D&D 5E Discussion

[Telengard]

The tarrasque:
Notice the Legendary Resistance - this means that casters will counterintuitively use their weaker spells first against the rampaging giant monster. The tarrasque isn't the only creature to have this - the dragons and vampire here have it too.

Why even go that far? Just use passive weapons that provoke saving throws, and wait until such creatures have exhausted their legendaries before casting anything.

 

[Night Goat]

Here's the Bulette for your perusal:

Spoiler

:D The sages are back!

 

[tuluse]

The tarrasque:
Notice the Legendary Resistance - this means that casters will counterintuitively use their weaker spells first against the rampaging giant monster. The tarrasque isn't the only creature to have this - the dragons and vampire here have it too.

Why even go that far? Just use passive weapons that provoke saving throws, and wait until such creatures have exhausted their legendaries before casting anything.

It's the DM's choice. Not going to waste a save against something non-impactful.

 

[Alchemist]

Bulettes come together only to mate, resulting in a bloody act of claws and teeth that usually ends with the male's death and consumption.

Heh.. apparently even the Bulettes are in on the anti-patriarchy SJW bandwagon...
:incloosive:

 

[Telengard]

The tarrasque:
Notice the Legendary Resistance - this means that casters will counterintuitively use their weaker spells first against the rampaging giant monster. The tarrasque isn't the only creature to have this - the dragons and vampire here have it too.

Why even go that far? Just use passive weapons that provoke saving throws, and wait until such creatures have exhausted their legendaries before casting anything.

It's the DM's choice. Not going to waste a save against something non-impactful.

Failed saves come with status effects. If the DM starts letting even minor (and who says they were minor?) versions of those go by, then single creatures swiftly become sitting ducks for groups of 20th level characters to unload their buttload of stored powers and abilities into. And it's not so much different at lower levels than it is with epic creatures, either.

 

[J1M]

Legendary resistance is a mechanic that will have players making a tough decision about which spells to cast first. That alone is enough to make it a good mechanic. The fact that it provides even better gameplay when players have meta-knowledge makes it a great mechanic.

 

[Night Goat]

I have mixed feelings about it. The potential of save-or-lose spells to end fights immediately is a major problem in high-level play, but legendary resistance will result in the players having their characters cast their low-level spells first against the most dangerous creatures - the opposite of what they'd do in-setting.

 

[J1M]

I have mixed feelings about it. The potential of save-or-lose spells to end fights immediately is a major problem in high-level play, but legendary resistance will result in the players having their characters cast their low-level spells first against the most dangerous creatures - the opposite of what they'd do in-setting.

Not if your level 20 wizard had ever read a book about said creature and knew it has some degree of spell resistance. It is also quite easy to create a new ability that causes creatures to clear status effects every so often, etc.

 

[tuluse]

Failed saves come with status effects. If the DM starts letting even minor (and who says they were minor?) versions of those go by, then single creatures swiftly become sitting ducks for groups of 20th level characters to unload their buttload of stored powers and abilities into. And it's not so much different at lower levels than it is with epic creatures, either.

Well then they shouldn't be using their high level spells anyways if the encounter is so trivial.

I have mixed feelings about it. The potential of save-or-lose spells to end fights immediately is a major problem in high-level play, but legendary resistance will result in the players having their characters cast their low-level spells first against the most dangerous creatures - the opposite of what they'd do in-setting.

Except "in-setting" the creature absorbs a certain amount of magic before it works.

At any rate, it doesn't necessitate casting low level spells first. Just like an assault in World War 1, sometimes attrition is a viable tactic.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Are there that many lower level spells that "legendary creatures" like dragons/vampires/demons are crippled by? Most of these critters have a ton of magic/spell resistance, outstanding saving throws, and a boatload of immunities. And their natural abilities will likely see them through many debilitating statuses, like a dragon burning away webs/entanglement/swarms or powerful extraplanar creatures using their planeshift to escape or wait out a spell duration.

Seems like this mechanic exists primarily to make some of the stupidly lethal offensive magics in high level D&D not trivialize "epic" monsters with save-or-die silliness and in a way that won't upset the table's rules lawyer.

 

[Telengard]

By high levels, the party has got the wealth and power and experience to have amassed and/or made and/or commissioned hordes of anything under the sun. There is absolutely no reason to restrict one's tricks and traps to low level hazards anymore.

And also by that point, they will have enough actions available to dump hordes of crap onto the field every single round. Anything with a 3-use limit is fine at lower levels of play. But at high levels - when lone monsters are already at huge natural disadvantage over the party - a 3-use limit defense on a single monster has the natural life expectancy of a single lone fly at a fly-swatting competition.

 

[Melan]

Anyone who has the PHB: can I make a half-orc assassin with these rules? Kinda important issue.

 

[Night Goat]

You can make a half-orc rogue, but it'll suck. The point-buy is so stingy and the ability scores so important that each class really only has one or two options when it comes to viable races, and for rogues the half-orc probably isn't it.

 

[Alchemist]

Rolling 4d6 / remove lowest is another way to generate abilities (it's the default in the Basic PDF, I don't have the PHB yet). Point buy is optional, and it's obviously inferior (15 is the highest you can point buy) to encourage people to use the roll method.

 

[Melan]

Thanks. I never, ever use point-buy if there is another option. The standard 4d6, drop lowest method is okay for most purposes.

Spoiler

Although the scores should be rolled in order, none of those liberal popamole deviations!

 

[primordial]

Every character's ability scores are capped at 20. Even if someone plays a race that gives a +2 in an off-stat, everyone will reach the cap quickly if they want to. The +1 Constitution the Half-Orc gets is always nice and can easily flip an odd score into an even score for another +1 to hit points. Also, you can use your +2 Strength on your lowest stat (8 if using point array) to off set any minuses you might have.

 

[Scroo]

Thanks. I never, ever use point-buy if there is another option. The standard 4d6, drop lowest method is okay for most purposes.

Spoiler

Although the scores should be rolled in order, none of those liberal popamole deviations!

I'm all for rolling stats but I always let my players choose how they distribute the results. No need in having unhappy players that want to play a warrior but end up with 8 str

 

[nikolokolus]

Thanks. I never, ever use point-buy if there is another option. The standard 4d6, drop lowest method is okay for most purposes.

Spoiler

Although the scores should be rolled in order, none of those liberal popamole deviations!

I'm all for rolling stats but I always let my players choose how they distribute the results. No need in having unhappy players that want to play a warrior but end up with 8 str

You could always make them roll in order, but go DCC style and let each player roll up 4 or 5 zero level scrubs and then run them through a gauntlet type adventure, that winnows out about 50% of the characters. If their pet character survives the "funnel" they get to play the character they like.

It may not be for everybody, but even when we're not playing DCC RPG, this has been the one thing that at the gaming table everybody in my face-to-face group has asked to port over.

 

[Melan]

Scrooge: Sure, you need a group that likes this kind of thing. Fortunately, mine does, so no problems.

Nikolokolus: I like the funnel concept, but always considered that 1st level already weeds out the weak and infirm. Although granted, I also give my players a bunch of henchmen if they need some firepower, and those who hit a fairly low XP target get promoted to real adventurers with stats, a class and whatnot. Tomorrow, we are playing the updated (though unpublished) version of Judges Guild's classic Tegel Manor, and since there will only be two players, they'll each have a 3rd level character and three pieces of cannon fodder.

 

[Scroo]

Thanks. I never, ever use point-buy if there is another option. The standard 4d6, drop lowest method is okay for most purposes.

Spoiler

Although the scores should be rolled in order, none of those liberal popamole deviations!

I'm all for rolling stats but I always let my players choose how they distribute the results. No need in having unhappy players that want to play a warrior but end up with 8 str

You could always make them roll in order, but go DCC style and let each player roll up 4 or 5 zero level scrubs and then run them through a gauntlet type adventure, that winnows out about 50% of the characters. If their pet character survives the "funnel" they get to play the character they like.

It may not be for everybody, but even when we're not playing DCC RPG, this has been the one thing that at the gaming table everybody in my face-to-face group has asked to port over.

Hmm, yeh this sounds like an interesting concept. Might propose that to my group when we start a new system / new campaign

 

[Alchemist]

The DCC funnel my group ran was a lot of fun. Not only was it hilarious with characters dying horrible deaths right and left, it's an organic way to create a "zero-to-hero" progression. And it builds character - especially when you have permanent wounds that result from the funnel - like my guy who lost an eye. The DCC way is good for those who enjoy letting random chance have a part in deciding things. It's a bit like a roguelike in some ways.

I also like 4d6 / drop lowest / distribute stats as desired. Both approaches have their merits. Sometimes I like to "build" a character, and sometimes letting the RNG have it's way can be interesting.

 

[Night Goat]

I think arrays are the best way to assign ability scores. I don't like leaving something that important to chance, and point-buys fuck over characters with multiple attribute dependency even worse than they already were.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Thanks. I never, ever use point-buy if there is another option. The standard 4d6, drop lowest method is okay for most purposes.

Spoiler

Although the scores should be rolled in order, none of those liberal popamole deviations!

I'm all for rolling stats but I always let my players choose how they distribute the results. No need in having unhappy players that want to play a warrior but end up with 8 str

You could always make them roll in order, but go DCC style and let each player roll up 4 or 5 zero level scrubs and then run them through a gauntlet type adventure, that winnows out about 50% of the characters. If their pet character survives the "funnel" they get to play the character they like.

It may not be for everybody, but even when we're not playing DCC RPG, this has been the one thing that at the gaming table everybody in my face-to-face group has asked to port over.

Hmm, yeh this sounds like an interesting concept. Might propose that to my group when we start a new system / new campaign

I always played with delinquents who cheated, but my best characters had mediocre stats. Luck favors the meek and good tactics and roleplaying. Fuck homogenized BS. We did 3 rows of 3d6 distribute how you want and 1 row 4d6 in order. Then, the player would pick their favorite row. This combined with kits worked out very well in 2nd ed AD&D.

 

[Infinitron]

Well now: http://spoonyexperiment.com/counter-monkey/counter-monkey-dd-5th-edition-review-part-1/

 

[aleph]

Well now: http://spoonyexperiment.com/counter-monkey/counter-monkey-dd-5th-edition-review-part-1/

Kids these days. You are a bunch of whiny pussies. Everything has to be balanced.