hexes because squares are gay

>TQ
Free yourself from battlemaps entirely. With adequate descriptions, you can have far more engaging encounters that don’t require you to physically transition the table between combat and noncombat states. Players will be more willing to think about when to and when not to solve problems with violence, and more willing to accept surrenders.

>>94227439
>With adequate descriptions
My players are ADHD riddled fucks, they can barely keep track with a VTT map in front of them.

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5 players (kinda 2 DMs, i dm the most) Bastion, we're not still there, in terms of gold to afford this size of a stronghold, but soon enough, i believe.

>>94227439
This works if you have storyshitter players who don't care about combat, but if you play actual games then you should always have a battle map on the table at all times.

>>94227439
Incredibly gay. Every DM I've ever seen use "theater of the mind" bullshit either uses it to railroad encounters or has a worse sense of object permanence than a toddler. I don't even bother with DMs too lazy to use real fucking battle maps.

>>94227439
If I wanted to do freeform improv theater, I would be playing FATE or Dungeon World or some other indieshit non-game. If I'm supposed to be playing DnD and the DM can't even handle making combat maps, I will leave before any more of my time is wasted with the aforementioned shit DM.

>>94227155
Hexes if I'm playing a tactical game like Lancer. For DnD 5e dungeon-crawling and shallow beat-em-up combat though, squares are easier. No need to over-complicate things.

>>94227500
>>94227510
>I will only engage in combat in predetermined areas of the game chosen by the DM
Jesus, that’s sad.

>>94227622
More like
>I will not waste my time with a DM who's too fucking lazy to engage with the game's rules on the most basic fucking level.

It's not hard to have some spare battlemaps sitting off to the side if an unexpected fight happens. That you can't even do that? Well, fuck that's sad.

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>>94227155
A minor thing that kinda bugs me with the new 2024 Rules on character generation: You are locked into getting Common and two other STANDARD Languages. You cannot learn Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Druidic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, Thieves' Cant, and Undercommon via your Species or Background. There's also no Origin Feat that gives you extra languages. The only way you can get more languages is by being a Rogue (Thieves Cant gives Thieves Cant + Any one Language), Ranger (Deft Explorer for 2 Languages), and Druid (Druidic) but thats it! No feat exists for them and you cannot start with any of those at character gen unless you specifically play one of those classes. Clerics can't learn Celestial or Infernal. Warlocks can't learn Deep Speech or Infernal or Sylvan or Celestial. This even means if you're a Wizard or Warlock who likes summoning Fey or Fiends or Elementals or Aberrants you can't understand what they're saying.

Strange choice imo to make it so you can't say "Yeah my PC learned how to speak X language(s) from their background or family or studies." Like, I was thinking it'd be cool to make an old scholarly lore/eloquence/creations Bard who doesn't perform, dance or sing or use instruments, but instead is all about knowledge, lore hunting, and built heavily off of the Words of Creation idea. So it'd make sense to have a large spectrum of languages especially Draconic & Celestial from their travels and studies, but I can only get Draconic...

>>94227658
Who the actual fuck is playing with 2024 rules? Lol.

>>94227439
No way to properly keep track of everything.
>>94227622
I have a board with markers I can draw stuff on.

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ESL here, can someone with decent english describe in an epic tone, a combat turn of Drizzt fighting using 2024 weapon juggle to "dual-wield" with a shield? Like he would carry the shield and then stab the orc with his short sword, then sheathe it, then draw his scimitar and nick attack, dropping the scimitar after this so he could grab a rapier for damagemaxxing etc..? thanks

>Player makes X symbol with their arms
>Woah, not cool DM, I'm not comfortable having to fight goblins just because you consider them "evil," you need to roleplay me enthusiastically fucking them instead
How will you respond?

>>94227981
You’re more likely to see things like stabbing someone and letting go of the blade so it’s still stuck in them, drawing another weapon and doing the same, then withdrawing the short sword from the enemy’s flesh for the next time you attack with it.

>>94228058
>I already told you, goblins only exist in the Dreamweb, where they primarily dwell in the Marketplace of Ideas. They’re more than willing to bargain with you for any unique thoughts or notions you’ve had—and, no, they don’t need to be good ideas.
>Anyway, are you going to take your turn or not? The mindless undead husk you’re fighting is slow, sure, but not THAT slow.

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>>94227155
>Become Necromancer
>Kill three Goblins
>Use high level Create Undead spell on them
>Now have three Wights
>Bring my Goblin Wights to assist in hunting down more Goblins
>Have my Goblin Wights use Life Drain on any other Goblin they can kill
>Wights can have 12 zombies under their control, with 3 Wights that'd make 36 zombies under my control
>When one dies I can just use Animate Dead and if multiple die I can use Danse Macabre to bring them all back
>Since Create Undead isn't a concentration spell and so long as I'm not using Danse Macabre I'm entirely free to use whatever other spells I like
>Summon a Draconic Spirit to be the real damaging dealing threat
>Summon an Invisible Spirit to start necking people who can't see it, a Galeb-duhr for a creature that summon two more fodders, Fire Elemental to start setting things on fire or Frost Salamander
>Summon a Korred to hold people down while the Galebs it summoned and the Zombies start beating and eating my enemies
>Summon 8 pixies to start polymorphing my Zombies into something more competent
>Quicklings/Darklings for flanking
>Cast Darkness so the enemies can't see shit while getting mauled by Goblin zombies
>Debuff spells in general
>I am the Corpse Goblin Keeper

Gets fireballed

>Level 1
>Party of 4
>I'm a Rogue
>Have to sneak into building.
>Two armed guards standing post.
>I cause a distraction from the alleyway.
>Throw a dart to get their attention.
>Nat 20, but DM asks me to roll to Confirm (Remnant of 3.5e)
>Nother Nat 20.
>"Well fuck."
>Roll d4 and SA.
>Max on Both.
>Asked to roll for Crit Damage.
>Max on d4 and SA again.
>Guard's head pops.
>Other guard flees

First roll of the game.

>>94227622
The effort it takes to slap together a battlemap on a white board is so small even you could do it.

>>94227967
>>94228550
>spend five minutes squeaking a marker around
>all the tension of the moment is completely gone
I guess if you have the kind of player who looks at their phone the second their turn is over, you might need visual aids to catch them back up when it’s their turn again.

>>94228597
This. The problem I had working on a whiteboard is people get so board, forgive the pun.

>>94227155
If the digital book is already out why hasn't someone just shared a copy of the PDF? None of you fuckers can spare 30 bucks to wotc?

>>94228703
Don't let your dreams stay dreams
Pony up the money yourself and share your copy with the rest of the class

>>94227667
My group converted our campaign over already. The explanation was that the 14 version of the world was the result of a demon casting a powerful spell over the world changing everyones' lives (and in many cases, species) to balkanize the kingdom and cause chaos and war. We helped a wizard break the spell and the world immediately started reverting to it's original form it had before.

anybody have anything nice to say about arcane archer

>>94228831
It's relatively fun to during character creation. That's all I got.

>>94228883
whats the main issue with it? thematically it feels awesome

Has anyone had any success getting 15mm or less fantasy figures? I thought there would be an abundance of big sets to buy for cheap. How can there be an entire cottage industry for warmaster/epic but not RPG minis.

>>94228831
alliteration is enjoyable to say... that's about it. it was dog shit in 3.5 and it is somehow even worse in 5e

>>94227155
Hexes work much better mathematically. They just make straight lines needlessly complicated.

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>>94229103
>I like hex because you can fit more enemies adjacent.

>>94228597
Ever heard of a break? You have what, three encounters max in a session? Maybe one unplanned?

>>94228954
Everyone is doing VTT. If you're lucky enough to do in person VTT with minis and a TV as a table then someone in the group probably owns a 3D printer already.

>>94228058
"The retar, err Adventurer's League table is over that way."

Hello. I just saw the video about the new DM screen.
What the fuck was that?

>>94228597
>I have the attention span of a toddler
Glad my table is a group of adults.

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As someone in a group that's not adding new 5.5 content, I haven't read anything and don't want to watch youtubers either.
Can you highlight the differences that make 5.5 classes so much stronger?
What's the strongest;
>caster?
>ranged martial?
>melee martial?
Is this still the order of strength?

>>94229183
I'm a forever DM on TTS. I'm looking for tiny minis for playtesting/playing solo. I figured this would be the best place to ask.

>>94229166
Six to eight is generally preferred.

Moreover, breaks are better positioned at times when the characters themselves are taking breaks, not at high-energy moments.

>>94229658
>Six to eight is generally preferred.
Lol, yeah right.

>>94229610
Just get Foundry and play by yourself.

>>94229734
You spend less than half your session time on encounters?

>>94229609
bro if you care just read the book its free.
i’m not gonna type up a paragraph just for you to be indifferent.

>>94229658
how fucking lame are your encounters that you can fit six in a session?

>>94229751
You do not play this game.

Halflings are cool.

>>94229880
Do they reroll 1's if they already rerolled a 1?

>>94229902
I dunno I just think they're funny little guys and gals.

>>94229827
it's b8, he long rests every session.

>>94229740
I could play on TTS by myself but what's that got to do with the price of cheese? I'm looking for minis.

>>94229902
nah, it works exactly how it says it works. you reroll the one and take the result of the new roll.
so if you roll with disadvantage and get a 13 and a 1, you reroll the 1 and get a 15, 13 is now the roll you’d take for disadv.
thats like the most complex common occurence of halfling luck i can think of.

>>94230009
Imagine you're a halfling and you roll a nat 1 twice in a row. You fall right on your face in front of everyone after an acrobatics check. You fucked up worse than anyone in your entire family for sure with those odds.

>>94230032
they’re lucky, not invincible. i’d argue it’s only slightly more embarrassing than a human doing the same.

>>94227658
>Drow PCs cannot learn Undercommon even if they grew up in the Underdark
>Tiefling PCs cannot learn Infernal even if they had infernal/fiendish parents who could teach them
>Aasimiar PCs no longer can speak Celestial
That's stupid.

>The Rare Languages table lists languages that are either secret or derived from other planes of existence and thus less widespread in the worlds of the Material Plane. Some features let a character learn a rare language.
Rare shouldn't mean unheard of.

>>94230032

A Nat 1 isn't an autofail on RAW, so a skilled enough character won't fail if the DC is low enough, etc

Discovering that they changed the word for medium encounters to hard encounters and easy to medium in the playtest version solves why 5E demanded 6-8 medium encounters instead of the 4 like all other WotC editions.
And dramatically cut down on how much prep was needed.

>>94230694
Who cares? Any encounter that isn't rated as Deadly++ is a snoozefest anyhow.

>>94229609
The main thing is fixing all the core problems most class design had from 14*, raising limitations that made no sense**, and giving bonus abilities that actually make you want to take the classes.

*like Pact of the Blade needing 4 high stats to be functional
**Sorcerer spells known being so small

A big problem 14 had was that each class had one subclass that was actually good, and a couple others that were a trap/flavor choice that was no fun to actually play, like Beastmaster Ranger and how a pet class had only one action per turn between PC and Pet. Now their summoned beast allows for the PC to take an action, and use their bonus action to command the pet to take an action.

I dont see the point of pulling a generic battlemap that is just gonna be some flat terrain with some trees for any random or non-prepped encounter. You roll a 1 on your survival check and get ambushed by goblins. Here's a grid that serves no purpose.

I only pull up a battlemap when there is a meaningful terrain mechanic and some kind of set piece and side combat objective

When does Eldritch Smite become not worth the pact slot spent for bladelock? Even at 2nd level spells, I'm giving up a potential use of Hold Person, Invisibility, or Suggestion.
Mind you, my DM runs crunchy crits so that does affect a smite's "worth".

>>94229827
Even the most interesting session gets dull if it stretches over an hour. With a seven hour session, six encounters is easily achievable.

>>94231359
bro are you running singular hour-long sessions?

>>94231359
>>94231386
>Even the most interesting encounter gets dull if it stretches over an hour.
It's been a long day.

>more than 1 combat a session
if I wanted to grind through monster's id play diablo
dnd is best for meaningful combat
>have you tried not hurrr durr
as yes this is the part where you, someone who plays the most simplistic version of dnd ever, pretend to be a hardcore OG

Give me an item name and I will make for you an item.

>>94231763
Aspect of Asha. Sentient magic weapon that was used by a goddess from another universe.

>>94231763
Coward's Respite

>>94231763
ball throngler

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>>94231795

>>94231763
Amethyst Mercy. It has connections to dragons and might or might not be a knife.

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>>94231836

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>>94231875

>>94231763
Manfried’s Multipurpose Monocle

>>94231763
Lolth’s Leg
caster staff/focus. it’s a severed leg of the spider queen.

>>94228831
>>94228883
>>94228894
>>94228975
alright bros i did some looking around and here's some homebrew ive drawn up that addresses most people's complaints online about AA

Arcane Shot variety is gated way too harshly by level
>learn two Arcane Shot options at level 3, two at level 7, two at level 10, and learn the remaining two at level 15
>whenever you finish a long rest, you may reattune your magical Archery, allowing you to change your Arcane Shot options to any you do not yet already know.

Equipment compatibility, damage per round, and overall performance is lackluster compared to Battlemaster. specializing into a specific type of gear isnt a problem (many classes cant benefit from heavy armor even with proficiency, for example) so long as the tradeoff is worthwhile, so ive opted to deliberately maintain that in regards to bows rather than crossbows
>arcane shots deal 2d6 damage of the respective damage type for the given school of magic at level 3, increasing to 3d6 at 10, and finally to 4d6 at level 18
>you have a number of arcane shot uses equal to your intelligence modifier, which are restored upon taking a long or short rest
>magic arrow also allows you to ignore ammo consumption for mundane arrows, and also adds damage to arcane shot equal to your intelligence modifier

>>94229610
also try looking at srpgg

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>>94231976

>>94232088
>>94232110
Sorry I go to bed now.

>>94230922
My players enjoy tactical grid combat. I make sure to have shit that impedes/blocks movement and/or line of sight, open distance, cover, choke points and natural hazards when possible. My world has a lot of quick sand/mud, carnivorous vines and cliffs.

>>94227155
>TQ: Squares or hexes for battlemaps?
When we run out of room on the squares side, our group just flips it over to hexes.

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Yay or Nay for this homebrew.

bit of a sudden, but does anyone know some rad 5e dark fantasy adventure campaigns that are 3rd party not from WOTC?

>>94233772
Lairs of Etharis

I'm planning an adventure somewhat inspired by the beginning of the Mummy movie, with two competing factions rushing towards hidden ruins of an ancient population. Contrary to the movie the setting is a mesoamerican jungle. I still haven't decided anything about the temple/tomb itself. What events could I include to create friction and interaction between the two groups?

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Does anyone having pregnant male npcs in their campaign?

>>94227658
>not using homebrew languages custom tailored to your setting
NGMI.

>start playing for the first time
>take a spell with the impression that it functions as written on 5etools
>"No anon, actually you go blind and deaf when you sense through your familiar"
What the fuck.

>>94234084
2014 edition: As an Action, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the familiar has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

2024 edition: As a **Bonus** Action, you can see through the familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses it has.

>>94231132
Eldrich Smite has its own niche. Other spells can offer more value, but not the burst damage. If only 6th and up spells had more flexability for warlock.

>>94234095
We just started the campaign, I didn't even know about the old version. I'm tempted to just insist my character can perform the spell better than the other guys in our party.

>>94234084
Literally doesn't matter. Use your spell anon, it's good for scouting still.

>>94234084
it’s a group game anon. if the dm has created their content based on 2014 rules and would prefer to stick to them you’re just being a childish cunt if you adamantly demand to use the new version.

its a fucking game not a power fantasy and your personal worth is not tied to the magical prowess of your character. just play the fucking game and don’t be a dick to your dm(assuming the dm isn’t otherwise a prick)

>>94234143
He didn't though. For example we all only gain subclasses at level 3. I think none of the players knew that the 24 version worked differently.

If it comes up, I'm just going to say that as a Sorcerer my familiar is tied to innate magic, so it doesn't shut down my senses to see through it.

>>94233915
Opening a great gate or seal requires rituals to be performed simultaneously at two temples on the opposite sides of a valley. Either the two sides have to begrudgingly cooperate or one has to maintain control of both sites.

>>94234419
Just tell him "Hey DM Find Familiar was changed in the 2024 Rules, it now works this way with these rules that we're using. Are we reverting this spell to its 2014 version?"

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Did the samurai get better or worse in 5.5e?

>>94234430
Sounds neat, thanks. Anything more mundane and trivial perhaps, just to set the mood and have social encounters?

>>94234419
>For example we all only gain subclasses at level 3. I think none of the players knew that the 24 version worked differently.

subclasses still start at level 3, i’m kind of confused by what you mean.
are you mixing up backgrounds and subclasses?

and yeah the character creation is different in 2024 so if you built these characters with the 2014 rulebook and are trying to retroactively apply the new stuff it’s going to take work and i’d just either ask the dm if you can all remake your characters with the new rules or if they’d prefer sticking to the 2014 rules.

or is this dm just wholly unaware that the game is in a transitory state right now?
situations like these are why I don’t fuck with digital content, just hard books and character sheets.

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>>94232088

>>94234535
The problem with the samurai is not that it's bad, it's that you have to give up on maneuvers and superiority dice and you don't get spells to compensate.
The mechanics could be fine in a vacuum, but they can't compete with the battle master (Whose mechanics should just be rolled into the basic fighter package)

>>94230746
That's because you aren't playing optimally, a Hard encounter can reliably kill a player if all the monsters dog pile one guy and hit him when he's down

>>94233947
Honestly if your mythology doesn't have at least a little bit of mpreg or gender flipping then it's just not a real mythology.

>>94227497
All of my combat encounters in B/X games were fundamentally theater of the mind, but both parties also had maps to navigate and plan around.
Theater of the mind typically means that you have a map as a visual aide, but the combat itself is being visualized.

>>94234817
In my games all four non-magical classes just get superiority dice and count their levels together for number of dice. With extra homebrew maneuvers, too.
>shield is banned
>replaced with deflect and ward
>ward is shield but with conc
>deflect is shield but only against that one attack
>everyone gets a free feat of the following: elven accuracy (for anyone, no ASI), war caster, GWM (but the power attack works on any melee martial weapon), magic initiate, two expertises, healer+, the range benefits of XBE+SS
>GWM, PAM, XBE, SS, War Caster are banned from normal means

>>94227981
>>94228076
While the other anon has a great and visually interesting idea, anyone who tries to "canonize" or seriously use this retarded juggling meta bullshit should be laughed at, and whoever designed that at Wizards should be hung.

>>94234913
How is it working out? Are people playing more non-casters? Has it improved the experience?

>>94235093
>How is it working out?
Great. We're four years in and it's only me who likes casters because they're still stronger. One guy just has a huge cleric boner, but still likes to play other things sometimes.
>Are people playing more non-casters?
Yes. Casters are still relevant and expected, but we like that melee martials have a purpose again.
>Has it improved the experience?
Very much yes. FWIW we're playing 2014 with a ton of allowed homebrew classes and subclasses.

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>>94228349
Kek, I had a very, very similar moment that happened running Ghosts of Saltmarsh recently. One of the players, an Artificer fresh to adventuring that had never killed anyone before, ambushed some of the pirates in the haunted house. Started with a flintlock pistol. Players got the drop on them, and

>Surprise round
>Throws open hatch to stairs
>"PLEASE SURRENDER, I AM FIRING A WARNING SHOT"
>Rolled for warning shot
>Was aiming at very specific cover spot but missed, ended up above enemy AC somehow
>Have him roll for the actual hit
>Nat 20
>Rolled damage
>Max rolls on all dice
>Blows the Bandit's head clean off
>The rest of the men at the table playing cards are now wide-eyed covered in their friend's brains
>Artificer starts crying in horror
>Literally the opening shot and first combat roll of the game
>Session paused while we laughed for a solid two minutes

>>94229397
Elaborate or link, the art looked stupid but was there more?

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>>94234535
It's better because Fighter got stronger, but its also not because Battle Master exists:

>Bonus Proficiency (Samurai)
This was always a minor feature, though its worth pointing out that Battle Master gets a skill at this level too via Student of War so its basically the same feature but the BM also gets a tool on top of that- so Samurai's is worse now.
>Fighting Spirit
The temp HP on this has generally been the minor point- its the advantage that was always good. However with GWM and SS no longer having the -5/+10 and Advantage being generally easier to get (Vex, Topple, eventually Studied Attacks) this is a lot less powerful than it was imo. And even then it wasn't *that* good to begin with. Battle Masters also get Precision Attack which is usable in response to missing an attack so its really good for accuracy purposes.
>Elegant Courtier
The Wisdom Save prof has always been the standout feature here and its still good. The minor skill bit however, is worse since all Fighters since level 2 have been able to add a d10 to a failed skill check and BMs have Commanding Presence for Charisma skills to stack on top if they want to be a good face.
>Tireless Spirit
More uses of the now kinda meh feature. Its okay.
>Rapid Strike
Good feature, especially with how consistant Advantage is at this level for the Fighter (Studied Attacks), you basically do this every single turn.
Now is it better than 15th Level Battle Master who at this point unlocks Relentless which gives them at-will maneuvers such as Bonus Action Dash (Lunging Attack) or Disengage (Evasive Footwork), - at will Riposte or Parry - infinite Out of Combat Rally or Commanding Presence or Ambush or Tactical Assessment? Maybe not, the versatility the BM gets is wild in comparison.
>Strength before Death
This is pretty good now, especially with potions being a Bonus Action. Better than the BM capstone.

All in all- play a Battle Master with a samurai flare. Get Resilient (Wisdom) and call it a day.

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>>94234535
>>94235223
All of that was assuming you meant the Samurai Fighter not the Kensei Monk. Kensei Monk is stronger than it was before, excluding the Archer/Gunslinger Kensei Monks who used Focused Aim + Sharpshooter (Though you can now Stunning Strike with a Kensei Weapon such as a bow), but outside of them Kensei is better.

>>94228597
>being so lazy you don't even want to give your players a board to look at

>>94234084
>>94234504
Listen to that anon, and if you're sticking with '14, see the OP and use the 2014 appended 5etools. That should clear up any confusion either way.

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>>94232110

>>94235315
In my experience, giving players a board turns their brains off and they stop thinking about what’s on the battlefield. There’s a rock there, so go around it. But if you describe a boulder without a grid down, they’ll think about hiding behind it, jumping off of it, all sorts of things. For some reason, the grid defaults people to playing as a board game instead of employing actual tactics.

>>94235687
this and I also feel like boards are terrible for narrow spaces, which are a very frequent combat location in any type of adventure, dungeons in particular
boards are fine for large open areas where players can use their full movement, climb, fly, etc, but absolutely terrible for any small room

>>94235687
>>94235999
>Players are less tactical when they see the grid.
>Grid is terrible for narrow spaces.
Huh? This depends on the player, and how much the DM handholds by presenting a tactical avenue.

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>>94235687
>>94235999
This is the advantage of a VTT and why I started using one controlled by a tablet even at my in-person table. Allows for more artistic maps/visual aids for immersion, integrated music, etc. But for combat maps, if you use a 3d plugin, one that's already 3d, or even just very clear elevation demarcation/token tags, this becomes clearer and expands combat to be more interesting.

Also suggest heavily using difficult terrain rules, cover rules, etc., because it makes it more a present thing in their minds if they hear you mentioning it and actually using it. Obviously, have enemies doing it, jumping rocks, climbing or hiding behind trees and the like. You can do it on a whiteboard, but this makes it much easier. Also solves the "Oh so you prepare all combats thing" - if I just have a file/environment saved in the VTT with something that isn't just a flat field (For instance, I have a "on the path" map that is a slightly uneven field, cliff over it, and drop into water to the bottom), place a few trees and the like to shuffle it up, you can even still have somewhat interesting encounters on-tap even when not fully expected. Same for tavern/city locations and the like where something might spring up unexpectedly.

I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily, but there's ways around it and, frankly, I feel some if it is a lack of imagination/depiction on the DM end too. The rules are somewhat there and easily tweaked.

And I will say, I know it's a somewhat mixed opinion here, but even after years of 5e, BG3 really opened my eyes on the terrain differences. People can criticize its changes or very automated (Unlike how I use it) VTTs as being more videogame-like, but 5e combat really, really comes the fuck alive with a real implementation of elevation, environmental hazard, and uneven terrain. It's more work for the DM, like always, but worth it. Shame WotC is just grubbing money and pissing on everything instead of a VTT worth a shit.

>>94230922
>Here's a grid that serves no purpose.
Makes it easier to use spells that push and pull monsters away, and can encourage a more creative use of environment. I used to be nomap for years and now I can't imagine running combat without one.

>>94235687
>In my experience, giving players a board turns their brains off and they stop thinking about what’s on the battlefield. There’s a rock there, so go around it
I've had the exact opposite experience. I say there's a rock there, we then have a debate about where "there" is, and sometimes forget about its location. It also makes keeping track of difficult terrain and flanking tricky. It also saves time, you don't have to spend part of turn describing the tactical situation.

>>94236200
let's say the party infiltrates the dungeon through the trash chute and pops up in the goblins kitchen
what's the size of that space, realistically,
15x15 feet max?
that's a 3x3 grid with 9 spots, most of them taken by PCs or creatures
I dont see the point in running this on a grid over theater of the mind
The added bonus of theater of the mind is players are not limited by what's drawn on the map
"i grab a meat cleaver from the counter and throw it at the goblin" etc

>>94231763
Resplendence of Dis

>>94236367
Maybe it’s a player skill issue, but I’ve never had to redescribe or argue about the placement of things. What I do get a lot of is players asking questions that add to a scene, checking details that wouldn’t even have shown up on a map but occur to them to check because they don’t have a blueprint in front of them. And I only started getting that kind of engagement when I abandoned maps.

>>94236374
I tend to grid entire dungeons, so said goblin kitchen would be part of the whole complex. I'd make the kitchen bigger. Rarely do squares conform to the 5 by 5 accurately. The map is an abstraction, meant to fascilitate the game not obstruct it. That said, I completely agree on this point when it comes to a 1 person encounter, especially trivial ones. That's regardless of pen & paper or VTT.

>>94235687
Then you need to find smarter players lmao
>>94236374
>what's the size of that space, realistically,
>15x15 feet max?
Whatever i want it to be
>The added bonus of theater of the mind is players are not limited by what's drawn on the map
Draw a rectangle for the kitchen counter, a few sticks for the fire , "you interrupt the goblin in the middle of carving up a large carcass" boom, done. I already know which one of my players would try to grab the goblin and dunk him into the pot over the fire.

But a single goblin in a room does not require a lot of memory. How about this: you are in a tavern having some beer with 4 adventurers, a barkeep, and 2 other guests, suddenly 6 thugs kick in the door and try to extort money from you and the barkeep. How will you keep track of where everyone and the furniture is?

>>94236639
>Draw a rectangle for the kitchen counter, a few sticks for the fire , "you interrupt the goblin in the middle of carving up a large carcass" boom, done. I already know which one of my players would try to grab the goblin and dunk him into the pot over the fire.
but that's my point precisely
if you draw things, players use what you draw
if you dont, they can come up with things
"i jump to grab the chandelier and swing over the table"
meanwhile you never even mentioned a chandelier, the player came up with it

>>94236723
Why is there a chandelier in a kitchen and why is this always your go to suggestion?

>>94236738
Why is there a tavern in a dungeon? Not all encounters occur within the confines of a ruined temple.

>>94236639
>How will you keep track of where everyone and the furniture is?
By giving each character at least one distinctive feature that can be used to identify them, then describing where they move and how they interact with their surroundings. My players have an adequate enough grasp of spatial reasoning that they’re able to follow that without difficulty.

>>94236750
Monsters have to eat, but they don't need a decorative light fixture in a utility space

>>94236750
>Why is there a tavern in a dungeon?
The tavern is a seperate encounter.
>>94236760
Ok I think I get it, but you still lack the birds eye view of a battle map to properly be able to estimate where everything is. Tables and chairs form obstacles that need to be circumvented.

>>94236760
>My players can keep track.
Must be nice.

>>94236738
Swinging from chandeliers or cutting them down to fall on opponents are both common in classic films, sometimes both at the same time, and everyone knows what kind of scene you’re talking about when you bring them up. And, since they’re suspended from the ceiling, they’ll rarely show up on battle maps, since those are typically more concerned with floors and walls. They’re just an all-around solid example, but others can include:
>heavy curtains
>a crumbling archway
>shadowed rafters
And so on.

>>94236884
If going around the chairs or tables takes more than half your movement, why wouldn’t you just go over them as difficult terrain?

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>muh grid

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>>94236419

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its kinda fucked up that i peaked as a person the moment i finished this like 5 years ago

>>94228703
Why haven't you?
Also there is no PDF. There's physical and there's the D&D Beyond version.

It's been a while since I look unto 5e. Redpill me on the 2024 version.

>>94237817
>there is no pdf
there is if you don't mind thumbs

>>94237822
apparently subclasses are more evenly balanced
GWM/SS were "deleted" without a good replacement, making martials even worse
some of the feats are better, mage slayer, war caster
I think the weapon masteries are really cool and want to port them to 2014 but my DM doesn't agree

non-martials being powerful is literally just an indicator of the DM not integrating enough anti-caster mooks into their combat arrangements

>>94237920
non-martials should be more powerful. When they run out of spells, they're fucked. If you want a more balanced game, make cantrips a limited resource again.

>>94237430
Nice, thanks. How about "The Emerald Scintillation"?

>>94237945
martials cant be simultaneously accused of being weak while believing that casters should be more powerful. there's only like 3 subclasses in the entire game that are rest-agnostic and two of them belong to the fighter

>>94237920
>anti-caster mooks
So every session my DM blankets each set piece with anti-magic. Every monster has 10 legendary resistances, and immunity to all damage except physical. Before boss fights 10 goons come up to dispel our buffs. We have 20 encounter days.

>>94237973
Did I say more powerful on the spectrum? No. They should be comparably more powerful than martials, the way they are now. But casters should be more limited on what they can do every day. A fighter should be able to out pace a wizard as soon as spell slots run out.

>>94237976
>i bring up a legitimate criticism of the "martials are weak" phenotype and a very basic "solution" to a problem that shouldn't exist
>immediately resorts to strawmanning
incredible
>>94238011
power is relative. physical damage from martials, and casters with their spells, are only as effective as the circumstance allows. this goofy perception that people have of martials being perceived as weak, because they don't get access to GWM or SS, for example, is genuinely and unironically an encounter design issue, and not a class design issue.

>>94231763
Orchardbane

It's an Axe used by the chieftain of a raiding clan consisting of Orcs, Half-orcs, and Human Barbarians.

>>94237822
>2024 shakes up "build" patterns.
>Touched up classes and feats.
>Half races are racist and don't exist.
>"""""backwards compatible""""" with 2014.
>Dual Wielding actually viable.
>Casters still reign supreme.
>Spell limit is now one expended slot per turn; no limit on scrolls, racials, etc.
>Burst damage neutered:
>GWM/Sharpshooter no longer does -5/+10 damage.
>Action Surge doesn't work with spells.
>Paladin's Smite is now a bonus action.
>Magic Missile loophole no longer works.
>Surprise round is gone.
>Asassins no longer crit surprised enemies.

>>94238071
>magic missile loophole
wut?

>>94238046
>this goofy perception that people have of martials being perceived as weak
My brother in Christ, casters bend reality to their whim by teleporting, going invisible, scrying, polymorphing into eagles and shit, putting down indestructable barriers, resurrecting people from the dead, summoning angels, calling down meteors. Meanwhile, this elf shoots two twigs per turn.

>phandelver adventure slowly nearing its end
>cant decide between druid or ranger for next playthrough
helpe

>>94238086
2014 Magic Missile is one damage roll, and thus any damage added to that roll is applied to each missile. This means a +5 to the 1d4+1 for 7 missiles will do about 59.5 damage. Notable option for Evocation Wizards.

>>94238092
>teleporting
*shoots an arrow at you anyway*
>going invisible
*looks at the footprints you left in the snow, smells, and hears you before letting loose an arrow at your face*
>scrying
*jerks off while you watch, before putting my dick away and shooting an arrow at you*
>polymorphing into eagles and shit
*shoots your animal form with an arrow*
>putting down indestructable[sic] barriers
*waits patiently before shooting you with an arrow*
>resurrecting people from the dead
*shoots them with an arrow too*
>summoning angels
*shoots them with an arrow as well*
>calling down meteors
*moves out of the way, then shoots you with an arrow*

>>94238148
Based retard.

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>>94238071
>Spell limit is now one expended slot per turn; no limit on scrolls, racials, etc.
>Action Surge doesn't work with spells.
I don't like modern WotC's direction of trying to scrub clean dumb shit that works, it's part of the fun still remaining in the system.
Besides, a 2 Fighter dip is cucking you out of higher level spells and any sane DM isn't gonna let you do it unless it makes sense for your character. And Eldritch Knight unironically needs it. Really weird to pointedly get rid of it.

>>94238227
Blame Jeremy Crawford. Bastard is determined to remove any fun interaction in the game. Boggles the mind how he managed to become lead developer for a fantasy TRPG.

>>94238227
Only a whiteroomer would get mad about Fighter 2 dip and WotC are professional whiteroomers

>>94238227
>>94238245
>>94238251
how would you guys feel in a vacuum if you went three 4 hour sessions without a single combat encounter

>>94237826
Read the post I replied to and then the OP that they were replying to.

>>94238265
The gays keep asking for this. I don't mind. The issue isn't a lack of combat, it's a lack of conflict that bothers me.

>>94238265
It would depend on what we were doing in those four hour sessions. Solving puzzles would be fun, investigating things would be fun, having some nice roleplay with NPCs or between PCs would be fun. Shopping, though? I would contemplate suicide.

>>94238289
>Solving puzzles for 12 hours.
Literal hell.

>>94238285
>>94238265
Gonna have to agree with this anon, I can go consecutive sessions without a combat encounter if there's still conflict and situations that make you use your brain happening. Hell, my group /has/ gone several sessions without combat before and it was fine.

>>94238106
More details. You're playing phandelver again? Something else? What level range? 2014 or 2024 content?
If it's levels 3-5 I advise gloom stalker. If it's levels 5+, I advise druid for conjure animals.
If it's 2024, I dunno.

>put up lfg ad for new campaign, explain it's my homebrew world, more story focused etc
>some fuckers send me char sheets and backstories
didnt ask me what was allowed in terms of races/books
didnt ask me what existed in the world in terms of deities, factions, etc
didnt ask me the rules for rolling
dont even know if we vibe or schedules match or anything

Is this normal? Do people think "dnd" is just this one size fits all Monopoly game

>>94238339
Did you put any of that stuff in the ad? If not, then why didn't you?

>>94238339
Normal is people playing with a friend group so unfortunately a lfg will tend to attract people who don't know how to have a conversation like an adult.

>>94238339
It's like any job application, flooded with people just applying to everything and anything because all it takes is copy pasting their resume. Just throw those in the trash

>>94238358
>If not, then why didn't you?
because Im not gonna start discussing that stuff until you get past the "functioning non-autistic adult" check

>>94238332
>More details
we're playing something else. DM hasn't yet spilled the beans, but it will be another adventure module afaik. she doesnt like completely original campaigns, but does love being able to change stuff around in the official stuff
>What level range?
we're starting over at level 1, but i don't know the upper limit. we're going to hit level 15 by our final session sometime next month
>What sub-edition?
dm's gonna adopt the 2024 since the new book will have been released by that time

>>94235687
I have the opposite reaction

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What player's game plan has annoyed you the most as a DM?
Mine was a Subtle/Distant Counterspeller

>>94238370
>Im not gonna start discussing that stuff
Let them know what you want, anon. If you don't want dwarves for some forsaken reason, then say so.

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>>94237964

>>94238383
I wouldn't want to play a martial without power attack unless, like the other anons were saying, there's significant upside to being martial, or downside to being caster.
Also, I do know conjure animals is worse in 2024. Pass without trace is the same.
>2024
>no sharpshooter
>no gloomstalker
>conjure animals is spirit guardians but bad
I'd play druid. Flip a coin. When the coin's in the air, you'll know in your heart which one you want.

>>94238070
*And halflings

>>94238339
>Is this normal? Do people think "dnd" is just this one size fits all Monopoly game
Yeah basically, that's why people show up with a fire genasi or whatever the fuck.

>>94238339
>>94238370
>genuinely unknowable set of arbitrary circumstances or conditions one must be in, or meet
>intolerant, impatient, vindictive, and unnecessarily, hilariously, disproportionately hostile to those that haven't fought Fermi and won
>overall corporate attitude looking for unicorn players to engage with you in a way that only you want them to
Anon, you are, at best, a bad communicator. While it is quite obvious that you have genuine care for, and have treated your setting with the utmost delicacy, anybody else looking to experience it, given naught but your ad in a vacuum, might not understand or comprehend the depth of your efforts in its engenderment. But to answer your question about monoply, the answer is "Yes, unless the DM says otherwise." I cannot fathom you do not understand that if you yourself are familiar with the system and the way that people engage with it. People cannot read minds, and hoping that people are able to just nat 20 insight check their way through your screening process to your table is the most utterly deranged feminine behavior I have ever witnessed on this board.
>>94238359
>>94238363
Accusing people of incompetence while demonstrating the same is peak irony. Very "middle management", of you, gentlemen.

>>94238408
you have the same reading comprehension issues they have
i didnt make an ad saying "send me your characters" i made an ad saying "looking for players for new campaign set in my own world"
and about 20% replies I get is
"Shadowsteel has a cursed sword that killed his family and I wanna be a echo knight changeling here's my dnd beyond characer sheet"

>>94238265
>in a vacuum
Sounds like it would suck.

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>>94238441
fuck

>>94238441
There is absolutely nothing normal with sending characters to an application before you even know you made it into the game, retard.

>>94238407
>Player casting an 8 hour duration spell during combat as an action.
>Player ignoring their magic items and consumables at all costs.
>Committing an action to maneuvers that have zero tactical value whatesoever.
>Players casting a spell that achieves absolutely fuck all.
>Player using the Disengage Action despite that fact that the monster will be on their heel immediately afterwards.

NPC energy is the fucking worst.

>>94227439
hell no
with my last dm, battles were by far the best part of the game, and in big part due to positioning shenanigans and creativity (dm's and players')

>>94238387
>not being able to see the apple
Unfortunate

>>94238446
You made a dogshit ad, that's on you.

>>94238407
I couldn't be annoyed by that knowing it's one of the few things that makes Sorcerer worth playing over other full casters

>>94238441
>Yes, unless the DM says otherwise
fuck no, only for PHB stuff
anything else is not presumed to be included
"all tables accept plasmoids unless the dm says otherwise"

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>>94238070

>>94238475
>all tables accept plasmoids unless the dm says otherwise
Correct. When and how the DM "says otherwise" is extremely broad, and can be either implicit or explicit. I will not brook disingenuity from you, anon. Now take some accountability for once, instead of blaming other people for your own shortcomings.

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My DnD group died this week, someone post fun stories from your own to lift my spirits please.

>>94238475
>Is plasmoid fine?
The DM says no. Or better yet, works out a compromise with the player. Communication! A wild concept.

>>94238537
I don't suppose >>94238339 was DMing, were they?

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>>94238441

>>94238540
exactly, communicate with DM before sending him a char sheet without even knowing what is accepted

>>94227658
>Draconic is considered common
>Infernal and Celestial aren't
Make it make sense.

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>>94238339
>new player
>been looking to play for a couple weeks
>ive been doing this
>nobody or anything anywhere told me i couldnt do this
>never heard back from the half dozen dms i contacted
>mfw

>>94238579
Okay protip: you send a character proposal AFTER you've talked to the DM and he said "looks like we could get along, why dont you send me a character or let's meet to build it together, here are the rules"
UNLESS the ad SPECIFICALLY SAYS "send me your char sheets"

>>94238576
>Can you learn Russian?
>Can you speak to god/satan?
Make sense yet?

>>94238576
Dragonborn and mages, I'm guessing.

>>94238411
Not bad. How about "Demiurge's Divulgence"?

>>94238576
Dragonborn are considered a "common" race these days

>>94238537
Once upon a time, I had a group. It was fun. Then people got busy again and the campaign fizzled out, and I became a nogaems. But it was nice while it lasted. The end.

>>94238741
I'm on a break from work so I plan on going to a local game store every week and getting something going. Wish me luck.

>>94238798
I wish you luck.

>>94231763
Lupine Lullaby.

>Player spends a minute straight fumbling with what they want to do on their turn
Were you just completely fucking zoned out during everyone else's turns or something

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>>94238723

>>94238876
I agree, Anon. The DM should be allowed to whip people for taking too long. Like, really, really hard. In the face.

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>>94227155
How to resist 6 levels of paladin when playing any charisma caster? Please help. I always feel like I'm crippling myself without saving throw aura.

>>94238876
Some can be very annoying.
>I cast a spell!
>Alright, which one?
>...
>Which spell do you cast?
>Um...
>Where is that on my sheet?
>The section that says "spells".
>...
>This one here.
>Um...
>...
>...
>...
>I cast Earthbind!
>Okay, on who?
>...
>Um...
>I want to cast Earthbind on this guy.
>He doesn't fly, you know.
>What?
>That guy can't fly.
>...
>You know what Earthbind does, right?
>It traps them and keeps them from moving, right?
>It keeps them from flying.
>...
>They can still move, they can't fly.
>It doesn't stop them from moving?
>No.
>I don't want to do that, then.
>Um...
>...
>...
>...
>I want to cast Hypnotic Pattern.
>Okay, where?
>...
>Um...
>...
>I want to cast it on that guy.
>Centered on him?
>...
>I want to cast it on him.
>It's an AoE spell, you know.
>It is?
>Yes. 30 foot cube.
>Oh.
>In fact, you could probably get some of the other guys if you aim it between them.
>Um...
>...
>...
>...
>Okay, I do that.
>What's your save DC?
>...
>Your save DC?
>...
>Um...
>Should be written near your spells.
>Where are my spells?

>>94238730
>>94238730
But so are Tieflings...

>>94238940
Disagree with Infernal and Celestial being common, but with Tiefling and Aasimar being in 5.24 he has a valid point.

>>94238940
tieflings/aasimar all knowing how to speak infernal/celestial is kinda stupid since they are just normal people who presumably live in normal society but happen to have that spark in them, while dragonborn speaking draconic in their societies makes a little more sense

I guess you could flavor it as tieflings/aasimar have a preternatural ability to understand infernal/celestial (or abyssal for demonic ones)

>>94238962
But wouldn't the idea be that Tieflings/Aasimar are just learning infernal/celestial from one another and its just been passed around- just as you would say the same for Draconic for Dragonborn communities?

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>>94238842

>>94237201
Soul if part of a larger dungeon

>Be utter noob
>Hero teenager ran you through "d&d" when you were 10
>Twenty years later
>5e
>Second ever campaign, running your second most favorite character you ever wanted to play
>DM's bestest friend ever in the campaign
>She decides to roll her fireball damage
>One
>Die
>At
>A
>Time

There are stories about how red my face got at the time. I, of course, could not see how mad I was during her (and I literally counted) 340 second turns.

Thankfully she got married and move to another state, I only have to deal with her once a year or so when she comes to visit (always, always, always on game days).

>>94227155
OP is there a second floor/layer for that map?

>>94231763
Periapt of Deep Reserves

i envision it as an amulet that incurs a benefit to second wind

>>94239077
Aren't Artifacts meant to be incredibly powerful plot relevant items? That looks like an Uncommon item at best no?

>>94239003
I would say it makes more sense to me that draconic is the language of dragonborn societies, who make sense to be generally isolated societies, or at least the dragonborn people who have dragonborn offspring

Conversely, I dont think it makes sense to have tiefling or aasimar societies, because that is not a heritage that transmits to your offspring, but can instead appear randomly. Tieflings and aasimar exist in other societies (human, elven, etc), not as a separate self sustaining society

This is all in the "abstract dnd setting" of course

>>94238537
>Be elf bladesinger.
>Campaigns starts in a siege against dragon cultists.
>Join up with strangers around a bonfire.
>An old lady, and two tiefling - a druid and warlock.
>Meet DMPC, a dragonslayer.
>Tasked to free prisoners.
>Fail this task, and get teleported halfway across the map.
>Receive an omen after my arm is carved be skeletal seers.
>"Choose to stars, or power beyond comprehension."
>Return the siege.
>Everyone is dead, except a dwarven smith.
>DMPC dragonslayer betrayed us.
>We're losing the war.
>Report to the king in his castle.
>Travel with the dwarf smith for a few levels.
>Get knighted at level 5, receive a +1 sword.
>Still a black sheep of the order.
>Take a vow to essentially accept and finish every sidequest.
>The castle gets attacked.
>Dragon cultists entered the castle through a smuggled painting.
>Win the combat, but lose the castle.
>Help the king escape.
>Get tasked with rescuing the king's wife and daughter.
>Fast forward.
>Take on every sidequest known to man.
>Help a griffon and a maiden; telling the maiden's father "your daughter said to tell you she's dead."
>Desecrate a shrine to keep it out of enemy hands; sacrificing the priest in the ritual.
>Receive an "instant kill" item for this.
>Rescue a noble from execution; the tieflings who initiated it get imprisoned by a white dragon.
>This derailed the entire campaign, and we're still laughing about it.
>Free the tieflings from prison.
>Old lady and the warlock tiefling end up leaving the party.
>Tiefling druid and I remain.
>The tiefling druid ends up handling the gold and finances.
>New party members are elves, a fighter and a sorcerer, both of them knights.
>We'll rescue the king's wife and daughter. Surely.
>Help decide an election of a city in favor of the king; it turns into a battlefield anyway.
>Rescue brother from cultist.
>Take the heart of madness, a cursed artifact.
>Die.
>Get revived through he heart of madness.
>Receive a mad god for a patron.

>>94239109
Cont.
>Find griffin dying to an adult red dragon; cast dimension door with druid to chase away the dragon against all odds.
>End up chasing the dragon with the party, and killing it while in the sky.
>Explore a wizard tower that teleports the party across the realm through a trapped door.
>The elf fighter returns as a vampire, and is accompanied by an ancient vampire loyal to the king.
>Join up with the king again, his wife and daughter is still not rescued.
>Get meteor swarmed, and promptly locate the sorcerer who did it and kill him.
>Seek aid from dwarves, and meet up with the dwarf smith from the siege.
>Hear the sound of hammer strikes, and end up not disturbing him.
>Next morning it turns out he sacrificed himself to create a prison for the DMPC that killed everyone in the siege.
>Sadness.
>Fast forward, yet more sidequests.
>Slay five adult dragons, and have a necromancer raise them as ghost dragons.
>Seek out two artifacts; only to be thwarted when we deliver them.
>Attack a city with the king.
>Given an opportunity to get helped by a mad god, if another shrine is desecrated.
>Rebel against the mad god, and kill his cultist with the "instant kill" item.
>Summoned by the king after the attack.
>It's been 15 levels, and I still haven't rescued the king's wife and daughter.
>I've used a +1 sword this entire time.
>Random druid shows up before the meeting with the king concludes.
>Do a quick 20 minute adventure.
>A white dragon who wants to freeze the world tree.
>Get a new heart, of the stars, and end up redeemed.
>Free 7 bestial sages over the course a year.
>They sacrifice themselves to power us up to confron the big bad.
>I use none of these powers, out of spite.
>Imprison the white dragon through the prison that was made by the dwarf smith.
>Tiefling druid gets a heart of the wild.
>He merges with the world tree.
>The rest of us leave on a flying ship.
>I then realize something.
>"The tiefling druid still has all our gold."
>End campaign.

>>94239098
>https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/comments/uyum5o/flower_castle_features_4_levels_for_this_37x42/

>>94239106
In wotc modules yes, but I treat them as naturally occurring magical items. Stole the idea from the Calamitous Bob book series.

>>94239108
Right, but I'm not saying that all Dragonborn/Tiefling/Aasimar need to know or learn Draconic/Infernal/Celestial but they should all have the option of learning them at the start.

>>94239106
Yes, unless the DM says otherwise.

>>94239126
well the question was about the rarity of these languages
if infernal/abyssal/celestial is the language of a society of people of certain heritage, then it doesnt make sense for it to be rarer than draconic

however, if those languages are not the languages of any society, but instead exclusively the languages of outer planes/creatures, then it makes sense for them to be distinct from draconic and more rare

my point is there is an argument to be made that draconic societies seem vastly more realistic than tiefling/celestial societies, simply because they are traits passed to offspring

>>94238898
Play the character instead of playing the math equation

>>94227658
>Words of Creation
Homebrew it so Bards can give up those
3 instrument proficiencies for 3 languages of the Bards choice. Not all bards use instruments.

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>>94239099

>>94239237
your prose is genuinely so beautiful anon im not ashamed to admit you made me two items now please never stop

>>94239244
Thank you, that means a lot.

When did the Ability Score Allocation became the main way to do it? I remember how at the start of 5e it was always done by rolling. What happened?

>>94239327
Not to get too political, but some very vocal minorities do not like when outcomes are unequal.

>>94238962
Tieflings in the realms at least aren't just normal people living normal lives though, they are a race proper and clannish thanks to the discrimination they commonly face outside cosmopolitan cities like Waterdeep and maybe Neverwinter.
Anyway, what really pisses me off is that Warlock doesn't automatically have the language of their patron as additional choice. "Yeah, I'm a seeker of knowledge and scholar of the 9 Hells, but Infernal? Nah, that's too much trouble, wouldn't want to be able to read and understand the terms of my own fucking contract or anything."

>>94239327
Point buy was the objectively correct and accepted way to go long before 5e was even a glint in Crawfords eye.

>>94239327
Are you talking about standard array or point buy?

>>94239358
>wouldn't want to be able to read and understand the terms of my own fucking contract or anything
This is pretty on-brand for warlocks in a practical sense; y'all keep getting in hock with eldritch powers beyond your ken anyway.

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>>94239364
Both, honestly. I've always done it through rolling, so now seeing how specific scores became the standard for each class, feels weird.

>>94239379
I never got that, personally, but then I am a proponent of the Warlock as scholar class rather than sugar baby.

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>>94239217
But the character is stunlocked and dead...

>>94239381
>why is is standard array the standard?
lul wat?

The worst thing of this half assed nu-5th edition, is how incompatible it is with a bunch of old 5e stuff. Subclasses, for example.
Should have been a whole new edition, and fuck it. Instead of pretending to have "backward compatibility", when really they will just republish the exact same books, classes, features, etc, but with slightly altered text to better fit them with the new.
Pretty obvious all they wanted is lazy money...

>>94239422
The problem with Warlock as a scholar class is that you're dealing with a system and a setting in which scholarly pursuits already grant you magical power without the need for any pacts. So, if you're turning to contracts with otherworldly entities in order to keep up, you clearly aren't succeeding at the scholastic angle.

>>94239460
i just want arcane archer to be good

>>94239441
Get proficiency in Wisdom saves via Resilient (WIS) or get the Mage Slayer feat.

>>94239472
Prepare for a long wait

>>94239472
Homebrew is your best bet.

>>94238898
Get someone else to play the Paladin.

>>94239709
But if they do that, anon will end up getting princess-carried by the paladin.

>>94239727
Good point, that's another benefit to my idea.

>>94239652
>>94239674
it would need to be redesigned from the ground up it feels like. nobody likes it in 3.5e or in 5e

>>94239768
I do miss the "imbuing arrows with spells" bit the 3.5 version had, could make it closer to a range focused eldritch knight. Wizard spell list has some fun options that would appreciate the range boost.

>>94228058
>I said they were brandishing their knives and jabbering at you in a language you don't understand, and you assume they're "evil"?
>what are you, some kind of xenophobe?

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>>94239472
Take Arcane Archer and ground it into fine mush.

Take Eldritch Knight and roll it in the grounded up bits of Arcane Archer.

Throw in a dash of unique spells only Eldritch Knight can have as part of its class that makes use of weapons as part of the spells.

Throw in the oven and cook to perfection.

Anyone tried any solo 5e module?
I don't feel confident enough to do freeform solo or just regular modules + DM emulator.
My actual groups don't play 5e anymore and desu I want to magical realm it up a bit.

>>94239652
>>94239674
>>94239768
>>94239894
>>94239947
it sounds simple but i really just want arcane archer to be the martial equivalency of the eldritch blast machine. a one trick pony that only knows how to do one trick, but really, really, really, really well

>>94239327
Odd-valued stats are extremely suboptimal, and rolling produces odd-valued stats around half the time.

>>94239460
The bigger problem is that the old subclasses are much worse than the new ones in terms of power levels (outside of subclasses like Twilight Cleric).

>>94239353
>Political
It's about how the game is not deadly at all, so being stuck with either a wimpy ugly retard or with Gary Stu through a whole journey gets boring and fucks up "screen time" between characters.
Rolling is better when the game is deadly.

>>94239965
Makes me think of the "Shocking Grasp Magus" in Pathfinder.
I guess you could get the archetype to pick a spell they love to shoot and they get a lot of benefits to that specific spell, not a fan personally but it could work.

I'm strongly dedicated to the opinion that any non-prep caster should get some degree of free known spells.
WotC appeased with me Tasha Sorcerers but then the dumb fucks never went back and did it for the pre-Tasha subclasses so now there's a massive rift in strength.

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>>94239965
I kinda second >>94239947, here. Take eldritch knight, only learn spells that could reasonably be attached to an arrow (basically any ranged, target spell), say they require an arrow as a spell component (consumed) and bing bang boom, a better Arcane Archer.

Redpill me on Goliaths

>>94240118
STR-coded big bois that pair very well with martial classes, especially Barbarian.
Can also be a good safety net for going a non-martial class if you like subverting appearance-based expectations.

>>94240132
>Can also be a good safety net for going a non-martial class
How so?

>>94240118
They're big, buff, and bald. They're also stupid.

>>94240151
Being able to tank a big hit is a useful power for an otherwise squishy character.

>>94239480
Constitution and Intelligence also hort

>>94240151
An elemental resistance, bonus to carry weight so no concern about STR score for that, and an ability to reduce damage taken by 1d12 + 1-5, 2 to 6 times a day is quite nice.

>>94240162
I actually had an idea for a Goliath Abjuration Wizard but I haven't found good fit for him in a campaign yet

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>>94240166
>choosing Stone Giant
>ever

>>94240202
Bold of you to assume I was even considering 5.24e

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Is multiclassing into Shadow Sorcerer as a Gloom Stalker Ranger worth it? I like the theming, but then realized that outside of spell slots it gives me almost nothing (already a Drow so Darkvision is always on, and I get Darkness at 5th level anyway).

I considered Warlock or Cleric, but none of the Warlock patrons are Drow gods and (aside from that also being true for Cleric), Cleric doesn't give me any of the sick Mage cantrips and spells.

>>94240227
I have only ever multiclassed Gloom Stalker with a Death Cleric. For gameplay efficiency, Shadow Sorcerer is gonna be pretty rough.
But if it would fit for your character then fuckin go for it. I multiclassed an Arcane Trickster Rogue into Divine Soul Sorcerer once because it made a lot of sense for the trajectory of the character, even if it was one of the most MAD builds I've ever played.

>>94240227
classes for that gif's feel?

>>94240218
We can delay it all we want, but 5.05e is the new way to go.

>>94240256
Bladesinger Wizard

>>94240259
I'll consider it when it's truly backwards compatible/has all of the current 5e material updated
Otherwise I'm staying

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>>94240270
YOU WILL ADAPT TO NEW HALF ASSED RULES
YOU WILL BUY 50$ BOOKS OF MOSTLY REPRINTED MATERIAL
YOU WILL THROW THE OLD BOOKS TO THE TRASH
and you WILL BE HAPPY

>>94240178
Don't forget that your ward stacks with temp hp and takes damage before temp hp. If you can get access to Armor of Agathys, it synergizes beautifully.

>>94240118
I play a Goliath Shadow Sorcerer and he's a blast to play. Literally, most of the time

>>94240353
Yeah I'd considered taking Magic Initiate on it for that exact purpose

>>94240353
>Magic Initiate: Warlock to get Armor of Agathys
>Eldritch Adept to get Armor of Shadows, and thus be able to repeatedly cast Mage Armor without using a slot to repair the Ward
Weird how well Warlock stuff synergizes with Abjurer.

>>94240312
They've placed the new rules as the default (but at least they added the legacy rules back in, they were missing for a while). Plus a lot of playoids are too stupid to even read what they're clicking.

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>>94240256
>classes for that girl's feel?
beast master or druid
>gif's
oh, 2014 GWM on anything

The new post timers are retarded.

>>94240861
just sign up with a throw away email, retard

>level 18 paladin
>have +2 shield
>low-mid to mid OP
>get dragon's wrath weapon
>can put the effect on anything
>no 2024 masteries
Battleaxe or lance?
F$&% attunement, I want to put it on a lance and use it like that and use the holy avenger when I'm forced off of my pegasus.

>lance
how the mighty have fallen
rip my nigga spirited charge

>go to change a precept when reforming ideology
>remember that precept is from rjw
It's a travesty how many precepts actually are tied up in that addon mod and not available anywhere outside of hyperbloat megapacks

>>94240861
>>94240882
vip gamer here. whats new about em?

>>94240923
Are you in the wrong thread, or am I having a stroke?

>>94240972
Probably both.

>>94240926
Hiroshimoot is rolling out the /biz/ 15 minute timer to all boards to cut down on spam. I haven't seen it yet, but anons are complaining about it. You can sign up with an email, and dipshits are actually using their real email. Tried using a 30-minute email, but it's a nogo. So I just made a Yahoo one that I'll probably never log in again.

Were 2hr rings of sustenance ever published or is the elf trance the only way to get shorter long rests?

>>94240972
Wrong thread, wrong board

>>94240894
Phoneposter using talk to text, wow.

What's the equivalent of a phoneposter in dnd terms?

>>94241099
Human fighter.

>>94241099
bg3 player

>>94241099
>>94238900

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So with the new 2024 Monk being much better than its 2014 counterpart- Is it time for Shifter monks?

>>94237770
Neat.

>>94233915
Anyone?

>>94238878
based
My final challenge (maybe) is "Apotheosis of Dickbutt".

>>94241518
They race to rescue the guide to the temple before his execution. The boat they're all traveling on down the river gets attacked by raiders and set on fire. They have a race to get to the city first. Just do the shit in the fucking movie, man.

>>94241518
I like what >>94234430 said.

>>94234617
Are the two groups cooperating while trying to get to the tomb, before they ultimately turn on each other? Is the idea to have social encounters between the two sides? Why not have an extremely inconvenient romance spark between a junior member of each side? It would mean:
>whichever side the players are on, there will be a lingering attachment to the other side which will help keep them from descending into faceless cartoon villains to be mowed down without a thought
>whichever side they're on, they'll have a connection on the other side which they could potentially try to turn into a mole
>the two lovers could even decide to give each of their factions the finger, and try to grab the goods and run

>>94241099
people who got into dnd by watching critical role and they buy books and minis and merch and enter dnd discussions, but have never once played dnd, and if they did they didn’t read a single thing and just did their best impression of what they saw on the stream.

(can everyone tell that i’m a phoneposter?)

what magic could someone use to control a towns mayor?
my idea is this town has been subtly taken over, the mayors been replaced or controlled and is bleeding the town with taxes, all the money being hoarded by the evil group of adventurers running the scam.

it’s something like
>mayor returns to town one day after visiting the countryside
>his coach is clearly damaged and he says he was attacked on the road
>after this attack the mayor grows “paranoid” and hires a band of mercenaries for increased policing and protection
>taxes skyrocket and start getting collected more often to pay for these mercs
>all in all this happened gradually over time so the townsfolk are divided. some are convinced they are safer but most are discontented by the new taxes

would something like dominate person work here? maybe the caster has some magic item that increases its duration? or is there a perfect spell for this? modify memory seems like it might be too difficult to reverse for my level 4 players.

>>94241977
geas

>>94241977
the cook uses suggestion between every meal
VSM is wrongly interpreted as funky monkey serving shtick
he is disguised caster with the funny hat item

>>94242049
thats literally perfect for the vibe i’m trying to deliver, thank you kindly!
>>94242026
good suggestion but i don’t want to put the party up against someone that has level 8 spells. this would be great if I needed to have the culprit get away to be chased down later tho.

>>94241672
Sorry, I have trouble getting inspired for that.

What’s the go to 2024 magic swordsman build?
I’m happy to flavour casting as blade flourishes. Kind of torn between EK and warlock (archfey) the teleportation from lock looks fine but doesn’t offer enough control from its weapon attacks for me.

We also have Valor bard now but I think another player is going to run dance bard and we both just played rogues in the last campaign. Bladesinger still looks solid.

Actually speaking of warlock. Would it be asking for too much if I ask my dm to let me add more rituals to my tome?