/5eg/ Fifth Edition General

"boss" fights suck because of action economy and a single save or suck spell ending them in an unsatisfying manner. It's especially worse at lower levels.

>How do you make traditionally "dumb" races more interesting than just big stupid brutes?

You make humans the only playable race so the other races are actually allowed to be exotic and interesting without having to conform to the idea they need to be suitable for people to play just the same as humans.

In before all the weeaboos and snowflakes start screeching about how human-only settings are no fun allowed.

I'm playing in a Low-Magic setting as a Pugilist (Think Str-Based Monk with less martial arts and more moxie) and I eventually want to MultiClass and get some Magic Abilities. CHarisma is my dump stat (10) and my Wisdom is at 16, I believe. Would Warlock be a decent choice just for the invocations and utility, or would I be better going for Druid (Probably Moon) and using Druid Spells and Wildshape?

What's the rest of the party?

Rate the Homebrew.

>inb4 Homebrew/10

Do you mean my personal characters, my group's PCs, or my NPCs?

I think it's shadposter trying to... I don't know, be annoying? He keeps posting a WH mutation chart too. Honestly we've whipped him into no longer posting Shad links and wiki links, and he mostly stays on topic now so I say enjoy having a bitch that religiously makes new threads for us.

I’m gonna be running a one on one game soon with the player being a totem barb. After running a short establishing scene with him at level one I was gonna bump him up to level three (he’s pretty new to rpgs). Most of the game will take place out of the city limits and not in towns either. I don’t want to dmpc, but I also don’t want him entirely alone out There. I was thinking about basically giving him the revised rangers beast master animal companion, which would match with him being a bear barb. Is this gonna be enough to alleviate his loneliness? Is it even a good idea?

Also, what are some nice lower level items to help supplement his one man journey? I was considering giving him a necklace of demon teeth that would heal him 3hp every time he lands a killing blow. Suggestions would be appreciated.

>stoner herbalist druid
>murderhobo barbarian
>drunken scholarly monk
>whimsical sorcerer, convinces small woodland critters to do his bidding
>gritty seafaring ranger out for revenge

Didn't shadposter get banned last thread though?

I'll ask again.

Player puts dragonborn in fight ring with Yuan Ti in first session, gets ass handed to him in round 1. TKO not non-fatal damage.

The Yuan Ti has no reason to think he didn't die but at the start of next session (session 6, 1 hektik week in-game) they will bump into one another.

Is it bad DMing to have the Yuan Ti not remember the PC? I mean the guy is a fighter and would remember a worthy opponent, has killed other people in the ring without a second thought. I cannot find any reason the Yuan Ti would recognize the PC other than
>well he's a PC duh

I mean it makes sense, right, to not recognize him?

Homebrew/10

Repostin from yesterday

So the first campaign I was in was a homebrewed continent west of Faerun. I, being the fucking nerd I am, decided to make my character from Silverymoon before I knew about the campaign. I was also the only one with a fleshed out backstory. Everyone else sorta made one as they went along, and were natives to the continent. Figuring it wouldn't matter much, I kinda made up a copy/paste backstory that could be placed anywhere really.

...And things happened, games occured, blah blah blah, and we're actually heading to Silverymoon now. Like, we'll be there in a session or two. I was not expecting that at all, and I really need to work on my backstory a bit more. Do I own a house? Do I have parents? (did I live in my parent's basement?) My backstory went hand in hand with my Guild Artisan background and transition to Sorcerer.

>Sigvard Skwigelf the death knight
>Ivan Ivanof Ivanovich the door breaker
>Hanurin the seaman(semen)
>slutty bard
>guts
>monk who might as well be yamcha because he spends most of his time dead

We're all VHumans except for the one Half Elf.
Pugilist (Me)
Paladin (Oath of the Purge [It's a homebrew])
Mastermind Rogue (She's thinking about switching to Swashbuckler but her gimmick is her character is pretending to be a Paladin)
Cavalier Half-Elf Fighter
VHuman Battlemaster Fighter

>Playing SKT
>We go to a town and it gets attacked
>We have a fight with 2 hill giants
>They surrender and we get some information
>After the fight the Abbey tell us that they are ours to do what we wish
>We are traveling to waterdeep with 2 hill giants to impress our guild
I love my party

This is why DMs have the right to fudge rolls

>cleric/bladewarlock half-orc that runs around in a cloud of flies and scares the living shit out of people
>tiefling sorcerer that has the magic ability of turning alcohol into being exiled
>gnome wizard that has genuinely NO sense of right and wrong and would turn the party into autonomous toys if he could find a way
>dragonborn paladin that's about as interesting as a damp log
>ranger/rogue that enjoys long walks in the night and has an obsession with collecting used spoons that he likes to suck on

Why am I even DMing anymore.

why is there such a stigma against evil characters?

I've tried to play a Dwarfy dwarf and my party got tired of it very quick. Turns out adventurering is about wanderlust and adaptability and being a dwarfy dwarf is just too slow for that. I think the same problem applies to Elves as well to a certain extent. Not to mention a couple of the other players thought they could make fun of my dwarf and his family and have it not come back later on. Dwarves don't forget this shit, they don't forgive NPC's that betray the party, they don't deal well with changing sides mid campaign etc.

Dwarves are basically weaponized autism transformed into a fantasy race. They don't make great party members to be honest unless you're playing an outlier in the race.

>Homebrew
It's shit.

Or they could just come up with better combat encounters.

Use this.

>My party captures a hill giant
>Enter town in North entrance
>Interrogate it in the town
>Giant is allowed to leave, exits through West Gate
>Promptly gets killed by the guards because turns out the three NPCs that were helping us had zero authority or leadership over the military

We kinda fucked that up. I guess everyone thought someone else would have made sure the guards were ok with it all.

Just give your boss some mooks and don't fight in a featureless "boss room" and you won't need to fudge rolls.

>NEET Moon Druid
>Sheltered city-boy life Cleric
>Ex-con Monk trying her hardest not to be recognized by
>Tabaxi Phoenix Felix Wright (Bard)
>Wild Mage speccing into slapstick humor

Cool. But lets say my parents are still alive (because let's be real, the "MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEEEEAD" is an overused trope). How far do I have to go into THEIR backstories? When does it end?

Considering I went all out with my character's backstory, would it be a cop out if I just... stole an already existing character's backstory from a tv show?

So what is the purpose of this class? With all those Smites, what makes it stand out from a Paladin?

Class, Race, Job, what they've been doing since you left, before you left, HOW they reacted to you leaving, and what they're doing now should be fine.

Trash mobs don't reduce the chance that the boss will be fucked over by a single save, it just makes the fight take longer until the party uses that spell they've been saving

Legendary Actions/Lair Actions?

That's actually super nice to have when you sometimes get stuck in a rut regarding characters.

I'm not the guy you quoted but thank you nonetheless.

why would the yuanti care if he lived
maybe just belittle the dragoncuck a bit if you REALLY care

>final boss of the campaign
>we're on an airship against the bbeg, a yuan-ti sorceror
>suddenly hatch genius plan
>tell bard to cast featherfall on the druid and have the druid transform into a toad, swallow the bbeg evil guy, and jump off the airship and spit him out so he falls to his death
>it works

The Purgator
>Kaladesh Pyromancer Sorceror, stares autistically at people and mostly just follows the party
Ogar Blackblader
>Monster Hunter Fighter, de facto leader, cunning and always angry, super neat descriptions in combat
Sly Thauk
>Monster Slayer Ranger, survivalist, expert marksman, master tracker. Breaks shit on accident often, very inquisitive.
Holy Gul
>Protection Cleric, usually just beating the shit out of things with his warhammer. Plays party healer but wants something else
Mahkutu Mahka
>Shadow Monk, STR-based grappler, always tackles either the enemy mage or leader, pins them down, then MMA style crunches their skulls

All half-orcs

>Decide to actually give it a read
>It's another gish

It's garbage. Just do some of the pic-related stuff and stop trying to bring back the absolute abortion that was Pathfinder Blade Magus.

If your trash mobs offer no real threat to the PCs to the point that your PC's aren't using any real resources on them and they can't help the big boss in any way, then your trash mobs are too trashy. You'll only hit the same result every time if you're determined to make sure that your boss is the only threat in the room.

I'm a bit new when it comes to playing spellcasters, what's the deal with the material costs for spells? Does the 25g component pouch come with all you need except for the more expensive ones? Just looking at a couple level 1 Bard spells you've got Identify which requires a pearl that costs 100g or Tasha's Hideous Laughter which requires a bunch of small tarts. Are they reusable? Do I need to stop and buy a box of pop tarts every time we go to town?

>True Polymorph into a dragon
>establish a lair
>lair raises CR
>True Polymorph into a better dragon
>establish another lair
>repeat until you become an Ancient Red/Gold Dragon
Is there any reason this wouldn't work?

New DM Here,

One of my players can't make it to the next session tomorrow. He has to cover a shift for a coworker in the hospital. I'm not mad about the missing the game. I'm mad that he's known for 3 days but he hasn't bothered to tell me until less than a day before the session. I know I shouln't be vindictive but I don't like him not being upfront with me and me having to call to find out.

All my players agreed to proceed anyways. Should I reward them for being there and send a slight message to not miss/give me more heads up?

Read the chapter on magic rules again, you're asking a lot of questions that are all answered there.

If they were having resources used on them they wouldn't be trash mobs almost by definition and I doubt the work "mook" was being used to refer to those kinds of mobs

page 203 of the player's handbook

Material components are autism-tier baggage from older editions. Having an spellcasting focus completely removes the need for them, and all but the most autistic of DMs will say a component pouch has everything you need all the time.

The only obvious exception is spells that list expensive components like the aformentioned pearl. You DO have to buy that. However it is not consumed upon casting the spell unless the spell specifically says it is consumed.

What are some good low-medium level dungeons and keeps that I can shove into a setting to populate a homebrew world?

Just site based adventures that will take one or two sessions to clear out.

It depends on your DM but consensus is that if you have the Arcane Focus/Component pouch, UNLESS THE MATERIAL COMPONENT HAS A COST (IE that 100gp Pearl) you automatically have it.

our groups typical rule is no XP for no call no shows, half XP for advance notice. that's about all I can say for your situation. if your group can agree to a similar rule, I'd instate it

Should be rewarding them for showing up anyway via XP unless you're doing milestone levelling, in which case delay his level ups anyway cause he wasn't there

playing is reward enough

just move on, staying angry won't do you any good

To elaborate on your point the fact that things usually aren't consumed is exactly why component pouches don't run out otherwise they'd essentially be worthless to start with because you'd have to buy more later anyway

Reward the players who showed up, but do it in the form of a slight loot bump or something. Parties getting uneven XP and being at different levels is cancer.

this is why the component pouch is autistic as fuck and just choosing a focus is better

can't wait for Tome of Foes

A real autist takes both, in case they're disarmed.

But a smart DM just removes component pouches as a thing altogether.

>What is legendary resistance, legendary actions and lair actions

Nah, the player is a cunt in all honesty, cause the DM actually had to call *him* to find out wtf was up. Would have been fine imo if the player still told him a bit late, unless it became a repeated problem

hexblade doesnt need a focus and my dm allows the pact weapon to be summoned as part of an action

Yeah I can't wait for supplementary rules for traps or some shit.

It's like it's a built in cheat item. I don't understand what they were thinking when they wrote out the material components, not only are they all shit puns they never actually matter unless they have a cost attributed to them.

I'm the poster that said mook, and I didn't mean "enemy so worthless it might as well not be there," I just meant that you need smaller fish around your big fish that can actually do something so that you don't have essentially a 5v1 fight on your hands. I would still qualify someone with Counterspell as a mook if they were up against a level 7+ party. My mistake for being unclear.

We're doing Milestone leveling in Curse of Strahd. All level 5. Y'all're right that I shouldn't stay mad. But I think I'll give my present players something nice but small. Any Ideas?

Things that don't exist at the lower levels like that user stated.

Wasn't that the whole purpose of Tales from the Yawning Portal?

How do I properly use Lovecraftian monsters in 5e? I don't like the whole "you're busy fighting orcs and their uneasy hobgoblin allies when suddenly a Yithian appears."

flip through some common magical items or something. Xanathar's actually has a bunch of shit that doesn't really affect combat power too much but is fun for roleplay purposes

However you should have every right to get mad if the cunt keeps doing this repeatedly.

people already said give them exp or magic items u dolt
quit ignoring shit until you get the answer you "want"

3.5 book Elder Evils is phenomenally useful for this

>One more Gish that also ignores ranged fighting
I'm fine with a surplus of Gishes but I want some fancy ass bowmen now and then.

Yeah I've shoved the forge of fury and some others in there. I was just wondering if there were more good stuff out there.

I'm about to start DMing my first 5e game! A romp in a fledgling borderlands town with some rotten monsters and shady townsfolk.

What have I gotten myself in to

> Half-Elven Swashbuckler, Former Navigations & Communications expert of a Pirate group. She made a deal with a devil (who loves to mess with her) to survive a deathly encounter that she accidentally caused. She loves the ocean & sea and enjoys traveling to find new friends, allies, and treasures (To keep the old crew's goals going strong).

>Half-Elven Swords Bard who loves to dance and strives to push people to express their true feelings through both discussions and passionate combat or duels. He has 2 missing toes.

>Halfling Glamor Bard with homebrew music patron. Music is her life, she sings everywhere she goes trying to bring some happiness and cheer to people, she adores her Patron as it showed her how music can truly touch and affect people. She smells of Spring air all the time and sings Disney songs...

The smite spells are optional, mechanically speaking its a closer subclass to the Hexblade or Bladesinger, but for a Sorcerer as it has a War Magic type ability and a really fun flavorful ability through the arcane strike ability. Flavor wise its got deeper ties to the bonded weapon as it forms pretty much everything the class can do. Also, Paladins come off more like bastions of defenses and auras while also being able to heal and tank with divine magic. These guys are good at imposing status conditions if they burn through their sorcery points.

Ah how lovely, I get my own picture used against me. I really need to remember to update that Action Surge bit with a more optimal setup... Regardless what's wrong with another Gish? As you can see there are many in the game that adding another would not really affect much. Personally, for me, there has never been a subclass or combination of classes that quite hit the seamless magic and might feel that I have been looking for which is why I made this, it's not for everyone as everyone has their own view of the "best" Gish , but for me this is perfect.

>A real autist takes both, in case they're disarmed.
My Sorcerer has 5 focuses in case of emergency, what does that say about me?

>Want a boss at lower levels, too stupid to give them things that will make them a boss
Oops

Trying to figure this out. I'm running a Triton Druid and I don't know if when I wildshape, do I retain the Triton's ability to breathe underwater and swim speed, since those are racial abilities that the PHB says I keep?

>add in a bunch of shit from much higher CR creatures, an extra turn, lair actions, magic items, etc. just to make them function
Almost as if they're a terrible idea!

>Recently a bunch of attacks in the region have been going on
>Really fucked up corpses, like they've exploded, entrails everywhere, etc
>You try to hunt down this monster
>eventually you track the monster to its lair which happens to be a lovely shade of blood red
Script on the walls written on a language that nobody can understand, and comprehend languages doesn't work because the caster takes 1d4 psyonic damage as the words contain a higher plane of knowledge
>You can't see the monster
>You can't find the monster
>You travel deeper and eventually you realise this isn't just a cave, it's a portal to an alternate dimension where this creature has leaked in from
>If you go further in the more the cave becomes like the other world that the creature is from
>You start losing perception of time and space
>Eventually the monster finds you
>It's not even butthurt that you're there, it just doesn't care
>It looks like some sort of fractal warping that moves around or some shit
>You try to fight it, but it's like your attacks just pass through it
>You try to reason with it, but it doesn't follow your logic
>You try to barter with it, and the only things it wants are either a) Legendary magical items or b) something stupidly rare or magical that you run an entire campaign arc trying to obtain
>It also forces you to make a pact to bring said item to it otherwise it'll just turn you into another cave painting

I was asking for specific magic items or treasures. But sure, use bad reading comprehension to be a fucking cunt.

>if the new form is capable of doing so

Don't respond to shadman

Your not the first person to say this. For a while I did have the bonded weapon feature work with ranged weapons, but I was told by very vocal individuals here that it would be too much on a fullcaster with haste, war magic, arcane strike, medium armor, and Sharpshooter + Crossbow expert. I agreed that it seemed a bit too safe and debuff happy for the way sorcerers are designed and with what they have so I had to drop that part and booted out heavy weapons while I was at it. Let the Eldrich Knights and Hexblades enjoy their stronger weapon options with better feats.

Also, might I ask why not play an Arcane Archer or ranged Eldritch Knight?

Like I already said here Xanathars has tangibly useful items that aren't too strong.

I'm confused, is this shadman's new schtick? I thought he was still posting about how he wants to be a loli PC

Not really a 5e specific question, but how small is too small for maps?

I was thinking of running a pretty simple hacky-slashy tacticool campaign but I don't have one of those big dry erase maps nor do I have minis to go around. I was thinking, though, of drawing maps on normal A4 paper and using pins on it since I have a section of cork board a bit larger than that and using thumb tacks or bobby pins or something to represent units.

Bad idea?

BTW I was thinking of having 3 or 4 players.

Nice try powergamer, but no.

>tfw you will never transform into a kickass Sea Bear.

user-kun, you can just buy some grids if need be

That being said I'd only use the board IF and I mean IF you can get the paper to be properly flat on it otherwise it'd be annoying as fuck. Also don't use pins or tacks, get tokens or something instead.

In 5e the way it usually works is a 1-inch grid is 5 feet per int, characters move anywhere from 25 to 40 ft a turn so you'd need like a 20x20 inch grid imo for a fair sized fight. Spells range anywhere from 15ft (3 inches) to 120 ft (24 inches) so a 20-inch board makes it so you can actually make players have to move to get in range which is something not always taken advantage of. In these large scales you also need to make players take note of ranged weapon damage ranges too. Smaller encounters are fine also but I'd say at least ~75ft/15 inches in one direction at least

Ask your party to contribute to a vinyl battle mat and some wet-erase markers. That's like, 10 bucks a person max for a biggish one. (3' x 4')

I have never tried it so I might be full of shit, but I feel like multiple people crowding around a sheet of paper would be inconvenient at times.

This is 100% the way to go. Been using that with my groups for several years now.

>how small is too small
If people smile and tell you it's cute or if friends pat you on the back and tell you it's a good size, then it's too small.

Obligatory.

The general theme is a bit too generic for me, while also not sounding like something inherited. And each sorcerer is an 'Arcane Conduit' of someone or something else's power regardless, so the name isn't really doing any of the thematic heavy lifting it should. Perhaps reconsider it as a hereditary oath rather. "Swordsworn"? Well, you've got options to play with in any case.

I dislike the cascading interactions between Frenzied Bout, Arcane Strike, and Runic Protection. I also think Arcane Strike and Runic Protection are both a little over-tuned in light of that. The delayed damage and +1 to AC/Con saves push them both a past what looks to me to be the probable sweet spot.
It's also a little bit fucky to get two punchy combat features at 6th level for Sorcerers, especially when you're getting a purely combat-based feature for 14th. I understand you're having it follow in the 'not-fully-martial' footsteps of having more weapon attack ability happen at 6th, but pairing it with Arcane Strike is a bit much even if it is gated by the Bonus Action cost.

If it was only a couple of these it could just be a cool baked-in power play set up, but all of it together pushes it a little too far.

>In 5e the way it usually works
I know about the scales, I was just wondering if it'd be presumptious to use a corkboard instead of dry-erase and to use a smaller scale than 1 inch, like 1cm squares or something.

I'll pick up a plexiglass sheet or something. those vinyl mats are highway robbery and I've never seen a big one get completely used anyway. Or maybe I'll paint and clearcoat that piece of cork; it's about 34x30 cm

it's a playing surface, not my dragon dildo strap-on to make up for my tiny penis