dnd-discussion

[errant crag]

Probably because CoS is presented as a very dangerous adventure so people are inherently more careful

[rough basalt]

Yeah that's probably it.

[errant crag]

While in Phandelver players are like "I can handle 5 goblins at level 2"

[feral fulcrum]

CoS has some surprise encounters that are instant-wipes.

[errant crag]

I am so ready for my character to die

I've got the backup planned down to his carry capacity

Ready to be dropped in

[sleek cloud]

whats your backup

[errant crag]

My current character is a Reborn Dance Bard and my replacement is a Gnome Knowledge Cleric

My dance bard cannot be revived because she is a Barovian and did not succeed at the 1/10 roll

[sterile roost]

Hello I am Skyler and I am kinda experienced in dnd just looking for a dnd group in hinesville savanna

[rugged hawk]

Aw, and here I thought you were gonna pull up Dead Char's Relative #X with the same stat sheet and slightly-modified-name to 'get revenge for Dead Char'

[errant crag]

I would never do something like that

Death is too much fun for me to undermine it so

[sleek cloud]

im torn between a few backup character choices of wild magic sorcerer, open hand monk, or light cleric

[solar crow]

We have scrolls of revivify, but wizard died

[empty thicket]

Imagine an enemy that instead of dying it get into a dream state and he doesnt want that so he think that killing everything is the fix to his problem so there wont be any life, like in death.
"Let me be with them in their last moments while i cant be With them in mines, Please"
An angry and tired voice

[solar crow]

2nd character death but we've had revivify scrolls both times

[empty thicket]

cant find someone that could use them on him or any upgraded version?

[solar crow]

He'll get revived soon

[rugged hawk]

The trick is to visit the local graveyards and ask your unfriendly neighborhood necromancer to make him move again.

[solar crow]

He'll be fine

[solar crow]

Dungeon

We have 2 scrolls is revivify He'll be fine

Just annoying

[rugged hawk]

I mean, you say that now, then something happens to the person carrying the scrolls

[solar crow]

It's party inventory

[rugged hawk]

Party inventory ruined the good old days of dropping a cave-in or landslide on some valuable equipment.

Or oops, guy holding it fell in a crevice.

[solar crow]

I just had to use my death ward and so did our cleric

sigh

[woven flint]

That's what Death Ward is there for

To.. Ward death

[feral fulcrum]

yeah, Death Ward's great.

I love "Don't die when killed" effects.

[errant crag]

You know if you tracked carry capacity this could still happen

[turbid vessel]

"did you die?"
"sadly, yes... but i lived!"

[rugged hawk]

Yeah, turns 'crushed by falling rocks' into 'asphyxiated under fallen rocks', much longer and less pleasant

[rugged hawk]

As long as it's still valid

[feral fulcrum]

And Power Word Kills into Power Word Look like An Idiot

[frail wasp]

not that power word kill needs help accomplishing that

[rugged hawk]

I wonder if Death Ward would block Vlaakith's Wish spell in BG3

[frail wasp]

no, because that's not death, thats game over

[rugged hawk]

I mean, it's a Wish for 'you to die'

Death Ward should obviously make her look like an idiot in front of her worshippers

Also, that scene gave me flashbacks to Planescape Torment

[buoyant oar]

Does death Ward speak of death or falling to zero hit points?

[frail wasp]

death

well, both

[rugged hawk]

Let's just take it literally from its name and see what happens

[frail wasp]

it triggers if you hit 0 hp, or if an effect would kill you instantaneously

[buoyant oar]

I would say probably from her specifically it would protect you, but if it was from an actual deity it wouldn't

[silk hare]

seems to me as if the trigger is met

[rugged hawk]

Exactly. Which is why Death Ward should work, since she's trying to prove her divinity

"Did you happen to say something, Vlaakith? I couldn't hear your desire for my death very well over the sound of you not being a god. Also because of Death Ward."

[buoyant oar]

I feel like that would be answered by a second one immediately after the death ward pops though

You would get halfway through the first ha and then die

[knotty cipher]

Due to the law of rng whenever you rol 3 nat 20s in a row
Someday when you least expect it
You will roll 3 nat 1s in a row

[rugged hawk]

I mean, if Vlaakith's already spending 9th level slots to kill you, you're probably already dead, so you might as well laugh out of spite.

Also, you're proving the point that she's not actually infallible right in front of all her worshippers

[rugged hawk]

Those dice would get the 'You have failed me for the LAST time' treatment

[frail wasp]

im not sure worshippers are gonna be particularly moved by the logic of "vlaakith had to say "die" twice to kill someone, therefore they're not a real deity" >_>

[rugged hawk]

Cmon, a real god doesn't even need to show up to wish you dead

Much less put on pretty light shows and throw Wish spells around

[buoyant oar]

She didn't show up. She was projecting herself halfway across the Multiverse

[frail wasp]

after being asked to attend ... because you have something she wants >_>

[rugged hawk]

That was my other question, I was kinda curious what magic she was using to do all that

[silk hare]

wish

[knotty cipher]

Its not a dice problem, its the user problem
I sugest you roll your dice in a cup for a true RNG

[cloud bison]

are there any abilities that poison?

[rugged hawk]

No, the whole 'giant illusion of herself' thing she had going on

[silk hare]

plenty, depending on the source material you are using

[silk hare]

I mean, that could still be a wish spell no? xD

[cloud bison]

everything on dndbeyond

[buoyant oar]

Probably a super buffed version of project image

[rugged hawk]

I mean, if she's using it for non-standard effects, it's bound to backfire eventually

[silk hare]

but "she is god", how could it backfire/j

[rugged hawk]

"oops, can't cast Wish anymore, RIP god dreams"

[buoyant oar]

That's what rings would be for

[frail wasp]

prob a form of astral projection

[rugged hawk]

Hmmm. Can a Ring of Wishing even be broken by that side effect?

[buoyant oar]

And Vlaakith is more than just a big standard Lich

[errant crag]

Can I use a casting of Wish to wish for a Ring of Three Wishes

[buoyant oar]

She is considered a demipower on her home plane.

[woven flint]

Too bad she doesn't have a 5e statblock 😔

I'd love to fight her, personally

We need more big name lady liches!

[buoyant oar]

That puts her in the same power level of The Red Knight, Siamorphe, and Jergal

[errant crag]

I really should play a Gith some time

[buoyant oar]

There's a big name Lady Lich on the cover of Adventures in Faerûn

[errant crag]

I should make a Githzerai character

[woven flint]

Oh?

[sleek cloud]

We love big lady liches in this household

[buoyant oar]

Her name is Valindra Shadowmantle.

She is a minor antagonist in The legend of drizzt, a major antagonist in the Neverwinter MMO, a minor character in more than one 5th edition Adventure, and an antagonist in the fallbacks novels.

[woven flint]

She's very pretty for a Lich

[feral fulcrum]

Very pretty bones?

[buoyant oar]

I believe she's also an antagonist, in the recently released premium module for 2002's Neverwinter nights. The Doom of icewind Dale.

[woven flint]

She barely looks like bones in all honesty

[buoyant oar]

There's nothing saying that a lich can't use illusion magic

[woven flint]

There's also nothing saying a lich can't keep their skin in proper condition, right?

[empty thicket]

shinny bones?

[feral fulcrum]

Vlaakith isn't getting a stat block unless they actually bother to make Spelljammer an actual setting.

And not a completely vague, empty, half-baked sandbox

[covert root]

Yeah, like Valindra.

[crimson gulch]

Nah we can have vallikath in the forgotten realms

[buoyant oar]

Yeah BG3 firmly slid Githyanki into FR mainstream lore

Though Gith were less spelljammer in the past and more Planescape

[frail wasp]

if they make a statblock for vlaakith people are only going to disappointed

[crimson gulch]

They were very involved in the dungeon of the mad mage too. And phandelver and below

[buoyant oar]

You can get away with the stat block by just calling it an avatar

[errant crag]

Wish they'd just let the stat blocks for these big powerful figures be big and powerful

[buoyant oar]

I think part of the thing is that if you are fighting these creatures fully rested with all of your resources, you're running the encounter wrong

[feral fulcrum]

That's how you get people proclaiming that they're infact 'factualy' unbeatable

Instead of just being...you know, very difficult.

[buoyant oar]

These are supposed to be things that you face at the end of deep dungeons without rest points.

[raven cedar]

guys, do you think the new ravenloft book gona replace the van richters guide, like a reprint, or gonna be a supplement with new things?

[buoyant oar]

When you look at a stat block and you try to envision yourself fighting it, most people try to envision themselves, fighting it with a full party with full resources and only them on the battlefield.

[crimson gulch]

Many new things and a lot of updates content too

[buoyant oar]

It's going to have new things and reprint old things. It is the 5.5e version of ravenloft

[feral fulcrum]

They've already shown what it contains

[raven cedar]

So is worth to get the old book?

[crimson gulch]

Yeah for the house of lament dungeon alone it's worth it imo

[feral fulcrum]

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within contains:

• 16 Domains of Dread, including the new cosmic horror domain Innsmouth.
• 17 Darklords for your party to face or flee from, equipped with challenging stat blocks.
• 7 subclasses (including the new Reanimator and Hollow Warden), 4 species, 4 backgrounds, 2 Origin feats, and 9 Dark Gifts for building tortured protagonists.
• 10 genres of horror from gothic to dark fantasy.
• A bestiary of 41 monstrosities and 10 domain denizens for your party to encounter.
• 47 maps and 28 digital quickplay maps for Maps VTT.

[buoyant oar]

Not really in my opinion. There are better Ravenloft books on the DM's Guild and with this one coming around the corner it will fill the niche mostly. If you are not playing 5.5 then maybe.

[hollow stone]

is innsmouth just being inside a mouth?

[buoyant oar]

It's a Lovecraft thing

[feral fulcrum]

No, it's Lovecraft related

[crimson gulch]

It's a seaside town with spooky fish monsters and cuthulu

[feral fulcrum]

Innsmouth is a famous location from Lovecraft's works

[buoyant oar]

Shadows over Innsmouth. Cthulhu is the Dark Lord

[lavish flame]

supplement that updates a bunch of old subclasses, introduces 2 cool new ones, and has Feats and Bastion Special Facilities and all the stuff you'd want in a setting book.

[raven cedar]

Now I'm playing the 5.5e, new to the game, but is some that you recommend to get there?

[hollow stone]

when will we get a domain that is just a world of teeth :(

[oak grotto]

They did? Or did they simply give us a sample of what we will get?

[lavish flame]

16 domains of dread and 47 maps leads me to believe there's about 3 adventures per domain of dread

[deep hound]

Sup guys

[feral fulcrum]

I mean, I litteraly quoted their post above.

[oak grotto]

So just a sample.

[rugged hawk]

Plane of Gibbering Mouther?

[buoyant oar]

If you're talking about on the DMs Guild, I'm a very big fan of Richten's encyclopedia. It's a love letter to the setting of ravenloft two volumes support over 800 pages of good content. Though they do not shy away from dark dark horror. Those two volumes feel like an update of every ravenloft release prior to 5th edition being brought to 5th edition

[strong wave]

I have executive dysfunction and it's affecting my ability to make a character

I only have a book and it's the new edition and it makes me upset

[hollow stone]

plane of 1d4 piercing damage every time you enter or exit a room

[strong wave]

I tried to support my local game store but now I don't have DND beyond version

[buoyant oar]

Restrictions breed creativity

[errant crag]

What would be a fitting weapon for a candle knight

[feral fulcrum]

A candlestick

[lavish flame]

morningstar might be fun

[errant crag]

Like aesthetically and mechanically

[feral fulcrum]

Though jokes aside, a Sunblade

[errant crag]

Weapons flavored as candlesticks is definitely something being considered

I've considered a Trident with the spiky base of it and the candle up at the top and he uses it with downwards thrusts

[strong wave]

Maybe an incense brazier

[oak grotto]

What even is a candle knight?

[errant crag]

A candle knight

[strong wave]

It's a knight with a candle on his head

[errant crag]

He doesn't have a candle on his head but he has a flame atop his head making him resemble a candle

[oak grotto]

Very enlightening.

[errant crag]

Oh hoh!

[strong wave]

Is the flame shaped like a candles flame

[errant crag]

Kinda

[raven cedar]

is the van richters guide for ad&d 2e?

[errant crag]

He's a Fire Genasi who resembles a candle with his pale whitish-orangish skin and a flame atop his head, makes him resemble a candle

[buoyant oar]

Van Richten's encyclopedia is a third party 5e creation.

https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/385023/van-richten-s-encyclopedia-of-darklords-domains-volume-1

[strong wave]

I've never seen a genasi before

[errant crag]

They can be very varied

[strong wave]

Are they elementals

[errant crag]

They're humanoids but they're Planetouched by the elemental planes

Often descended from elemental genies

[strong wave]

1% elemental nice

[buoyant oar]

They are to elementals what tieflings are to fiends or Aasimar are to celestials

[lavish flame]

they're elementals in the same way Tieflings are Fiends

[strong wave]

That's cool

If tieflings are fiends does that mean they go to hell when they fie

Die

[errant crag]

They're not fiends

They're just Planetouched by the hells

[strong wave]

What is plane touching exactly

[errant crag]

Their very nature has been influenced by interaction with other planes in some way

[buoyant oar]

A plane's metaphysical nature has had an effect on your species

[strong wave]

Does that mean you can be a tiefling without tiefling parents

[errant crag]

My Water Genasi was born as a Water Genasi because his Sea Elven parents traveled to the Elemental Plane of Water and he was born there, causing him to be born as a Water Genasi rather than a Sea Elf.

[errant crag]

Absolutely

[strong wave]

Can you go to a plane and become a tiefling

[lavish flame]

they arent really Fiends/Elementals, is the point of that comparion. They're like... kinda connected to those planes of existence, but they aren't necessarily from those planes, nor are they guranteed to go to those planes when they die.

[errant crag]

You could be born as a Tiefling because your great grandfather made a deal with a Devil

[upbeat scroll]

Is there a good place to discuss if my character idea could be a decent one? Not overly trying to meta game, but don’t want to be useless

[frail wasp]

#character-discussion is your place

[lavish flame]

Yeah probably, becoming another species due to some weird magic stuff isn't exactly unheard of. People get turned into Goblins and Dragonborn via strange magic, I don't see why Tiefling would be off the table.

[rugged hawk]

Planetouched manifest some quality(ies) of the planes that altered their original planar (meta)physical manifestation, but they aren't always true Outsiders, yeah.

[buoyant oar]

But there's no record really of somebody going to the nine Hells and becoming a tiefling because they went there. Typically something happened to them. But your DM May rule it differently.

[frail wasp]

i heard that if you go to every plane, you become a DM

[errant crag]

I heard that if you go to every plane you get invited to an Eve of Ruin campaign

[empty thicket]

nine hells... i got the card of a lady that is from like the third hell so... any advice for that one? too hot or too cold?

[buoyant oar]

Third?

There are more secrets — dead, alive, and otherwise — buried under the muck o' the stinking mire of Minauros than the Lady of Pain ever knew. A berk can learn some for a price.

[rugged hawk]

What we call 'reality' is in fact a massive conglomerate manifestation of nearly countless Wills, sentient or otherwise, across creation. As such, it isn't entirely stable, even in the central point, the Prime Material - that's the entire reason natural portals keep popping up all over, and that leakage can corrupt, corrode, and transform anything it touches if given enough time and influence. So yeah, racial transformations and planetouching and whatnot aren't unusual, depending.

[carmine solstice]

Man, it seems every melee character I’m looking at these days is cramming in guide for MI: Druid

Shillelagh is so nice for scaling and attributes

[errant crag]

Shillelagh is the hexblade for wisdom characters

[umbral girder]

And in 5.5e you can do it for other casting modifiers I think

[errant crag]

My hopes for shillelagh two weapon fighting were so cruelly dashed by the wording of shillelagh specifying that the caster needs to be holding the weapon

Wanted to shillelagh my club then have another caster shillelagh my other club

[strong wave]

How would that workout

[errant crag]

It wouldn't

[cloud bison]

what grants you languages in 5.5?

[errant crag]

Which is why my hopes were dashed

[umbral girder]

Their post was saying it wouldn’t

[umbral girder]

Training
Being a Ranger
Being a rogue

[strong wave]

Reading comprehension moment

Sorry guys lol

[errant crag]

The Linguist feat from 2014 PHB, which is completely legal in 5.5e as it wasn't reprinted

[umbral girder]

This is true

[errant crag]

Y'all should try playing a 2014 PHB Half Orc as a 5.5e Berserker Barbarian with Orcish Fury

[cloud bison]

i mean baseline, like it used to be your species and sometimes background, what are the rules now?

[errant crag]

The Greataxe doing 5d12+4d6+StrMod Slashing damage on a crit is pretty neat

[umbral girder]

Race mainly gets common and 1-2 languages of their choice

[strong wave]

I bought the 5.5e phb thinking everyone would switch over but everyone at my store still plays 5e

[umbral girder]

Ranger gets 2 and Rogue gets 1

[strong wave]

So now I have to make a character the wrong way and shove it in until it fits

[umbral girder]

Outside of character creation is training during downtime and I think bastions

[errant crag]

There's also spells like Comprehend Languages and Tongues which help with language barriers

[carmine solstice]

Bladesinger club shillelagh, CME, use a light hammer for nick, and true strike the hammer. So much INT stacking

[rugged hawk]

Alternatively: fast-talk the DM into letting you have the language you want 👀

[feral fulcrum]

I mean you can just pick them via the already existing methods that grant languages...

[errant crag]

One of my favorite things lately on a barbarian I played was doing TWF with a Scimitar and Club with the Slasher feat and Slow mastery from the club combined with Hamstring Blow from Barbarians Brutal Strike for a -35 to an enemy's movement speed

[umbral girder]

Oh yeah the Prodigy feat too

[rugged hawk]

Well, there are some limitations to that, even in the existing methods, depending on what specifically you want.

[errant crag]

Low-key really like Prodigy

[carmine solstice]

I’ve just been running a shillelagh gloom stalker with PAM. So many wis bonuses

[sour cave]

fellas i got a question, do your firbolgs have or not have animal features?

[errant crag]

I did this on a setup with Beast Barbarian with the Beast Claws so I could attack 4 times with my action and get the bonus damage from the later beast subclass feature, it did a bunch of damage and effectively immobilized the enemy; which made sense as the barbarian was trying to become a tiger and thus an apex predator

[sour cave]

im commisioning an artist for one and i cant decide if i want him to have ram horns since his design is kinda based off a sheep with white fluffy hair. Or not.

[umbral girder]

Why not?

We got human rangers with horns in official art

[errant crag]

I played as a Dwarf with horns once because he drank a weird brown potion from a raggedy man under a bridge

[sour cave]

i had an idea he was either cursed by a fae (cause it was funny) or hes the bastard of one which is why he has them

[errant crag]

Honestly I've never played a Firbolg

[sour cave]

big fey adjecnt giant kin

but not cool enough for fey type sadly

[umbral girder]

Fey giants with bovine traits mainly

[errant crag]

I wanna play a minotaur with a black and white coat like a dairy cow

[strong wave]

Now that's what I call a furbolg

[sour cave]

so true twin

beeeg barbarian dad and his two half orc kids.

[umbral girder]

Thinking about the idea of a Tortle Thief Rogue

Mainly imagining something as big as a Tortle sneaking up on people is terrifying

[errant crag]

You're not gonna beat the ninja turtle allegations

[strong wave]

Why do I picture him as slowly picking pockets

[umbral girder]

Like imagine them been weeping angel or horror movie like if they are slow when observed

But the moment someone takes their eyes off them they disappear

Kinda like how T-Rexes were supposedly super, super sneaky and great at ambushing

[strong wave]

I didn't know that about t rexes

[cloud bison]

whats the most recent race that can communicate with animals?

[umbral girder]

Forest Gnome 5.5e

Free uses of the spell Speak with Animals every day

[cloud bison]

are there any other races that do it without a spell?

[umbral girder]

Firbolg I believe

But I don’t think you get to understand the animals

Aaand an aquatic race I need to check

[sleek cloud]

I cast speak with animals on the daily.

[umbral girder]

Triton have one

[strong wave]

Does it work

[umbral girder]

For elementals, beasts, and monstrosities with a swim speed

[sleek cloud]

Well my cats seem to understand me, I’d say so

[cloud bison]

perfect thanks

[sour cave]

firbolgs can talk to plants and animals and have advantage on the charisma check

i ended using this once by aggresively intimidating half an island of beasts to become top dog and avoiding a bunch of encounters

telling an animal you are going to eat them with the str to back it up is very effective lol

[umbral girder]

Do you ever think about what Race/Class combos go with a module?

[empty thicket]

Dhampir vs Strahd
Strahd: "What it is mere copy of vampire doing here? you came to praise me or ask being my servant?"

[umbral girder]

I was thinking about running Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus and a Tiefling Rogue came to my brain.

Then I thought about Race/class combos for modules overall

[slender mason]

NGL every time I go back to read 2014 rules out of interest/to compare it always feels so weird because there's such different language formatting

like everything is lower case it confuses my brain that's now expecting Short or Long Rest

[woven flint]

Fun fact, Strahd couldn't do much if any damage fighting Kas

Ti-Moth (dm friend of mine) ran a simulation and the only way Strahd could damage Kas was with Spellcasting

[lunar finch]

Good friend was asking if there was a way to request content for D&D partnered content. I don’t know one, I don’t think there is a way but still wanted to check

[slender mason]

as in "please make this" or "please sell this thing I made" ?

[lunar finch]

As in, “please make this I think people would like it.” He doesn’t make anything himself

[solar crow]

Half of my party almost got knocked unconscious today and only didn't cause of different things in place, and we had someone fully go down who got revived due to scroll of revivify

Today was a mess😅

[slender mason]

there's no real way for that afaik

[solar crow]

We got a short rest before the final session of our fight

[slender mason]

closest we get is looking at UA (Unearthed Arcana, basically Alpha/Beta content) and giving feedback

[solar crow]

And on the way to D&D I fell on concrete steps

[lunar finch]

Gotcha. Thank you

[silent portal]

Not sure where this is appropriate to ask, but I was wondering how to get something to help my wizard. Lv8 war mage. Initiate of the Black Robes background with tough feat. Looking for a weapon or gear that will enhance his saves or just hit harder.

[swift silo]

Would juggling be a performance check or sleight of hand or acrobatics

[umbral girder]

Performance

[fleet plank]

An Arcane Grimoire from Tasha's might be something you'd wanna look at

[rugged hawk]

The Experiment background provides Altered, which lets you, among other things, choose one of the following: Natural Armor, Natural Weapons, Night Vision, or Aquatic Adaptation (You have gills or mucus membranes that allow you to breathe water, and you have webbed extremities that grant you a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.)

Would it be equivalent, then, to allow Aquatic Adaptation to be Aerial Adaptation instead? You have wings that allow you to soar through the air and grant you a Fly Speed equal to your Speed.

[viral plover]

Hi I'm new kinda

[umbral girder]

So you can get the Wand of the War Mage as this applies a +1, 2, or 3 bonus to spell attack rolls and lets you ignore half cover.

There is also the Arcane Grimoire that gives a +1, 2, 3 and gives you an additional level from short resting.

Another item I offer is the Circlet of Blasting as it has a free use of the spell Scorching Ray every day if you don’t want to use slots or have it prepared.

If you are higher tier then there obvious items like the Staves of Fire, Light, or Ice. The Staff of Power, and the Staff of the Magi

In 2024 you can also get a huge amount of value with an Enspelled Staff for a bunch of free uses of a specific spell

[errant crag]

Arcane Grimoire

[lean wigeon]

i would not allow acrobatics
i would allow sleight of hand, but would say that the effect of a successful roll would be less spectacular than a successful roll with performance, since the aim is to perform and entertain and not necessarily JUST juggling

[rough basalt]

Sleight of Hand imo

Tho performance I'd allow sheerly cause it never gets used lol

Sleight of Hand goes into so many performing arts id even make it a Dexterity performance (I like substituting ability scores for skills when it makes sense)

[lean wigeon]

intent also matters i think

if the purpose of juggling is to entertain someone, then performance. if you're not performing for an audience and it's trying to serve a practical purpose (whatever that is), then sleight of hand

[feral fulcrum]

Performance very definitely gets used, the problem is that nobody but Bards bother to Perform

[lean wigeon]

you could substitute one for the other. you could impress someone with sleight of hand but you would not be performing with as much bravado or flair as someone who's juggling using performance

likewise, someone with sleight of hand might be able to juggle more things in the air or juggle faster (whatever purpose that serves) due to having better motor control and dexterity

your performance could be great while having a shitty sleight of hand. in that case maybe you suck at juggling but are pretty funny about it

idk i hate 5e's skill system and other such similar systems

[feral fulcrum]

It's a perfectly fine system

[lean wigeon]

the way i do it is if a player can justify a certain stat+skill for something, i let them do it, but with a narrative drawback/penalty for it

there's a lock. you're intended to get past it with sleight of hand, but you could also just break the lock with athletics to quickly break it at the cost of drawing attention, or perform trial and error with investigation at the cost of a time penalty

[ripe nimbus]

I prefer the 5.0e system where picking locks was just a dexterity (thieves' tools) check

not dexterity (sleight of hand) (thieves' tools too)

the skills were intentionally non-exhaustive in 5.0e, idk why they walked that back in 5.5e

[lean wigeon]

one step forward one step back

[crimson gulch]

Because of dnd beyond I bet

[ripe nimbus]

as someone who doesn't use d&d beyond unless forced to, what am i missing about it

[median gyro]

Yo I have a really good camp idea can someone help me with it.

[ripe nimbus]

anyway if they wanted to make the skills exhaustive they should've introduced new ones. but then we're back at like, 3.5e or 4e's skill system, which 5e's skills being non-exhaustive was intentionally avoiding

there's a reason we have ability checks and not skill checks, skills are just meant to be occasional bonuses to specific things you're good at, not a categorization of everything you can do in exploration

[errant crag]

I am overthinking my cleric Cantrips so hard

[timber turtle]

What would be something nastier to fight then a giant spider or drider?

[errant crag]

A giant spider and a drider

[lean wigeon]

me

[errant crag]

Or 2 driders

[frail wasp]

a behir

[lean wigeon]

i solo all of dnd verse

[median gyro]

Can i run a campaign idea by you guys

[idle oar]

Sounds like a good question for #dm-discussion or #dm-world-building

[median gyro]

ok

[cobalt escarp]

would psionics work in a anti magic field

[fossil hollow]

depends on how the specific psionics work

[cobalt escarp]

when wouldnt it work

[fossil hollow]

if its not a spell or explicitly a magical effect

[cobalt escarp]

so if an attack with a weapon deals psychic damage due to psionic powers that damage would still apply?

[fossil hollow]

mind flayer's dominate monster? doesnt work

[fossil hollow]

it would essentially follow the rules for anything normal. psionic in of itself is not a hard coded rule

[cobalt escarp]

so the following attack would work in a anti magic field: 10 (2d6 + 3) Slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) Psychic damage.

[idle oar]

Is the psychic damage from a magical effect? If so that would not work in an anti-magic field.

[cobalt escarp]

i dont know. its on the githyanki knight stat block

[fossil hollow]

does it say its magical

[junior jasper]

Is it wrong that I used my turn to ragebait a hag by using the “stop it spray bottle”?

[cobalt escarp]

no

[idle oar]

Were you and your table having fun and was it allowed by the DM? Then it's not really wrong.

[fossil hollow]

then its not

[cobalt escarp]

k thanks

[junior jasper]

Yes, everyone had fun, except one person who was mad because no one was listening to him. On my turn. Right after his turn. Which everyone was quiet during.

As clarification, the DM decided that I ragebaited Skab Knight enough to deal 12 psychic damage.

[silk bloom]

Is anyone here good in explaining stuff pls i need sm1 explain to me what im doing wrong with my character creation, pls if anyone can help dm:):)

[tame estuary]

you can share it #character-discussion and a lot of people can help at once

[silk bloom]

Kkk tyyy

[dense knot]

hey im trying to make my first multi class character, its gonna be a monk/rouge, how does multi work?

[tame estuary]

you start at character creation as either, and then you take a level into the class you're multiclassing into

you gain appropriate features the class at that class' level gets you except for the starting features

[hollow estuary]

Heart attacks are just your heart dropping concentration.

[knotty vine]

Mind blown

[rough basalt]

Does that mean drinking Green Tea gives you advantage on concentration checks?

[tame estuary]

for casting magic? better be a magical green tea

[rough basalt]

Arizona Green Tea. Nothing gets more connected to the weave

Except Dr. Pepper but it grants disadvantage on concentration saves.

Not that it stops Elminster.
Mystra has to frequently give him new hearts cause of all the Dr. Pepper he drinks.

[tame estuary]

he should switch to diet Dr. Pepper

[knotty vine]

You know what would be cooler instead of scarying magic always failing to work on you?

You just know wheever someone tried to do it

"your watching me arent you"

[crimson gulch]

I put cans of dr pepper in a campaign but comprehend languages translates it as Physican Spice.

They had the effects of a haste potion

[knotty vine]

How much damage would a chainsaw do

d4 d6 d8?

[crimson gulch]

D12

[knotty vine]

oop

It is two handed

[crimson gulch]

There are tiny ones but even then you need 2h usually

[rough basalt]

Having an enemy look straight into the scrying camera

[knotty vine]

they would most likely be too unwieldly for combat but I still think being a guy with a chainsaw is too cool to pass up

a chainsaw man if you will

[crimson gulch]

Doom guy

[proven niche]

Question for all: Does a Pearl of Power cease to work for a Warlock once they reach level 7 since their spell slots all become level 4?

[crimson gulch]

Warlocks can't ever use them, they don't have the spellcasting class feature just pact magic

[fallow pond]

Do we know what supplement we are gonna get Hexblade back in?

[tame estuary]

what part of hexblade do you want back?

it's really what they're trying to come up with

[sleek cloud]

Medium armor and shield proficiency

[broken imp]

sure? bladesinger + lv1 in paladin works too right?

or is bladesinger only in 5e

[knotty vine]

Leomounds tiny hut in THIS instance the most powerful ability to ever be cast second ONLY to Action Surge

[crimson gulch]

It's not in ravenloft so that leaves arcana unleashed

[proven niche]

Thanks, that makes too much sense for me to have initially realized 😅

[cobalt owl]

Bladesinger does not work with either of those things

[errant crag]

Give me the opinions on 2024 Resistance Cantrip

[knotty vine]

Does it say without armor or a shield?

[cobalt owl]

Yes, thats like the point of bladesinger

[knotty vine]

Ah i see it now

[cobalt owl]

New bladesinging ends early if you have armor on or put a shield on

[umbral girder]

If at all of course

[proven niche]

You cannot bladesing with medium armor or a shield. It specifically states it ends

[cobalt owl]

Now its any armor

[proven niche]

Yes

[umbral girder]

Yeah bladesinging got updated that no armor works with it

[knotty vine]

I was about to say it used to say only medium and light

now its just any armor

[proven niche]

And you cannot get around it with training (feats) of any kind

[knotty vine]

Does mage armor count?

[proven niche]

Mage armor does not because it's not "donned"

[cobalt owl]

Mage armor also isn't technically armor

[knotty vine]

Still very weird that blade singer can use crossbows but not normal bows

[cobalt owl]

Hand crossbow go brr

[knotty vine]

yeah that one

[proven niche]

But... why? That's not the fun part of bladesinger

[knotty vine]

cause the other two bows are two handed

[knotty vine]

crossbow expert

[cobalt owl]

Also its just a one handed weapon so technically it works

[knotty vine]

True

[proven niche]

Not my preferred style with it but guess it works. Turning a caster into a ranged bolt firing machine is kinda strange

[knotty vine]

I may be out of spell slots but not out of options

[errant crag]

I kinda wanna make a two weapon fighting Paladin but I feel like there's nothing there

[proven niche]

I prefer heavy melee bladesinger with Cacophonic Shield

[knotty vine]

Whips are still useless unless your a monk

[proven niche]

You can hit literally everything on the battlefield in one turn if you make your con saves

[knotty vine]

never in my 4-5 years of playing this game have I seen someone say "yeah Ill use a whip"

[proven niche]

New challenge - Putting an NPC into my game that uses a whip and does it well and in style

[shrewd canyon]

I did once. Playing an Indiana jones knockoff character

[cobalt owl]

Piddly little d4 weapon go brrr

[knotty vine]

Its just a dagger with range

[shrewd canyon]

Ohio Jack

[glass granite]

Does it work with a rogues?

[knotty vine]

But one small issue you can also throw a dagger

[cobalt owl]

The reach is like, nice but not necessary. Now that true strike exists its like almost passable

[cobalt owl]

Finesse, so yes. You just need to get a prof tho

[knotty vine]

oh whips are finesse

[cobalt owl]

You don't need prof to trigger sneak atk but you'll miss a lot more without it

[knotty vine]

But there also a marital weapon

[cobalt owl]

Yeah thats like half the point

[silent portal]

What happened?

[knotty vine]

daggers arent

[cobalt owl]

Not much

[knotty vine]

talking about how weird and useless whips are in 5e

[glass granite]

2024 rogues are proficient I think

[cobalt owl]

Daggers are universal tho, everyone knows a knoife

[knotty vine]

Exactly

Anybody can just pick up a knife

[cobalt owl]

They are, martial weapons that havve finesse or light property

[knotty vine]

But whips are martial weapons

[cobalt owl]

So it counts

They're also only 2gp so like, pretty cheap all things considered

[knotty vine]

It does

compared to a dagger being worth 2gp

better thing is you START with daggers

and you cant start with whips in 2024

[cobalt owl]

See I use gold start most of the time so like, it fits in starting gold

[knotty vine]

unless you do starting gold

[cobalt owl]

I actually thought a dagger was 1gp lmfao

[knotty vine]

dagger also just has so many better benefits then a whip

the enemy is 15-20ft away just throw the dagger

[glass granite]

Thrown and Nick are the main ones in my mind

[cobalt owl]

The general shepherd treatment

[errant crag]

Whips are definitely niche but I feel like they have their uses

[knotty vine]

I honestly forgot about nick

[errant crag]

They have reach, they have the Slow property which can stack with the Slasher feat since they do slashing damage

[cobalt owl]

See barring you getting a scimitar slashing can sometimes come up, since rogue only gets piercing

[knotty vine]

I prefer radiant

[cobalt owl]

You would

[knotty vine]

I love the new true strike

[errant crag]

They're also the only reach weapon with finesse

[cobalt owl]

I miss double bladed scimitar

[glass granite]

Can’t you still use it?

[cobalt owl]

2024 only table unfortunately

[glass granite]

Shame

[cobalt owl]

I agree

[knotty vine]

I think it was more so a race specific weapon

[cobalt owl]

The feat is, the weapon technically not

[knotty vine]

Oh right

[errant crag]

I wanna be a Miyazaki snake man

[knotty vine]

whenever someone says 2024 only I just use sorcerer

[cobalt owl]

I go fighter ngl

[knotty vine]

Wild magic is just way too fun

[errant crag]

I wanna have a normal humanoid body from the neck down but I want a long slithery snake neck and snake head

[cobalt owl]

New wild magic is very good

[knotty vine]

Since tides of choas rechagres whenever you cast a spell using a sorcerer spell slot

And whenever you use tides of choas

the next sorcerer spell you cast with a spell slot WILL trigger a wild magic surge

[cobalt owl]

Its sorc spell with a slot

So technically pact magic works lmfao

[knotty vine]

Add a feywild shard which adds another wild magic surge whenever you just use a meta magic option you can make your gambling even worse

[cobalt owl]

Keep gambling

[knotty vine]

When you use a Metamagic option on a spell while you are holding or wearing the shard, you can roll on the Wild Magic Surge table in the Player's Handbook. If the result is a spell, it is too wild to be affected by your Metamagic, and if it normally requires concentration, it doesn't require concentration in this case; the spell lasts for its full duration.

so a wildmagic sorcerer that uses this can make two wild magic surges just happen whenever he wants

[cobalt owl]

Concentrationless spells go brrrr

[knotty vine]

Not to mention the new wild magic table is amazing

I wont forget the time I got summon unicorn and resistance to all damage for 1 min

20-24% chance of rolling something that isn't beneficial

[cobalt owl]

I think the old table is funnier

But the new table is better

[knotty vine]

True

I wont forget the time I blew up me and my party

[random juniper]

According to current 2024 5e rules, what do I add my stat modifiers to when it comes to attacking

[knotty vine]

Strength for any melee weapon

[cobalt owl]

If a melee weapon says finesse, dex mod

[knotty vine]

dex for any ranged weapon

[viral kraken]

are you using a finesse weapon or a ranged weapon or some other kind of weapon?

[glass granite]

(Dex OR strength mod)

[knotty vine]

whichever is higher usually

[cobalt owl]

If you are proficient with the weapon, prof

[random juniper]

I mean ik that, but do you add it to both attack and damage rolls or just one or the other?

[umbral girder]

If you are casting a spell you usually don’t add any modifiers to your damage

[cobalt owl]

Weapon Damage rolls are stat mod only, no prof bonus

[umbral girder]

Yes both

[random juniper]

Perfect

[umbral girder]

Attacks get proficient + stat

Damage gets the stat

[glass granite]

Proficiency and stat mod to attack roll, and just stat mod to damage

[cobalt owl]

Thats the one

[random juniper]

And archery styles bonus if I have it to only attack roll?

[umbral girder]

Yes

[cobalt owl]

Yes

[umbral girder]

So the +2 is not added to damage

[random juniper]

Aight, thanks yall

[cobalt owl]

Dueling is only damage roll

[umbral girder]

There is a magic item that does the +2 to ranged weapon damage amusingly

[random juniper]

Just making sure, im getting every possible buff to asked sure I dont rolll bad because im tired of it. Im basing my whole character around it

[cobalt owl]

Bracers of archery are only shortbow/longbow

[errant crag]

I miss old Sharpshooter

[random juniper]

How can I become proficient with a Revolver if my dm allows them to count as crossbow or bows

[random juniper]

Me too, the downfall was insane

[glass granite]

Martial ranged weapon proficiency, or the gunner feat

[random juniper]

How can I get martial ranged weapon

[errant crag]

Does Gunner make you proficient in firearms?

[knotty vine]

certain fire arms but not all

[errant crag]

What Class are you

[random juniper]

Fighter battlemaster

[errant crag]

You're already proficient in firearms then

[knotty vine]

You got that

[random juniper]

How?

[errant crag]

Fighters are proficient in all weapons

[knotty vine]

Fire arms are martial ranged weapons

[glass granite]

Fighters are pro-
That

[knotty vine]

There for they are proficient in fire arms

Im surpised gunner didnt make it into the new PHB but other tasha's feats did

[rough basalt]

It's the only one that should've that didn't

Considering you need it to ignore loading for firearms.

But either it was an oversight or they intend PCs to spend more than what uncommon Plate Armor costs for enough pistols to use as a fighter

[errant crag]

Seems like they still want firearms existing or not to be up to DM discretion

[rough basalt]

Still a bad idea not to update the feat that makes firearms usable realistically

[cobalt owl]

Since they're in the base PHB I think thats less of a thing

Pistol and Musket at least.

[cobalt owl]

Just be blackbeard /s

[rough basalt]

I think it may have been an old guard snuck in for one last bad dev decision

[errant crag]

Yeah but they probably don't wanna blanket confirm that firearms exist in just any given D&D setting you may be playing in

[cobalt owl]

See I think if explosives and iron golems exist, a flintlock does too

[rough basalt]

They exist in FR, Greyhawk. Wands that look like Firearms in Eberron.

Exandria has firearms

Since it's an official setting cause of wildemount book.

Dragonlance has firearms

So yeah Dark Sun is the only outlier that doesn't have firearms of current DnD settings in the DMG

Since Ravenloft has them, and Planescape obviously does cause it's connected to all of these settings.

Spelljammer has Hippo people that use blunderbusses

[umbral girder]

Eberron and Dark Sun are the 2 settings I know of that don’t have guns

Eberron has something similar but isn’t

[rough basalt]

Yeah they have Gun shaped Wands.

[umbral girder]

Which is funny the world people think is the tech world never figured out guns

[rough basalt]

Like the House Heckler and House Koch Wand416

That's definitely not an HKM416 but a Wand you hold to your shoulder and fire rapid fire spells.

It's actually kinda goofy

[hot reef]

It’s because it’s based on 3.5e which didn’t have guns
There have been blogs/content by KB suggesting ways to have guns, or how to flavor crossbows as arcane powered
And wandslingers exist

[rough basalt]

The Wands look like pistols and muskets and people even carry them around in holsters like cowboys but they're wands.

Point is, you can jump into any portal in Sigil and almost always end up somewhere where Firearms exist or there's an equivalent

Which leads for a good adventure idea.

Make a deal with Jarlaxle and smuggle firearms into Dark Sun to Oronis so the Athasians fighting against the Sorcerer-Kings can have the great equalizer.

Borys of Eb when he's got hundreds of thousands of muskets pointed at him.
"Uh oh."

My answer is to just have PCs take the Gunner feat but it does suck for new players who think Guns are useless cause they left out a feat it needs to be even worth using.

Which they are pretty much useless without the feat cause
800GP to use two pistols for extra attack vs Heavy Crossbow which is 50gp and you can get a feat to ignore loading for the same damage die and type.

Or Muskets.
Ranger needing to spend 3000gp to use their extra attack with two Muskets. Or a Fighter needing 12,000gp to use 8 Muskets for a level 20 action surge. For that 1 extra damage on average compared to the HC.

[valid parcel]

Hey guys, I have a question what is the best way to play dnd online with people?

[viral kraken]

i really like discord and owlbear rodeo 🪢

[umbral girder]

The answer is with smoke signals and screenshots /jk

[umbral girder]

Usually you need something to call on which discord is great at and then a VTT

There are a handful of good options to try out with Roll20, Owlbear Rodeo, Foundry (you need to pay), and D&D Beyond’s Maps.

[viral kraken]

you kind of need to pay to use roll20 or ddb right? since whoever wants to run the campaign needs premium to share their books and they have to get their books there or spend ages punching in all their stuff by hand

[umbral girder]

No

[viral kraken]

oh nice, how does that work?

[umbral girder]

DnD beyond’s Maps was made free recently

Roll20 you could pay for the adventures but it has most of its functions still there

As for book sharing then DnD beyond is a subscription (unless you just do your own thing with the homebrew tools or regular character sheets)

Roll20 still lets you share but I think it’s a limited amount of games you can.

[earnest bolt]

Morning

[minor cargo]

For some groups, we use Roll20 because it has built in video chat. So we can all play with just one app that’s our map, VC, character sheets, etc. For some of my players, a “one stop shop” can make things easier.

But I’ve definitely played D&D with just a Discord call. Combat can be theatre of the mind, or maybe a screenshot in chat. But also, Discord has Roll20 as an app/activity - so that’s close to a “one stop shop” too!

Owlbear Rodeo is still probably the fastest way to get a shared map going with tokens. Combine that with a Discord call and I think that’s probably the fastest solution that meets most group’s needs.

[meager fractal]

Does anyone know a way i can make a climbing a mountain adventure more interesting

[viral kraken]

run it like a complex trap from xge?

[severe rampart]

What is that?

[meager fractal]

Yeah I'm unsure what xge is

[viral kraken]

so like you have parts of the "trap" like loose rocks, falling rocks, unpleasant to interact with rocks, and if the party overcomes them, great, but failures compound the problems, as they have to deal with the problem while something else went wrong, so it like escalates sometimes

[viral kraken]

oh oops, Xanthar's Guide to Everything (spelling aside)

[umbral girder]

Make encounters on the mountain

Like maybe some monsters or some non magical and magical weather

Maybe some wild hazard

[flint ledge]

Halloooo everyone!

[knotty vine]

Yee old variant human

[worn skiff]

If none of those work for your current situation I’ve used Google Slides pretty successfully for my encounter/dungeon maps! Took some getting used to but it’ll do the job!

[umbral girder]

Why was I pinged?

[meager fractal]

Someone posted a gif I think

[knotty vine]

Making everything in foundry is so much fun

Cant wait to host my game

[final warren]

One of the guys at our drop in tonight rolled 3 natural 1s 😭

[severe rampart]

Lmao, reminds me of when I consecutively rolled a 3, 2, and a 1 on wisdom saves

[knotty vine]

I just wanna say BG3s sound track is amazing

And I will be using a lot of its main tracks for my game

Like Raph's Final Act for the BBEG

[merry pulsar]

Hello guys I'm back

[inner silo]

I use their battle music for my combat encounters

[jolly canyon]

Same

It's so good

[inner silo]

And does it's job of being a battle music very well

[sacred drum]

Heyo

[inner silo]

Hi

[sacred drum]

Hows it all goin??

[inner silo]

Goin well, what about you?

[final warren]

Going good, had fun with a west March game tonight

[north vine]

Bonjour

[knotty vine]

Twisted force is such an amazing song

[inner silo]

Down the river is also very fun though completely opposite vibe

[north vine]

Lives, all mortal lives, expire🎶🎶🎶

[north vine]

Halo!

[flint ledge]

How are you?

[quiet star]

Ola

[north vine]

Alive

[flint ledge]

That's good

[fiery nimbus]

Except elf's, they are wirersly good at staying alive

[red forge]

can someone help me with this pc?

[north vine]

Russian dnd expert is ready to listen

[red forge]

this is the inspiration

oh snap

[fiery nimbus]

What kind of help do you need

[red forge]

i have to wait 30 mins to post links

🙁

[north vine]

Can't you screenshot or something?

Oh

You can't semd media here

:(

[red forge]

its the gummy surprise venom skin from marvel rivals

[fiery nimbus]

You can tell us...

[red forge]

search it up on fandom

[north vine]

Well, are you going dnd 2014 or 2024?

[red forge]

it will have a few vids there

5e

[errant crag]

You're trying to recreate a skin from marvel rivals in D&D?

[red forge]

yea

[errant crag]

As a player character?

[red forge]

yea

dif from actual venom tho

[north vine]

Then you could do sumthin like, i dunno, plasmoid?

[red forge]

yea

and feylost background

[fiery nimbus]

I am familiar... What about it do you need help with

[red forge]

but what class????

what class bc ik the idea but theres no candy/ thicc class or subclass

[north vine]

You could go sth like path of the beast barbarian

[red forge]

did you see the video???

[north vine]

And play the bodyparts you grow in rage as the jelly

[red forge]

he is too sweet for that

[north vine]

Are thou versed in knowledge that thou not must play thine characters solely as the books told?

[fiery nimbus]

So... Venom is character specializing in mobility and toughness with some AoE damage
try Path of the World Tree Barbarian

and just reflavour it as you need

[red forge]

ik but cleric might also be good, same as monk, and bard

so idk

[north vine]

Well, depebds on what do you, yourself, want to do while playing your character

[red forge]

?

Well, depebds on what do you, yourself, want to do while playing your character

huh?

[fiery nimbus]

explain why

neither cleric nor bard are particularly mobile

[red forge]

twilght cleric is good aswell as creation bard bc both create sweets and can flavour the spells as candy

[rough basalt]

I don't think all that's necessary

[red forge]

depends on what do you, yourself

huh?

[north vine]

What's wrong with this? Just phrasing

[fiery nimbus]

@red forge if you take into account the visuals of venom, i guess any class will work
you will struggle a little with recreating the mechanics though since creation bard uses their object summons meaning there is no real overlap with the mechanics

[red forge]

^

[glass granite]

Do you want the thematics or flavour of the character?

oh sorry thematics or mechanics

[fiery nimbus]

the Root system of World Tree Barbarian does fill plenty of the mechanic niches that overlap with Rivals Venom

[fiery nimbus]

i guess this is a good question

[red forge]

i would like someone to help me with creating gummy surprise venom skin from marvel rivals into dnd 5e

thats all i would like

[glass granite]

The skin, or the character kit, or both?

[red forge]

class and subclasses

[glass granite]

That wasn't my question, I meant the skin or character kit of the venom skin?

Do you want to replicate the mechanics of venom's kit in Marvel Rivals?

If not, you can do literally any class and flavour in a symbiote/candy theme in any way

[red forge]

huh?

[glass granite]

Aight lemme rephrase.
WHat do you want for this character? More specifically than just "based of the skin" please.

[red forge]

instead of normal mcu/comic venom into dnd 5e, i would like if gummy surprise venom skin from marvel rivals was in dnd 5e

[glass granite]

Would you like this character to have the abilities of venom?

[red forge]

yes

but gummy surprise venom skin from marvel rivals theme

[glass granite]

That is likely why people are against the cleric or bard pick, as those two classes do poorly to replicate those mechanically

[red forge]

why?

[humble cairn]

I helped someone create a Venom-like character using Moon Druid. Instead of shifting into animals, just flavor it as symbiote morphing.

[glass granite]

They are spellcasters, not the best brawlers, and are generally not fast or durable enought to sell the fantasy

[glass granite]

Not a bad suggestion

[fiery nimbus]

From what i understand under the venom abilities from marvel rivals is
-He is Very mobile
-He is Very Tanky
-He can restrain enemies

Bards and Clerics are not mobile
Bards are not Tanky

[glass granite]

Personally, I'd do monk because I like monks

[fiery nimbus]

I still believe World Tree Barbarian fills the niche of the mechanics of Venom

especially since Tendrils will be easy to flavour for your Candy Venom

[humble cairn]

Ooh yeah that's a pretty good one, too!

[red forge]

brosquito i'm asking for help on a gummy surprise skin from marvel rivals variant of venom in dnd 5e

[fiery nimbus]

Im out

[glass granite]

In which their suggestion works

[red forge]

yea

[humble cairn]

Can you describe the specific powers of this variant?

[glass granite]

Hi out, I'm Nugget. Anywho cya.

Also this seems more fitting for #character-discussion

[red forge]

https://www.tiktok.com/@tastyhusband/video/7577097298535091511?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

[humble cairn]

Nah, I don't want to click on the link, please use your words?

[red forge]

[knotty vine]

conquest

[humble cairn]

This whole game is about using your words to describe your character and your actions. No better time than now to start practicing.

[red forge]

In internet slang, rage-baiting (also ragebaiting, rage-farming, or rage-seeding) is the manipulative tactic of eliciting outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, and revenue, as well as attracting new subscribers, followers, or supporters.[1][2][3] This manipulation occurs through offensive or inflammatory headlines, memes, tropes, or comments that provoke users to respond in kind.[4][5][6][7]

The related terms rage-seeding and rage-farming specifically describe the process by which content creators intentionally sow outrage to harvest (farm) online engagement, thereby amplifying their message.[3][8][9] Political actors have employed rage-baiting as a tactic against their opponents, while social media algorithms reward both positive and negative engagement, inadvertently encouraging such behavior.[2]

The broader concept of posting provocative content to encourage user interaction is known as engagement farming.[10] Rage bait was named Oxford University Press's Word of the Year for 2025.[11]

[inner silo]

Now that they allow you to add smites to unarmed strikes it's finally possible to play a conquest paladin conquest

[fiery nimbus]

Flying will be an issue but more or less yes

[humble cairn]

I don't understand, are you saying that you're rage baiting us?

[inner silo]

Multiclassing with storm sorcerer maybe?

[red forge]

ur ragebaiting me bro

[glass granite]

Can stand for Ophid, he is not intentionally, at least

[humble cairn]

That's not my intent, also not a huge deal but I don't prefer to be addressed as any variant of "bro" or "dude" if you don't mind.

[inner silo]

Links can often be used with malicious goals so most smart people wouldn't click on a random link on the internet

[vagrant notch]

I wanna ask something let say i cast any spells that need saving throw to be activated, then the enemies succed on the saving throw but i then use my reaction to cast silvery barbs/chronal shift nah the question is can i imbue silvery barbs/chronal shift with lucky so the enemies will have a disadvantage?

[glass granite]

silvery barbs alone does that no?

[humble cairn]

A simple bullet point description of the intended abilities will do, if you don't mind. I think I know the Venom character's abilities, but you're asking for a specific variant I'm not familiar with, so if you could describe the abilities, I can better help you.

[inner silo]

Lucky only lets you impose disadvantage on attack against you or advantage on your roll so no probably

[fiery nimbus]

no that just won't do, i guess its nothing the magical item cant fix though

[vagrant notch]

Ahhhz got it thanks man

[inner silo]

Why not?

More smites and if you get to level 5 you'll unlock flight as a spell. Though i guess you won't be as tanky as real conquest

[fiery nimbus]

it's at least 3 levels worth of investment, its costly

[inner silo]

True but more smites

[cobalt owl]

Smite...

[snow zephyr]

Magic items seem to be a catch-all for gaps in party composition

[fiery nimbus]

as they should

[snow zephyr]

It would seem that 5e/5.5 is by default a high magic setting system

[opal wharf]

Party composition is over rated IMO I love a party of randoms

[snow zephyr]

I can accommodate any party makeup, but there's definitely a difference between a group of complimentary characters and a group of random characters

[feral fulcrum]

Eh Wobbles hand

It depends on the setting.

[snow zephyr]

Iirc they haven't really dipped into the low magic settings this edition(s)

[feral fulcrum]

Yeah there's alot of high magic stuff, but if WOTC's actually following established lore, some settings Magic isn't actually that common amongst people in most places. Still lots of old magic junk around, but like the world's not swimming In Wizards and Sorcerors.

It kind of falls in between High and Low magic more often then not.

[snow zephyr]

I know the Forgotten Realms is a mid magic setting. Lots of high level stuff hidden down rabbit holes if you're looking to dig, but most of the people that have magic never hit above 3rd level spells at most. Like 90% of casters have 1-2 spells they might have access to outside of somewhere like Thay

[feral fulcrum]

Yup, with the odd exception of Cities that are "Oops thousand Wizards"

[fiery nimbus]

So, do elementals bleed?

[feral fulcrum]

Depends on the elemental

[snow zephyr]

And even Thay has a big "no muggles allowed" sign on the door

[feral fulcrum]

The ones more people shaped and made of physical matter, yes. The towering mass of water? Lol, no.

[fiery nimbus]

Merfolk are Elementals, yea they would bleed
but how would their blood look like?

[snow zephyr]

Are they not humanoid anymore?

[flint ledge]

Well from my understanding only certain merfolk are considered elementals

[fiery nimbus]

Towering mass of water losing water would be equivalent to disembowelment to be perfectly honest

[fiery nimbus]

were they ever? Tritons are humanoids, Merfolk, at least in the newest book are elementals

[snow zephyr]

Medium humanoids in 2014

[flint ledge]

It can't exactly lose water... It's not exactly like a thing holding water in

[feral fulcrum]

WOTC has lost whatever lignering terror they had about people shaped things not having the Humanoid typing

Which is a good thing.

Because I'm surprised they even worked up the nerve to list Centaur's as Fey in 2014

[snow zephyr]

It has cut down the range of effective spells quite a lot

[fiery nimbus]

Wish they lost it earlier when the Van Richten first released

Undead Reborn would be a joy

[feral fulcrum]

I forget, do healing spells harm Undead in 5e?

[snow zephyr]

Granted, most of the spells that lose out from the humanoid type purge have higher level equivalents that work mostly or to the exact same effect

[snow zephyr]

Not unless specifically noted

[pliant sapphire]

Usually no

[feral fulcrum]

I'm probably rememebring a different system then

[flint ledge]

Anyways from my understanding of it, most merfolk are still humanoid, just the statted ones I believe are elementals

[snow zephyr]

Older editions had that mechanic, negative energy/necrotic damage would heal them as well

[fiery nimbus]

never seen that ad notation on any healing spell
they would be effected by quite a wide variety of spells
and oh boy should they stay away from enemy paladins

[feral fulcrum]

Paladin Squad High-fiving Shtrahd with Lay on Hands

[cobalt owl]

This is minecraft logic

[north vine]

I hope you know heal doesn't damage undead, right?..

[flint ledge]

More than minecraft uses that logic of healing hurting undead

[cobalt owl]

Minecraft is the first and most zoomer one I could think of

[fiery nimbus]

Local order of paladins salivating the moment your reborn walks through the city gates

[feral fulcrum]

Nah it's old school ttrpg logic. It's been a thing for longer then you've probably been alive.

[north vine]

No

[pliant sapphire]

Divinity has that mechanic too

[north vine]

It still works this way in ✨ pathfinder✨

[snow zephyr]

Those days are long past. Something something AO restructuring magic

[fiery nimbus]

no, healing often did harm undeads in variety of games, stories and so on

[cobalt owl]

The first and most zoomer one I could think of

[north vine]

For only few spells in few instances tho

But still

[cobalt owl]

My brain doesn't exist any more, empty skull syndrome and all

[feral fulcrum]

I'm well aware, I was replying to cookies right above me, about if it did work that way, like it did in Older D&D editions.

[north vine]

Ye i just noticed, my condolences

[snow zephyr]

Is there a way to heal undead in 5.x?

[flint ledge]

Well I wouldn't Imagine you'd have a skele-ton of brain left as a skeleton

[fiery nimbus]

Im more worried about double damage critical divine smite

[flint ledge]

Just healing spells no?

[cobalt owl]

You imagine correctly

[fiery nimbus]

you can hear the sky crack when that abomination lands

[flint ledge]

I don't believe anything in their stat blocks prevents just getting healed by cure wounds or a healing potion

[pliant sapphire]

Most of the basic healing spells work

[fiery nimbus]

It's the sound that the verdict was reached in the court of gods
and whoever you just smiten was given a death sentence

[snow zephyr]

I do think it's interesting the way that the design philosophy has changed over the years concerning magic

[north vine]

Well there is in ✨pathfinder ✨

[feral fulcrum]

Waves around a 5d8 Sunblade powered by Spell Slots, and empowered by Tensers Transformation

[snow zephyr]

We have heard your appeal and have found you deceased

[fiery nimbus]

Take me to jail
Jail? I thought more like a morgue

[feral fulcrum]

Abruptly ponders a Necromancer by the name of Morgue'en Freeman

[fiery nimbus]

roll on a naughty table

[feral fulcrum]

I'm randomly reminded of some of the wilder encounter tables the older editions had. The phrase "Wild Strumpet" springs to mind.

[snow zephyr]

I think the coolest idea for undead that I've seen is using them for dangerous work

[feral fulcrum]

Skeletons don't form Labor Unions, so it's the obvious choice.

[fiery nimbus]

isn't that like the most basic idea?

[feral fulcrum]

Well, outside of Pathfinder where Skeletons can still be people.

[snow zephyr]

Basic doesn't necessarily mean bad

[fiery nimbus]

Skeletons don't breath making them ideal for underwater welding

[fiery nimbus]

i didn't say its bad, its like the first thing any skeleton raiser uses them for

[feral fulcrum]

Not that 90% of settings with magic Skeletons contain underwater welding.

[snow zephyr]

Skeletons are perfect for hospital work, they don't have the risk of spreading diseases

[feral fulcrum]

Not strictly true.

[snow zephyr]

You'll probably need to hose them down first

[feral fulcrum]

Bone isn't exactaly a completely sterile, microbe-free, non-absorbant material.

[fiery nimbus]

theydo have risk of spreading diseases
also they are incapable of fulfilling complex tasks

[flint ledge]

Imagine a hospital just ran by a necromancer

[feral fulcrum]

Meat goes in, bones come out.

[fiery nimbus]

Bones are porous

[snow zephyr]

Carrying soiled linens to a fire or washing station would make it a lot safer for the staff

[snow zephyr]

So that would make zombies better suited. Provided they're properly embalmed

[feral fulcrum]

I think the rotting flesh would both be horrible for health and bedside manner

[snow zephyr]

On the bright side, even if the worst should happen you'll be fine

[vagrant notch]

If the bag of holding has the bagman then what about bag of devourer

[feral fulcrum]

But maybe you think chunks of flesh peeling off while they change your bedpan is a fine way to start the morning. 😛

[snow zephyr]

You'd probably have to mummify them first

[feral fulcrum]

The Necromancer's of Thay are writing down notes.

[snow zephyr]

Though you'd have to change the gauze often or wrap them in leather to keep the gauze clean

[fiery nimbus]

stick your head inside and take a look

[vagrant notch]

¯_(ツ)_/¯

[fiery nimbus]

on an unrelated note i wonder if the suction of bag of devouring would be strong enough to break your Clavicula as it tries to pull you in

[snow zephyr]

It just spews garbage from the astral plane every so often, and every now and then you get a slaad or something

[vagrant notch]

Lol

[snow zephyr]

1,500N of force to break a clavicle on average

[minor cargo]

I hope it’s a Chicken Caesar Slaad.

[fiery nimbus]

or just falling funny from your bed

i will be honest with you, this happens way to often for those numbers to be right

[snow zephyr]

Direct impact injury, the collarbone is much weaker when dealing with shearing forces or when put under leveraged force for prolonged periods

[fiery nimbus]

Well yes, but in case of bag of devouering you would be pulled in by your head, meaning your Clavicula's will be in the way of the bag edges, i guess it depends if the edges are hard or soft

though now that i think about it, under enough compression it will work like a garrotte wrapped around your arms

[snow zephyr]

I think it becomes a matter of whether or not it can pull you into the bag fully

Using a bag of devouring as a tourniquet was not on the list of things I thought I'd read about today

[fiery nimbus]

Tourniquet? i meant Guillotine, as the pressure on your head increases and material does not yield eventually your arms will have to

[fiery nimbus]

I assume the only thing preventing it from doing so would be the bag opening size

[terse willow]

Yo I have a question for like anyone here

[red forge]

I mean it is the exact same, but I want to flavour it in a way to make it candy-like and in that way change it's abilities.

[still plover]

What is it, goober sillyster?

[red forge]

what is it handsome?

[terse willow]

I have a fight encounter made to overwhelm the players, since every cycle (everyone’s turn) passes, 6 enemies spawn

[red forge]

k

[terse willow]

Is this sounding difficult enough or do I need to buff it

[glass granite]

If 6 enemies respawn each round, how do the players win?

[still plover]

Depends if you're spawning twig blights or terrasques. But attrition will wear the party down eventually.

Or your players quit.

[glass granite]

Does the resurrection stop once all enemies are dead?

Is this meant to be a battle to run from?

[red forge]

btw @humble cairn ^

[terse willow]

The goal of the players is to defeat both a boss, defend a tower, and destroy another tower (all enemies are custom). The peons that spawn are around the strength of CR 4 or 5 (besides one being more of CR 7) and the players are level 15, the main boss is CR 13, the ideal way to win is to push through the hoard and defeat the boss, then defeat the tower

1 of the 9 potential summons only attacks tower (rushing pass the players) most are weak backliners with 1 or none gimmicks, and a few are semi tanky frontliners with one general enemy

Oh and their muffins

Oh and if the enemy tower is destroyed summons stop

[still plover]

Sure, then. Maybe cap the maximum number of adds on the board. You can still give the impression of an endless horde but really, when they've seen a dozen comrades die, who wants to go next?

[terse willow]

I plan to cap at around 30, since I do have a way to ensure the enemies don’t make the turns take forever, and also the way the enemies have a will to continue is because most were just born and have no idea what death is 👍

I would go way deeper into the entirety of it but it’s extremely complicated (as per its purpose) but I just wanna make sure since out of all of the 4 fights they can choose from it’s not crazy impossible on paper

Personally I find it the easier of the fights they can do

[still plover]

Sure it's not DotA? /j

[terse willow]

Uhhh lowkey im a lil stupid what’s a DotA?

(It’s 2am and I’m working on like 12 more unique enemies 😭 )

[glass granite]

It’s a game

[still plover]

It's a video game of the multiplayer battle arena style. Kill enemy heroes, wreck their tower, don't lose yours, minions all over the show.

[terse willow]

Ohh no it’s a unique gimmick for this fight

I personally enjoy the craft of complicating stuff or making every last thing unique on its own that way it’s not the same fight every time with the same strategy (almost every boss or enemy is different in at least 1 way)

This fight’s gimmicks are hoards of peons, the introduction to muffin enemies (and their annoying trait), and lastly defending something other than themselves

[heavy oxide]

does anyone else want more mushroom creatures? like violet fungus to be specific

i just dont feel like we have enough to use (i love violet fungus)

like we got the necrohulk but theres no inbetween

[wraith cairn]

Hey

[errant crag]

I'm bad

In a good way

[flint ledge]

What does that mean

[errant whale]

its like playing dark souls

[knotty cipher]

Hello i need help whit a end game boss im making

Is there a way for a sorcerer or wizard to know and be able to cast every spell in existance
Lets say the character is at this point lv 15

[reef copper]

Maybe they are like the devil?

[flint ledge]

Well there's this fun thing where as a DM you don't have to follow the same rules players do with character creation when making a creature

[flint ledge]

I mean I guess I see it

[red forge]

is path of the beast better than path of the world tree?

yay or nay

[knotty cipher]

Some creative libretys will be taken
But wheres the fun in that

The only thing im certain of is that the character will have a int of 30 and wisdom of 19

[flint ledge]

No idea, you should probably ask in #character-discussion or #optimization (though in optimization they'll probably say not to play a martial class / joke)

[red forge]

bruh

[flint ledge]

Well for how many characters of what level is this guy for

[limber trail]

It doesn’t need to be a character of those classes - you can give NPCs any spells you wish.

That said, every spell in existence is way too many to keep track of. You’ll find it really hard as a DM.

[knotty cipher]

Enough to have a lv20 party scared shitless of his name and his face be enough to cause nightmares

[heavy oxide]

damn so no fungus enjoyers

[limber trail]

What level is the party at the moment?

[knotty cipher]

I agree it will be hard to DMbut this is a personal chalange of mine as a story writer

[flint ledge]

Level 20 is gonna be a tough one...

I'm gonna be quite honest if built like a PC he's probably gonna get folded

[limber trail]

This isn’t a challenge as a story writer. This is going to mechanically slow you down as a DM and make your turns take ages. You generally dont want that much complexity in a stat block

[knotty cipher]

Lv 1
I just started to make the character so ill only be done whit it in a month

I already have most of the stuff i need, from a story theory perspective, to have him act as a real human

[limber trail]

Swag, you don’t need to make the boss yet. Revisit this stat block when they’re gonna appear in the game.

Make enemies when you need them, dont make a stat block months in advance

[knotty cipher]

He will be a constant force in the background so i need atleast something for him

[limber trail]

I say this because you will get better at making stat blocks over time. If you make it now it’ll probably suck, if you make it once you’ve got an entire campaign of experience it’ll be much better

[limber trail]

What you want to do then might be the following:

• take an existing stat block like the Archmage and use it as a base
• maybe switch some stats, I think you said their int was 30?
• give them any skill proficiencies they need
• you’re done! This will serve you for 90% of the campaign

[flint ledge]

And when you get to the last 10% you get to prepare a cooler stat block

[lethal bobcat]

Letting them cast 10 fireballs in a turn always works

[limber trail]

Dont overcomplicate things. It’s a fact of DMing that what you make early on is probably going to suck. Your goal when DMing should usually be to put off creating things as long as possible, and only making them when you need them

[flint ledge]

Speaking of, generally making npcs have classes and similar isn't the best, just gives you stuff to keep track of so simplifying it is usually the way to go

[lethal bobcat]

Yes

[limber trail]

I had a major NPC appear in session four of the campaign who doesn’t have a finalized stat block in session 32. I’m just now making a stat block for a character who appeared in session 8 because she’s gonna appear very very soon.

[knotty cipher]

Ill be honest if i cheeted like this my story teacher would kick my ass xDD

But i do understand what you mean

Ill focus on the backstory and do some diging of my own
Still tnx u

[flint ledge]

Like one time I wanted a NPC to be a gloom stalker ranger but instead of having the feature that let's them do 2d6 psychic damage at times I just added 1d4 to their attacks. Is it stronger over time? Yeah but I don't have to think about the optimal time to use the feature

[limber trail]

DnD is not a single story you’re writing in one go. You’re not writing the story at all.

What you do is, each week establish problems in a setting and your players will solve them.

You should write as you go - it’s actually a sign of a good DM if you don’t write everything up front.

You can have an idea of where things are heading of course but prepare sessions week by week

My rule of thumb is this:

• I have an excellent idea of what the next session will include
• I have a good idea of what the next four sessions will include
• I have a broad idea of what the next ten sessions will include
• I have a very very vague idea of what the rest of the campaign will include

I start making stat blocks once I hit the four session mark

I haven't even started to think about considering my bbeg stat block, but what I do know is their abilities in a narrative sense, so I can easily fake my way through any appearances of theirs.

[flint ledge]

Well last time I had any idea about my next sessions all my plans got run over by a semi truck (a very determined player)

[vale kettle]

But i mean if you have an established bbeg might as well make his statblock and make sure no ther creature oversteps on its power

[lethal bobcat]

If you REALLY have to wing it (my experience is limited so take with a grain of salt), any unfinished future encounter your party's pressing can just have CR * d6 damage, CR * 10 health, 2 prepared spells you can remember with infinite spell slots if a spell caster or multi attack if not and CR attack or spell bonus

This will never feel too good, but at least my one group I tried this with didn't even really notice

Balancing is basically impossible (look at Wizards' attempts) but anything's better than nothing

[limber trail]

I do not agree with that philosophy. You make the bbeg at the end to be higher than the other creatures in terms of power. Don't set a ceiling and work within that ceiling for the entire adventure - just consistently escalate and then at the end make the bbeg stronger than anything that's come before

[vale kettle]

You can do it both ways

[knotty cipher]

Ohhh yeah i do see the problem

Im a manga writer first and formost and we do have basicaly the same rules as you do but the main diference is that the character and vilain are already made to the finest of details

The fun of writeing and reading a manga is how the hero and vilains will react and what they will do

[limber trail]

I think making the bbeg first has so many potential detriments for very little benefit

[vale kettle]

Build from 0 to up and or from top to bottom

[limber trail]

The biggest of which is just: what if you get it wrong

[vale kettle]

And dont tell me it doesn’t work cause ive been doing it with no issues both ways

[lethal bobcat]

Manga is story-first and that's actually a really good idea to have the BBEG in mind, just the mechanical crunch can be a bit harder

[limber trail]

It can work in very specific circumstances but it requires a ton of expertise and I do not think a new DM should be doing it that way because they will almost certainly end up making a stat block that doesn't work. I know, I've looked back at my old stat blocks, they sucked. Everyone's first few stat blocks are pretty bad across the board.

[eternal tendon]

Ngl, I just avoid making stat blocks for BBEGs in general, and instead just write a block without the stats. That way I can say the party killed them whenever the party does something cool enough, as well as allowing me to fudge the numbers so that the dice doesn't make the boss fight awkard.

Bosses (generally) are supposed to be scary. But when you keep rolling low, it doesn't seem as scary.

[hot gate]

I wouldn't wing it personally, because I know from being on the player side that a DM winging it will be fairly obvious in such cases.

You can just take an existing statblock and modify it slightly though.

[eternal tendon]

You gotta' have a poker face, or else it wont work

[hot gate]

Even with a poker face, if the boss just keeps rolling high or magically gets new abilities I'm not going to buy it.

[limber trail]

I've been on the other side of a bbeg who the DM was pretty visibly running with the sole intention of making for a tense fight, without following the mechanics of the game, and it kinda did just shatter the illusion. It felt really bad to fight.

[hot gate]

Yeah, if the mask slips it just feels bad in my experience.

[lethal bobcat]

With my own advice above, in the off-chance your group attacks the villian way too early, TPK is actually a way to show power if you can prevent actual death, like them then waking up in the village bandaged and NPCs commending their heroism

Free way to get them back on rails though possibly punishing feeling depending on your group

[eternal tendon]

Doesn't seem like you know how to lie that well... 😈

[ripe nimbus]

I feel like that sort of defeats the point of playing an RPG rather than e.g. just writing a novel

the point of rpgs is for players to make decisions and for those decisions to have concrete impacts on the world. if the BBEG just dies when you want them to, then the player's decisions have no real close connection to what happens in that fight or what the result of it is

[vale kettle]

Oh a new dm? Yeah no
This is more something i do with experience

[hot gate]

I'm talking about other DMs, I can't rate myself. You're welcome to do so though.

[vale kettle]

My bad for missunderstanding

[ripe nimbus]

yes, sometimes in RPGs things happen differently than you, as the DM, might have predicted or wanted

[limber trail]

Ah yeah this is advice I'm very specifically targeting to someone who doesn't have any experience running a ttrpg

[ripe nimbus]

that's part of the risks of the fact that you're playing an RPG where there are also players making decisions, not just you

[flint ledge]

I'm usually not a fan of fudging rolls, if the dice say the BBEG is doing really horribly then that's how it is, same goes other way around (for the most part)

[vale kettle]

Bbeg really depends on what tier the game is going

[ripe nimbus]

do I decide to wield my longsword in two hands and deal more damage (likely) or in one hand and wield a shield so I get hit less? with hard numbers, that decision is an actual tradeoff. It matters. if everything is fudged and just happens when the DM wants there's no real impactful choice here

[limber trail]

I also will add: Having a loose idea of some mechanics of the bbeg can be helpful. I've got the narrative mechanics of some of the bbeg's abilities in mind. There's not a stat block but I know well enough how a couple signature abilities work that I can describe them in the game.

I just don't necessarily have the mechanics written down

I am very much in the part of my game where the BBEG just isn't appearing often at all, though.

[flint ledge]

My BBEGs haven't even appeared yet directly

[limber trail]

They've talked once via a vision and actually spoken to them once in-person

[scenic zinc]

My opinion is that this whole kind of conversation can be summed up by saying "you're playing a game not writing a book".

[flint ledge]

I mean there's definitely a table where that works, definitely not for most tables probably

[vale kettle]

I might have missread you
Are you saying dont make stat blocks for bbegs ever?

[raven kernel]

question, what's the highest damage a player can do? cuz my vote is on hold person combined with lightning bold up close: 16d6 ligtning damage.

[limber trail]

Oh it's way more than that.

[flint ledge]

That doesn't actually work cause lighting bolt is a save spell. And there's way higher

[limber trail]

Without even getting into actual builds, meteor swarm deals 40d6 damage in four 40ft sphere areas

[knotty cipher]

Well yeah but having some idea of what the stat blocks could be makes it harder for you (the mangaka) to use so you need to be a better story teller to utalise it

Every vilain from jojo even from arc 1 wal already writen before the first like was drawn

[limber trail]

At the higher end of things people have made ridiculous builds to deal something insane like 600 damage in a single round

[flint ledge]

Can you actually just put all 4 meteors on the same space?

[limber trail]

You can but a creature can only be affected by one sphere

so the damage doesn't stack

[flint ledge]

Thought as much

[raven kernel]

did someone drop a mountain on a goblin or something?

[lethal bobcat]

My record thusfar is 11

[knotty cipher]

Thats only works if they can hit you

When your dealing whit OP players you need to know how to counter them

And a bbeg thats been watching the party for long enough could defeat the party whit just 1 spell

[scenic zinc]

Sure.

But you're not writing a novel or a manga when you're doing this. You're participating in game design at your table.

[flint ledge]

Probably more something like some insane assassin sneak attack combo

[limber trail]

I'm talking about the most ridiculous of level 20 minmaxed builds when I say 600 damage - stuff nobody would ever play of course, but it's the kinda stuff that probably hits and probably won't be brought down by a single spell

[knotty cipher]

I agree
But ill be honest where i used this strategy solo it can be a bit boring but the ending is worth it

[scenic zinc]

I mean ttrpg's are an inherently group social thing

[limber trail]

The thing is you're not using this strategy solo. You've got players at your table all of whom should be shaping the story just as much as you are.

[scenic zinc]

Not solo

[vale kettle]

You can definitely play 1 on 1 with the dm dont say like its immposible

[limber trail]

They come to your game weekly so that they can participate in the storytelling - taking a solo mindset might be undermining their fun

[scenic zinc]

2 people is still a group

[limber trail]

That's not what we're talking about - this guy is referring to writing entirely on his own, no players (is my understanding)

[knotty cipher]

Illusion
Just plant the idea that 1 or more of the allies is a spy for the boss and when they meet use strong illusion and summon monsters to pretend to be your alies
And during the combat when your players are certain that one or more is a spy, unsomon the creature and let the players just demolish 1 of the party members

[lethal bobcat]

(Player/DM optional)

[vale kettle]

Oh you meant like theres only a player or a dm? How does that even work lol, ur writing a novel at that point

[scenic zinc]

Exactly. The players are equal writers of the Story by making decisions as their characters.

[scenic zinc]

Yes exactly lol

[limber trail]

(I suspect he's referring exactly to writing novels/manga)

[limber trail]

This is an awesome idea in theory but in practice players generally don't outright kill their allies. Just the barest level of metagaming will usually stop them from doing that.

[knotty cipher]

I agree the players shape the story
But the villain shapes the world

[limber trail]

Sure but your players shape the world too

[scenic zinc]

Hmm? No. The world shapes the villain in my opinion.

[knotty cipher]

Yes but its relativly slowly compeared to what the vilain can do

[lethal bobcat]

You guys ever tried using cardboard and a marker to make the most atrocious map

[knotty cipher]

Both facts can be true

[vale kettle]

Having background and or important established npcs do something and not just be static characters is just better

I dont like the idea of me as a player being the only ones shaping everything

[knotty cipher]

Even if i cant use this for a campain i can certainly make a book or a campain guide

[scenic zinc]

Who said that's the case?

[limber trail]

Characters shouldn't follow a set linear path. They should respond organically to the choices your players make (and your players in turn should respond to your NPCs)

There's an inherent feedback loop between you and your players, and writing everything ahead of time disrupts that feedback loop and can mean that the actions your players take feel underwhelming because you're not letting them have the full consequences they could have.

[scenic zinc]

Create situations, not solutions. And not every situation will occur, depending on the choices made.

[lethal bobcat]

ALWAYS create an inn

[calm cobalt]

Is a mute character harder to play than a blind one?