[4e] Multiple attacks rolls for enemies as well?

[Saz]

So I am running a black dragon who breathes on a group of adventurers. Should I make a separate attack roll for each and one damage roll for all, or should I make one attack roll for each and a separate damage roll?

Very confused here please help.

[Inyssius]

One separate attack roll for each target. One single damage roll, applied to each target you hit.

That's the way it always is.

[Saz]

Thanks. Wasn't sure if it worked that way for enemies as well.

[devlin1]

Thanks. Wasn't sure if it worked that way for enemies as well.
Why wouldn't it? Alternately, what have you seen that led you to believe it'd be different?

[Kath]

One trick to speed this up is to tell each *player* too roll to see if their character was hit. The DM just rolls damage, and lets the players knows what the attack bonus is and what defence it's targeting. Makes things much faster if you have a large group.

[Weltenreiter]

One trick to speed this up is to tell each *player* too roll to see if their character was hit.
Butbutbut, then they'd each need separate die they have diceritualsuperstitioned into rolling low.

[Mozart]

Given that you clearly understand how this works when the PCs are attacking multiple targets, I too wonder why you would imagine that some other convolution would apply for monsters attacking multiple PCs?

Rolling the attack only once for the entire party would result in very swingy attacks which either hit most/all people or miss most/all people. And imagine rolling a crit if you only made one attack for everyone! Ouch!

As for rolling multiple damage dice multiple times... eugh! Rolling multiple attacks is bad enough against large groups, but at least it's only one die. Rolling damage against each individual would be more time consuming, wouldn't eradicate the problem with all hits or all misses and has no precident in the game.

[Marius B]

Given that you clearly understand how this works when the PCs are attacking multiple targets, I too wonder why you would imagine that some other convolution would apply for monsters attacking multiple PCs?

Dude, does it even matter? The guy's question has been answered.

I always forget whether it's one attack roll and multiple damage rolls or the other way around when I'm in the heat of the moment.

[Mozart]

Dude, does it even matter? The guy's question has been answered.
He might have a particular reason for assuming that it differed.

I always forget whether it's one attack roll and multiple damage rolls or the other way around when I'm in the heat of the moment.
There is a difference between not remembering which way it goes in the heat of the moment, and remembering which way it goes for PCs, but wondering whether it goes the same way for monsters.

[Zeiram]

Saz: It should be noted that some enemy attacks DO use the individual attack/damage roll pairs. If a power targets multiple characters in a single effect like a burst or blast, its one damage roll. Much like many Ranger attacks, other powers like the "Make 2 _____ basic melee attacks" powers or things like the Shadar-Kai Chainfighters "Dance of Death" are resolved as separate attack & damage rolls.

[Nahat Anoj]

Butbutbut, then they'd each need separate die they have diceritualsuperstitioned into rolling low.
Indeed. Tricksy players are tricksy ...