Unearthed Arcana: Revised Class Options:

What are some good low level encounters I can throw at a party in a swamp? So far I've got grungs from volo's, vine blights and shambling mounds

I mean he's not a dragon or anything but he can easily wipe a level 8 party with his spellcasting alone.

Depends on whether you've got the sunsword or the holy symbol of ravenkind or a source of constant running water.

He regenerates 20HP per round and he has a lot of defensive spells and abilities, so he can probably find a lot of opportunities to heal if you don't have anything to weaken him.

His melee damage is indeed not too high, but he -is- a spellcaster.

Lizardfolk.

Bullywogs

Maybe a giant crocodile?

How do you guys go about making the quest for your main plot or just, in general, I always find I'm shit at coming up with a lot of quests that follows a major plot because I feel if only I can do one or two things with it before it's either boring or just overused.

Usually I come up with the setup and the goal, and the first few steps in the adventure then wait and see how it goes every session.

I mean I have the setup and goals I'm just having trouble figuring out the in between stuff. Maybe it's just the plot I have is shit or I'm not thinking it through enough.

The players are basically in this empire that has some disease that they sorta caused to be ravaging it and their assisting a wizard in finding a cure while in the background some society has created a bioweapon with it that only infects and kills Elves.

Pic related is a Morninglord devotee, Y/N?

Which rule stops an entire party, one by one, from running a perception check on the environment they are in to find things like escape routes, secret passages and other 'hidden' objects of interest, especially when the first PC fails?

Here's the question:

Why does the DM hide these things in the first place?

Why would you put content in for the players to use and then require them to arbitrarily search everything they see with perception checks to unlock the content?

Think about it a bit.

I don't think there's a specific rule for it as much as it's hard to imagine. You've got five people walking down a hall. Passively, they are all perceiving things. One guy decides he wants to take a closer look at the walls. No one else, at that time, cares about the walls. The guy rolls, DM says he doesn't find anything. Then EVERYONE else in the party decides to stop what they're doing and investigate that one spot of wall the guy was just looking at because...? It's metagamey and silly to imagine.

Quantum ogres that appear when they try.

To make characters with high perception and nothing else feel cool?

Because the content is only known by the DM (since he created it) and requires RNG mechanic for it to be found.

Makes sense, but is it bad on the DM's part if he puts a core piece of the story behind a dice roll?

>is it bad on the DM's part if he puts a core piece of the story behind a dice roll?

Short answer: yes
Long answer: yeah of course hiding core story elements is fucking stupid. Fun eastereggs and/or side lore or other non-important goodies are fine, though.

Only if it's a core piece. What if he just hides a magic item which isn't necessary but would be a nice bone to throw to the party? If you find it, great, if you don't, well that's on you, there'll be more magic items in the future. Or, maybe instead of magic items, something more in-universe, a bandit's hidden treasure, or some other monster's possessions squirreled away.

So to make perception by far the most overused stat that everybody wants to grab?

It's poor design to put cool things behind an arbitrary skill check you want to spam.

If you want to hide cool extras that make players feel they've really achieved something discovering it, you put clues and it's not just a simple perception check.
You describe something in the room that when investigated turns out to be something more.
You draw something on the map that turns out to be something interesting.
You put clues that follow into a secret passageway such as the layout of the room or something such as 'despite the enemies fleeing into this dead end, you can't see them anywhere'.

I honestly believe you should never let a player search for traps/secrets/whatever if they are not time pressured. Assume they do, and assume they do it well. Traps are for enemies to use against players, players to use against enemies and to add an extra element to running away/chasing enemies since they don't have the time to check for traps.

True, a trap could be used to develop a situation, but in that case you might as well just have the trap spring on the players no matter what like a railroad than promote brain-dead dungeoneering like 'I search for traps' all the time.

What did your character do last session?

Mine made a new friend and found some coded ritual book. It was a slow session.

>ywn find a true bro to do solo campaigns

I am in need of some advice.
Our ranger made a deal with a green dragon to plant some magic seeds in specific locations. For payment he asked for some poison from the dragon who gladly obliged as it's basically free for the dragon.
It then infused some water with it's breath, making a thick green poisonous liquid which the ranger put in a container and put away for later use with his arrows. He has enough to make dozens of poisoned arrows.
The problem is, it was an ancient green dragon, but I cant just make the poison be 22d6 because that would be overkill and the ranger has enough damage already.
How the fuck do I solve this? How do I make the poison be powerful enough so it's not just worthless goop but not too strong to invalidate any future encounters?

The player understands that I have to rebalance it. He was worried he was breaking the game even as he asked for the poison from the dragon and wants just something fun but not overpowered.
The only idea I got so far is making the poison be RNG reliant, picking some conditions and damage, arranging them on a chart and rolling the effects every time he hits something with a poisoned arrow.

I only partially agree with you here. Traps can add a real element of danger, if they're intelligently placed, and a reward to players for diving carefully.
I guess it, as always, depends on the people you play with. My group has no problems with the occasional trap or secret room, and I try to make them spaced far enough apart as to not be obnoxious. Seems to work well for us.
As for the actual rolling, I usually go with the person in the lead can look for traps, and one additional person can help him to give advantage, if they want. If they fail looking for traps, the group stumbles into it, if they fail looking for (well hidden) secret doors, they inform their party that there doesn't seem to be anything around and they go on, none the wiser.
As you said, hinting at the presence of a trap/door is the best way to go about it, but doing so without drawing specific attention to a suspicious location is pretty difficult.

He has a limited supply of arrows that deal 2d8 extra poison damage.

Why the fuck is your only idea so fiddly and terrible?

Because I'm terrible. And basic 2d8 poison damage is terribly boring.

Potential ideas:
The poison's potency decays over time
The poison is meant to be breathed, so its effectiveness is reduced when watered down and administered with injury
The poison is, as a draconic ability, inherently magical, and as the source of its power is far away, its effectiveness is severely reduced
The poison as it is has a consistency not unlike mercury, which makes it near impossible to just stick to stuff by dipping it, it has to be administered with small vials on the tips of the arrows, making them unwieldy

>that butt town
I can only imagine the bullying their inhabitants suffer.

>Player seems to think charm means people will do literally anything for them
>DM agrees with them
>Constantly casts it on players to make them do things for him
>We do it because DM says so
F U N

If a character is trying to perform a not-impossible action where there's no negative consequence for failure and nothing preventing them from repeating the action over and over why are you having them roll?

I'm not the DM.

>potency decays over time
That's my excuse for nerfing it later if it proves too strong.

>making them unwieldy
Maybe that could work. If the arrow has to have a small vial of poison on the tip it could make it not as aerodynamic as regular arrows.
A flat -5 or -10 or something on attack rolls with poison arrows to offset the damage bonus? He's a hunter ranger and has a huge attack bonus anyway and usually advantage for taking action before the enemies do.

Another couple ideas:
Reduced potency means lower CON save for no extra damage
The poison evaporates shortly after being exposed to air, so arrows have to be dipped immediately before firing, reducing the number of attacks the ranger can make

Well so is 22d6, and that's what the dragon's breath weapon does.

You basically have two options:
-Add poison damage to the arrows. Doesn't have to be max damage, since the dosage is much lower than it would be in the breath weapon. Plain, simple, and the ranger has a limited amount of the arrows.
-Make monsters Con save after getting hit. If they fail they're poisoned for 1d6 rounds or something (not that OP since there are CR 1/4 monsters that can poison for an hour). The DC should be determined using the Ranger's Wis modifier (ie 8 + prof + Wis mod), since applying the poison in an effective way requires insight. Or you can just give it a flat DC of 13-14.

It depends on the format.
In some formats you can give plenty of information and give a few clues in the information.
For example, a map, you can put lots of detail on the map and players can ask questions about things they're not sure of. 'Why does the floor look a bit different here? It's odd'.
If a player has high passive perception, you can reward that by just telling them 'the floor is a bit off over there, the walls over here are a bit odd'.

It's crazy to ask players to actually have to say 'I check for traps' when there's no reason not to check for traps. You might as well ask players to take the 'breathe' action every six seconds.

Hiding information from players gives them less to work with and limits their decision-making ability. In turn, limiting their decision-making ability is as good as railroading the players. Not letting them see that secret passage is, in a sense, unintentional railroading. You could have given the players more choices, but you rolled a die and it said 'Yeah, hi, I'm the dice and I say not to give the players more choices.'

But as for the original question I'd say that a player can't reroll a roll that has just been done for every character. If the player has a higher modifier you can apply that instead onto the original roll or a racial difference 'I'm a dwarf, I would know this' but I'd increase the time it takes to do the check each time they try unless the roll is for something different.

What level are they?

Look at the single target damage spells available to the wizard, then base the damage off of those.

"Dip and shoot a single arrow" as a standard (not an attack action), and you have to use it like this because because it dries and falls off on contact with air in a few seconds.

Or eats through the arrow. Whatever.

Why don't you just point out the chapter of the PHB that specifically discusses the 'charmed' ailment?

>A charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects.
>The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature.

Also you have advantage on saves against Charm Person if you're fighting the charmer. It's a level 1 spell, it's not supposed to be insanely powerful.

2d8 extra poison damage, target can be Poisoned, it also has to make a CON save if fail his skin/armor begins to rot and loses AC

Oh, right, and, it's pretty much like this Though the problem with 'use the original roll but add anybody else's modifier to it' is that the people with lower modifiers will never, ever succeed.
But the fix for that is to consider the situation:
A barbarian is scarier to dumb creatures than a wizard.
A wizard is scarier to smart creatures than a barbarian.
A dwarf knows more about rocks.
The elf is standing in the correct position to see this or that, or has darkvision and thus nothing obscuring their sight.
The warlock knows more about eldritch things.
When you consider these things that often tie into background and reward a player for their character choice, it means that you can roll the die only once unless they get out a book and read it up or something. But yet still each person achieves success over others sometimes, even if the person with the highest modifier is normally the best person for it.

Oh, not this again.
Tell them to stop being apes.

>using social skill checks or spells on other PCs

Leave the group or murder the player in his sleep. It's the only way to be sure.

Actually, murder them.
Why would you adventure with someone who could at any time charm you and tell you to give them all their money?
Murder the fuck out of them and start a witchhunt against any charmers.

>When the spell ends it knows it has been charmed.

The character has taken a hostile action against you. Murder them or get the authorities involved.

I want to do an encounter where a Necromancer manages to summon skeletal hands from their graves that cause difficult terrain and possibly some kind of grab effect.

Is there a spell that covers something like that?

How can I make an ability that break ammunition, and other throwable weapons as a reaction (and possibly do damage to the target) work without being OP or annoying? I f it can use Ki point better but is not for a monk

No DnD is better than bad DnD.

Just fluff the entangle spell as skeletal hands instead of vines.

Make it free, but do it as a reaction.

>as a reaction
Already there

Reaction to catch thrown weapon or ammunition.
If you have not used all of your attacks this round, you may throw it back dealing it's usual damage by making a ranged attack roll against the creature who attacked you.
If you do not have an available attack, you may have the weapon drop at your feet or you may hold onto it. Ammunition is destroyed.

I know that, that is what in using as basis for this, what I want is a type of force/ki blast that is make before the attack and make the ammunition exploit in his face while is preparing to attack but I don't know how to make it balance, I'm ok with separate the effect as part of a level up

Interrupting attack actions is pretty strong.

It's either going to be 2/long, or it's going to have to provoke if you're in melee when you do it.

Ideas for high-level (lvl16-20) assault plasma rifle? 3d10? 2d10? 1d10 + 2d8?

D&D doesn't have plasma rifles.

3d6, ignores armor, pierces 1 target

having advantage on str or dex checks also applies to attacks?

No, Attack Rolls are not Ability Checks.

Are you lost?

Make a reaction that causes ammo to explode in someones face but give it a recharge on 5-6 or 6 so he can't use it for every reaction.

Then again I'm not sure if it's for an NPC or PC. If it's for a PC then my advice is invalid.

1v1d an orc eye of gruumsh after scattering caltrops to prevent any reinforcements from joining it

>Take guidance
>DM only lets me use it if I describe how it will help in that situation

They would obviously be very familiar with the landscape they were living in i.e. know a lot about swamps if their shack was in a swamp, etc.
They would probably know the basics of taking care of themselves or procuring goods for themselves.

"by giving the player a +1-+4 bonus to the thing."

I only let my players use it if they could reasonably have a moment to do it, and if it wouldn't be socially unacceptable. For instance, at a shop negotiating, the shopkeep is going to become less friendly if he sees people casting spells in the background.

Last session, SKT:

>Party reaches the Dripping Caves
>Fight and explore until we come across a strange stalagmite
>Black pudding comes out of it
>Literal retard at the table decides to actually drag away the two female party members
>Rest of us stay and fight it
>Party paladin crits it with a smite
>Druid dies instantly to a crit
>I hit it with Guiding Bolt for a few rounds, eventually get killing blow

The Druid and I were fairly mad at the literal retard, since had the whole party focused the thing down, it'd have died in two rounds and the Druid would not have been killed.

>be bard
>DM only lets me cast if I play an instrument during my turn
youtube.com/watch?v=LixNxSGzlGA I have a five string kantele on my lap just for that

>>Black pudding comes out of it
>>Literal retard at the table decides to actually drag away the two female party members
Huh?

There's a literal retard at the table. He's functional, but very very dumb. Rather than fighting the black pudding with us, he has his character grapple and drag away the characters of the two women who play at the table as well, preventing them from aiding in the combat also.

An ogre.

a bored black dragon that gives them a quest to entertain himself, or they can be eaten

>wizard casts a spell on you
>not murdering them with your extra attacks and second wind

>DM only lets me cast if I play an instrument during my turn
Quite possibly the worst house rule I've ever heard. Almost as bad as "act it out" for persuasion checks.

When faced with a persuasion check, both as a player and a DM, I want there to be some effort to, you know, actually say something persuasive. Making a sound statement requires neither actual social grace nor experience, just a modicum of effort.

>Why are you getting mad for, it was just a bit of fun
>It's not like I hurt your character or anything

>Sell instrument
>Buy component pouch
>Never play an instrument again

I've had the opposite experience, bard always rolls incredibly well but doesn't know what to say and as a result fails the check. I'm also not find of sweaty neckbeards acting out cringe worthy intimidation checks.

>playing with a literal retard

I... two grapples on two fellow PCs at the same time sounds difficult, did the retard's PC also have retard strength?
Also,
>Allowing players to do shit to other PCs even though they don't want to
Fuck you Dave, this is a team game, don't be a dickbag. I don't care if you think you're saving everyone.

ROLLING FOR DUBS FOR MAPLE'S LUGGAGE
LET'S GOOOOOOOOO

It was over the course of 2-3 rounds, not both grappled at the same time. He's a barb, so yeah, retard strength is there. As for allowing it, I'm a player in that game, not the DM.

Not my call really, he's friends with the DM.

SQUAD UP
Q
U
A
D

U
P

IT'S YA BOY DAN GHEESLING

Do this see balance? This is for a PC

Projectile Break
Starting at 7th level, as an action you can spend 1 ki point to enter a defensive stance,until your next turn you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against a not-magical range attack which is not directed at you.
You hurl a sphere of force energy at a creature that you can see within 60ft of you. Make a ranged spell attack against the target, If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d4 force damage and he drop the ammunition/throwable weapon to the ground.

When you reach 13th level, you can spend an additional 2 ki point to make the ammunition exploit. Each creature in a 10-foot radius must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 2d6 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Explode.

>action + reaction + resource
too expensive
>non magical ranged attack
just say ranged attack. it should work for magical ammunition, and specifying ranged attacks automatically omits spells
>can't be used against something targetting you
why?

Starting at 7th level you may forgo one of your attacks to take in your surroundings. Until your next turn you may spend 1 Ki point and use your reaction to interrupt a ranged attack.

Make a ranged spell attack against a creature within 60 feet of you to hurl a sphere of Force at the creature. On a successful attack the creature takes 1d4 Force Damage and they drop a piece of ammunition or a thrown weapon they are holding.

When you reach 13th level you may spend an additional ki point to cause the ammunition to explode. Each creature in a 10 feet radius must make a dexterity saving throw. Targets take 2d6 Force Damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful save.

Myconids and Vegepygmies.

I usually go with having two different paths.
For example on a hit mission to kill some count (who was supporting their countries enemies) they managed to kill him but everyone but the monk got beaten down as they all ran away (my players arent tactical) i didnt want to tpk so i decided the counts son, a little kid, wanted to know who they were.
In the dungeon there were two ways out, a fight through the whole castle and a secret door that lead through a cave system.

>Monster appears
>'Hey, you know, maybe we don't have to fight it?'
>Prevents people from starting fight
>Literal retard charges up at it and some others join in and they start wasting their resources on a fucking blob
I wish I could grapple the entire team at once

That's fucking stupid. You don't run when you have a massive advantage.

>I'm gonna be a contrarian

Stop being fucking retarded.

>You don't run when you have a massive advantage
>Party stops to attack every single tree they sees
>WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE THE TREE CAN'T STOP US

I'm not being contrarian, I'm pointing out that the poster gave no evidence that the person was being retarded when it's possible the poster could in fact be the retard.

I am the poster, and yes, tying up a full half the party's combatants and getting a party member killed for no reason is fucking retarded, and I don't give two shits about how much you want to be a "leet debater," you can fight trees like a fucking nitpicky little bitch all you want, but that's not going to change the fact that had my entire party fought the thing, it'd have been dead in half the time it took just three of us to kill it.

And, just as a kicker, we couldn't have parleyed with the fucking black pudding.

DM starting a new 5E campaign here. I have experience with mostly pathfinder/13th Age 4E

My players really want to be able to use unearthed arcana stuff. What should I keep an eye out for?

>why?
Because balance, otherwise it become a no fly zone for a turn, at least they can hit me if they know the trick

>too expensive
I try to make it expensive because I am exchanging resources, if I can destroy a lighting arrow or a siege ammunition for free that would be too huge

Have you ever considered that you can just... Not fight a monster?
You don't have to discuss terms with the monster. You don't have to feed it. You can just look at the monster, both of you sure the connection of 'yeah, this isn't going to work out well for you' and carry along without needless fighting that might rot your equipment or result in an unlucky crit.

Black pudding has just the barest amount of wisdom that it might be able to think 'yeah, nah', a limited sight range and a slow speed, all of which you can predict a slime creature to have. Probably even throw it a bone or whatever.
The reason a lot of monsters continue to exist is because people don't fight every single thing they see.

Though if you're adding that the player is actually tying up the other players then that's starting to get retarded unless he's using them as bait. Just 'a player dragged off some players away from a fight' alone isn't enough to justify them as a retard.

Don't let them use it if you're not familiar with it. If you're just starting, stick with core rules and do your research in the meantime.

Just don't, some of the stuff is useless, some of the stuff is loremaster.