higher I let them reroll 2s as well

Or just go with HD/2+1
It's just fine, no need to deal with rolling.

That is what my DM does.
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In our group, it is always left a choice, some of us just haven't learned yet.

Right now it seems like the Barbarian has caught the Ranger's curse. (Different player, the Ranger just died shortly after he went temporary NPC...)
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I think it really just comes down to what your wizard wants to do and what he would do, have you thought of that?
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FellWolf posted...

I think it really just comes down to what your wizard wants to do and what he would do, have you thought of that?

Of course, it usually boils down to tactical retreat/repositioning.

He's a Wizard and a Professor, not some front-line brawler.
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Nichtcrawler X posted...

FellWolf posted...

I think it really just comes down to what your wizard wants to do and what he would do, have you thought of that?

Of course, it usually boils down to tactical retreat/repositioning.

He's a Wizard and a Professor, not some front-line brawler.

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Not entirely sure whether Indy is agreeing or disagreeing...
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Probably disagreeing.
Although he's a f***ing terrible professor.

I'm guessing he's an even worse Wizard.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpUyxovK7k
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Nichtcrawler X posted...

I'm guessing he's an even worse Wizard.

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I'd guess some sort of Ranger/Rogue multiclass from that.
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shadowsword87 posted...

Mead posted...

If they have a hit die of 10 or higher I let them reroll 2s as well

Or just go with HD/2+1
It's just fine, no need to deal with rolling.

Or you could just use the average HP increase per level that's actually listed for every class in the book, for precisely that reason.

There's also the option the Yogscast group uses, where their DM has them roll for HP, but defaults to the average if it's lower than what they rolled.


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ParanoidObsessive posted...

Or you could just use the average HP increase per level that's actually listed for every class in the book, for precisely that reason.

...that's what I suggested.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

There's also the option the Yogscast group uses, where their DM has them roll for HP, but defaults to the average if it's lower than what they rolled.

Yeah that just feels lame and watered down though.

shadowsword87 posted...

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Or you could just use the average HP increase per level that's actually listed for every class in the book, for precisely that reason.

...that's what I suggested.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

There's also the option the Yogscast group uses, where their DM has them roll for HP, but defaults to the average if it's lower than what they rolled.

Yeah that just feels lame and watered down though.

Lame and watered down is exactly how to describe 5e anyway.
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I don't know the rules for all this new junk, but I'd have a Wizard frontline if I knew the enemies/traps we'd come up against pound a lot of Int Saves or something

Or maybe ur a Dwarf so some esoteric spell combo puts your AC to a better value outside of or during round 1 of combat
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My wife recently found my old sheets from when we did a PotD D&D (3.5e), she thought it was hilarious.
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Melon_Master posted...

My wife recently found my old sheets from when we did a PotD D&D (3.5e), she thought it was hilarious.

...It was 4e.

shadowsword87 posted...

Melon_Master posted...

My wife recently found my old sheets from when we did a PotD D&D (3.5e), she thought it was hilarious.

...It was 4e.

Was it? I remember there was a debate over it..
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Yup, and we went with 4e because that's what the GM wanted to play.
Believe me, you would have known it was 3.5, because you wouldn't have survived more than two combat encounters as a level 1 PC.

shadowsword87 posted...

Yup, and we went with 4e because that's what the GM wanted to play.
Believe me, you would have known it was 3.5, because you wouldn't have survived more than two combat encounters as a level 1 PC.

Well, then it sounds like I lucked out lol.. I remember my character was a female paladin.
I also remember nudojudo, thought my characters backstop was overly detailed lol.
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ParanoidObsessive posted...

There's also the option the Yogscast group uses, where their DM has them roll for HP, but defaults to the average if it's lower than what they rolled.

Ouch, that would halve everyone's health on average. I guess if you balance it on the GM side it's fine, but I'd be super spooked.
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Lightning Bolt posted...

Ouch, that would halve everyone's health on average. I guess if you balance it on the GM side it's fine, but I'd be super spooked.

I think you misunderstand how it goes.
Roll for HP, if you roll under half, it turns into half.

Basically you always get at least half HP, but 50% chance to get more.