Rolling the attacks and performing them against the lowest AC first is a bad idea. I understand that those with the lowest AC are likely to be hit, but this makes it almost automatic. It could be restated like this: “Make [X] attack rolls against the lowest AC. Order them from lowest to highest. Once the target has been hit, apply the rolls against the next highest AC. Rinse, repeat.” Likewise, the person with the highest AC is not likely to be hit unless there are many more minions than PC’s. If there are more minions than PC’s, what do you do once everybody has been hit? Start again at the lowest AC? This is especially important when the highest roll is a 20. Most importantly, it slows down the game.

I have a couple of ideas:

1) Variable Accuracy. Have the attack start out a couple of points lower than the standard for the level. Add 1 per archer (max 5). Then just treat it as a standard attack.

2) Attack vs. Reflex. This will hit more on average and will judge how quick you are getting cover. And it’s the simplest solution.

3) Half damage on a miss. This assumes there’s enough arrows to cover the area and people who are better protected manage to avoid the worst of it. This is my favorite, but I’d reduce the recharge for this.

Ryk, I, too, though about making it into a “wall” effect, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to use it properly. Let me give it a shot…

Maybe make it wall X where “X” is the number of participating minions within 5 squares. Leaving squares within the wall takes two squares of movement. Entering the wall or starting your turn there subjects you to an attack. The wall is sustain standard make the attack again against all creatures in the wall (the leader’s standard action), but participating dazes the allied contributors (giving them only one action since they are focusing most of their efforts on maintaining the ridiculous number of arrows). If any participating minion falls, randomly remove a squares from the wall. The leader can use a move action to rearrange the squares or add a new minion.

Make the “wall” power called “Darken the Sky.” This is the rechargeable leader ability. The attack (for starting or entering the wall’s area) is “Hail of Arrows.” It should be slightly more accurate and damaging than a ranged basic attack, but not too much. If you want to make it really dirty, make the attack have a chance to either slow (on an odd roll) or immobilize (on even).

Mordicai, my setup uses no more rolls than if you had each minion take an attack action on their turn. Ed’s is the same. Since each minion can only attack one target, if you have 5 minions, it is 5 rolls.

Here’s my current concept:

“Darken the Sky” (standard, recharge 6) * Martial
Close burst 5
Target: Each participating ally in burst
Designate an area wall x within 15 squares, where “x” is the number of ally participants, until the end of your next turn. Leaving the wall requires 2 squares of movement. All creatures who enter or begin their turn within the wall are subjected to the “Hail of Arrows” attack (see below). All participating allies are dazed until the power ends. An ally is no longer considered a participant if they are rendered unable to perform a standard action, engaged in melee, or dead; after which point the wall decreases in size to the current number of participants. The wall can never conist of a size greater than the number of participants. Using a move action, you can reposition the wall, add allies, or remove allies.
Sustain Standard: Make the “Hail of Arrows” attack against any creatures within the wall.

“Hail of Arrows” (immediate reaction) * Martial, Weapon
Ranged 15
Trigger: A creature enters or begins its turn within the area wall created by the “Darken the Sky” power.
Target: The triggering creature.
Attack: 15 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 9 damage, and, if the attack roll is odd, the target is slowed until the end of its next turn. If the attack roll is even, the target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.

Actually, that immobilize/slow thing might be a bit too overpowered. But, then again, if you’re dumb enough to run into a hail of arrows, you probably deserve what you get.

I’ll probably reread this and decide it makes no sense at all…

The area of effect however seems a little large to me though. Perhaps it should be an area like a wall; a number of continuous squares equal to the number of archers acting in the attack (maybe squares and rectangles only). Otherwise they are firing an awful lot of arrows awful quick (the crossbow area of effect attack already defy belief).

Perhaps the leader could call for concentrated fire; each time he reduces the area of effect by half, the attack rolls twice for each target or rolls with a +4 bonus or something
(saturate the area with arrows and some are bound to get through).

Presumably the attack expends the minion’s standard action. Also, minions usually do fixed damage, but it makes sense for the damage to be based on the competence of the leader as well as the general power of the weapons.

I like the idea of the hail of arrows, particularly because this is how lowend middle troops were frequently used.

Also, having it recharged by anyone, could provide a ridiculous number of rerolls on the already high recharge rate. I think it makes more sense as a leader role ability.

Having every minion within range make a coordinated ranged basic attack against an enemy within range as a free action is very cool. I think the strange roll mechanic just makes the power needlessly complicated.

So, make it Close burst 5. Effect: Each ally in burst makes a ranged basic attack against an enemy in range as a free action if able. No two allies may target the same enemy. Special: You may spend a minor action to swap attack rolls between two of the targets before a hit or miss is confirmed.

As for altering or streamlining this, I have no idea. I don’t know enough about the machinations of D&D. Plus, I’m not evil.