Originally Posted by mrfuji3
Originally Posted by dreambled
Tripping can be pretty damn effective if used correctly and when we can get past level 4. If you know your other melee characters will get a turn before the enemy does, then tripping is fantastic. Additionally, if it's the first thing you do as a level 5 fighter, then your next attack will also be at advantage.
The problem is that it's still usually more effective damage-wise to make N attacks at normal than make N-1 attacks at advantage. Barring any crit shenanigans (Brutal Critical, Smiting on crits, etc), the math doesn't favor tripping until you can make 5+ attacks on the prone character. The math is slightly better when you're turning disadvantage into normal attacking, but not by much unless doing so then allows for a rogue to get sneak attack.

And of course, you have to take into account the chances that your Shove Prone attempt fails, in which case now you're still making N-1 attacks at normal.

Listen, I'm not a math person, so I'll just ask for a source on that. I find it hard to believe that advantage is actually disadvantageous compared to normal rolls in terms of inflicting damage if it offers you the chance to turn a miss into a hit, the chance to crit, and the chance do any other damage that may not otherwise be allowed. If I had to just go by my own thoughts on the matter I would say, as with most of my opinions, it's all situational. Can your fighter only do 1 attack? Is your fighter the only melee character in the group? Is it the enemies' turn right after the fighter's? If yes, then yeah, it's pretty useless, and actually pretty detrimental for the rest of the party. If not though, then I'd rather take having advantage than not.

Last edited by dreambled; 02/08/21 09:33 PM.