/5eg/ DnD 5e general

>Mimics
>lose a hand on a dex save
I would probably have left just at the mimic part, fuck your 1E holdovers

>playing CoS
>using dark powers rules
>have a custom terror track for each player
>none of them has died or failed a powers check yet

Goddammit, I really need to kill these guys

Good thing next session is Death House Part 2

A DMPC is a tool, as long as you don't see it as your way of playing the game and just as a way to supplement the players it's all cool.

>Playing Ravenloft to intentionally dick the players over
This is why people would recoil in horror at the thought of playing RL in 2E. You could make compelling, fun stories and shit, but half the time it was just an excuse for DMs to be assholes.

>people still trap chests in dungeons
I swear this was falling out of style in 1996, but here we are.

Ok then. Then what I will do is ask the party to make sure it's ok with them and then roll with it if they are.

If I do make one, I'll probably make a war cleric half orc. That way it's reasonable for them to sit out most social interactions and such.

Them being the DMPC, not the players.

You do know what terror tracks are right? All of these guys have backstories that tie into the whole thing, I adapted when black roses bloom and built two more adventures, printed full-color maps, custom miniatures, translated and updated dark powers rules, built a world, a pantheon and have a huge overarching plot involving the GOOlock's patron, the bard's murdered family, the fighter's PTSD and the ranger's curse he doesn't know about a bunch of other stuff

I want to make them into victorian horror heroes, not dick them over

It went a bit differently with us

>missed first game-night so I'm lvl 1 and everyone else is lvl 2
>find chest in a cave
>get the great idea to trigger it from a safe distance
>nobody objects
>everyone thought they would be like DS mimics
>arms, legs, getting up "slowly", that sorta thing
>a lvl 1 monk standing alone in a cave, intensely staring a chest and aiming with a dart
>5 lvl 2 PCs watching the events unfold from behind a corner a couple meters back

>mfw nobody expected the chameleon-esque tongue
>mfw it took a bite out of my side
>mfw I needed a blood-mage to cast a dialysis spell on me every couple days until my god granted me a new kidney

...

Unfortunate situations make for the best stories, hence why I like to give people permanent injuries

My apologies. I didn't know there was anything wrong with calling it "theater of the mind" since that's the way I usually hear it described.

There isn't anything wrong with it. It's been used to refer to playing tabletop RPGs without battlemats or other visual aids for years now.

Literally the only times I've seen mimics in play was BG2 and someone who decided to run a 1E module and picked wrong (we ended up scrapping the game halfway and getting our 1E kick with Secret of Bone Hill)

>DM starts using illusions and traps and hidden monsters everywhere
>entire party has ten foot poles
>intensely scrutinizing the floor, walls, ceiling
>using sturdy metal jacks to wedge every doorway open (even those without doors) just in case, going back at least three rooms
>mirrors around corners
>bullseye lanterns everywhere
>no object is ever directly handled by PCs, it's always other manipulating objects or summons
>dragging the rescued princess out of the dungeon at the end of a rope just in case she bestows a curse on someone upon being touched or is actually a monster in disguise
>don't even bother with the rest of the dungeon because we assume there's a time limit and we're already over from having tapped every fucking cobblestone with a pole five times
It only took a one hour dungeon run turning into a completely pointless three session slog for the DM to cut that shit out. Turns out PCs who are aware of common adventuring traps and are ACTUALLY doing their absolute damnedest to stay alive aren't actually fun to play or DM for.
Now we run screaming through dungeons, bellowing challenges to whole rooms of creatures at once, because the only traps and dastardly surprises are the ones we prepare for them instead. This is a much more fun game.

I've got the itch to try to craft a character inspired by the pursuer from dark souls 2.Three general questions come to mind.

1) What class/classes would help to assemble this goal?
2) What sort of magic items would I aim to seek during the campaign?
3) What would be a passable way to flesh out the story of a character described so vaguely?

Right now I'm thinking based off the character wielding a magic greatsword, curse resistant greatshield, some sort of magic item giving levitation and safety while falling, and some capability (innate or from a magical item) to unleash a barrage type spell of weak projectiles. Bonus point for companion giant eagle for transport or a means to create a mirror image of himself to fool foes.

For motivation I see it boiling down to a character with a passionate quest to pursue and destroy the undead (or a different setting/plot appropriate foe) but as to whom would command this knight I am uncertain.

Thoughts? Advice? user you are being a faggot again?

That's how I'd describe it to new players. It gets the point across.

Also it works because like says, my groups never use battle mats because we're too cheap.

Vengeance
Paladin

First start as a great weapon fighter
Then level ranger and get favored enemy: undead
THEN level Paladin as you see fit.

Hey Veeky Forums, second time 5E player and looking to see if anyone has any tips, tricks or build suggestions to boost out a character theme I'm going for, DM is supportive enough so I should be able to make this work. Looking to make an Necromancer, of course not typically evil so to still fit in with the rest of the party members, more lawful selfish than anything else. Ultimate goal is to master necromancy until he can resurrect his dead adoptive daughter/niece who died young. For now, just the typical wizard with four zombie bouncers kind of guy.

Another player has expressed interest in joining in my build. I'm going Human Wizard Necromancer, he is going Human-Revenant Oath-breaker Paladin. Themed to be the Necromancers older brother and robust warrior, who passed and was reanimated as a Sentient-Skeleton knight to lend his strength in the joint quest to resurrect his daughter. DM was willing to tweak Revenant to instead of having a target to get vengeance on, is linked to the necromancer being alive.

Generally so far all we have is Level 8 group, Wizard Necromancer to gain the obvious +Wizard level to HP, and +Prof to hit. Revenant Paladin boosts them to have his +Cha to damage, and further supports using Inspiring Leader to give them +Level+Cha to Temp HP on a select few of them in lieu of party members, making even the humble skeleton a tough cookie with 32HP pool, +7 to hit for 1d6+5 on attacks.

Are there any tools, feats, spells, rituals or anything else we can pack into this gimmick, since I'd rather not make my undead better via just adding more bodies to the mix as that will clunk up combats too much with useless bodies.

>not just straight Paladin

Are these stats good for a lv1 half-orc bard?
I want him to go college of valor eventually.
Str: 12 (+2)
Dex: 14
Con: 12 (+1)
Int: 10
Wis: 8
Cha: 15

Ouch, did you roll for those?

Can you move them around?

You might have a rough time for a while.

As someone who doesn't know too much about 5e (or D&D in general for that matter), how would I go about making a Kamen Rider type character?

I've heard that there are conjured weapons but is conjured armor also a thing?

yeah I can, how can I make them viable?

15 str
10 dex
12 con
8 int
12 wis
14 cha

Pick up heavy armor at level 4 for 18 str, in the meantime play full support

If I were to do it, I would make it the following:

Str 14 (+2)
Dex 14
Con 11 (+1)
Int 8
Wis 12
Cha 12

Then take your ASI in cha until you get it to a level you feel comfortable with.

How does /5eg/ prefer to come up with stats for their characters?

Standard array? Point buy? 4d6d1?

Yup, Mage Armor could definitely be fluffed as such. You'd probably be looking at a Warlock to get the martial prowess, although an Eldritch Knight would serve just as well, depending on if you want to be more casting or more slashing.

Eldritch Knight with Demon Armor, Heward's Handy Haversack and Boots of Springing & Jumping. Get the spells mirror image and Enhance Ability, both extremely good spells.
Most DMs would probably allow you to use one of your bound weapon slots as for Armor, since you get two as an Eldritch Knight.

Eldritch Knights are amazing at mid and high levels, kinda basic at lower levels though, but that might not be a terrible thing for a newbie.

My group uses point buy because I have them build their characters on their own

It's a weird and pretentious way of saying "use your imagination." It's bad. And just because some people have been using it for years doesn't make it any less bad.

8str8, standard if they puss out or know exactly what they want.

Not a fan of point buy or 4d6d1.

8str8?

I'm OK with the array. I generally let my players choose, but recommend first time players use the array or roll 2d6+6.

I know it's lame, but I've outgrown equating being a hardass with being a good DM.

Oh, it's this poster who not only reeks of autism but also projects the diagnosis he refuses to accept onto others.

Try not to lose control and veer into an autistic rage again.

Thread topic: Are the Barbarian class features are an allegory to asperger's syndrome?

>DnD
>not D&D

>Triggered

Depends on whom I play with. If I cannot trust everybody at the table to not get butthurt about perceived imbalance, I use an array. Normally the array in the book.

I prefer method V from the OG unearthed arcana for gonzo goodness.

Fair enough opinion. I personally see nothing wrong with it, nor do I think it is pretentious. It's just another way of saying verbal description. However, I'm open to you explaining what's so bad about it if you're willing to.

I prefer the array or pointbuy since it leaves ability scores just low enough to make it seem like a significant choice between ASI's and feats

If you don't know why "theatre of the mind" sounds pretentious I don't think I can explain it you. It really doesn't need explaining.

Verbal description is a literal description of what happens at the table as you play. As opposed to using models, you just talk, you describe with words. There is no theatre involved. You are not acting, you are playing pretend. You are describing where in the dungeon room the orc is standing. "Theatre of the mind" is just the most unnatural way of saying imagination. It's fucking nonsense. That's not how people talk. Whoever coined that term was trying to sound fancy when they could have used a far more direct, literal and intuitively understandable term. That is the definition of pretentious.

My players haven't started playing yet, but I had them roll scores. I feel like they came out too strong (lots of high rolls).

I want my players to have fun, but I don't want them to be power houses. Would it be wrong for me to make them re-do stats with the point buy system?

>replying to a bookposter
>because of mean words
>doesn't post any book
>calls others autistic and mad

The faggot he was replying to deserved to be chastised way worse, and if you're that guy, follow your own advice.

This post itself is more pretentious than saying "theater of the mind" ever is.

I would just let them have their fun with what they have and do it differently next time if you didn't like how it turned out. Taking things like that away from players will probably just kind of cock blocks them, and the difference would even out at higher levels anyway. So long as they're mostly on the same level I wouldn't worry about it

I need ideas for native planars to the outer plane of Bytopia. I'm thinking some sort of thing based around duality but not sure yet.

Hmm, yeah, I see what you're saying. The best advice I can offer you is to perhaps take a razor blade to the bathroom and lock the door.

On an unrelated note, pic related: anyone have any clever implementations for these weapons, which any character with martial and simple weapon proficiency can wield with proficiency?

It seems to me like it's better to just shove. The athletics check for a shove is on average better than the 8+Str+Proficiency saving throw. I suppose that it's good for characters who don't have athletics proficiency.

>Hmm, yeah, I see what you're saying. The best advice I can offer you is to perhaps take a razor blade to the bathroom and lock the door.

Mad as fuck.

Also keeps players from doing dumb shit.

>Nuh uh, your FACE is pretentious!

Yeah, nice counter argument, buddy. A real zinger. Really bowling me over with your unassailable logic.

Read the book.

May end up playing a bard in a lost mine of phandelver campaign,

never played a bard before, in any edition.

Any bard players wanna tell me how to build a bard/play a bard? Probably going to go into Valor school.

was thinking that a half-orc valor bard with a greatsword could be sweet. Either that or a Half-Elf

You don't need a build since you won't go past 5th level.

DM said depending on how the campaign went we may port those characters into something like out of the abyss (obviously he'd scale all that shit up for lvl 5s)

i don't want a build really, builds are dumb in D&D. I mean that I just wanna hear from bard players how they play bards/what's good to do as a bard and all that stuff.

What riding options besides Dogs do I have as a Halfling? Ponies?

Giant wolf spiders.

Race: Half-Elf (Wood Elf descent)
Speed: 30ft
Darkvision: 60ft
Fey Ancestry: Advantage on charm saving throws; magic can't put you to sleep
Elf Weapon Training: Proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow
Languages: Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice

Background: Outlander
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Class Proficiencies:
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Violin, flute, lute
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Stealth, Persuasion, Perception

Class Features:
Bard1 Spells:
Bard2: Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest
Bard3:
>Expertise: Stealth, Perception
>Bonus Proficiencies: Performance, Acrobatics, Animal Handling
>Cutting Words
Bard4: ASI
Bard5: Font of Inspiration
Bard6:
>Countercharm
>Additional Magical Secrets: Hunter's Mark, Lightning Arrow
Bard10: Magical Secrets: Swift Quiver, Conjure Woodland Beings
Bard14:
>Peerless Skill
>Magical Secrets: Longstrider, Tree Stride
Bard20: Superior Inspiration

3rd time's the charm
Race: Half-Elf (Wood Elf descent)
Speed: 30ft
Darkvision: 60ft
Fey Ancestry: Advantage on charm saving throws; magic can't put you to sleep
Elf Weapon Training: Proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow
Languages: Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice

Background: Outlander
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A staff, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, a set of traveler's clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Class Proficiencies:
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Violin, flute, lute
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma
Skills: Stealth, Persuasion, Perception

Class Features:
Bard1 Spells:
Bard2: Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest
Bard3:
>Expertise: Stealth, Perception
>Bonus Proficiencies: Performance, Acrobatics, Animal Handling
>Cutting Words
Bard4: ASI
Bard5: Font of Inspiration
Bard6:
>Countercharm
>Additional Magical Secrets: Hunter's Mark, Lightning Arrow
Bard10: Magical Secrets: Swift Quiver, Conjure Woodland Beings
Bard14:
>Peerless Skill
>Magical Secrets: Longstrider, Tree Stride
Bard20: Superior Inspiration

The hardest part is choosing the right spells and thinking of ways to use your skills.

For cantrips, Minor Illusion, Vicious Mockery and Message are always solid choices; Blade ward(pretty crazy if your DM allows you to declare that you always have it up when out of combat) and Thunderclap(insane environment damage out of combat) are alright for valor. Load up on pretty much all the ritual and crowd control spells, get Glyph of Warding especially.

If your DM allows it, craft glyphs up into a bag of holding(its a portal really) and don't be afraid to load buff or healing spells onto them with passwords for your players to use. If the DM allows free action speaking, the adventures can basically call out for spells from your glyph pile as a free action such as Healing Word and Dispel Magic. Enhance Ability also becomes insanely good, since it'll last the full hour without you needing to focus on it, you don't need a bag of holding for that one.

>Blade ward(pretty crazy if your DM allows you to declare that you always have it up when out of combat)

That's retarded.

>200gp healing words
no thanks bucko

It's because cantrips are retarded, you can totally do that. Its just saying I shoot firebolts for an hour straight. I houseruled that you can use cantrips up to ten times your level a day until you have to make exhaustion saves.

While you technically could, no DM worth their salt would allow that kind of flagrant abuse.

Your post said "you're not *acting* you're (just) playing pretend"

Acting is a near synonym for playing pretend, but playing pretend is condescending and acting is more to the point. Theater of the mind is a bit dramatic, but is no longer than "verbal description" and evokes an imagine at least. My presentations at work are verbal descriptions, but they sure as shit ain't playing D&D.

New to 5e and d&d in general.

I am starting a game with some friends who are comparitively veterans. I am looking to make a pirate captain or at least smuggler. Its a low magic campaign set in !carribean.

How would i best go about this?

Do all your friends and especially the DM a favor and read the Player's Handbook, then maybe ask again.

Make a Rogue and go Swashbuckler from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

In an effort to try and improve the transmuter, I was thinking of making the following changes to the Minor Alchemy feature. I added the ability to make minor alterations to your or another's face (fits the later focus on shapeshifting) and I also added gold to the list of materials you can temporarily change other materials into. The main purpose is for shenanigans, and for crafting; you could transmute iron into gold, shape it easily, and then break concentration. It would allow the transmuter to shape iron easily without the need for a forge. You could repair weapons or use it for artistic creation. It's useful and encouraged creativity but is not game breaking, in my mind. What do you think?

Minor Alchemy
Starting at 2nd level when you select the School of Transmutation, you can temporarily alter the physical properties of one creature or non-magical object you can touch. If the target is a creature and willing, you can change it's basic appearance, such as altering its face or changing the color or length of its hair. After 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), the target's appearance reverts to its original form. If the target is an object, you can change it from one substance into another. To do so, you perform a special alchemical procedure on one object composed entirely of wood, stone (but not a gemstone), iron, copper, silver or gold, transforming it into a different one of those materials. For each 10 minutes you spend performing the procedure, you can transform up to 1 cubic foot of material. After 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), the material reverts to its original substance.

Why is Tyranny of Dragons considered so bad again?

The dad of one of my players might be joining our table soon, and he used to AD&D. The only thing he really remembers is Tiamat, so I thought it'd be a good idea to run something he might recognize.

Alright, /5eg/
I want to make a few archtypes and have no idea what the fuck I'm doing as far as they go Mostly due to my current toaster crashing when it tries to into PDFs
Can I have a basic guideline layout for doing so with Fighter, please?

>Disguise Self
>To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.

So, if you pass the DC, do you just know they're disguised magically, or do you automatically see through the disguise at their real appearance?
Is there any other more general text to confirm it?

>He doesn't refer to role playing as "hypothetical mental self examination"

I was under the assumption they know you're disguised magically, but not who you are. Though I can see it being the other way as well.

Both are valid and now I'll probably use both outcomes depending on what I think will lead to cooler moments at the time.

Any good apps for making maps on the iPAD?

New DM here, anybody here ever run a Dark Sun campaign, especially in 5e? It sounds fucking sweet, but I'm curious what the best resource would be for learning about the setting. The Wiki is barely filled in. I heard the 2nd edition kit is a bit light on lore and setting, and I don't have much need for 2nd edition stats. Are the 4th edition books any good?

Also, any good stories from your Dark Sun campaigns?

Woo! I just published my first homebrew on dmsguild!

3rd level: large feature that defines how the archetype fights. Champions get an expanded crit range, Battle Masters get maneuvers, EKs get spells, PDKs get a lackluster support feature.

7th: In most cases, a ribbon feature. Something that doesn't impact combat significantly but provides a unique ability that that type of fighter is capable of.

10th: A small combat feature. BMs get stronger superiority dice, champions get a second fighting style, and EKs can impose disadvantage on a save against their spells.

15th: Another combat feature, more significant than 10th. EKs get a teleport with Action Surge, Champions get another crit range increase, and BMs get a little more longevity to their superiority dice.

18th: Another combat feature. Its power varies greatly between archetypes (champions have by far the strongest).

Fighter is one of the more complicated ones but as long as you follow a few guidelines it should be fine:

Lv3: The meat, this skill defines the subclass (like manouvers for BM, extra crit range for champ and spellcasting for EK) you want this to be unique or to borrow another class' signature skill reduced to 1/3 effectiveness

Lv7: This level is a social/noncombat ability tied to your subclass' stereotype, usually bonuses on a set of skills or the ability to gain bonuses to exploration and roleplay. This is usually called a "ribbon"

Lv10: will usually build upon your lv3 skill to make it more effective or easier to do, or will build upon one of your regular fighter features

Lv15: same as lv10, but may also have something of its own. The EK gains teleportation for instance

Lv18: this is your lesser capstone, so it should be an appropriately thematic subclass skill that also makes use of your prowess as a fighter. Make sure to showoff your creativity here

It's homebrew from the Veeky Forums archive but it's worth looking at. Skip to page 4. You'll need the Power Fist augment and Transmutation augment but that'll give you a good melee weapon and your armor will have the ability to transmute into regular clothing, switching into armor on command. Overall it's a decent archetype

I like how these start out pretty badly written but each one is a little better

The Magitech Templar's augments or the content in general? I've noticed some are pretty lame but others seem fine

Continuing work on the Automata rules I mentioned a few threads back. For background, I'm looking to implement constructs/beasts of burden in the style of Iron Kingdoms using the 5e rules.

I'm pretty happy with what I've got so far for controlling and giving orders to an Automaton, but I'm playing with rules for giving orders to an uncontrolled automaton. I'm looking to reword the following, but I wanted to know if /5eg/ thinks I'm on the right track:
> An Automaton can be given instructions by any character capable of speaking a language the Automaton understands. As an action, any Character may give an order to an uncontrolled Automaton by speaking a command and making a DC10 Intelligence (Arcana) Check. On a success, the Automaton follows its new orders; on a failure, the Automaton continues its previous behavior.
> If multiple Characters attempt to give orders to an uncontrolled Automaton at the same time, the Intelligence (Arcana) Check becomes contested. The Automaton will follow the orders of the winner of the Contest. However, most Automata are not intelligent enough to parse multiple contradictory sets of orders at the same time: after the contest is resolved, but before any orders are followed, the Automaton must make a DC15 Intelligence Save. The Automaton has disadvantage on this Save if 3 or more Characters are attempting to give it orders. On a failure, the Automaton pauses to parse its new instructions: it is Incapacitated for 1d4 rounds, after which it will follow its orders normally.
Any initial thoughts? For background, Automatons are treated as improved familiars/beast companions. They are class-independent, but rely heavily on a Character's Intelligence score.

>Any initial thoughts?

You're an idiot for not including your previous work in a pastebin or something as a frame of reference.

> Bawwwwwwwww
There is no pastebin. The original post is at . In the event that the link gets struckthrough, here's the outline in its entirety:
In the interest of giving characters something to do with their Intelligence score besides skill checks and Wizard spells, I'm looking at making rules for automatons, basically as improved familiars with combat abilities. The rules are intended to be loose enough to apply to other settings, though, so you could practically have a giant ape or somesuch in the same way.

The outline I have so far:
> Automata receive an NPC statblock. By default, active automata will defend themselves only when attacked and take no other actions. They can be given simple commands as an action, which they will follow (on their own initiative) until they complete their orders, drop to 0 HP, or are given new orders.
> Automata can be bonded to via the use of a new spell, which can be cast as a ritual. A player character who knows this spell may cast it themselves; otherwise, they can generally pay the seller of the automaton to perform the Ritual for them. Most Automata have a minimum Intelligence score requirement in order to be bound to a controller.
> Bonding with an automaton allows it to be given new commands at the beginning of its turn. It still acts on its own initiative.
> The controller of a bound automaton can use their reaction (on the automaton's turn) to activate special abilities, listed in the automaton's profile. Example abilities include multiattack, enhanced AC, advantage on one attack, or using the automaton as the origin point of a spell. Activating a a special ability generally requires an intelligence check; if failed, the automaton follows it's most recent orders.

I'd say I hope you're happy, but who the fuck would I be kidding?

D&D is weird in that grid-based combat is in the PHB as a "variant rule" but combat rules are very heavily based on distance for things like ranged attacks, attacks of opportunity, and so forth. Theater of the mind combat in my experience just turns into a ton of "So how far away did you say that bugbear was again? Am I close enough to hit him??"

Grid-based plays much better but obviously requires more prep time to set up and game time to keep track of.

I really like Ryuutama's system. It uses a frontline/backline system similar to that used in video games like Etrian Odyssey.
It's not simulationist at all but it keeps things clear for players, and fast and loose for the DM.

Boars, wolves, giant weasels, giant wasps

Any more desert-themed options?

Big fuckin' stingray.