/5eg/ - Fifth Edition General

What motivates a dryad? Forest/grove safe, I don't know how to play if party encounters. The only thing I've got is she's going to hate the Tabaxi instantly. How else would she intact or seduce the party and why?

I mean flexing so hard the universe bends to your whims isn't really any more silly than it doing so because you really really want it to.

pfal for nobs
having 300 books from 2e on that you cannot let go

Honest answer? More character options and a greater ability to mechanically tailor said character, even without those expanded options. At the end of the day, 5e generates relatively samey characters with little room for choice or wiggle.

> More character options and a greater ability to mechanically tailor said character, even without those expanded options.

This diversity comes at the cost of nearly a hundred times more trap options, bloat, and completely fucked balance though. Not worth the trade off at all.

>can't get my friends to abandon pathfinder

Eh, I'm not really super into multiclassing much in 5e. Or at least, so far all of my characters have simply made more since as single classes.
And besides, so long as Sorcerer, Warlock, and Bard keep getting more subclasses it's going to be doing much more than that would to keep feeding char-op cheese.

>completely fucked balance
Your missing the point, they WANT this. You cannot crit on a 9 in 5e and have a +5 vorpal sword to boot

Having more than 2 levels of training in a skill (proficient/non-proficient) and being able to get your bonuses up to a point where they actually matter is kinda nice. In 5e being proficient in a skill only makes you like 10-20% better than someone who never trained at all, and that kinda sucks.

That being said, the levels of autism in every part of the mechanics far outweigh that single positive I like.

Not excessively appealing to power gamers is one of 5E's strengths honestly.

Because: 1. they didn't play 5E or played wanting to hate it or 2. habit. people like what they like because they started with it or don't want change in their games.

Depends on the dryad. Maybe their a dickish nymph that just likes to fuck with mortals, like most fey. Or maybe they're just trying to earnestly protect their home and, instead of tricking or confronting the party, they simply ask that the adventurers quickly pass through without disturbing the forest.

Oh, I agree, 'though I wish the sorcerer options weren't so lame / insignificant.

>In 5e being proficient in a skill only makes you like 10-20% better than someone who never trained at all, and that kinda sucks.

I find this mechanically weird, I mean you're basically near a master if you just pick up a paint brush. I guess it's a reasonable gap at level 10 but most tool profs come from before your life as adventurer.

Would it be bad to have -10 to tool Czechs you're not proficient with?

I'm GMing a pretty campy, tropey game for my three friends that have never played D&D before; the campaign is going to be about collecting 6 magical items from powerful past adventurers in order to unlock the macguffin/whatever. What are some cool magic items I could use?

I was thinking of having the first one they find be a weapon that absorbs some power from mighty foes the wielder defeats; how would you personally do this? I was thinking that each time they beat a boss, he gets some minor power related to said boss. E.g., he beats a drow sorceror, he can leave webs behind when he strikes, if he beats a powerful fire elemental the weapon can deal fire damage, etc.

What else could I do? The party consists of
>Paladin of Ambition (mixed sword+board/2 handed, Vengeance Oath)
>Cleric of Snake God (death domain, ranged spell attacker)
>Dark Elf Rogue (uses a bow and prefers unorthodox attacks like using the terrain)

per Xanathars you have advantage on a check if you have both a skill and a tool proficiency for it. Which means a Rogue with both Sleight of Hand and Thieves Tools is going to have advantage on all checks to disarm traps or locks.

What if Martials could go Super Saiyan around the time casters pick up 6th level spells?

>Implying Saiyans are martials and not muscle-wizards.

Anything that isn't constituted as "I swing my sword harder" is just going to be spun as "It's magic and doesn't fit Martials!!"

High level D&D characters are literal superheroes. They need to play into that.

I've been kind of playing with the idea of a legendary figure system where after a certain level a Martial (Pure martial and 1/3rd casters like EK and AT too) can model their character after a godlike or legendary figure that gives option to a new suite of abilities.

So if you don't necessarily want to be Hercules, you could maybe be like the Monkey King.

I haven't developed at all outside of the kernel of the idea.

I'm not the guy you were responding to, but Str/Dex-casting seems kinda impossible to justify.
Also has it right.

That's what 'Blessings' are for. You can give them inherent magical item effects or permanent stat increases basically whenever you want as a GM.
Want to turn party members into Goku? Blessings emulating Boots of Flight, and Wand of Magic Missiles, and Cloak of Protection, justified however makes sense for superpowered martial tradition.

Anyone of you tried playing the 5e Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan? What'd you think?

That is, if sleight of hand applied to picking locks.

Doesn't Monk basically do this already? Specifically Radiant Soul?

Does masturbating count as a light activity during a long rest? That would mean a Tomelock with Aspect of the Moon could go at it all night.

What's the typical barbarian's big weaknesses?

command magic with their might. What is so hard to understand about that?
Too bad, boon are not part of class feature.

Spells that require mental stat saves, since the only one they might not completely dump is Wisdom.

Not being able to keep rage up.

>go to local library with my brother
>bunch of ugly looking trannies playing what D&D
>get my normie passing brother to go up and ask what they're playing as a joke
>he asks
>they say they made it up
>they are clearly playing 5th edition as i can see their handbooks
What the fuck did they mean by this

They aren't playing strahd or toa.

What's it like to be too scared to talk to people yourself though?

Not him but trannies aren't people, dude.

"go away already, go be stupid somewhere else"

>rando comes up to table and asks what we're playing, probably interrupting something since D&D rarely has fully silent moments.
>give generic answer to politely signal him to fuck off

I'm clearly a nerd and actually look like know shit about D&D, my brother looks like a normie and I thought it would be funny
Pic related

...

You haven't seen a bunch of trannies playing D&D, theres all sorts of awkward silances
But it did though

Even if this shit happened (it didn't) who the fuck cares?

Cool, they actually bought the handbook and supported the hobby. Probably more than you've ever fucking done, and nobody is forcing you to play with them.

Take your shitposting to /pol/, faggot.

If only they could be as normal as you, watching strangers play a game long enough to parse their group dynamic while silently mocking them.

Yes, because god forbid they try live their lives and leave you alone. Nope, they committed some horrible crime against humanity by being born the way they were. Lucky you, having complete control over such circumstances in your own life.

Asking the important questions user.

THey weren't even the ones that try user, they weren't even passing

I'm looking to make an earth-themed shield as a magic item for the party stone sorc to chase. Any suggestions on effects?

spike growth, immovable for X rounds, invoke stone-skin as reaction.

Report and move along, nothing to see here.

Is it any different to you than if you saw unfortunately ugly dudes awkwardly playing D&D?

Because both Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight gain access to their abilities specifically through taking time away from other pursuits to study magic. Keyword being study. You don't study by lifting a heavy book, you actually need to take time to read and exercise your brain.

Its indestructible as long as he's using it to shieldboard.

Going to make a Conquest paladin focused on well... bullying, fear, intimidation, shield mastery knockdown and flail trips, any ideas on how to accentuate it?

Bonus points if they work as Dwarf.

>Bonus points if they work as Dwarf.
What does a dwarf bully other people for? Being tall?

never been to Veeky Forums have you?
>fucking lanklets

>I'm looking to make an earth-themed shield as a magic item for the party stone sorc to chase. Any suggestions on effects?

It's not a shield, but a powerful magic stone which is held in the hand - when an attack is coming your way, it causes shards of rock to erupt from the ground, deflecting attacks. In addition to the +2AC, it also shoves anyone in melee range 10ft backwards whenever an enemy attacks you and misses.

Yup, also having crotches in punching height, kneecaps in hammer-height and a inferior centre of gravity.

>Going to make a Conquest paladin focused on well... bullying, fear, intimidation, shield mastery knockdown and flail trips, any ideas on how to accentuate it?

Ditch the flail, and make a dex build focused on the usage of whips. Play him as a southern dwarven slave driver.

Being literal giant pussies. "Yer that tall an' ye still have the nerve to cower?"

>We don't take to kindly to your kind down here (Here being underground)

I'm the group's muscle, so Str is a must, also it powers athletics which in turn powers shield mastery.

So if a rouge tries to pick a lock and fails while they are not under any time constraint at all, what is stopping them from trying over and over?

Take 10, or take 20, lock-pick may wear out i guess.

I actually like both 4e and 5e, and hope that 6e takes the best from both.

The balance and martial design of 4e. The emphasis on always having something more interesting to do than basic attacks.
The out of combat rules of 5e.

The lock jamming, or being trapped/attached to some sort of alarm, or your tools breaking.

If the players aren't under any immediate time constraint, and the task is possible, the roll should be for how long the task takes.

Or hope for "D&D Tactics"

Okay, but what if instead of that, it's a Paladin trying to use their strength to break their manacles or bend the bars of a prison cell to escape? Giving them a point of exhaustion is fucking extreme I think.

List of true name for fiend when?

Straining their muscles against steel?

tl;dr My DM made the giantslayer weapon in SKT change once into whatever weapon the wielder wishes - my paladin uses flails and took flail mastery at fourth level. It's been lit.

So Veeky Forums, I play an oath of the ancients paladin in a new DM's run through of Storm Kings Thunder. We make new dms run modules so they can see the necessities of the job.

Anyway, I made my paladin as the tank/healer of the group. A mix of utility and damage with high strength and charisma. Being that no one has ever used a flail in our group I decided to use one and take the flail mastery feat. Normally I'd be fucked since flails aren't common magic weapons or just common period.

Well my party took on the giant slayer weapon quest, knowing full well I'd be the one using it.

Long story short my DM gave us a giantslayer that changes one time to the new wielders weapon preference. As it's a two handed weapon by nature, I'm wielding a maul statted two handed flail, Diablo/WitchKing style. It's been absolutely incredible. I sacrifice my ac for more giant damage, but I took protection/ac+1 fighting style. Thinking initially I'd always be using a one handed weapon/shield.

I honestly just felt the hype last session as the group got a sucker punch on the Uthgardt barbarians at a set of doors in the Oracle's Temple. Combo of being in the dark, misty step, a fireball, and haste. I've never felt more like the Witch King than right at that moment. I think I had two crits, one for each turn of the encounter, and then all the nasty smites I felt comfortable throwing out.

>Too bad, boon are not part of class feature.
This is what I hate the most about this particular argument. It's your game, not Mearls'. You should be wiping your ass with the DMG, Sage Advice and whatever the fuck else if it gets in the way of you and your group that you actually play with having fun. The other option is to just keep crying that Mearls and Crawford haven't re-released the book of weaboo fightan magic so anything you do at the table to adress those concerns is necessarily a sloppy workaround that doesn't tackle the """real""" problems.

If the manacles are so strong that absent some other effect the paladin will not be able to break them, you should inform them and not roll.

Yeah, an my barbarian should get to take 10 on their con check to chew pebbles.

The way I deal with it increasing the critical failure range if the player doesn't take his time. This can range from an increase of 1 for a very simple lock up to 5 points per failed attempt for an intricate masterwork. There's probably more stylish ways to solve it, but it makes my game flow rather easily.

Can someone help me build an encounter? According to the dmg math, 2 giant wolf spiders and 1 giant spider is a hard encounter for 4 level 2 players, but that doesn't feel right. (The idea is the things will have a web across the road and if the players have shit perception rolls, they'll get caught in it)

if the players get restrained, it would very likely turn into a deadly encounter, if all of them are restrained. But there being one more players than there are spiders, the spiders are already at a disadvantage. Honestly I would say run it by yourself to simulate what might happen to them if all/some/none of them are caught and go from there.

Be a Duergar.

I suppose playing Mr Magoo 12 hours of the day is intimidating in it's own way.

It did occur to me, it was his original concept, but in the GM's setting they are complete and utter xenophobes, save for their Devil confidants and consorts, and there's the daylight vulnerability as pointed out.

But yeah growing to Large size as you invoke you Conquest fear ability is a bitching concept.

What's the lowest level character to kill 12 ogres solo?

6 fights against 2 ogres each wearing chain mail (AC 16 instead of 11, no other changes), with 2 short rests available between the 6 fights.

The fights would be in a small area with a roof, so no flying race cheese.

Only official content allowed (no UA)

So with Xanathar coming out, what are the new *must get * spells for the Bard's Magical Secrets?

Refluffing one of the stronghold spells as an Auditorium or a college is tempting as hell, but not necessarily grade A competitors to Plane Shift or Contingency.

I need some advice for what to play here. Starting at level 5.

My group is as follows:
>Life Cleric
>Gloom Stalker Ranger with SS
>Shadow Monk
I already know the Life Cleric is going Dex.

Now, we need some additional magical power it feels like. Paladin overlaps a bit with Cleric in the role it provides (healing), but gives us an actual frontline. It would have to be Dex though, or I would be a massive detriment to an otherwise very sneaky group.

Arcane Trickster with Ritual Caster would make for a good wizard substitute, and it would go well with the otherwise sneaky group. I should also not have trouble finding sneak attacks with this group, and skill checks are not exactly the groups strong point here.

Wizard of some kind, straight up. Not sure which one right now, but I'll make that decision myself if this is the case. Probably Transmutation.

What would be the better choice here? I feel like the group is very lacking right now.

Burrowed martial

Find Greater Steed.

>Solo campaign
>PC makes 16 level 1 characters
>Just very rough outlines following like wise barbarian or cocky wizard for example
>They all go through a series of deadly encounters, dropping like flies until only one is left
>The one becomes the PC
>The 15 remaining get their souls bound to a magic ring belonging to the one killing everyone
>When the PC wears the ring, one random soul's powers is granted to the PC.
>The PC effectively controls two characters in combat that always occupy the same space
>The DM controls the personality and roleplay aspects of the visiting spirit
>Every time the PC needs help it's a dice bag to see which spirit he will gain and what strategies he will have to use to support it.
>The personalities and backstories of the spirts will be fleshed out only when they are summoned, lessening the work load on everyone

Would you play this campaign?

Bard maybe, Spells, skills, sneak and speak.

Probably something with higher-than-base move speed, a ranged weapon, over 12 hp to at least survive one javelin, an absurd amount of real-life luck and a lot of patience

Yes, a great meme indeed.

Though Valor Bards grabbing Steel Wind Strike and Holy Weapon is a thing I could see happen

For some reason I didn't consider the fact that a Bard can take Ritual Caster.

Might just do that then. I just played a Bard though, which is kinda lame.

>neither valor nor sword bard gets to use cha for hit/damage
>they give it to hexblade

Yes I'm unironically upset they pulled this, at the very least, can we get songblades for magic items to somewhat remedy this?

Also sorcerer and as you said yourself wizard.
All benefit from Dex.

>Yes, a great meme indeed
No, seriously. Greater Steed is fucking amazing.

Steel wind strike is essential on Blade/Valor, yeah.