/5eg/ Fifth Edition General

So I'm making a hexblade warlock that's taking pact of blade, agonizing blast, and improved pact weapon at third level to be able to wade in and out of combat. I'm thinking about focusing my spells on out-of-combat utility for the most part, aside from Hex.

>How do you handle making physical grids for players to know where to move about on. Is there a program for this?
Plenty.
>Is having NPCs that serve simply as narrative points and to engage in RP something I should focus on?
Not in particular.
DnD 5e is about three aspects, exploration, social and combat. If you can scrounge up a handful of ideas of encounters of each type, you're set for several hours if not several sessions of gameplay. No need to go crazy with NPCs. No need to overprepare either, you don't need lists of DCs or random encounter tables, when you can come up with something on the fly.
>How exactly do you make a boss a challenge while keeping it fun. The group is 5 people, and I'm worried that most things would get steamrolled by five people attacking it at once while it has only one or two actions per turn.
The answer is lots of smaller bad guys, or legendary actions. This is a bit of an art form, and there's some youtube guides and Xanathar's recently has a bit on this, too.
>How do I handle side quests. I have a few ideas for some, but I don't know how to integrate them into the larger story in a way that makes sense.
There are no side quests, each one is its own thing. If you feel like you need tiny minor quests to complete a checklist, you're doing it wrong. You have plot hooks that lead into the quest as such.
>How do I avoid being the dreaded "That DM"?
Be consistent, take on rules arguments after the game, and don't force players to make any action. If there's a problem, it is solved by talking to people about it, and not being passive aggressive.

>How do you handle making physical grids for players to know where to move about on. Is there a program for this?
I use dry erase dungeon tiles from role 4 initiative, I'm shite with computers so I draw it then take pictures.

>Is having NPCs that serve simply as narrative points and to engage in RP something I should focus on?
Sometimes but be ready for them to latch onto the most vague throw away character that you never expected them to talk to.

>How exactly do you make a boss a challenge while keeping it fun. The group is 5 people, and I'm worried that most things would get steamrolled by five people attacking it at once while it has only one or two actions per turn.
Mooks, never leave a big bad alone the action economy will fuck them everytime. If the fight starts to be more difficult than you thought the mooks start dying fast.

>How do I handle side quests. I have a few ideas for some, but I don't know how to integrate them into the larger story in a way that makes sense.
Depends on the quests, can have NPCs notice they look like capable folk, gets them some fame that leads to rest of stuff or takes it into a whole different direction, be ready to improv which leads to next point.

>How do I avoid being the dreaded "That DM"?
Don't try and force your players into a direction they don't want to go. Don't be a dick, doesn't mean you have to bend over backwards for them but don't shut down an idea because it's unorthodox or not the solution you thought of if it's still reasonable.

Talk to the ranger and both of you leave the game

Hey everyone, this will be my second campaign of 5e (I have 3.5e and Pathfinder experience). My first campaign is still ongoing and it's lasted a year already. I'm sorcerer in that campaign. My question is, how do I play Pure Warlock? I've taken the Archfey Patron, and it seems like my patron will be contacting me semi-regularly. How can I be effective other than Eldritch Blast?

Also there are a couple YouTube shows that talk about a lot of this stuff like WebDM or Matthew Colville

What’s a good dip for a NON-GISH Wizard? All their milestones suck after level 6. Playing a lvl 8 necromancer btw.

Eldritch Blast is a meme from people who don't play warlocks. Use your invocation slots to pick up the at will abilities and play a deception and illusion focused warlock. Avoid combat all together.

Try going arcane trickster for superior mobility with cunning action. Mage hand shenanigans are fun too

Go Undying warlock and begin the transformation into lichdom

>all their milestones suck after level 6
Surely you mean "the milestones for Transmuters and Necromancers suck after level 6."
Surely.

I think you guys have the right idea, I'll find some in game justification to jump this guy. Do you think a zealot barbarian could 1v1 a moon druid?

>a berserker wearing a wolf skin ambushes the druid
>it is what he would do
>fade to black

Depends on how smart the players are and what level y'all are.

At level 3? I think it would be close, but once you beat him out of his wild shapes it should be easily your kill

I have a copy of xanathar, I don't think I see anyone else posting it

dropbox.com/s/kmubjvhezb1wzsi/D&D 5E- Xanathar's Guide To Everything.pdf?dl=0

You got this

It's in the trove

It rape and the ranger felt it. Imprison him on sexual assault.

Nah, what the Druid did was bad but it wasn't PvP. Just have your barbarian jerk off onto his face while he sleeps. It's what your character would do, after all, and it's not metagaming or hurting him.

...

I really want to run a game where all the PCs are brothers/half brothers and their father is the king of some city state.

Their older (NPC) brother is the first in line for the throne and generally their dad's favorite. The campaign would start with all of them being cut off and having to adventure to earn the king's respect (and possible the throne). The older brother would be a rival/possible BBEG throughout the campaign.

They would be restricted to Humans/Half elves and orcs (the king got around). They would be able to do whatever they want to class wise as long as their backstory justifies a prince becoming whatever it is.

None of my players ever seem to interested whenever I bring this up so I will probably never run it.

Hey, I'm in a 3 person party of a Swashbuckler Rogue, a Totem Warrior Barbarian, and myself, a Old One/Tome Warlock. I was wondering if there was any way that I could effectively heal my team between rests or during battles? Our DM has so far been able to plan adventures around our setup but it's starting to strain his abilities.

QUADS OF TRUTH
Okay I'm doing this. Will post results tomorrow night

Your DM specifically used the justification that it wasn't "hurting you," he's not going to allow PvP. Just tell the Ranger to train his animal companion to bite the fucker's dick off next time he tries this shit.
But if he does allow PvP, then offer to take second watch directly following the Druid, and tell the Ranger to take third watch. Take a short rest instead, and have at least one of your Rages left. Preferably make sure he doesn't have any Wild Shapes left too. Assuming you're using a greatsword, your first attack after he falls asleep (autocrit because he's unconscious) is 4d6 + 2d6 + Str + 3 (2 from Rage 1 from Divine Fury), averaging approx. 24 damage. I'm willing to bet that he has less hp than that since he probably dumped Con (he should average 21-24hp). You'll drop him in one hit, two max.

Make sure to frame it as your Barbarian establishing dominance or something. Don't just have him do it out of nowhere.

Fuck healing, go for higher damage. If your DPR is high enough then no one needs health.
Or buy/make healing potions, that could work too.

the DM can just make healing potions cheaper or common loot items or something

or give you a magic item that heals X hp during short rests

Healer feat, or a single level dip of cleric. Or have healing potions. All you need to do is heal downed players for 1 HP.

Have the ranger player reveal that his wolf companion has AIDS.

I also really want to run a spelljammer campaign but thats unrelated to this idea

Currently DMing and I've got a cool plotpoint I think
>Member of party was captured earlier in the campaign by two brothers who runs a shady business
>Party comes to rescue
>The brothers tries to negotiate a more than fair deal in exchange for their companion's life and freedom
>One of them decides to just fure an arrow
>Kills one of the brothers
>Last one is downed by acid breath
Next session, which is a couple of sessions later
>Party returns from long adventure
>They find their player owned business being burned
>An NPC friend of the party is killed infront of them as part revenge
>The killer is the one who "died" from acidbreath, now known as Acidface
>His motivations are pure, they killed his brother unjustly and will now actively hunt them down
>In the midst of their burning home, he sends a fuckton of people at them, while leaving to turn in proof of their misdeeds to the authority
Yay, or nay?

Transmuters level 14 ability is pretty good though.

>players presumably didn't get a roll to check if he was actually dead
>bad guy presumably the only enemy that has gotten back up after downing so far
>obvious cutscene in front of the players
>the dumbass didn't even turn the evidence in before the players got back
>he also commits crimes himself in broad daylight before going to the authorities
You're better than this, user.

Negative ghost rider

kek

don't immediately kill the npc or the business. You don't want to destroy the players roleplaying relationships, you just want to make them believe that their actions matter. DMs that burn down their business and kill their friends are why everyone plays tragic backstory murderhobos.

Just have your NPC narrowly escape some goons and have him tell the players that someone is after them.

Also, acidface is a terrible superheroey name.

>Humble 5e bundle
>no core rulebooks
>it's just a bunch of 3rd party magazines and splatbooks
What the fuck is the point of this? Who do they think is going to but that?

Idiots, idiots so thirsty for content they don't care where it comes from because they can't be bothered to put in a little extra effort themselves.

You fucked up in the first place. The other brother should have hurt the companion, perhaps not killing them but taking out an arm or something to at least give a permanent reminder that the party fucked up with their 'lol just deal damage until the problem goes away' mentality

Also don't plan to kill the NPC. The party should still have some small chance to save them.

>Acidface
Call him Meltymouth or something.

Blisterbeard

Henry one third face

Crispy Carl

BaByQue Face

WotC doesn't sell PDFs so they don't really work with Humble Bundles.

Putty face

Dr. Noface or how I learned to stop screaming and deal with the pain

This only works if your DM is playing fair and is making balanced encounters.

Also an endurance fight kinda fucks them

Mr. No Pain because my nerve endings are dead

You don't need endurance if your damage is high enough.

Instead of punishment, I would turn it into more of an adventure, like the capture of the NPC friend after the plundering of their business. The last bit doesn't make too much sense since the brothers were running a shady business and captured one of the players, so I don't see how it can be seen as a "misdeed". Like I get there was a negotiation but kidnapping is hardly a "safe" business.

How does the Lucky feat interact with Lightfoot Halflings? I want to make a Lightfoot Halfling Paladin/Champion with Lucky and crit all day.

Ok lads, my group has looked into Beyond and even with me keeping them in the loop on the trove they're talking about going in together on the books. What do you guys think the shelf of it will be?

If you want to crit all day just go elven accuracy.

Three times a day, you can choose to reroll a die and choose either number. Whenever you roll a 1 for the first time, you reroll. If you roll a 1, you reroll from the halfling luck and then if you don't like that result, you can reroll it using Lucky.

Anyone have a check list for things to get done in a session 0 for a first time DM working with a couple first time players

Elvish Swashbuckler with Elven Accuracy would get rerolls on every attack, Christ.

This reminds me, is /5eg/ still stupid enough to think that Disadvantage + Lucky = Super Advantage?

Not only is it RAW, Crawford confirmed it.

sageadvice.eu/2015/05/21/lucky-explained/

Holy shit that's dumb

I think it's funny.

...

What the goddamn fuck? Also, please sauce.

Anyone have any ideas for a feature for a custom background of a Raider?
Skill prof with Intimidation and Athletics

Playing a tiefling order of the awakened mystic what racial feats should I take for him?

Apparently source is "Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama."

So thanks to the Gith video I learned that they were originally human and that they lay eggs.

Your luck is superseding skill and circumstance, it's actually pretty flavorful.

where is this month's UA?

It's not

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thanks bro, probably not for me.

My players love to haggle and steal from merchants, so I fleshed out some homebrew to accommodate it.

Feedback is appreciated.

Sounds like your players may be merchants themselves.

I know rpg.rem.uz/ is an excellent collection of RPGs. However, for 5e D&D, I put together an even more complete collection.

Xanathar's Lost Notes
Even more Adventurers League content
Improved bookmarks on Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Most recent Errata for all books
All plane shift material
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VvOnpcksGRsfObeTgn3QhKYEq6iRFP5I

Pillager
Your time spent finding riches to plunder has given you a keen nose for treasure, and keener ears for information regarding those who hold it. You can spend one day carousing and socializing in the darker corners of a town to find out what wealthy individuals and nobles reside nearby, as well as any groups of travelers nearby that bear noble heraldry. You also gain insight on the amount of wealth these individuals and noble houses possess and what form that wealth takes, whether it be prized jewels, invaluable art, or pure liquid capital.

I want to play a superhero in 5e and I figure that a Sorcerer is the best way to go. What tips does 5eg have about making a fun and effective sorcerer?

How does one play a neutral good warlock with the fiend pact? I was thinking the patron would be an erinyes with a boner for brutal justice combined with my characters naive sense of justice. They would both try to sway the other into seeing their version of justice as right.

do all spells with a line aoe emanate from the caster? Cones?

Session Two in the bag.

Knowledge Cleric who insists they:
>know the whole world map (gave obscured copy)
>know the local map (never responded)
>know everything about the town (she thinks she does but she doesn't have any idea what I've got going)
>tried to homebrew pick a +4 to saves from another system homebrew (fat nope to that one)
>tried to have a magic pen that wrote her thoughts constantly (another nope)
>wrote herself as the main and primary record keeper for the entire city of 4000 people, head of a staff of record keepers for the last 50 years (e.g. I know every bill of lading and guest registry ever filled out in the city) big fat NOPE, because you can't do that and the map. couldn't very well say "the fucking baron is corrupt and the last thing he wants is everything recorded ffs" because (plot hook!!)
(and as some user pointed out 20 int perfect recall and some other shit would be needed...)

tonight the player insisted:
>she knew whatever legend or poem the townspeople were talking about and whispering (it's a goddamned plot hook) and instead of listening she whinged about how she would know it
>kept grabbing commoners and grilling them like she was Geheime Staatspolizei even though they were there for a fight (plot hook!) and could give a shit about it
>when I had one of them say something semi related she made them repeat it
>I read another poem and she says well my character got at least half of that then goes back to shaking and grilling the commoner
>literally turned to me and said if it exists or ever existed I know it
>as the commoner I'm like "it's it's two days old the kids are saying it" and she is like
>where did they learn it then, WHERE!??
>commoner: they're kids, they pick stuff up who knows where they learn it, you're hurting me ow
>I've already explained the world map was her all consuming lifes work and she was only allowed to exist outside the temple hierarchy because her mentor saw the value so...

after the game (cont)

When is someone going to upload the real updated version of 5etools and not the shit in the OP?

when they want it to disappear again because chodes like you cannot pay attention and need to be spoonfed

Wall of fire is sort of line a line spell that doesn't originate at the caster. Any wall spell might count as that if you aren't just talking about damage.

Mystic is probably better if you can use UA

>been part of a group for 5 years now
>Has been going a bit downhill over the last 2 years, after feeling like I became fairly good friends with them all during the first 3 years
>GM suddenly starts actively trying to kill my characters, avoid giving any useful loot for me, making specific attunemsnt requirements and not allowing me the same classes as the other players, seemingly just to be able to keep loot from me
>Constantly gives everybody else an exp bonus for "roleplaying and contribution" which has been confusing the other players since he introduced it a year ago
>Found out he invited the other players to see Star Wars after I coincidentally met them at the cinema yesterday.
>He had told them I couldn't attend. I was never asked.
>He disappeared after the movie before I found him, and he is ignoring calls and texts.

Damn that sucks. The other players has even asked what is going on and what happened, and I have no clue. I wish I knew. I have asked on text what is wrong and what I did wrong, but got nothing. I dont even know if I did something wrong or not, I legitimate can't recall anything, and the other players havent noticed anything either.

Feels bad man. If he refuses to talk, this is just game over for me, isn't it? Is there even a point in showing up for the next game?

What? Are you literally retarded?

Don't let one guy chase you out of a group. Stand your ground, and don't act like a dick. The less you react negatively, the more like a dick he looks, and the more likely the others will either talk him out of it or tell him to fuck off.

and also during the game when I had guards, commoners and NPCs refer to the shanties and docks as the "waterfront" she told me OOC I was wrong, that's not the waterfront and I just ignored her. (there is a district listed as waterfront district but it's a different thing than "the fucking shithole RIGHT ON THE WATER which is not a proper name but a literal description" but I was trying to RP with someone at the time and it goes back to
>you don't fucking know everything
>you haven't realized just because it's on a map it's the literal truth (a lesson I fully intend to keep hammering and hammering)

>anyway
so after the game she turns to me with a list of questions
>how does sacred flame work where do I get my +5 attack
>uh you don't that's why it says dex save not +5 attack
>what is the year day date and time and season of year? (she asked me the season earlier, I'm like I don't know it's nice, I've given you zero indication it would be inclement for any reason)
>uh I don't know I have the year noted somewhere I'll have to look later (I'm trying to pack my shit to leave)
>exactly how far is it to Stonegate?
>what?
>I would know, I would know exactly how far.
>look I don't know
>no, my character would know how far is it?
>look I don't know, I would have to figure it out.
>well how far is it?
>look no, I have a world map at home, on the computer, I put a hex grid on it and figured out a shitton of distances for a bunch of stuff earlier but I didn't check stonegate and I will have to go home count the hexs and calculate it becasue I don't fucking know it's a fuckhuge map and unless you want to buy me a banner sized color print you have to wait until I'm in front of a PC for this random shit.

she also corrected me on their travel to the city because I'd said two easy days so she made a bunch of assumptions despite them having an unconscious party member to fucking drag and she's like (again) no you're wrong you said two easy days so it MUST be something we

Honestly, mate, you sound like someone who's absolutely unprepared and is barely in control of his own game. And also you didn't draw the line for your player - where your agency ends and where she can start improvising.

>cont

AH, MAD indeed

>says it's something we can do this afternoon, right?
>I'm like, "you can try"

Argh, it's fucking maddening. All the shit in session was livable but the fucking questions, exact date and time and shit. Next she'll insist she wants prevailing weather patterns for the globe with latitude nad longitude marked and then tell me I'm wrong it can't be raining here because in the 5th week of Montoburuwary it's acktually winter in the southern hemispher... and I'm like you're playing yourself and you can't even get spell v save and spell attack straight.

FUCK
ING
MAD
DENING

as a cherry she points out typos in my written notes I prep and hand out for IC knowledge that I don't want to just blurt to the table.

/blog
I don't have a question.