D&D 5E Discussion

[Fairfax]

In my experience I would agree that with all the death saves, benefits from short and long rests, and general qol features there's a lack of challenge. The players become dulled to challenge somewhat because there's no general sense of danger and realistic consequences. What optional/homebrew rules could best remedy this?

As usual, the best way to do that is through encounter design and enemy behaviour. Attack downed opponents, abuse cover and lighting, and use resourceful/interesting monsters that aren't just hp sponges with multiattack (of which 5E has plenty).

As for house/variant rules, I use some for that purpose:

The original falling damage by Gygax: 1d6 per 10 feet fallen, cumulative. 3d6 for 20ft, 6d6 for 30ft, and so on.

Rarely comes up, but the RAW are way too forgiving, with PCs from level ~8 onwards surviving absurd falls with ease, especially Barbarians.

Falling to 0hp adds one level of exhaustion.

This helps mitigate yo-yo healing and adds a consequence to being knocked out.

Greyhawk Initiative with Spell Disruption and Weapon Speed.

Makes combat more tactical and dynamic, reduces metagaming, makes players take calculated risks instead of reacting to previous turns, and rewards player skill more than the default system. Spell disruption makes spellcasting in combat more like older editions, and weapon speed factors make weapon choice more interesting. The downside is that it requires rolling a handful of dice every round, which some players may not like, and casuals/newcomers may find it too complex.

Massive Damage [DMG p. 273]

This one is pretty straightforward:

Massive Damage

This optional rule makes it easier for a creature to be felled by massive damage.

When a creature takes damage from a single source equal to or greater than half its hit point maximum, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer a random effect determined by a roll on the System Shock table. For example, a creature that has a hit point maximum of 30 must make that Constitution save if it takes 15 damage or more from a single source.

System Shock

d10 Effect
1 The creature drops to 0 hit points.
2-3 The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable.
4-5 The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
6-7 The creature can't take reactions and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
8-10 The creature can't take reactions until the end of its next turn.

It cuts both ways, of course, but it makes stronger, boss-type enemies more dangerous.

 

[Cael]

System Shock

d10 Effect
1 The creature drops to 0 hit points.
2-3 The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable.
4-5 The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
6-7 The creature can't take reactions and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
8-10 The creature can't take reactions until the end of its next turn.

It cuts both ways, of course, but it makes stronger, boss-type enemies more dangerous.[/QUOTE]
Not really. Anything that creates a much more dangerous scenario is automatically against the players for the very simple reason that whichever enemy mob it is only faces it for an encounter while the players have to face it with their character multiple times.

Put it another way: You can win 1000 fights, but you can only lose once.

 

[PapaPetro]

-Get rid of all artists and hire a bunch of mysoginic artists from the 80s to replace all the insanity.

I could use a little more Frank Frazetta these days.

 

[Akratus]

I've been working on my own setting, but I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point where I'm satisfied enough with it to actually run a campaign in it. Are there any good books or something about great settings that I could use instead? Afaik there's no official adaptations for Dark sun or Spelljammer for 5e. Any good homebrew conversions out there? If I had to ask you, fellow Codexers, what's the best book/digital document containing a setting to use for a 5e campaign, what's your answer?

 

[Fairfax]

If you want a tool to help create your D&D setting, I'd recommend this book:

As for 5E, the only settings with official sourcebooks are Forgotten Realms, Eberron, and Ravnica (MTG shit). Ravenloft has info in the Curse of Strahd module, but it's not a full sourcebook. Old books about other settings should be fine, though, and most, if not not all, have 5E conversions made by fans.

 

[udm]

-Get rid of all artists and hire a bunch of mysoginic artists from the 80s to replace all the insanity.

YES!

Spoiler

Don't get your hopes up tho, bucko. The hobby's crawling with incels and nice guys.

 

[Morblot]

If you want a tool to help create your D&D setting, I'd recommend this book:
World Builder's Guidebook

This! So good. It's not flawless, of course, but it has a lot of good information in a compact form. The PDF is only 5 bucks on Drivethru; I liked it enough to also buy a physical copy from Amazon for roughly 18 pounds sterling.

I think I may have also bought other PDFs for the same purpose, but haven't really read any of them. That one book + a few random online generators have been everything I've needed.

 

[Stella Brando]

 

[udm]

So if negroes are orcs, does that mean us azns are high elves?

 

[Morblot]

More like kobolds

 

[DavidBVal]

Wait until Disney buys D&D. You'll see.

Anyways, here's some Jeff Easley to purify your eyes and souls.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Mortmal]

Think you guys would like lamentation of the flame princess artwork more. Also i dont really see the point to use 5E for homebrew worlds , any retro-clones can do the job. 5E is really to play official forgotten realms .


Some samples:

 

[Catacombs]

More D&D art please

 

[DavidBVal]

I started my 5e game set in Dark Sun.

After trying it now, I can say Dark Sun is easily the best D&D setting I've played (however I'm not an expert, I just know FR and Dragonlance). Each monster entry in the manual is conceptually good enough to creatre a great encounter, or even a full dungeon, rather than a mere stat block.

So much to discover and do in the world, and the world really suits all levels of play up to 20. The problem is, so many cool things in the setting, and you want everything to make it into the adventure :D

The quality of the ideas and how they are developed is usually great, but there's some stupid things that need to be removed or tweaked. For starters, the Prism Pentad books completely fuck up the setting, making it similar to playing Middle-Earth right after Sauron is destroyed. Much more interesting to simply ignore all that.

Not sure it can easily sustain more than one long campaign though, not being as extensive as other settings. But for me one campaign is good enough.

 

[pOcHa]

System Shock

d10 Effect
1 The creature drops to 0 hit points.
2-3 The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable.
4-5 The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn.
6-7 The creature can't take reactions and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
8-10 The creature can't take reactions until the end of its next turn.


It cuts both ways, of course, but it makes stronger, boss-type enemies more dangerous.
Not really. Anything that creates a much more dangerous scenario is automatically against the players for the very simple reason that whichever enemy mob it is only faces it for an encounter while the players have to face it with their character multiple times.

Put it another way: You can win 1000 fights, but you can only lose once.

not if you apply it only to unique (named) enemies and bosses

btw, interested in dark sun 5e conversion if there is one

 

[DavidBVal]

btw, interested in dark sun 5e conversion if there is one

There's several homebrew conversions, and two different monster compendium conversions. Still several things were not done to my liking and did my own rules for defiling, healing and other stuff.

This search should put you on the right track: https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkSun/search/?q=5e&restrict_sr=1

 

[pOcHa]

checked for anything at least semi official

No, and with the Eberron announcement unlikely that we'll see one anytime soon.

 

[DavidBVal]

checked for anything at least semi official

No, and with the Eberron announcement unlikely that we'll see one anytime soon.

It's not like you really need an official launch. There's at least three comprehensive homebrew conversions to choose from (or more likely, to combine into the base of what you want to play). Two of them are good quality stuff.

But if you want to stick to official 5e material, there's an official Unearthed Arcana Mystic class to be the Psionic, which I use. Also, you have the 4e Dark Sun stuff, not very good but another point of reference. Of course that's not enough to run a Dark Sun game.

Checkist of what you need to adapt:

-Psionics (both a dedicated psionic class, and lesser powers for everyone)
-Arcane Defiling
-Elemental clerics
-Bards, which are not typical D&D bards
-Races, which are rather specialized
-Spell changes and restrictions (create water? lol)
-weapons, armor, items, breakage.
-Monster Manual.

As mentioned above, I found three homebrew conversions that deal with almost everything in that list. Still, I had some work to do until everything was to my satisfaction.

Finally you have to decide on what you'll do with the setting, as most adventures and sourcebooks assume the Sorcerer King Kalak was killed, others even jump to the point where the Dragon was killed, and that makes everything else turned upside down.

If you don't know the setting in detail, the novels are a good introduction (rather mediocre even for D&D standards, beware).

 

[Andhaira]

 

[LESS T_T]

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/eberron

EBERRON: RISING FROM THE LAST WAR
D&D CAMPAIGN SETTING AND ADVENTURE BOOK

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

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In the post-war world, magic pervades everyday life, and people of all sorts flock to Sharn, a city of wonders where skyscrapers pierce the clouds. Will you find your fortune on mean city streets or scouring the secrets of haunted battlefields? Will you throw in your lot with the mighty dragonmarked houses, ruthless families who control whole nations? Will you seek truth as a newspaper reporter, a university researcher, or a government spy? Or will you forge a destiny that defies the scars of war?

This book provides tools that both players and Dungeon Masters need to explore the world of Eberron, including the artificer character class—a master of magical invention—and monsters birthed by ancient warmongering forces. Will Eberron enter a prosperous new age or will the shadow of war descend once again?

• A comprehensive campaign guide to Eberron, a war-torn world armed with magic-fueled technology, from one of DM’s Guild bestselling titles of all time: Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron.
• Quickly dive into your pulp adventures using the easy-to-use adventure locations crafted for the book, with maps of lightning trains, airships, floating castles, skyscrapers, and more.
• Explore Sharn, a city of skyscrapers, airships, and noirish intrigue and a crossroads for the world’s war-ravaged peoples.
• Include a campaign for characters venturing into the Mournland.
• Play the artificer, the first official class to be released for 5th edition D&D since the Player’s Handbook. The artificer melds magic and invention to craft objects of wonder.
• Flesh out your characters with a new game element: a group patron—a background for your whole party.
• 16 new race/subrace options—the most of any D&D book to date—including dragonmarks, which magically transform certain members of the races in the Player’s Handbook.
• Confront horrific monsters born from the world’s devastating wars.

WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
Grab an alternate cover designed by Vance Kelly (Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foesalt cover) through game stores, or pick up a standard cover by Ben Oliver (Curse of Strahd, Tomb of Annihilation) anywhere all on November 19 and venture into the pulp fiction fantasy setting of Eberron! Pre-order now at your local game store, book stores such as Barnes & Noble, or online at retailers like Amazon.

ITEM DETAILS
Price: $49.95
Release Date: 19 November, 2019
Format: Hardcover

Standard cover

 

[Fairfax]

Standard cover

Eberron sucks, so it's fitting.

16 new race/subrace options—the most of any D&D book to date

This is false.

 

[DavidBVal]

6 new race/subrace options—the most of any D&D book to date

This is false.

Heh, indeed the Player's Handbook has what, nine races?

Not even going into old editions.

And better not talk about that cover. Really, it's depressing.

 

[_Vic_]

If you don't know the setting in detail, the novels are a good introduction (rather mediocre even for D&D standards, beware).

HOLY COW!

 

[Alchemist]

https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/eberron
Standard cover

Seriously, yeah that has to be one of the worst covers for a 5E book yet. Looks like a speed painting, with possibly the worst rendition of a warforged I've seen. And even that is an afterthought, with the focus being on some punk elf with a critter. Yeah that totally says Eberron...

Alternate cover looks nice though. I guess they are throwing a bone to the friendly local game stores by deliberately making the standard cover shitty.

 

[Fairfax]

6 new race/subrace options—the most of any D&D book to date

This is false.

Heh, indeed the Player's Handbook has what, nine races?

Not even going into old editions.

It says 16, I messed up the quote.

I was referring to 16, though. The Complete Book of Humanoids has a lot more than that, as do the 3E Monster Manuals I, II, and III.