dnd-discussion

[empty thicket]

"A Mane is in front of me" "A group of manes is in front of me" Move the S or add something that give you a number idea

[severe rampart]

What would you call a group of dwarves

[idle oar]

Dwarves

Possibly a clan of dwarves

[empty thicket]

Same than said before, modify the S or add the part "group" so there is a context of numbers

[deep galleon]

Gotcha, was thinking of that but thought it sounded weird. Thanks!

[deep galleon]

A tavern

jk, I'm assuming you mean in the same way a group of crows is called a murder of crows and so on and so forth?

[shy stirrup]

Dwarves aren't birds.
But, if they were...a mine of Dwarves?

[severe rampart]

I don't think so

A forge of dwarves?

[shy stirrup]

Lotsa dwarves in a mine, I read that in a book somewhere

[strong pendant]

Yes! I see what you mean, Jean grey was also a point of reference for me lol

[severe rampart]

Asked other people, two of the best answers were

"a shortage of dwarves" And "A beard of dwarves"

[strong portal]

Does anyone know where I can buy blank character sheets?

[severe rampart]

Digital or Physical?

[winter parcel]

I just printed some I found online

[strong portal]

Physical

[severe rampart]

Because there are a lot of good free digital ones that you can even print

[strong portal]

I don’t have a printer, sadly

[severe rampart]

Surely there's like a printing service in your neighborhood, sorry idk what the American or European term is

[strong portal]

I could check my local library and see

[flat monolith]

Many libraries have printing for a fee

[winter parcel]

I know Walmart also has printers in the store you can use (that I know of) but I’m not sure if they are free or you have to pay to use them

Also I had a question so I recently got the 2024 phb and made a character could I use that character that’s on a physical sheet for dnd that’s online?

[serene jolt]

The library is usually the cheapest option. My library has a few of 75 cents or something like that for a colored page.

Maybe less.

[jovial shadow]

You can go to the UPS store or print stuff of the web at CVS or Walgreens. I didn't know anything about Walmart and I haven't been to a library in About 10 years. There are so few of them now in my city. I haven't heard anyone talk about going to a library except on this discord

[humble cairn]

A "kegger" of dwarves?

[severe rampart]

I think Keg is fine

[humble cairn]

A bit too small and constrained and not boisterous enough.

"A keg is enough for a dwarf, me friend!"

[serene jolt]

A bundle of dwarves 🤣

[empty thicket]

yeah but her powers are inconsistent for me. For some spells can work like disintegrate

[timid current]

The preferred method will vary from table to table; ask your DM 🙂

[winter parcel]

Ok because I don’t really want to use dnd beyond after getting the phb

[timid current]

Yeah there is no requirement built in to dnd the game to use beyond or any other particular software.

[hot gate]

A braid of dwarves

[uncut zenith]

A vein of dwarves

Y’know, like ore veins

[swift umbra]

Question I’m new to dnd always wanted to play as a kid secretly a nerd so on so on does any veterans of dnd recommend dnd books I would like to get before getting started

[idle oar]

Check out #learn-to-play and the free basic rules pinned in #dnd-newcomers

[severe rampart]

What was the most embarrassing thing you guys did as beginners?

[oak shoal]

Got downed by a goblin boss as a lv 3 barbarian

Never trusting reckless attack ever again

[worldly flare]

Fun fact! You can get the crafting time of a legendary item down to 19 days at minimum!(Assuming everything on DND beyond is allowed)

[meager fractal]

yeah reckless attack against goblins might be a bit reckless

[hot marlin]

What sort of DM allows everything?

[worldly flare]

Well no DM allows everything on DND Beyond but I’m merely taking hypothetically.

Also you actually need everything on DND beyond you just need Lairs of Etharis.

[hot gate]

I'm sure all the third party offerings on DDB are high quality, but I'm not surprised that they would allow for some strange mechanical interactions.

[hot marlin]

I'm sure quite a few of them are low quality

[worldly flare]

Nevermind it’s 31.25 days. Still pretty good

[hearty bay]

Is there any merit to using an adamantine weapon? I don't know how breaking objects might be useful, even for a barbarian

But I picked it because it would make my build transition smoother

[worldly flare]

Adroit crafter+Simulacrum with Adroit crafter+plus any other Simulacrum assistants the hypothetical DM will let you use.

[hot gate]

Attacking objects has come up a few times in my games, but it's not an every session thing for sure.

[woven flint]

Smash through a wall and shout
"OH YEAH!!!"

[hearty bay]

I ended up picking it over the +1 armor and I am low-key regretting it, but at the same time

I think it would be a less jarring transition than "well, my barbarian desperately wants a glaive"

"and he will master it, y'know"

[woven flint]

Personally?
I mever wear armor or use Shields with my Barbarians
If they're gonna die, they're gonna die showing off their pecs

[hearty bay]

I don't have great ac and my dm has the tendency of making enemies well capable of oneshotting us

[woven flint]

Personally?
I'd just kill the enemies before they kill me :3

[hearty bay]

Like, the second half of a fight we took had a sorcerer who could onetap me from full life while also halving someone else's HP within a turn

[jovial shadow]

That doesn't sound fun and sounds like the DM uses homebrewed monsters or doesn't understand CR

[hearty bay]

While also having enough of a health pool to survive my entire party focus firing it

We won anyways and it was epic

But the less free damage I take, the better

As the barbarian it isn't quite fun, since I usually don't get to deal a lot of damage

[woven flint]

That's kinda the Barbarians Shtick
To deal a boatload of damage or just be good at taking hits lol

[hearty bay]

I'm really good at cleaning trash mobs, but never got to stand toe to toe with anyone big

And see the end of it

[woven flint]

It's fun to onetap the little guys though, let's be honest

[hearty bay]

Eh, not when it's the only thing I do

I don't feel threatening

And as a path of the giant barbarian, it's the one thing I should feel

So I'm starting to look for means to gear him up to start fixing build mistakes at level 8

[woven flint]

Use your size to your advantage, force fights by blocking enemies from going anywhere

[hearty bay]

Usually that doesn't help me because then I get focus blasted by a barrage of spells

[woven flint]

The run straight for the casters 😎

[hearty bay]

Every fight has more casters than what I can deal with

[woven flint]

That's quitter talk!

[hearty bay]

I mean that I can't kill all of them in a single round

I don't have enough actions for that

[woven flint]

Well, yeah, that's to be expected

[hearty bay]

And even then I usually take more than one turn per caster, unless it's completely fodder

[woven flint]

Just assume the Barbarian mentality

Another suggestion, if you're playing 2024, take the new great weapon master, if you're using a two-handed weapon two-habded, you can add your proficiency bonus to the damage

AND if you kill something, you get an Extra Attack as a bonus action

[hearty bay]

Due to the party sort of refusing to jump to 2024

Only the dm uses 2024 stuff

Like, he told the party he was gonna use it

[woven flint]

I dunno why they wouldn't lol
Martials have a way better time with 2024 rules

[hearty bay]

And offered a free Respec into 2024 for everyone

[keen kestrel]

You can still just use 2024 feats if you want

[hearty bay]

No one wanted to do the leap

Due to the hassle of rewriting the sheets

[woven flint]

I'll tell you now

2024 Barbarian is way more powerful than 2014

[hearty bay]

I even offered to do it, but they didn't bother

So I'm stuck at 14

[woven flint]

I'm playing a Centaur Berserker Barbarian into Descent Into Avernus and I already have a bit of his build mapped out lol
First thing he's taking is GWM

[hearty bay]

If my barbarian dies, I'll make another with the same sub

[cerulean monolith]

I’ve been prompted into thinking… which class would be the best if all party members were playing the same class?

[fossil hollow]

Cleric, Wizard

[hearty bay]

I'll just make it a bugbear this time

[woven flint]

With our origin feats our dm allowed us to also get a Faction related feat because it's Baulders Gate lol
I chose Zhentarim Ruffian (because he'd Zhentarim)

[keen kestrel]

cleric, wizard, paladin

[woven flint]

Paladin has a severe lack in versatility and range

[cerulean monolith]

Cleric and Wizard I gets, why Pally?

[crimson gulch]

Fighter

[keen kestrel]

the argument can be made if you're trying to do a heist mission, rogue is undoubtedly insane

[hearty bay]

Bugbear giant just for the sake of maximizing PaM

[knotty basin]

Aura

[keen kestrel]

between the lot of them, you can get some crazy effects from different auras

[woven flint]

Aura.. from one person, because Auras don't stack.

[hearty bay]

And to add a surname like FarHand

[keen kestrel]

not the main effect of aura

but the secondary effects certainly do

[knotty basin]

They do if they’re different subclasses

Also means a wider area of effect

[woven flint]

The side effects are good, but I don't think full Pally would be that good as much as I love pallies

[keen kestrel]

tbf, you can functionally be immune to anything mages throw at you, and melee monsters are gonna have an awful time approaching you so

[hearty bay]

How's world tree barbarian 24?

Is it a good sub?

[cerulean monolith]

Doesn’t much matter if everybody is a Pally

[keen kestrel]

pretty strong, and thematically it's quite fun

[jovial shadow]

It would all depend on what level and subclasses were used, as well as the type of adventure. There is no cookie cutter answer

[woven flint]

Also consider the fact that to be effected by these Auras you're gonna have to be cramped up and that makes a Paladin party prime for AOE attacks.

[keen kestrel]

you also play ancients as a subclass, so they're almost never doing damage to you

[severe rampart]

Same class but different sub classes?

[woven flint]

Not all AOEs are Magic.

[keen kestrel]

play genie paladin, resistance to fire damage

[cerulean monolith]

Only requirement is that they’re all the same class

[woven flint]

Not all AOEs are fire either

[keen kestrel]

so swap it?

genie paladin can swap every turn lmao

[woven flint]

The reasonable solution would be...
Not to group up in general

[woven flint]

Genies Paladin can't cover EVERY damage type, though.

[keen kestrel]

if you're paladins, you certainly will because you want to all move together and hit things

[severe rampart]

I'd argue maybe Bards? I am a beginner though so I don't know much, but it seems like the sub classes of bards are pretty diverse

[lyric urchin]

Hey, me and some friends were gonna play Dragons of Stormwreck isle.
It will be our first campaign, but people have been wanting to create their own characters instead of using the pre-made ones.

If we are creating them on DnD beyond, what rule-set do we need to pick?
I’ve searched it up, and it says 5e, but I’m not sure what set of rules that is.

Thanks!

[woven flint]

I'd go all Rangers over all Paladins

[keen kestrel]

all of the aoe's that exist outside of maybe pyschic or radiant damage are covered though, and how often are you fighting those

[keen kestrel]

I'd play all monks over all rangers, rangers don't get much help outside a couple solid spells

[woven flint]

Its STILL not a Good idea to stay grouped up because that just means everyone's taking damage, regardless of how mitigated it is

[hot gate]

Either 2014 (legacy rules) and 2024 will work for the module, though the module was written for 2014. I'd pick one of them and stick to it.

[keen kestrel]

you also have a bunch of lay on hands, other ways to mitigate or take no damage, and you're practically immune to spells involving saving throws

[lyric urchin]

Okay thanks, the characters we created were 2014 so luckily we won’t have to redo them haha.

Thanks!

[woven flint]

So, your argument is
Stay grouped together and waste resources and action economy healing eachother? 🤔

[keen kestrel]

My argument is, you basically won't take damage from most things and will kill them long before they do any amount to your health pool

then heal outside of combat lol

[woven flint]

You underestimate how fast a Paladin party is going to go through resources if they're playing a Paladin correctly

[keen kestrel]

so we can long rest? You don't have to spam divine smite every turn, divine favor and a bunch of weapon swings will easily clear most mobs

[noble basin]

well you cant just long rest whenever you want lol otherwise this recources issue wouldnt exist

[woven flint]

I know, but also keep in mind that spell effects don't stack

[keen kestrel]

well yeah, obviously you'd plan out who intends to take what and how to structure your party. This is why an all cleric party is also kind of nasty, since they can plan out who takes what and not just all run spirit guardians lol

kind of the same for all wizards, not everyone will take the same stuff right? but they'd still be fairly broken

[woven flint]

I also want to mention this again
Rangers HAVE versatility and plenty of good spells that give them even more versatility, Paladins don't get anything besides Healing, Damage and being a Charisma class

[jovial shadow]

Monks? Hm. I remember an episode of Dungeon Dudes talking about a party of Monks.

[keen kestrel]

there are several subclasses of paladins that get good utility spells, they're not all oath of vengeance

[woven flint]

The huge problem between Paladins and Rangers though is that they're both Single Target damage dealers for the most part.
Neither of them want to waste too many spell slots

That's an Issue that Wizard and Cleric don't have l
(Though, Wizards lack significant healing options)

Don't have to worry about ganging up on one creature If you can hit EVERYTHING

[keen kestrel]

that's true, I would want an oath of the crown for spirit guardians, but they do struggle with aoe

[fossil hollow]

Best options you have for AoE dont even appear until after level 9. Spirit Guardians from Crown paladin, then Destructive Wave at 17th

[flat monolith]

Entangle, conger volley/barrage are aeo spell

[fossil hollow]

IG Watchers gets Moonbeam at level 5

[fossil hollow]

former, while good for CC, isnt damage. Conjure Barrage is also a 3rd level slot. Very expensive on a half caster

[flat monolith]

True but still has those options

[keen kestrel]

don't forget chromatic orb (some of the time)

[fossil hollow]

thats not AoE.

[keen kestrel]

true, but it can sometimes hit two creatures

[fossil hollow]

Does not mean those two dont struggle with consistent AoE

[woven flint]

Also,even with find steed, Paladin is like.. the second least mobile class in the game lol

Well .
Clerics, Fighters and Paladins 🤔

[jovial shadow]

If it is a party of Rangers or Paladins, I fail to understand what having mostly only single target damage matters.

[keen kestrel]

I hope they improve whichever one gives extra movement on their aura, I can't remember which one it is

[flat monolith]

Yes consistent AoE is low unless you go hail of thorns

[fossil hollow]

HoT is 5ft around the initial target...

[flat monolith]

Still more than one guy

[fossil hollow]

5ft...

[jovial shadow]

The "con" argument I keep seeing is acting as if there is just one Paladin or Ranger, instead of a party of them

[fossil hollow]

i can get more AoE with 2014 Summon Minor Elementals and getting mephits to kill one another

[keen kestrel]

if we're actually being realistic, one of the best classes for a one class party is probably warlocks

[fossil hollow]

nah

[keen kestrel]

You can cover pretty much all three pillars of play

[grave moth]

Artificer probably?

[fossil hollow]

So can clerics and wizes though?

[keen kestrel]

clerics will struggle in social settings, wizards will struggle with exploration a bit

[woven flint]

Looks at divination wizard

[fossil hollow]

wizards get Find Familiar, Arcane Eye...

[keen kestrel]

so does warlock?

warlock gets a better find familiar even

[fossil hollow]

the claim that wizards will struggle in exploration though is just. Not true

[halcyon forum]

Druid is the best for all 3 pillars clearly :p

[jovial shadow]

A party for what? This discussion is fruitless because it has no specifics. Who can say how effective a party of any class is, if we don't know their levels, subclasses or the type of adventure and monster(s) they are up against.

[keen kestrel]

they'll struggle more than warlocks, so I fail to see how they'd be the better party

[woven flint]

The best thing about wizards exploring is that they DON'T have to go anywhere in person for the most part.

[fossil hollow]

More summon spells exist :P

[keen kestrel]

and if we're talking the resource department, warlocks have the easiest time since they all can just short rest for spells

[noble basin]

nah wizards easily do better in the recource department lmao warlocks are stuck on 2 for a long time even if its short rest recovery

[upper lintel]

Just buy neverwinter nights 2 enchanced ps5 edition I never got a chance to play it. I hear it's a must play

[grave moth]

Aren’t artificers the most well rounded and varied class

[halcyon forum]

but for real, I think Bard is the strongest class for a mono class party. you magical secrets and subclasses like valor bard cover all your possible bases

[grave moth]

I’m confused

[stoic obsidian]

And kinda pointless for each adventure can make one class better than the other in certain situations

[woven flint]

Magical secrets doesn't come around until level 10 though

[noble basin]

nah theyre not full casters so they miss out ona lot of things

[halcyon forum]

they are half casters, and are not super great in social situations

[fossil hollow]

they kinda struggle with damage

[halcyon forum]

laughs in lore bard

[woven flint]

Hey, don't I know it...

[grave moth]

Ah. Welp, idk then I’m going Rogue

[halcyon forum]

ehh, not really. battle smith and artillerist can easily dish out martial level damage and spamm aoe later

[fossil hollow]

Artificer is more support oriented than anything else. Although its not as good as pally's support (AoP is pretty heccing bonkers)

[keen kestrel]

yes, but warlocks get a great cantrip for damage dealing, and they can just plan to short rest after every fight

[woven flint]

Hey!
Zhoska is trying, okay?! 😭

[fossil hollow]

Ill have you note that EBlasting is considered the baseline

baseline, meaning minimum

[fossil hollow]

oh
THis isnt anything against Zhoska, DDB just hates him

[stoic obsidian]

It like I hear in optimization that martial aren’t good at high tier play, which I know is nonsense

[fossil hollow]

In certain optimization brackets yes

[woven flint]

I know 😔

[stoic obsidian]

Yet that won’t stop people from playing them

[noble basin]

well cause not every game is about optimization?

[fossil hollow]

I know. Im one of those suckers who prefers a good ol monk over wizard

[woven flint]

DDB knows Zhoska is an evil Alchemist so its actively sabotaging him

[keen kestrel]

they are, but you can still play them to level 20

[fossil hollow]

honestly, not even sure why... youre on the side of capitalism lmao

[keen kestrel]

and your party will appreciate you when a tarrasque shows up and you're just a barb or fighter hitting it over and over

[fossil hollow]

Oi, my barb did a lot against a Tarrasque

[jovial shadow]

If a Tarrasque shows it's over no matter the class.

[halcyon forum]

barb is like the worst class to have vs a tarrasque

[woven flint]

He's not on the side of capitalism!
He just wants to exploit people for favors of Healing...

[fossil hollow]

Over for it maybe... stupid 2014 statblock was a pushover...

[fossil hollow]

not really? At least not if youre giant

[halcyon forum]

tarrasque is ez

[fossil hollow]

My giant barb specialized in Thunder damage, so i was doing fine with my Ascendant Dragon's Wrath Glaive

[glass wagon]

I'm so happy I was able to side load Google play into my fire tablet, now I can access the DNDBEYOND app on it

[woven flint]

Tarrasques when they mostly do the normal physical damage types and Barbarians are resistant to those

[jovial shadow]

Tarrasques are Quai-deities. If they show, you leave.

[noble basin]

acid no?

[fossil hollow]

They have a dissapointing CR 30 statblock (in 2014 at least)

[stoic obsidian]

Rope trick, bag of holding, wish (if it works), fly like an attack helicopter by proxy of fly, or use range

[halcyon forum]

it resists B/SP damage and can just swallow the barb

[woven flint]

Totem/Wildheart Barbarian chuckles

[fossil hollow]

Giant barb

[halcyon forum]

okay but that is one specific subclass, and your damage is still halfed

[stoic obsidian]

Big weakness of melee enemies is range, if they don’t have a way to catch up to you

[fossil hollow]

That was the subclass i was when i fought a tarrasque at level 12 yes

[woven flint]

We've also got..
Magical weapons and Zealot Barbarian!

[umbral girder]

My players killed an Elder Brain Dragon which was neat

[halcyon forum]

magic weapon dont do anything unless they completely change damage type

[small heath]

Hello everyone!

[woven flint]

Looks at all the magical weapons that do extra different magic types

[keen kestrel]

rune knight figher, just grapple and knock it prone, it's not beating you on a str check

[stoic obsidian]

Pretty much, and honestly minuscule in how bad it can get

[halcyon forum]

in 2024 rules, grapple is a save

[woven flint]

Just put a little Swas on it and punch the Terrasque together

[keen kestrel]

yes? you get 4 minimum

[halcyon forum]

thats only the smaller portion of the damage of most attacks

[woven flint]

The Terrasque when it encounters the party of Monks and starts getting jumped

[stoic obsidian]

Wait mind sliver affects that

[halcyon forum]

it has +10 to that save

[stoic obsidian]

Like in golden wind

[keen kestrel]

Picture this, you're a rune knight fighter with expertise in athletics, so you functionally have a plus 17 (plus much higher if you have a belt of giant strength) with advantage to grapple a tarrasque

[fossil hollow]

The tarrasque is also well known for its... checks notes high as hell STR saves

[keen kestrel]

and functionally, you get 8 tries to grapple it

[humble cairn]

Expertise doesn't affect grappling offensively anymore.

[stoic obsidian]

I think they mean 2014

[fossil hollow]

Upping your STR is the only way to make sure the enemy has a lower chance of being Grappled yeah

[stoic obsidian]

I think?

[fossil hollow]

we've been talking about 2024 the little bit...

[halcyon forum]

the 2014 tarrasaque is so weak its not even worth talking about how to beat it imo

[keen kestrel]

yes, rune knight is assuredly not in 2024

[fossil hollow]

It is

[umbral girder]

It is

[halcyon forum]

you can take rune knight with 2024 fighter

[umbral girder]

Expanded material is for both 2014 and 2024

[humble cairn]

Sure, it is. It's backwards compatible.

[stoic obsidian]

It is

[woven flint]

All subclasses that aren't reprinted are still avaliable, yes

[fossil hollow]

Inb4 "oh, my dm doesnt let me take 2014 material*

[keen kestrel]

You all know what i meant

[umbral girder]

No

[stoic obsidian]

Not really

[keen kestrel]

It's not officially updated for 2024

[fossil hollow]

not sure how thats relevant anyway

[worldly flare]

Not really

[umbral girder]

There is a reason to be specific and clear in your messages.

[keen kestrel]

so I was going off 2014 rules for grappling

[fossil hollow]

it still exists for 2024. Saying its not updated is a moot point

[woven flint]

The solution to killing the Terrasque is to bite it until it gets a disease and dies from it

[humble cairn]

Which officially means it's still up to date and usable.

[timber willow]

Hey guys

[jovial shadow]

Diseases don't exist in 2024

[woven flint]

I'm diseased anyway!

[fossil hollow]

magical contagions do

[woven flint]

I have the magical disease that makes you silly

[umbral girder]

Disease are in the 2024 DMG but now just apply as a Curse or Poisoned condition

[keen kestrel]

so let's say you have a 29 in str with belt of hill giant strength, rune knight at level 20, you still have a plus 15 with advantage on grapples against a tarrasque, ez

[fossil hollow]

again. we've been talking 2024

[keen kestrel]

that is 2024

[fossil hollow]

You dont get adv on grapples. Its. a. Save

[woven flint]

Again...
Old grappling rules don't apply for 2024

[umbral girder]

Me thinks he hasn’t read it

[keen kestrel]

You get advantage on str checks? Is it not going against your str?

[stoic obsidian]

I wonder how a blind pc can cast spells that require you to see the target, maybe find familiar

[woven flint]

It's not a check, it's a save

[severe rampart]

Echolocation

[fossil hollow]

Its a damn Save.

[halcyon forum]

you have adv on str checks, but the tarrasque is rolling the die, not you

[potent siren]

the enemy does a saving throw against your DC for grapples in 2024

[severe rampart]

this is a joke, please don't take it seriously

[jovial shadow]

they can't

[woven flint]

Well, not all spells require sight!

Only a few don't.. but still!

[fossil hollow]

Blindsight (which monsters with echolocation usually use to represent it) does work

[severe rampart]

Except in their question, it said spells that require actual sight of the target

[severe rampart]

Holy hell I was right?

[woven flint]

Use your silly senses

[jovial shadow]

Blindsight isn't sight for that purpose, I am told

[keen kestrel]

I'll stick to 2014 for grappling then, kind of negates building around it if it just doesn't let you use your abilities

[severe rampart]

I use my sense of taste to see my targets

[halcyon forum]

blindsight is sight for that purpose, you were told something incorrect

[stoic obsidian]

I use my sense of smell

[woven flint]

2024 specifically upgraded grappling to MAKE it better

[nimble dock]

yall, it worked, i got a d&d set for christmas, and i regret (lot of readind, lot of sorting, lot of everything)

and i got robux too :p

[jovial shadow]

Certainly your opinion. I don't know who is right or wrong

[severe rampart]

What did it cost

[stoic obsidian]

That make sense, also what about character that don’t get right away

[nimble dock]

no idea, my mom bought it

[halcyon forum]

not just my opinion, its RAW

[fossil hollow]

again with this back and forth...

[stoic obsidian]

Is their other options beside blindsight?

[nimble dock]

WDYM THERES A D&D EFFECT

[woven flint]

What?

[fossil hollow]

You still have yet to provide any evidence to uphold your claim Lich. You cant keep saying everyone else's points are opinions without evidence

[keen kestrel]

it also just negates the point of playing say a giant barb or a rune knight, since they normally get advantage on str checks

[severe rampart]

Pick a cardinal direction and pray you hit your target

[woven flint]

Yeah, while that stinks, size still matters for grappling, at least!

[keen kestrel]

I mean, that's fair. Rune knights and giant barbs were the only ones who could grapple the biggest of creatures, which is really funny

[woven flint]

Goliaths, Duergar, Fairies and a few other folk can get large too

[stoic obsidian]

Figures, I mostly ask out of curiosity

[keen kestrel]

they have to take extra steps to get huge though

[fossil hollow]

Giant Barbs are incompatible with Duergar and Faerie, to my great sadness

[woven flint]

Though, I think due to the rules of Enlarge, fairies can only go up to medium lol

[keen kestrel]

I'd also make the distinction that monsters are great at str saves usually, so it's kind of a bad change

[woven flint]

Not all monsters are good at Strength, it's a choice between Strength and Dexterity for EVERYONE (Save Wise) now as well

[jovial shadow]

Is there are size rule for grappling? I didn't see it in the Glossary except for moving the grappled person.

[fossil hollow]

there are

[keen kestrel]

Yes, you can only grapple things one size larger than you

[fossil hollow]

Its not in the Grappled condition itself.

[umbral girder]

Yes it’s not in the glossary

It’s in the first chapter

[keen kestrel]

Which is why things that are gargantuan can't be grappled except by beings that can get to huge size

[jovial shadow]

okay I'll look thanks

[woven flint]

The sad thing about new grappling is less classes can do it effectively now, but, that's okay, it's kinda silly that Bards and Rogues could be the best grapplers with expertise lmao

[keen kestrel]

I'd still make the argument that advantage kept it even, but yeh

[woven flint]

The big plus is that Monks can use Dexterity for grappling now (Don't know if they could before because I'm not a grappler)

[keen kestrel]

monks could grapple right? I thought it was part of one of their flurry of blows effects

[woven flint]

Grapples can still be effected by things that give Disadvantage on saves
They can even now be effected by things that take AWAY from saves.
Like Mind Sliver and Bane

[keen kestrel]

I guess.... I'll just wait for the next giant book where they rework rune knight and giant barb to be effective again. Getting advantage on str saves and checks doesn't mean much if it doesn't affect grappling lol

[timid current]

They are effective still

[jovial shadow]

I couldn't find anything in the 1st chapter that said anything about grappling.

[timid current]

In fact they're way more effective now that fighter and barbarian as base classes are better

[umbral girder]

I’ll grab it for you

[fossil hollow]

Wait, no it is in the glossary

[keen kestrel]

Eh, they're not much better if one of the core effects doesn't do anything lmao

[fossil hollow]

Grapple. The target must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (it chooses which), or it has the Grappled condition. The DC for the saving throw and any escape attempts equals 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus. This grapple is possible only if the target is no more than one size larger than you and if you have a hand free to grab it.
Under Unarmed Strikes

[timid current]

Which one doesn't do anything?

[fossil hollow]

the core effects for Giant and Rune were never grappling lmao

[keen kestrel]

I mean, maybe not for giant barb, but rune knight functionally wants to either grapple or just be a fighter that gets big

[fossil hollow]

Giant was throwing, Rune knight was the Runes

[keen kestrel]

runes are fairly hepful, I'd think of them as low level spells that don't make huge impacts but can do useful things during combat or social settings

Getting adv on str checks is almost pointless on a rune knight now

[fossil hollow]

Its called Rune Knight for a reason

[versed copper]

why are secondhand copies of waterdeep dungeon of the mad mage so expensive?

[woven flint]

Knock something prone with a topple weapon, grapple them with your next attack then from there, beat em down with advantage

[fossil hollow]

out of print

[keen kestrel]

yes, because you're emulating a giant? that's what the runes are for lmao

[versed copper]

I can buy it from dnd beyond marketplace, the hard copy

[fossil hollow]

Yeah, which means that thats the core of the subclass lmao

[woven flint]

Yeah, it's not a Grapple Knight or a Grapple Barbarian, they were better at grappling sure, but their core subclasses were more related to doing giant things

[fossil hollow]

None of the giants even actually focus on grappling

Well, maybe not Frost giants in lore. They like to play a little game to see who can wrestle the biggest and meanest monster to submission

[keen kestrel]

hill giants liked throwing hands too right? I remember reading some of their lore when I was making a rune knight

[fossil hollow]

They eat and pummel. Mostly with clubs

[slim spire]

i wish i could find someone doing an mlp homebrewed campaign that sounds so cool

i wanna be a cool Pegasus sleeping on clouds 💔

[fossil hollow]

If they cant eat it, they beat it to bite sized chunks

[slim spire]

gulp...

[keen kestrel]

I suppose, it's just that the main first feature you get besides runes is the ability to grow, get adv on str checks and get more damage for hitting things with your fists

if that doesn't sound like some bimbo trying to grapple, Idk what does lmao

[fossil hollow]

Its not specifically fists. Its any weapon

[keen kestrel]

and there's the specific giant magic item that makes huge fists in the sky

[pale jacinth]

what's this Gunslinger class? Never heard of it

[woven flint]

Rune Knight has a rune that RESTRAINS and its one of their best Runes, they don't NEED to Grapple, necessarily.

[fossil hollow]

Wyrmreaver Gauntlets? Better on a monk than Rune Knight. Even though I have them on a Rune Knight

[keen kestrel]

I'm just saying, giants really thought that the best way to kill a dragon was instead of making some big ranged weapon, to inscribe gloves with runes that made GIANT FISTS in the sky

[woven flint]

Restraining Is better than grappling almost a bazillion percent of the time

[fossil hollow]

Their best weapon actually was a giant robot

[jovial shadow]

It's just an optional class from some supplement

[keen kestrel]

well that's true, but they still thought it a good idea to make the gloves too lmao

[fossil hollow]

Vonidod, a.k.a. the Runic COlossus

[fossil hollow]

yeah, cuz you cant hit them if theyre always flying. Boulders and ranged attacks still a thing though

[woven flint]

Cough the Grapple check from the Wyrmreaver Gauntlets is also a saving throw Cough

[fossil hollow]

its also still 30 ft. Dragons can and will fly higher than that

[keen kestrel]

if you're huge, it starts at 30 feet above your height, which is certainly a lot more than 30 feet

[keen kestrel]

they also don't grapple, they knock prone

[woven flint]

The best part of new grappling is that you don't need Proficiency in a skill to be GOOD at it as well.

[fossil hollow]

assuming the average height of a giant being 25 ft, its still only 55ft

[keen kestrel]

I mean yeah, but dragons either have to get at least reasonably close to attack, or they just run away like cowards and have to admit it to themselves later

[fossil hollow]

anyway, here's my Grapple Rune Knight

[fossil hollow]

a dragon's highest and most effective move is and always was carpet bombing with spells and breath weapons

you dont ask a bomber plane to a dogfight

[keen kestrel]

true

but if you insult a dragon long enough, they'll eventually come down to fight (assuming you're a rune knight and not a giant), and all of a sudden you grow large and drag it down

[fossil hollow]

Resort to claws and teeth for eensy mortals you want to play with and personal beef. Or if your enemy is immune to your breath weapon

thats why they have LRs and spells

Have fun grappling a red when it point blank fireballs you

[keen kestrel]

You could also just be wearing a ring of resistance

[fossil hollow]

Or casts Command on you

Command Drop is perfect for it

[keen kestrel]

I mean, you have indomitable at least

[fossil hollow]

shore, and it can do it over and over. You cant Indomitable all the time.

[keen kestrel]

honestly, if we're trying to optimize, you'd for sure have lucky as well

[woven flint]

Yes, but you're assuming you're going to have everything for that possible encounter

[keen kestrel]

Ideally, you're not by yourself and your teammates kill the dragon within say at least 3 turns or so

[fossil hollow]

Yes. The scenario was a dragon going personal with your rune knight

[woven flint]

Ti-Moths combats are...

[fossil hollow]

hm?

[woven flint]

Can't wait to see how Descent into Avernus goes!

[fossil hollow]

my combats are what?

[keen kestrel]

then just rip it's jaws part, it's gonna have a real fun time doing anything while it's in immense pain

[fossil hollow]

you say that like thats a thing you can do in rules

[woven flint]

👄
Encounters

[keen kestrel]

or better yet, you slam the immovable rod into it's mouth while its on the ground

[fossil hollow]

(thats most likely a reflavored Unarmed Strike though)

[fossil hollow]

... so, it can break it

[woven flint]

Fun fact! There's nothing in the rules that says the immovable rod can't be broken

[keen kestrel]

I mean, if it can't physically move, how does it propose to break it?

[woven flint]

It's immovable, not invulnerable

[woven flint]

It's magical breath attack, claws, spells...

[fossil hollow]

The rod can hold up to 8,000 pounds of weight

[halcyon forum]

I mean, at best the breakability of the rod is entirely DM-fiat

[fossil hollow]

yeah, but at best, its Resistant to the damage.

all magic items (aside from scrolls and artifacts) have Resistance to all damage

[woven flint]

A dragons bite force depending on age, is also.. probably, pretty damn high

There's no rules for it, but c'mon, it's an uncommon magical item, let's be real.

[halcyon forum]

I'm saying that the HP and AC of objects is not really a hard rule. its suggestions for the DM

[keen kestrel]

so let's say you're on it's body pinning it down and restraining it, and there's also an immovable rod now stuck through the top and bottom of it's mouth keeping it pinned to the ground

[fossil hollow]

Nothing i think is stopping a red from. Pushing the button

[woven flint]

That is also true

[keen kestrel]

so now it's used an entire turn to push the button, and do nothing else

[fossil hollow]

... im wondering how prehensile dragon tongues are now though

[keen kestrel]

so you just... repress the button?

[fossil hollow]

it has Legendary actions for a reason

if you put the rod in its mouth as well... its in the mouth if its deactivated

nom

[keen kestrel]

It basically can only tail attack you though

[woven flint]

Never underestimate a tail attack

[fossil hollow]

Which is... part of its legendary actions. And Grappling and Restrain only apply Disadvantage on attack rolls

in 2024, it can just Command Flee you as a Legendary

[keen kestrel]

tail attack is still an attack though

[fossil hollow]

Yes. Its still an attack

i never said it wasnt. It has other Legendary actions though

Commanding Presence. The dragon uses Spellcasting to cast Command (level 2 version). The dragon can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.

[keen kestrel]

sorry, was looking at the 2014 version, which is considerably weaker

[woven flint]

Kiss the dragon instead

[fossil hollow]

2014 MM dragons are shit

and again... 2024

i have not been talking about 2024 the past little while

[hot marlin]

Eh, even 2014 dragons had their charm. People were often using them poorly

2024 did upgrade them significantly though

[fossil hollow]

youre not going to convince me the copy past statblocks were anything decent

[hot marlin]

Remember the conversation I believe we've had about white dragons and their prefered environments?

2014 dragons were flawed, but a good part of that came from people not utilizing the environment correctly

[woven flint]

What if they were Creepypasta statblocks and they were hyper-realistic and bloody or whatever /joke

[azure jasper]

how much trauma should I give my character...
choices choices

[keen kestrel]

none, their parents should still be alive and you're just a happy fellow

[woven flint]

I don't typically traumatize my characters, I let them experience it naturally
Both of my exceptions were Drow characters, though 💀

[hot marlin]

Essentially, good D&D fights are about repositioning. It requires the map to be interesting. And dragons suffered the most from that

[woven flint]

My Drow Druid was turned into a horrendous monster man that craves flesh.

And
My Drow Warlock witnessed his little sister get murdered and eaten by a Balor in Menzoberrenzen

[keen kestrel]

My rune knight I played awhile back functionally have a very traumatic experience as a child, except for them it was a key memory that evolved into zealous obsession with giants

[woven flint]

There was also the fact that my Drow Druid was almost executed by his family because they were in a death cult and they needed a sacrifice

[azure jasper]

oh, their parents already died to a kingdom guard during a riot...

[glad rapids]

If you've ever read the Drizzt novels... you'd find that's a Tuesday for a Drow.

[woven flint]

My Druid has no sympathy for his kind for the crimes they've committed against him

But my Warlock feels nothing but sympathy for them because he grew up in Menzo and saw how they needlessly slaughtered eachother in the name of a God that never cared for them

[azure jasper]

he's 193 years old
he's bound to have some trauma...

[keen kestrel]

I do think the funniest character I'm playing currently is a light cleric who's very happy go lucky, even while he's traipsing through Barovia

Then again, he has an almost fanatical love for decimating undead, and a healthy relationship with his parents

[woven flint]

My most lighthearted character is my Harengon Wizard
He genuinely doesn't view anyone as an enemy and loves engaging people in conversation even during combat lol

I generally keep the talking short as to not draw out my turns, but he's been fun

[azure jasper]

My current character is in a cult cuz he was so depressed that he became a shut in and the cult members were just genuinely nice people that helped him come back into the outside world...
so ummm...

[woven flint]

My Wizard interacts with cultists all the time, he's obsessed with the Occult, but, is in fact, not a cultist himself, he just find the Psychology and Artifacts interesting.

[severe rampart]

Were the cult members actually nice or was it just the only taste of affection he'd ever gotten

[azure jasper]

nah, they were just nice

plus the cult has employee benefits
Healthcare, dental, a 401k

Its pretty great

[woven flint]

I haven't played him yet, but I can imagine my Centaur Barbarian was raised by the Zhentarim so ..

He's actually branded their symbol on his chest himself lmao

He did it instead of getting a Tattoo because he believed it showed genuine Devotion to their cause

Maybe he should be a Zealot Barbarian over a Berserker... 🤔

[azure jasper]

what background are you thinking for him?

[woven flint]

Eh, his background doesn't really matter that much in this situation imo
But he was (probably) raised by the Zhentarim and is a mercenary for them

If it helps, he hears the cheer of a crowd in the back of his mind when he kills people because he was psychologically conditioned by them to feel joy when taking a life (though he's not a murderhobo lol)

[severe rampart]

Do you guys think that (if) dragons actually existed they'd be colorful and have weird courting rituals like actual birds?

[woven flint]

Most likely, dragons would also be considerably smaller in real life too

[jovial shadow]

Probably just as distinct as your typical lizards and Kuomo Dragons

[keen kestrel]

darnit, I forgot about all the faction support in the new book, now I want to make something around one of the factions

[woven flint]

You know, the more I think about it, the more i think my Barbarian should be a Zealot because the Zhentarim are servants of Bane and Cyric (somewhat)

[keen kestrel]

that sounds so fun

[severe rampart]

Yeah, to support their weight when flying, perhaps they'd also have hollow bones

[meager fractal]

I thought the Zhentarim really hate Cyric?

[woven flint]

They use to worship him

[woven flint]

Man, Cyric is honestly a loser 😭 💀

Imagine being a God of Trickery and manipulation and just being manipulated by other deities who can do what you do but better

I've been reading more into him

Dudes such a man child lmao

It's literally
The Chad Kelemvor VS The Soyjack Cyric

[hearty bay]

I don't find that very enticing, since what makes a god of trickery even be interesting is how they run laps around everyone

If non-trickery based gods can frequently outsmart you, then what appeal is left?

[woven flint]

Oh, he's still good at what he does, there's just more experienced deities than him as he's the youngest Deity in the Faerūn pantheon

[hearty bay]

May he pull off a big heist, then

[woven flint]

I wouldn't wish anything for him, he's a Jerk (the Chaotic Evil type)

[hearty bay]

Still makes up for a good story

[woven flint]

His competitors are Mask (God of Illusions) and Kelemvor (The MAIN death Deity)
I think it'd be hard for him to pull one over on them

Mask manipulated Cyric by pretending to be a sentient magic sword that he absolutely adored

Which is hilarious

[hearty bay]

And what exactly does cyric represent?

[scenic zinc]

Kelemvor is more of a deity of balance than of "death". He's essentially anubis.

He just weighs your deeds

[woven flint]

He's literally classified as the God of death

[scenic zinc]

Yes, and?

[hearty bay]

A way to pull one on such a god is by finding a way to rig the scales

[scenic zinc]

The kind of death god he is is more of just putting people where they belong based on their actions

[hearty bay]

Bringing chaos by giving people undeserving fates in their afterlife

[woven flint]

Looks over at his titles
Lord of the Dead[
Judge of the Damned
The Great Guide
Master of the Crystal Spire
Lord of the Crystal Spire
Lord Death
Death Lord
God of Death

[keen kestrel]

dunno, I'd say Jergal is more of a god of the dead

[woven flint]

He's absolutely a guide, but he IS a Deity of Death

[scenic zinc]

And he does that assisted by jergal, who is the scribe

[keen kestrel]

[scenic zinc]

Who says how they should have ended up

[hearty bay]

And then working towards making it exceedingly difficult for the damage it causes to be repaired

[woven flint]

Note that I said a Death Deity and not a Deity of the Dead

[scenic zinc]

Yep. Anubis.

[uncut zenith]

Kelemvor is a death god in the same sense as Hades. His domain revolves mostly around governing the dead, not embodying death itself.

[keen kestrel]

not be that guy, but this does in fact sort of sound like anubis

[woven flint]

Death is his domain, but he's not a Deity of the Dead

[keen kestrel]

it's like hades vs chiron

[uncut zenith]

In the same sense that in Greek myth, Hades is god of the dead but Thanatos is the god of death itself and often seen as death incarnate.

[hearty bay]

Making faithful, good willed people to break in lower planes, while sending murder hobos in heaven to traumatize those who went there, putting them on unrest for eternity

[keen kestrel]

that's another good example yeh

[woven flint]

I do love me some Kelemvor though, he's actually a really chill guy

[scenic zinc]

Project management vs emo goon

[shy stirrup]

Anubis is a type of psychopomp, a guide to the underworld:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopomp

[keen kestrel]

I love Jergal ngl, he's been my favorite for a long time

[keen kestrel]

that's why I'd more compare him to chiron

[woven flint]

Jergal and Kelemvor are in my headcanon, absolutely a couple /j

[shy stirrup]

Yep, similar to Charon

[scenic zinc]

Laziest deity ever lol.

He does so much work trying to get other people to do his death god jobs

[hearty bay]

And when the scales thing is sorted out, plot to convince other gods that kelemvor isn't trustworthy to handle the solutions, by claiming he created the problem and used it to expand his influence

[keen kestrel]

I themed a halloween one shot around Jergal

I find the way he regards the living to be quite fun and a way to build around big stories

[woven flint]

He's honestly a Chad:
Fair yet cold, Kelemvor was the god of death and the dead—the most recent deity to hold this position, following in the footsteps of Jergal, Myrkul, and Cyric. Unlike these other deities, whose rule as gods of the dead made the afterlife an uncertain and fearful thing, Kelemvor promoted that death was a natural part of life and should not be feared as long as it was understood

Brother stepped up and told people straight up
"Death isn't a bad thing, don't let them big scary boogeymen make you fearful of rest!"

[keen kestrel]

Jergal is just aura itself though, he represents the literal end of everything

His title alone was actually wild lmao

[uncut zenith]

Jergal’s also a god who stepped down from being the big scary death god

He’s like a retiree who picked up a no-headache, less responsibility, part-time job just to keep busy

[keen kestrel]

It feels like calling him the god of death is inaccurate

[uncut zenith]

Yeah, he was once the god of death, but he stepped down. And that’s when the Dead Three came along.

He essentially held a competition between the three of them was gonna take over for him, then ultimately split his job into three separate portfolios split between them.

Now he’s kind of Kelemvor’s accountant. He records who died, and helps facilitate their transition to the appropriate afterlife.

[woven flint]

Nevermind that his time as a death Deity made people fearful and unsure of the afterlife

[scenic zinc]

He just keeps finding people to try to do his jobs.

[uncut zenith]

Same can be said about any of the FR gods

[woven flint]

Jergal the Deity of bums

[uncut zenith]

And gods of any setting for that matter.

[woven flint]

Jergal, do your job, man, you signed up for it!

[scenic zinc]

Welllllll

[uncut zenith]

Nvm I thought you meant “do his jobs” in the sense of picking mortals and making Chosen

[scenic zinc]

Nah. I meant literally do his job lol

[keen kestrel]

Mostly because Jergal never really cared to do anything, it honestly made much more sense that a mortal who ascended should become god of the dead, as they can ease mortals into it moreso that an ancient alien being who doesn't understand mortals in the slightest

[uncut zenith]

Well he found gods to do his old jobs and found himself a new one

[keen kestrel]

I mean, he lived much longer than pretty much any other god, he got bored lmao

[scenic zinc]

Except they didn't just ascend... he ascended them.

[uncut zenith]

Like I said, he’s a retiree who stepped down from a big important job and found a “less hassle” job to keep busy these days and get out of the house

[scenic zinc]

So they could do it instead of him

[keen kestrel]

Well yeah, he found someone who would be much better at it

[woven flint]

Jergal just shouldn't have died then smh...

[scenic zinc]

In his opinion, that's literally anyone other than him. Because he don't wanna.

[woven flint]

Jergals a bum

[keen kestrel]

I very much doubt anybody could kill Jergal

[woven flint]

No, I mean...

He never should've ascended to godhood, then. /satire

[keen kestrel]

Jergal never ascended as far as I can tell

Like there's no indication he was ever mortal to begin wtih, but who knows

If you've watched Supernatural, I'd compare Jergal to Death from that show

[woven flint]

Well, Jergal should've chose not to be born then /joking

[uncut zenith]

Yeah not all the gods in the FR are ascended

[keen kestrel]

No clue if and when they were born, but just knows they have to reap the souls of all other beings all the way until the end of time

[scenic zinc]

I do know there are beings older than Ao

[rugged hawk]

Jergal's one of the oldest gods. Was in the Netherese pantheon, but I'm pretty sure he's waaaay older than Netheril.

[uncut zenith]

The ones who get the most attention in the lore of FR do so specifically because they were heroes/villains who ascended into godhood. Like Kelemvor, Cyric, and Midnight.

[fossil hollow]

Dead Three taking up too much PR

overrated bums. stupid weaklings

[rugged hawk]

Dead Three only get attention because they keep doing villainous crap that always hits the fan and fails spectacularly.

[naive cedar]

Bhaal has tried to do an Apocolypse twice now and failed

[woven flint]

Bhaal was not in fact BHAALING.

[naive cedar]

He’s not a Bhaaler

[keen kestrel]

The dead three are on fraudwatch

[scenic zinc]

Bhaal is such a disappointment to his real life namesake

[woven flint]

He was NOT killing it.

[rugged hawk]

Bhaal's doomed to perpetual failure since all he's got is an (admittedly high) DC Will save compulsion to murder.

[keen kestrel]

The other gods didn't interfere solely because they though the dead three had no aura

[woven flint]

No Aura, no Maidens

The Bum Three

[keen kestrel]

The Rizzless Three

[naive cedar]

whats really funny is that not even every bhaalspawn has an overwhelming compulsion to murder

[rugged hawk]

The Dead Three don't have aura. They're barely even gods, haven't been been around a few centuries yet. They're basically just angry toddlers with a little too much power and not enough experience.

[naive cedar]

idk bane kinda has aura

[keen kestrel]

Myrkul's chosen was the only one with any aura

[keen valve]

You mean Baal? Isn't he chill?

[rugged hawk]

Also, Bhaal is perpetually cursed with incompetent offspring.

[keen kestrel]

The other two were pathetic losers lmao

[woven flint]

They're classified as "Quasi-Deities" so realistically only something that barely represented godhood

[naive cedar]

well being voiced by jjj will do that

[rugged hawk]

Like Orin, for instance

[keen kestrel]

see? someone gets it

[naive cedar]

I hate that villain, driderman

[woven flint]

"I want that DRIDERMAN! He's a MENACE!"

[naive cedar]

shout out to Orin for being the entire reason bhaal’s plot failed. iconic girlfailure

[keen kestrel]

Honestly, I hate that act 3 got everything stuffed into it and they didn't really expand it to 4 acts and focus more on orin and gortash's story

[naive cedar]

I’m just patiently waiting for the modders to pick up the slack

[rugged hawk]

Orin's story is just 'endless incompetence'

[keen kestrel]

well yeah, but we could've gotten so much more than gortash and orin just having a go at each other

[scenic zinc]

Baal is anything but chill. He's essentially the original rival of Yahweh

[naive cedar]

Although tbh I think Orin’s story was explored fine. she’s a girlfailure. that’s it

Gortash should’ve had more screentime (I’m totally not just sad I didn’t get to hear Jason Isaacs more…)

[uncut zenith]

Yeah iirc Orin was never the original “Chosen of Bhall”. She was just… the next best thing at that immediate moment.

[rugged hawk]

I still love how Bhaal doesn't even bother telling ||her she's NOT being lied to by the player, and just goes NO... MORE..... ORIN!||

[naive cedar]

Even bhaal didnt like her

[scenic zinc]

Original chosen was the dark urge character

[uncut zenith]

Yep

[glossy otter]

Wait, bg3 spoilers allowed here now?

[naive cedar]

I guess

[uncut zenith]

Technically not, no

[woven flint]

.v.

[naive cedar]

Sorry lol

[uncut zenith]

Honestly forgot we had a separate thread for it

[naive cedar]

I just saw other people talking about it

[shy stirrup]

#baldurs-gate-3-spoilers

[glossy otter]

Pardon me, I dont mean to be that guy. Just i was wondering what was happening

[scenic zinc]

Quite honestly it's been multiple years.

[uncut zenith]

Nah, you’re right. Better than getting the modhammer

[naive cedar]

Out of curiosity, is there any other media where the dead three are the villains outside of Baldurs gate games?

[knotty basin]

I’m playing for the first time, so please don’t

[rugged hawk]

If you ever feel like your existence is meaningless and useless, just remember: no matter how bad it is, you're still better than Orin.

[fossil hollow]

Baldur's Gate; Descent into Avernus

[glossy otter]

Descent into avernus they're lesser antagonists

[fossil hollow]

The Dead three are posted up in Baldur's Gate City, so anything set there will have them

[uncut zenith]

Yeah, they’re only important in the opening chapter of the adventure, then they don’t matter again like… at all.

[scenic zinc]

eh on the 2nd one there

[glossy otter]

But ye, they're typically tied to baldurs gate

[fossil hollow]

thats one answer

but yeah. Theyre a speed bump there

[woven flint]

The dead 3 still aren't as much of bums as Jergal is, he's the reason they had those domains

[naive cedar]

Tbh I want more games in icewind dale

[keen kestrel]

gotta love the dead three being so meh, that WOTC made a whole rogue subclass around them and it's still meh

[naive cedar]

Or the underdark

[uncut zenith]

I mean, it’s a solid subclass. Not the best, but still fine imo

[woven flint]

The Dead Three are neat as individuals, but together they're the Mediocre Musketeers

[fossil hollow]

Dead Three Scion is pretty neat

[rugged hawk]

Myrkul called, he wants to remind you of his Vault in Shadow Mulsantir.

[scenic zinc]

WotC commonly fumbles the bag in relation to a lot of their darker themed lore in my opinion.

[glossy otter]

Ngl the dead three scion works for a dark urge styled character

[keen kestrel]

I kind of felt middling about most of the subclasses in the new book, but mostly for power level

[naive cedar]

Myrkul isn’t even the coolest death god

[rugged hawk]

You could've ended that sentence five words in

[keen kestrel]

for flavor, they're all quite excellent and fun

[glossy otter]

Mind I do say typically. I know bane has templars elsewhere

[scenic zinc]

Sure, but I was being on topic lol

[uncut zenith]

It’s tough because I guess in theory the Dead Three encompass themes that should be more mature. But WOTC insists on trying to keep the game more PG13 leaning.

[woven flint]

"Wotc constantly fumbles the bag"

Put this on a shirt /j

[naive cedar]

That’s probably why the video games made by other companies tend to handle them better tbh

[uncut zenith]

So they kinda leave it to the DM to decide just how extreme/mature the use of the Dead Three is at their table.

[glossy otter]

Mines "Wheres the venger campaign"

[scenic zinc]

Except they're operating off of 90s pg13. Pg13 has changed so much over the years

[keen kestrel]

actually scratch that, I'm annoyed by the spellfire sorcerer, they couldn't just reworked divine soul but they had to call it something else instead. It's a solid subclass power level wise but the flavor behind it sucks

[rugged hawk]

WotC and rolling nat 1s, more iconic duo?

[naive cedar]

But yeah evil gods in dnd are pretty blah

Shar is the biggest loser to ever live

[keen kestrel]

I played mtg for a long time, you could print this on every card they print honestly

[glossy otter]

Ngl the spellfire sorcerer made me think of the spellplague subclasses all those years ago

[uncut zenith]

Like BG3 did a good job of showing just how horrific the Dead Three and their agendas can be. But it’s an M-rated game, so they have the room to make it a little more intense than D&D, cuz WOTC wants to make the game as “all-ages friendly” as possible.

[fossil hollow]

which is why im fearing for Dark Sun

[uncut zenith]

Even though they’ve definitely included some dark subjects in some of their adventure modules.

[naive cedar]

Yea that’s what I mean. They didn’t hold back with the Bhaalspawn stuff in particular

[woven flint]

Baulders Gayte
It's me and my party of beautiful gay men

[glossy otter]

Ngl the energy bg3 had was similar to traditional tables I've been at for dnd

[keen kestrel]

it annoys me because it functionally could've just been a divine soul sorcerer

[scenic zinc]

I hope they realize that there's money in mature content and decide to go after that huge cashgrab

[naive cedar]

A lot of companies still cling to the outdated idea that mature content isn’t sellable

[fossil hollow]

My upcoming BG campaign is probably gonna delve into darker themes, since im also linking Chains os Asmodeus with it

[glossy otter]

Likewise. Its okay to ha e a few mature books, I feel people would invest

[naive cedar]

however that’s pretty clearly not the case anymore

[glossy otter]

Book of vile darkness revival book when? Lol

[uncut zenith]

It’s why I think the demon lords are kinda hard to officially portray in D&D. Cuz in theory, they’re supposed to be responsible for horrific things, but since D&D is designed with an “all-ages welcome” lens, they kinda fall flat. So it becomes the DM’s responsibility to really think of ways to make them horrific.

[woven flint]

Ah yes, my beloved PG-13 king of slaughter

[crimson gulch]

My youngest players are the edgeyest

[keen kestrel]

this sounds dope, and there's so much to explore in BG

[uncut zenith]

A demon prince like Graz’zt in particular is very hard to portray in a scary way that’s also “all-ages appropriate”.

[woven flint]

Rubs a picture of Yeenoghu and Baphomet longingly

[glossy otter]

Tbh I find it funny that wotc won't do it but they give us the tools

[woven flint]

I wish the demon lords could be a terrifying as they 100% are in reality (in terms of what they're capable of)

[crimson gulch]

Oh, I nailed this one in a public game at the shop. Made it about greed and opulence and cut out the pants off stuff.

[glossy otter]

I mean Slaanesh in 40k manages to get away with a bit before hitting M rated

[naive cedar]

40ks target audience is older tho

[glossy otter]

Theres the kids books

[idle oar]

I think some of that comes from trying to figure out their own boundaries and how they fit within their greater social/cultural space...

[naive cedar]

…there’s 40k kids books?

[uncut zenith]

I should also mention, I don’t think it’s wrong that WOTC tries to make their official content as all-ages appropriate as possible. I just also understand why certain creatures like the demon lords feel like they flat. Because at their base, they’re R-rated villains being written from a PG/PG-13 lens.

[dense island]

evening glory my goat

[crimson gulch]

Absolutely, it was tightrope walk

[glossy otter]

Yep, there's a line but I doubt they'd touch chaos

[scenic zinc]

There's more than forty thousand children's books

[naive cedar]

I think the other problem with dnd evil gods is that the “good” gods are already pretty cool honestly

[glossy otter]

Tbh I find zuggtmoy to be an interesting one because there's so much you can do with her level of horror

[severe rampart]

Guys, what would happen if a spellcaster sleep casts a spell during their long rest, does it burn up a spell slot? I am losing sleep over this

[naive cedar]

I kind of like Loviatar because she’s just absurd

[woven flint]

Bahamut Is my favorite goody Four-Shoes!
I mean, let's be real, dragons would wear 4 shoes, people.

[naive cedar]

same with cyric

[idle oar]

Casting requires concentration - e.g. you can't cast while asleep

[glossy otter]

Demogorgon I just wish they'd utilize him more than just being evil kaiju demon lord

[scenic zinc]

I don't know how you have graz'zt in a story without it being r rated at a minimum

[knotty basin]

Yes, because you regain the spell slots when you finish a long rest

[severe rampart]

Darn, even lucid dreaming? So I've been overthinking it all for nothing

[naive cedar]

admittedly I’m mainly familiar with forgotten realms and to a lesser extent ravenloft

[knotty basin]

Well, you get a few hours of downtime per long rest

[severe rampart]

Or uh, not lucid dreaming* if they're dreaming of fighting someone

[woven flint]

Graz'zt, lord of Freaky

[severe rampart]

Oh yeah

[glossy otter]

I mean as someone mentioned earlier, Graz'zt doesn't have to be over the top lust

Even though one of his flaws is all about it

[idle oar]

Rules as written, you have to be conscious and purposefully casting to cast a spell.
Obviously a DM can change things up, but the game rules do not let folks cast while incapacitated/sleeping.

[woven flint]

Lust isn't only sexual desire either

[scenic zinc]

Lust doesn't have to mean anything intimacy related. It can be lust for anything.

[severe rampart]

Got it, thanks!

[scenic zinc]

And I don't know how you do that kind of story about extreme lust without it getting to R rated

[rough basalt]

Lust for dnd books

[woven flint]

What's the Mushroom demon lords portfolio again, whats she supposed to represent? 🤔

[rough basalt]

Graz'zt has a library of all the dnd content ever created including stuff published by 3rd party

[glossy otter]

Perhaps someone critically obsessed over something or someone?

[naive cedar]

omg have you seen the old monster manuals

[scenic zinc]

lol original lolth

[naive cedar]

the artwork is uh. something

blink dogs looked like generic golden retrievers or something

[glossy otter]

Mold and rot typically. In the campaign i have her in she's meant to be the corrupt that comes with trying to hold onto something for so long after it's gone

[olive wasp]

Ain’t nothing wrong with that I love goldens

[woven flint]

So Greed? 🧐

[olive wasp]

My golden is in my profile picture

[naive cedar]

well yeah but idk they should look more fey

[uncut zenith]

More like corruption

[olive wasp]

Truth

[uncut zenith]

That’s why the artwork has evolved over the years

[glossy otter]

Greed would fit grazzt. More like Nurgle in 40k but specializes in mold and fungus over disease

[uncut zenith]

Similar to old Firbolgs. In older editions, they just looked like “more giant, though not quite Giant sized” humans. As time went by, they decided to make them look more unique and distinctive.

[naive cedar]

yeah the old art was also just really funny

[scenic zinc]

Though I prefer original kobolds more. Dog kobold is superior to dragon kobold.

[glossy otter]

Now they kinda have a cow look

[uncut zenith]

That’s mostly in the Exandria books, where they’re explicitly described as having very “bovine” features

Even the Firbolgs in Glory of the Giants don’t really have very bovine features, but said bovine features are a staple in Exandria Firbolgs.

[scenic zinc]

It's funny because it's apparently a real life mythology term that just ultimately translates to "men in baggy clothes"

[uncut zenith]

I think CR just thought, “Firbolgs are typically peaceful people who try not to bother anybody and are close to nature. What’s an animal that doesn’t really pose a major threat to anybody? Cows.”

[naive cedar]

theyre from Irish mythology

[uncut zenith]

Yeah in Irish myth, they’re mostly an ancestor race to humans, but still very similar in appearance to humans

[scenic zinc]

Considering the level of thought taliesin put into caduceus I doubt it

[uncut zenith]

Firbolg were in CR before Caduceus

[crimson gulch]

Pumat sol

[uncut zenith]

I think they had a guest player before Caduceus came along who played a Firbolg who also had a very bovine look to her

[scenic zinc]

Getting pretty close to spoiler territory for m9 so I'll stop commenting lol

[uncut zenith]

Either way, the “bovine Firbolg” thing existed in the world of Exandria before Caduceus did

[scenic zinc]

It existed outside of cr before cr existed.

Either way, I'll agree cr certainly popularized it

[crimson gulch]

They took the art from volos guide to monsters and rolled with it

[upper lily]

Just finished my hulk based Goliath barbarian!

[glossy otter]

Nerd that becomes a beef cake?

[upper lily]

Unfortunately just beefcake on this one

I plan to play test and then play around with some artificer levels

[rugged hawk]

Introducing his most powerful nemesis: normal-sized doorways!

(also Will saves )

[echo agate]

scroll of summoning 50 ancient red dragons

[echo agate]

he will be walking through every door, taking the door and wall with him

[rugged hawk]

That's not a threat, that's popcorn time. Reds will wind up slaughtering each other over who's gonna get the kills, the loot, and the soon-to-be-ruins to live in.

[rugged hawk]

Time to reinvent Prismatic Wall into Prismatic Doorway.

[woven flint]

Scroll of summoning 50 Ancient Golden Dragons 😎

Bahamut would be proud

[worldly flare]

Did you know you can make a Legendary Wand in 8 days?

[undone fable]

can a homebrew for dnd be super saiyan broken?

[woven flint]

Probably, seeing how strong Super Saiyan is

[potent siren]

There is probably homebrew dbz stuff you can find online

[uncut zenith]

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s broken

My personal opinion is that a lot of those types of anime just generally don’t work with the base rules of D&D

[echo agate]

fair argument, it's mostly a joke based on a short i saw

Party exploring a new part of the world and Got bored? 50 Ancient Red Dragons
In town murdering random NPCS? Those NPCS could be 50 Ancient Red Dragons
Maybe they're getting upset that all the encounters seem to really samey? Spice it up with 50 Ancient Red Dragons

Encounter Summary:
Difficulty:
This Would Kill Tiamat

[echo agate]

@rugged hawk

[fossil hollow]

50 ancient red dragons cant kill tiamat because they cant even damage her

[rugged hawk]

That's just summoning Twitch chat who will trip over each other to give the most donations of healing.

[crimson gulch]

What?

[fossil hollow]

Immune to fire and all nonmagical BPS

[burnt valley]

This looks winnable

[crimson gulch]

If ancient dragons had to fight tiamat they would find a way

[echo agate]

never meant it to be lore accurate, just found it a really funny Difficulty Line

Summon this to your party if they're bored

This would kill a god

[severe rampart]

What was the most effective way your party earned money in DnD?

[lavish flame]

can? yes of course

[worldly flare]

I have a question but I’m not sure which channel to ask it in?

[crimson gulch]

Clearing dungeons

[uncut zenith]

Not with the 2025 statblocks the ancient gold dragons have. They have features that can slow her down (assuming the Aspect of Tiamat statblock), but nothing they can officially use to deal damage. They’d need DM plot magic to stop her.

[severe rampart]

If it's about characters, character discussion, if it's asking about a rule then dnd-rules, and if it's about optimization, it's in optimization

[severe rampart]

Oh and lore is for lore

[worldly flare]

I know that, I just feel like mine exists on a borderline between rules and lore.

[severe rampart]

I mean you can ask here, the other channels exist just for specifying some stuff so this channel doesn't get flooded

[uncut zenith]

The only thing 2025 Ancient Gold Dragons have that could hurt the Aspect of Tiamat is Guiding Bolt, but anything else that deals damage on their statblock is useless against her. Even then, killing her aspect is a temporary solution to a permanent problem.

[rugged hawk]

Super Saiyans exist in a minimum-magic universe, where even the strongest casters are only like, Goldo level or Babidi at worst (and he was just a punching bag). Faerun is PACKED with things that could wreck saiyans.

[worldly flare]

I’m just gonna split it into two

[fossil hollow]

theyd be better off aborbing one another to make a greatwyrm

[crimson gulch]

Cool, 50 guiding bolts would do it

[fossil hollow]

oh right, golds have Guiding Bolt. Reds got nothing though

[undone fable]

50 guiding bolts? yes

[severe rampart]

Best question for powerscaling, does it beat Goku

[rugged hawk]

Any of DnD's top fifteen monsters probably could

[burnt valley]

Moro

[fast latch]

Mystra beats Goku

[severe rampart]

I believe you, you're The Echo, I'm only an Echo

[woven flint]

500 Guiding Bolts

[burnt valley]

Yamcha beats Mystra cuz i said so

[woven flint]

DND deities are stronger than Deities in DBZ by.. a lot lmao

[rugged hawk]

The only thing Yamcha's ever beaten is Krillan's losing streak... with his own corpse.

[woven flint]

Even the Lowly Jubilex solos!

[severe rampart]

How did Yamcha go from Top 10(arguably worse) to not even in the top thousand most powerful character

[severe rampart]

And hold on, this is not about DnD so I fear we're losing the plot, quick answer is like power creep

[rugged hawk]

Well, for one, he's just human. Second, he gave up, unlike Krillin and Tien.

[woven flint]

Tien my GOAT

[severe rampart]

To keep it DnD related

How do you make a character that is EXACTLY like Tien with Tien's powers

[severe rampart]

What cantrips, spells, subclass would it have

[rugged hawk]

You don't, cause no feature grants an extra pair of arms

[burnt valley]

Sun Soul Monk but it wouldn't be accurate power wise

[rugged hawk]

Unless you wanna Polymorph into Machamp

[fossil hollow]

Astral Self monk (kinda), and Thrikreen

[glass granite]

Gooood morning afternoon evening folks (and happy holidays)!

Also astral self monk gives more arms

[glass granite]

Also simic hybrid (very kinda)

[burnt valley]

Custom Lineage lets you have as many arms as you want

[fossil hollow]

yeah, you stuck with crab arms for Simic Hybrid

[rugged hawk]

👀 ....what about tentacles?

[severe rampart]

Does that account other limbs, can I have six legs

[glass granite]

Sure, it likely just won’t have any mechanical impact

[cinder timber]

Happy holidays, Nugget

[burnt valley]

You can probably make Squidward lmfao

[gray garden]

guess i need help i wanna balance out a fight but theres an issue with one of the bosses abilitys

Rapid Adaptation. Trigger: The Apex takes damage that isn't Necrotic or Psychic. Response: The Apex gains Immunity to that damage type until it is reduced to 0 Hit Points or finishes a Short or Long Rest.

[fossil hollow]

#homebrew

[gray garden]

its not homebrew

[fossil hollow]

Thats not an official monster trait

[gray garden]

not homebrew either

[fossil hollow]

If its not official, its homebrew or third party

and third party is just fancy homebrew

[undone fable]

how do I know if my dnd character is good?

[rugged hawk]

I mean, the answer's right there: Necrotic and Psychic damage types. Players just gotta stop being skill issued and get some.

[earnest canyon]

Define good?

[glass granite]

If you and your party/table like them

[undone fable]

working in a dnd party

[gray garden]

The melees shall suffer then I guess

[earnest canyon]

Then you would know if it was good, if it worked well in that specific party I suppose.

[worldly flare]

As always. 🙁

[rugged hawk]

Or enchant / buy some necrotic weapons 🙄

[earnest canyon]

I am curious what monster this ability is from.

[gray garden]

Where in the hell would you get a NECROTIC weapon that isn’t the ATR

[rugged hawk]

Maybe go whack a local necromancer and steal his staff?

[gray garden]

Most spell casters are dead in the world this is in

[rugged hawk]

All I'm hearing is that you didn't think your cunning campaign through.

[gray garden]

Anything “weave adjacent” at least

[fossil hollow]

Nothing is stopping you from. Not using it or changing it

[rugged hawk]

Also, you could always just edit or ignore that ability. Like Apex only taking half damage instead of zero.

[fossil hollow]

Honestly, whoever made that Reaction probably didnt think it through

[gray garden]

I was thinking of making it resistance but cause flat out immunity is wild

[severe rampart]

If you you and your party like the character they are good, but I think all characters are good as long as it has a connection to you as a whole

[proud temple]

Merry christmas everyone

[rugged hawk]

It got as much thought at creation as it did when it got blindly introduced to a campaign, so this seems consistent, at least.

[fossil hollow]

I have a Black dragon who has a similar trait, but it only ever gives Advantage or Resistance

[naive cedar]

whats you guys' favourite dragon

[rugged hawk]

Also means this creature would get trashed by any psionic classes / necromancers

[gray garden]

Gold

[rugged hawk]

Just lure it to an Aboleth, problem solved

[naive cedar]

mine is also gold!

[gray garden]

They are the most beautiful dragons

[fossil hollow]

Chromatic: Black
Metallic: Gold
Gem: Sapphire
Non-main family: Moonstone or Spirit

Overall: Gold

[rugged hawk]

Black is the superior dragon type

[gray garden]

But I also like the obsidian dragons too (unknown)

[worldly flare]

Emerald is best, it’s the type my hypothetical wizard TPs into after all.

[naive cedar]

mine is the same as this although i like white chromatic dragons a lot also

but i like all dragons

[fossil hollow]

White dragons are baller, theyre my 3rd favorite after blues

[rugged hawk]

Dracoliches are the best, but Blacks are the best of the living dragons.

[fossil hollow]

Black
Blue
White
Red
Green

[naive cedar]

also i love pseudo dragons

[fossil hollow]

For metallics
Gold
Silver
The other three in any combination, i do not remember which one is which

For gems
Sapphire
Topaz
Amethyst
Crystal
Emerald

[shy stirrup]

Red dragons. A classic, a cover of the Red Box icon, and I find they're the most fun to run as a DM.

[glass granite]

I also like red dragons, cuz red is my fav colour

[naive cedar]

ooh yeah if you just want a classic bad guy dragon red dragons are a staple

[gray garden]

I have a question

[fossil hollow]

better to ask than ask to ask

[gray garden]

So if I made an encounter that’s made to be ran away from is it my fault that the players have a 60-70%ish of dying

[fossil hollow]

I will always be upfront wether a fight is unwinnable or not

[gray garden]

Well it’s winnable is the thing

[severe rampart]

Some people forget that fleeing is an option, or so I've heard

[fossil hollow]

If they lost, they lost.

[gray garden]

Just very difficult because of the monsters they have to fight

[crimson gulch]

No plot armor no rest no mercy

[severe rampart]

I mean, there is a high chance that everyone will die

[fossil hollow]

if they decide to be reckless, they got what they asked for

[gray garden]

Mainly the assassins because they have this one ability called aura of murder where if a creature isn’t resistance or immunity to piercing they gain vulnerability within 5ft of it

[shy stirrup]

Has your party ever independently shown they're capable of judging that retreat its the better part of valour, without you having to heavily telegraph or outright say: you cannot win, flee mortals?

[fossil hollow]

Ah, the Bane Cultists

[earnest canyon]

There is a general assumption some attempt at levelling will be made, so if you are not, as long as you are upfront it should be fine.

[gray garden]

Bingo

[hot marlin]

Thinking in terms of "whose fault this is" is never productive.

[fossil hollow]

those guys are fun, i like their Aura of Murder

[severe rampart]

I've seen men spend actual hours irl trying to beat a boss over and over while being super underleveled just because it's technically possible

[fossil hollow]

Cant wait to run BG;DiA

[hot marlin]

But consider: Is it obvious enough that they should be running away?

[fossil hollow]

speaking of which... gotta reschedule session 0 for it

[naive cedar]

bane is the only dead three with even a crumb of aura imo

[gray garden]

Yeah but it’s been like 3ish parties that have almost been killed by these guys

[severe rampart]

Wait, question for experienced DMs—when your entire party dies, and they get new character sheets, how did they relate those characters to the dead ones?

[fossil hollow]

depends on the circumstances

[gray garden]

When there’s a lady with 6 skeletons on her side two assassins and one very powerful spell caster hold person

[severe rampart]

Were they just so happened to be on the same quest to defeat the BBEG?

[glass granite]

Only have had one PC death, they didn’t relate at all, really. Just had a job for a bit in the other PC’s hometown.

[fossil hollow]

well, i havent had a TPK yet as a DM.

[severe rampart]

Ohh

[hot marlin]

Not enough. Have some spectacle, showcase how much of a threat they are

[fossil hollow]

I had a TPK as a player. The party's souls got absorbed into the skull dimension

[gray garden]

When i say an enemy does 30 damage in 1 turn I don’t know how much more you want from me

[gray geyser]

Anybody doing a Warhammer DND

[fossil hollow]

Champions of Death from Book of Many Things are hella stronk

[hot marlin]

Make it diegetic

[fossil hollow]

thats kinda on par for most CR 4+

[hot marlin]

Have the PCs find the corpses of what the enemy killed on the way.

[gray garden]

One of them can even cast fire ball

[fossil hollow]

So can Flame Skulls

[severe rampart]

Maybe show the enemy's ruthlessness too by describing the corpses and how damaged they are

[gray garden]

Yeah but what there fighting is a revenge squad

[fossil hollow]

sounds fine

what level are they anyway

[hot marlin]

You know how a DM I knew showcased that a guy was too strong for us to fight? He had been besieging a fortress alone. When we arrived he was sitting on a pile of corpses, the defenders of the fortress, and he was waiting until the pile was higher than the wall to enter and kill the lord.

[gray garden]

6 but dnd says it’s for a level 5 party for some reason when I think it’s bull

[severe rampart]

Holy shit that is epic

[hot marlin]

(I learned later he stole it from a certain graphic novel)

[fossil hollow]

30 damage and fireball at that level sounds like a normal encounter?

[glass granite]

I feel as if these indicators are either not enough, or you can only tell once someone’s dead.

[gray garden]

One sec lemme get the encounter

[fossil hollow]

2024 or 2014 too?

[gray garden]

Revenge Squad (for 5th-level characters). A black gauntlet of Bane comes after the characters with two reapers of Bhaal and a master of souls, who commands an undead force of six skeletons or four zombies.

[crimson gulch]

Last night I had a dreadful witch commanding 4 brooms to sweep crud into a sacred moonwell, the players did the fantasia song then got Broomed 95% to death

[meager fractal]

Hey everyone! Merry Christmas!

[cinder timber]

How do you balance an encounter?

[woven flint]

Happy Holidays

[crimson gulch]

Exp budget in the new dmg page 114

[fossil hollow]

run it through Kobold Fight Club and then go off your experience with that party

[woven flint]

I'm having a Christmas Taco Bar 🧐

[naive cedar]

oh i should also give a shout out to faerie dragons. ily

[gray garden]

The black gauntlet of bane is cr 6 btw

[fossil hollow]

medium fight by itself

[severe rampart]

Glad to see you're enjoying yourself, based off of your note

[woven flint]

A party doesn't have to fight a creature who's Cr EQUALS their level

[crimson gulch]

The nat 40 rule of thumb for a boss fight is to double the parties level and use a monstet of yhst cr

[gray garden]

1 cr 6 2 cr 2s a cr 4 and 4-6 cr1/4s

[crimson gulch]

With the exp budget used to tweak

[woven flint]

If it can't eat tge party, it's not strong enough

[meager fractal]

If the sum of the monsters cr is higher than the sum of the players level divided by two (four if they are level 3 or lower) then it'll probably be deadly

[fossil hollow]

ok, so 2024 XP budget, thats just barely above the threshold of the High difficulty. In 2014, its the same thing

[gray garden]

Lowkey a barbarian could solo the two assassins cause they only do like 1d4+5 without the aura

[severe rampart]

If there's even a 1% chance of beating them, I don't think they'd flee, probably

[fossil hollow]

Its fine

Level 5 is also a huge power spike on the player's side

[gray garden]

So it’s not my fault that the parties keep dying to these guys

[fossil hollow]

It just sounds like theres no AoEs popping off

from your players side. A spirit Guardians or several fireballs can end them fast

[white eagle]

Or common sense

[gray garden]

LITERALLY

[naive cedar]

the difference in power between level 2 and 3 spells is ridiculous tbh

[fossil hollow]

ok, im not going to assume the player's tactics here

[gray garden]

I’ve had only 1 person use fire ball against them

[woven flint]

D&D players and common sense typically don't mix /half-joke

[fossil hollow]

ok, now that sounds like a skill issue if theyre not firing off AoEs

[gray garden]

The black gauntlet of bane is pretty dangerous through cause unless you are immune to fear you have disadvantage all saving throws within 5ft of them

And she can still cast hold person unless your not a humanoid

[woven flint]

I simply eat the cultist of Bane

[fossil hollow]

All in all, its a hard fight, but its not impossible