Is a 5th Edition coming soon? [Answer: NO, it isn't!]

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

Maybe, but I have trouble believing most people consider table look-ups and multiplying by 1.5 to be hard math.

This may be self-selection bias in your friends and associates.
In my day job, I have to deal with the general public, and math on a daily basis (I work at a bank).
Easily 10% of people I deal with have trouble with simple addition and subtraction.
Well over 50% of them have math skills at a level where multiplying by 1.5 would require a calculator for numbers over 5.

You also have the issue that even if they have the skills, multiplying mentally is fundamentally SLOW. It's a fact that for mental calculations, addition is the fastest, while subtraction is noticeably slower, and multiplication and division as VERY slow.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

You must play differently than I do. We throw around a lot of spells with damage per caster level (and get attacked by things with these spells or natural buckets'o'dice attacks).

He specified 4th Edition D&D, which you are obviously not playing.
In 4E, Fireball is a Daily power (so you only get 1 per day, even if you're a Level 30 wizard), and damage is fixed at 5d6+Int Bonus (regardless of level).
4E did away with level based damage entirely. Higher level abilities have more dice of damage, but it's not a straight 1d6 per level progression. Around level 30, they cap out at about 7 or 8 dice, plus stat and magic item bonuses. Rogues can exceed 10 dice with sneak attack, but even that is capped at 5 extra dice.

This has the much needed effect of eliminating the Quadratic Wizard problem, wherein a single Level 20 wizard can easily match or exceed the damage output of a dozen Level 20 fighters.