Lower the DR of barricades and barriers in low level quests

[Wrexsoul]

As the topic suggests, could the DR of barricades and other smashable barriers in low level quest areas that need to be destroyed to continue the quest be lowered? Currently, at 5 DR, you're a bit short of luck if you only have low damage weapons in your group. Specifically, small races commonly do not wield stuff with more than 1d6 damage tops and are often dex based, turning these barricades into severely long auto attack sessions as you wait to roll max damage or crit 5 times to break them (and impossible hurdles should you happen to have, say, only 1d4 weapons). This is not a problem on mid and high level quests where higher damage and magical/elemental effects/items are abundant, but these quests are often done by only 2 or 3 characters at starting levels, so it can be a big bother for very little positive gain. Specific quests with this situation are the Kobold Den and the Puppet woods thing, on top of my head.

[Vlaid]

To throw in my 2 cents....

It would probably be more fair across the board if they just had more HP but no DR.

[Valo56]

I think it might be neat if it stayed the same, but there was a DC 15 or 20'ish tumble check to get over them, and failure would result in 1d12 or so points of damage as you hurt yourself on the spikes.

[Wrexsoul]

I think it might be neat if it stayed the same, but there was a DC 15 or 20'ish tumble check to get over them, and failure would result in 1d12 or so points of damage as you hurt yourself on the spikes.

Could be fun, but realistically, if you have time (i.e. all enemies are dead), passing a mundane barricade is really not an issue for anyone decently fit (which adventurers are). If it's just a wooden hindrance you can climb across it, and if it's not climbable, you can break it apart easily enough. Perhaps another idea might be to have it climbable/removable via a dialogue that only opens up when whatever is hiding behind it is dead, or where the climb/removal takes several rounds of action.

More to the point though, the issue isn't limited to barricades - On the second quest I mentioned it's webs, and there might be other obstructions on other quests that I am not aware of. I like the idea of them having higher hp, less DR.

[Big Orc Man]

But DR lets Power Attack be a BARRICADE SMASHER!

High HP results in all weapons working equally.  DR means you need big weapons or big swings to do it, which is more realistic than a dagger getting it done!

[Wrexsoul]

But DR lets Power Attack be a BARRICADE SMASHER!

High HP results in all weapons working equally.  DR means you need big weapons or big swings to do it, which is more realistic than a dagger getting it done!

True, but the original and main issue is really that a number of groups are forced to spend a very, very long time just autoattacking a placeable, which completely breaks the flow of the game. To clarify, this is only regarding low level quests (2-4, 2-5) and nothing else - At that level, you really need to be of a certain race/build to get through one of these barricades in a reasonable time. Lowering the DR to, say, 3, would let even small races damage them with most hits, without making a dagger go through them in a single blow.

Also, it also concerns webs and stuff, where a dagger actually would work better than a mace. :)

[Random_White_Guy]

Or allow them to be portable.

Portable Barricades ftw. Granted it should be like 25-50 pounds, a "Barricade Kit" could be awesome.

[adharmas]

Having the ability to destroy them quickly with fire or a torch would be nice.

[Wrexsoul]

Or allow them to be portable.

Portable Barricades ftw. Granted it should be like 25-50 pounds, a "Barricade Kit" could be awesome.

Engineering check for this would be win!

[Ebok]

But DR lets Power Attack be a BARRICADE SMASHER!

High HP results in all weapons working equally.  DR means you need big weapons or big swings to do it, which is more realistic than a dagger getting it done!

I have spent upwards 40 minutes doing nothing but attacking web placeables on certain forest exploration quests. This is either that I was playing a non summoning wizard/sorcerer or a rogue based on archery. But if your damage output is low, they can take forever to breach.

Though on that note, it would be cool to see some "over growth" barricades that do exactly this. You'll be hard pressed to shoot your way through a bramble for example.  As for tumble... Tumble is also a really poor choice of skills to rep climbing power -.- which is all strength based anyway, imo.

[Thani]

Would be pretty sad if all the people in fullplate climbs the rope like its nothing, then the acrobat rogue cant even get halfways.

[xXCrystal_Rose]

Sort of thread necromancy, but this is why in pnp climb was a strength skill with armor check penalty, and you could get a bonus to it if you had points in Use Rope (a rogue skill) and were using a rope as a tool to climb with, giving a further bonus for having climbing tools. With what we have available on efu Acrobatics or Wilderness Survival would maybe both make sense as a synergy bonus.

Just wanted to clarify a point on how climb works so it doesn't present the misleading assumption that climbing in heavy armor is a viable option in any setting.

[A Case Of Rapiers]

As I understand it, the contributing factors to Climbing are your Tumble ranks, Strength, and also weight carried, or perhaps the weight of the armor you wear. In any case, high Tumble, high Strength, and light armors make Climbing very easy. Low Tumble, low Strength or heavy armors can make it difficult.

[Nuclear Catastrophe]

Forget the damn Chosen of Gaathmar or the Elder Werewolves, it's the damn BARRICADES which are OP.  Curse them and their wooden hides.

(also, kind of of a view that barricades are pretty cool as things stand.  I don't think a dagger should be a useful tool against a barricade, and am amused by the image of tiny wee halflings battering fruitlessly against their walls!)

[The Old Hack]

Forget the damn Chosen of Gaathmar or the Elder Werewolves, it's the damn BARRICADES which are OP.  Curse them and their wooden hides.

That's the solution, replace every barrier on low level quests with a Chosen of Gaathmar or an Elder Werewolf! :shock:

Personally I also think they are fine. Also it gives another reason to take the excellent feat Power Attack. If you absolutely need to change them, maybe make them vulnerable to fire attacks or fire alchemicals so they can be burned out of the way.