/5eg/ D&D 5th Edition General

Does 5e math break if magic items are common?

Hey, anons. Would-be race homebrewer here who'd like feedback/critique on his efforts so far and suggestions on which of his planned races to tackle next - I got so many I've hit the point where I know I need to start writing 'em up, but I can't pick between 'em.

docs.google.com/document/d/1XovWm65MSmIzQWSMDMXo0_aIpZgq9YSa2KkpO3kThS4/edit#

For those who'd rather not poke around and try to figure it out, here's the direct list of races I need to get written up:
Lizardfolk
Pterran
Bladeling
Bariaur
Githyanki
Githzerai
Fey'ri
Tanarukk
Rogue Modron
Hamadryad
Satyr
Huldra
Shardmind
Diaboli
Ice Genasi
Sun Genasi
Dust Genasi
Rain Genasi
Magma Genasi
Blight Genasi
Smoke Genasi
Tanuki
Mujina
Kawauso
Bakeneko
Itachi
Kappa
Tengu
Spellscale
Vyrloka

Not particularly; you might want to be careful about +3 gear, but there's nothing especially dangerous like Spell Save DC increasers

AC could probably get a little out of hand depending on what's available. Those giant belts could also kind of get out of hand

They're both level 5 features, where are you getting level 8 as the minimum?

Oh yeah, I forgot about the ability gear

You probably shouldn't let your players get their hands on that too much. If you do something stupid like have them start with a couple of magic items they could min max something outrageous and get +4 on all stats

Depends on the item.

Boots of flight may nullify one of barbarian/GWFs weaknesses, lots of +3 AC items will give people ACs that are way too high, items that set your attributes to 19 might feel like it's taking away the stat progress. That sort of thing.

I prefer to have magic items common, but they're not like in the book. They very often have downsides, and are less 'immediately really useful!' and instead people tend to have to be a bit more creative.

they published an adjusted Ranger to try and make it less sucky

I rather like it

Let's go Shardmind! The Living Gate ain't gonna rebuild itself, y'know.

probably bladelock
Aside from the belts that go above 20 in a setting where magic items are common enough attunement cost might prevent the 19 ones from being too big of a deal

They posted an amendment to the Revised Ranger already?

I really like a lot of the gear at Uncommon. It feels like the sort of thing a hero would be given in a fairy tale or chivalric romance; that one of a kind specialness with a story behind it

I fucked my math and misspoke. You got me there.

Lizard and Satyr are must-haves.
Tanuki, Kappa, and Tengu would be nice, too.
I don't like Genasi

No, but check it again. Ranger now gets Extra Attack from one fo the subclasses, not automatically. It's Extra Attack OR the beast companion; not both.

Hence the suggestion that you'd need level 8: 3 in Ranger, 5 in Fighter/etc

>Magic Longbow
>2 uses per day
>add 1d6 lightning damage to an attack

what do you guys think? whats the lowest level this would be appropriate for?

If that's all there is to it I'd say pretty much any level you want.

Oh sorry, I got this conversation backwards; my bad.

Where towns get their income /what is its purpose? So I can improvise better because the town is more real in my head.
What kind of names do people have in this area? So npcs won't be named Johnny and Telemecus.
Putting in basically inaccessible /easy to miss clues for any Mysteries, because it's fun for me.

Uncommon, but weak. It's weak when compared to a +1 magic item. Make it +1d8 and it's closer without going over.

Currently running a game in the Vale region and was wandering if anyone knows where the following maps (with descriptions) came from?

I know it's 2e but it would be helpful to have some detailed towns to work with and adapt.

...

...

So the issue is that Extra Attack says that it doesn't stack with other Extra Attacks, but since Beast Master gets Coordinated Attack instead of Extra Attack, does it stack?

>Coordinated Attack
>Beginning at 5th level, you and your
>animal companion form a more potent fighting team.
>When you use the Attack action on your turn,
>if your companion can see you, it can use its
>reaction to make a melee attack

The Extra Attack feature alters the Attack action, it does not replace it. So yes, Coordinated Attack works fine: even if you went full Fighter and hit three times your badger would be able to join in.

Alright, so that's one each for Shardmind, Lizardfolk, Satyr, Tanuki, Kappa and Tengu. Feel free to make any more requests;I'll get all of these up as soon as I can.

Sure, but compare that to the fact that Thirsting Blade isn't allowed to stack.

It's the wording: Thirsting Blade says you may attack TWICE, Extra Attack says you may attack TWICE, so when you use the Attack action you don't get "one more" it's just exactly two.

In contrast, Coordinated Attack is a Reaction that your beast uses, and does not effect your Attack Action in any way.

Anons? In the last thread, I had an user who reckoned that my Muls were kind of bland. I can understand where they were coming from, but I'm kind of drawing a blank as to how to fix 'em up. Hmm... in 4th edition, Muls had a racial encounter power that let them automatically end any ongoing damage they were suffering as well as curing the dazed, slowed, stunned, and weakened effects, if they were under them. Would it be possible to translate this power into 5e in some fashion?

Just a head's up for that user who requested the Shardmind; the first draft is done in the GDoc. I wasn't really sure how to properly convert its racial power from 4e, since gaining combat advantage from all enemies in a 5ft burst for 1 turn is too powerful for 5e mechanics. So, I went with its present form, which is loosely inspired by the Recrystalize utility power from the Shardmind's racial paragon path...

Speaking of, anyone else kind of hope 5e eventually brings that mechanic back? It really did go a long way towards adding more "weight" to your racial choice, I feel.

Races with some sort of progression (usually spellcasting but I'm sure they could do other stuff) are fun but I don't think paragon paths / prestige classes are the way to go.

Lizardfolk first draft is done. Just used the basic lizardfolk as a draft, since the Shaman is literally nothing but a 5e equivalent to "lizardfolk druid" from 3.5. It is kind of bland, I'll admit... maybe I should go delving back into 3.5 lore, see if the variant lizardfolk can be blended in somehow?

It's a bit weird to have powers that counter conditions like stuns and such.
The problem was more that there needed to be small, flavourful things that impact roleplay more than anything else.

They could have something similar to dwarf tool proficiency.
The thing that removes exhaustion probably qualifies, since exhaustion doesn't come up too often, although it can be quite serious when it does.

Another example is probably wood elf's 'mask of the wild' which lets them hide behind light natural foliage and the like, or forest gnomes talking to small beasts.

Whatever it is would probably relate to Mul culture, of which.. There probably isn't a lot. I suppose if it's relating to being slaved a lot or something.

Yeah, unfortunately, as I said, Mul crunch tends to reolve around "being super-tough", whilst the fluff revolves around their being a slave-race.

In Dark Sun, you basically only had "I'm a slave who belongs to one of the other party members/a patron of the party" or "I'm an ex-slave" as background options.

Meanwhile, their 4e "generic" fluff was essentially all about how they were bred as slaves by a drow city, killed their way to freedom, and now hate slavery with a passion.

Not a lot to really go on, sadly. And since human/dwarf relationships are either non-existent or glossed over (re: Forgotten Realms and its "human + dwarf = slightly taller but still pureblooded dwarf" stance), that doesn't really give them the same ability to touch on their background as with the Half-Elf and Half-Orc.

Should every main mission you and your party go on be missions that involves saving the world or area in a way?

They are essentially the same, except all the casters are replaced by a non-caster cleric and a non-caster bard type thing. There's also some alternate paths (like a barbarian variant that's horseback, and one that's heavy armored).

Class balance is wonky, and it breaks a lot of 5e's design limits, but it's mostly ok.

Iriaebor > Forgotten Realms Adventures
Berdusk > Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast

I'd say don't unless you can't get them to play with a group. The co-operative element of RPGs is such an integral part of the experience that a 1 on 1 intro isn't really an intro at all.

Seriously, fucking Favored Enemy as a damage bonus again?
Hadn't we already learned that it was good for NPCs but not for PCs?
At least this time they're sort of generic, but still it's 5 + 7 greater, it won't apply often, unless the ranger was built specifically for a monster-specific campaign.

my party are treasure hunters, so no

I think "racial classes" are the right way to go. Sure most people don't actually restrict battlerager or bladesinger, but they're very much "race: the class", and I'd like to see more of them.

Thank you!

I'm going to play a loli, what kind of disadvantages should I get? I was thinking of intentionally dropping str to 6 and con to 10, and ask the dm if something like 'too cute to hit' that would make it hard for humanoids to attack her.

Thoughts? Anyone played a loli before? Pic related, loli wizard.

how about you do us all a favour and kill yourself first.

Thanks, I just got promoted!

Tg I'm at a table where we rolled stats to start playing SKT

I rolled consistently (no 18, but strongly above average across ths board, save for a dump stat or two)

So whats a good class to take advantage of this? Something that could be good but is usually a little too multiple ability dependant?

No, but the player's effective level increases just like with feats.

Why? I like myself.

You could choose Bard to become the party's skill monkey. Good attributes also allow you to be an effective monk.

Alternatively, you could look into multiclassing, since you won't be hindered as much as someone who needs those ASIs.

Thanks, but sadly, I've played Bard the last two adventures straight, I cant deal with it again.

Maybe Rogue can skill monkey as well. I'm thinking thief.

I'm actually going to steal this, thanks.

You might, but we don't like you

You could try going one level of fighter then multiclass to rogue. Grab the sailor background, TWF and then go for swashbuckler. Potentially pick up Dual-wielder feat if you're human for double rapier goodness?

But I'm the one who has to do the killing, so my opinion matters more.

Also don't put words in others' mouths, it's rude.

What do you prefer as DM?

>Letting your characters discuss and roleplay for however long it takes to come to a decision

>Forcing an event/decision on them if they take too long

I usually have a friendly NPC chime in with some sort of hint or new fact that helps them come to a decision if they're stuck.

He's not putting words in other peoples' mouths.
Why the hell are you bringing your waifu to a game, and expecting the DM to protect her purity by giving her bonus features?

Well it depends on the situation, dumbass. Chatting in the middle of the run with patrols and shit going on is different than hanging in a safehouse during legwork and planning their best course of action

Also whoops, I thought I was in the shadowrun general.

The same still applies though.

Fuck off.

On the off chance that you aren't trying to make people angry with obviously stupid choices, let me inform you why this is an obviously stupid choice. Keep your magical realm out of the game.

>let me inform you why this is an obviously stupid choice
Okay, go ahead. I'm all ears.

Both. See below:

Horn of Valhalla. Any variety. As long as the players save it for special occasions when they really need it, once in a while you can throw a big encounter at them. Let the berserkers take care of, or at least occupy, enemy minions while the PCs deal with the big threat.

Both. Put them in situations with a looming danger (being chased by a wandering monster) or dwindling resources (their torch is running out). They're free to talk as long as they like in-character, I've got a stopwatch function on my phone and am more than happy to penalize them if they take too long.

I already did. Magical realms have no place in 99 percent of games.

Just playing a loli doesn't equal magical realm. Also, what if I'm in the 1%? It's an online game among other channer degenerates.

>Torch
>He doesn't have darkvision
>Laughing half elves.jpg

>evil spellcaster with Armor of Agathys on
>Contingency that casts Dimension Door to bring him to safety when AoA deals damage to someone
>casts Stinking Cloud on party and lets loose 3 Ghouls + 1 Ghast

Too much for a party of 4 lvl 4?

If you're a random online player I wouldn't trust you to be I've of the few capable of playing it without magical realm. In fact, using the term loli almost guaranteed you are magical realming. Just asking me would be enough for me to kick you desu.

Who said anything about it being with randoms?

Please user. Everyone knows people who want to play Louis are incapable of creating stable relationships with other human beings. We all knew this was a random pickup game from the beginning.

Oh, well in that case you and your degenerate friends are free to have all the badwrongfun you want. My mistake.

If you cast tongues and speak to someone that doesn't understand your languages (Lets says you only speak common, they only speak orcish) would it be like;
>They know you are speaking common, its just they can now understand it because magic
or
>They hear your words as orcish

I just want to know how effective alter self+tongues would be for infiltration sort of things

whatever the DM prefers

The spell doesn't specify, it only says 'they understand you'.

I'd rule that they hear your words as their native language. Which makes it useful for infiltration unless you're bluffing past different species at the same time.

Things that are banned in your games?

>All furry races
>Dragonkin
>Half Orcs
>Tieflings
>All subterranean races
>Lawful Good
>Multiclassing

>Banning best alignment

You.

I've pretty much only banned Chaotic Evil as an alignment.

I can understand banning those edgy tieflings but why Half Orcs and LG?

Because realistically no npc is going to react well to a hulking Half Orc no matter their alignment.

They're basically evil rape babies.

LG because they're either edgy white knights trying to save everyone or dumb as shit paladins.

Nothing.

For an upcoming campaign, I've thought about banning human variant. Then potentially offering a pick race and class then 3d6 down the line + feat if you REALLY want that level 1 feat.

Only thing banned is CE, on a subjective basis as I've seen it done well.

>The Lucky feat

Unless you're a Wild Magic Sorc or Divination Wiz

You are the worst of the worst

>banning human

I wish I had players that would play simple humans.

All six of them want to be special races.

I bet you want your players to be any of the evil alignments so they can piss each other off and not have fun :)

Explain?

"You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment." - Seems a tad unreasonable in low magic campaigns that I tend to run

Shit, I forgot variant human. I don't have a problem with it except for the one time I ran a game with it unbanned, 5/6 party members were variant fucking humans.

I have the opposite problem. Half the group are heavily optimized human variants. It's like "Guys... I will just have to put MORE or BIGGER monsters in front of you in order to make an interesting challenge. This is just an arms race at this point."