/5eg/ - Fifth Edition General

First for Cursed treasure.

>tfw you realize Oath of Conquest is just a red pilled version of Oath of the Crown

>>53889039
I am all about cursed treasure. Sadly, I never got to play a character that made cursed treasure on purpose.

Why is the Whisper Bard so good, /5eg/?

Paired with an assassin and we are fucking unstoppable in an intrigue-heavy, mostly urban game.

Arcana Cleric + GFB or Tomelock + GFB?

>>53889046
>Loyal Servant of the Crown: His smile and optimism: gone.

>>53889015
>IRL Game
Get down to business, combat-centric but with a fair amount of RP
>Roll20 Game
Mostly RP, feels awkward to start combat, some sessions are entirely composed of roleplay

Does this happen to anyone else?

>>53889082
>Why is the Whisper Bard so good, /5eg/?
>an intrigue-heavy, mostly urban game.

That's probably why.

>>53889082
Probably because it can only be use in a niche campaign? Most monsters are outright immune to poison damage.

>>53889083
Tomelock gets Shillelagh, Arcana Cleric doesn't.

>>53889116
Yeah, I know, but I think most of the kit is useful in any game, except maybe those that are 90% dungeon crawl.

>>53889151
feat

>>53889151
Speaking of which: what are the best cantrips to poach as a Tomelock?

>>53889101
IRL games are easier to feel invested in, as you're there and part of it, the RP comes easily, and you don't need to do too much.

roll20 is impersonal, so it's easy to overdo it on the RP thinking you're not being invested enough, even if you are.

>>53889101
Combat takes for-fucking-ever on roll20 for my group. While everyone still seems to appreciate the mixture of fighting and roleplaying I'm dreading expanding what was originally going to be a few rooms because I know combat is going to take a while with what I plan on throwing at them.

>>53889197
>Combat takes for-fucking-ever on roll20 for my group
fucking how? You click a fucking button.
I remote in with my group, they play IRL and I use roll20, my turns never take as long as their turns.

>>53889172
Guidance, Shillelagh, Spare the Dying, Sacred Flame. Theurgy if you're into that.

Just discovered Oni in the MM. What creatures work well with Oni? They'll be on a ship though so no monsters that would stick out.

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>>53889046

>>53889172
Shape Water. So many use for that spell.

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>>53889239
Well when you say 'ship' and 'oni' I think of the umibozu. Some kind of water elemental would be good as a pair, or combining the two into a single creature in some fashion. Fey in general would be a good match for general creepy shit. Reflavor minotaurs to be ushi-oni or uma-oni.

Is it just me or are most spell useless in social situations because of verbal and somatic components? It would be obvious for everyone around when someone is trying to detect your thoughts or charm you...

That's a thing that makes sorcerers good (they have access to subtle spell).

>>53889151
Arcana cleric sacrifice 1 feat slot for better armor, shield and more damage.

>>53889372
> It would be obvious for everyone around when someone is trying to detect your thoughts or charm you...
It would be, but you're a wizard and you don't give two fucking shits if they care if you are casting spells on them.

>>53889372
detect thought can be concentrate, so you can use it beforehand.

>>53889372
Yes, that's the point. Stop trying to solve all of your problems with spells.

>>53889406
>Try to mind control the king
>Every kings guard attack you as they see you casting something

>>53889372
That is why you roleplay as a old senile wizard always babbling arcane words, nobody will notice you casting a spell (or not casting one).

>>53889429
maybe don't mind control the king, then.

>>53889429
>mind control the king
>king says "don't attack, i'm fine, he's just unblocking my chakra paths and activating my almonds, he's a world renowned spiritual healer and I called him here just for this"
>continue to mind control the king

>>53889429
Good, you are being justly punished for being a faggot.

If you cast a spell as a class or racial feature, will you still need material and somatic components?

>>53889429
> Not killing the guard and replace them with their simulacrum beforehand
> Not killing the guard and use animate dead on them before hand
> Not disabling the whole room first (maybe with sleep)
> Not making your way into the king bedroom when there is no one around

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>>53889234
Shit rolls. Both parties had trouble hitting each other and this was with reduced AC on the enemy side for reasons that the person most interested in the event forgot five minutes after learning about it. I guess I should take it as they're really considering their options or something.
>resistance
>AC 18
I think I have to use this shit sparingly.

>>53889489
Yes, unless it specifies that you do not need them.

>>53889489
depend. If it's actually casting a spell, then you need components unless the feature state so.

>>53889301
thx but what the fuck are those

>>53889467
>he's just unblocking my chakra paths and activating my almonds
kek

>>53889525
Just different kinds of Japanese monsters. Do some light research.

>>53889525
japanese monsters. the Umibozu is a giant sea spirit, believed to be the spirit of a dead monk. It's harmless, unless you try and speak to it, then it'll get angry and capsize your ship. the Ushi-Oni are cow headed ogres.

>>53889197
>>53889502
Focus on more dynamic combat.
Enemies don't have to fight until they die. Some might have a sense of self-preservation and try running. Some might try to bargain something.
Still try to drain player resources, but the truly scary thing about monsters as opposed to normal creatures is that monsters will fight to the death, showing no fear or remorse and the only thing sating them being feeding them your cold, lifeless body.

>>53889651
Oh, also, I wouldn't say it's wrong to say that a high AC is pretty lame, too as suggested.
It's more fun for players to hit usually, so normally monster ACs aren't too high, though it's sometimes nice to change it up with high AC monsters I guess.

>>53889101
Very Much so.

I almost prefer my weekly roll20 game. The live game puts me in the same room as ugly neckbeards that smell like a swamp, who constantly makes crude remarks, and always attacks first, ask questions never. Literally to the point where I try to speak with undead, to have the fire sorcerer butt in with "BORING, I TORCH THE BODY LEL xd"

The roll20 games go a tad hard on the RP though. Generally very little combat, and a lot of talking and bonding and occasionally even some light ERP.

Feels more relaxing and casual, and it is a lot more fun. If I just wanted to kill monsters, I would go back and play Diablo or something. The average NPC in Diablo 2 had more personality than the PCs my group brings to the table, and combat is a lot more fun too.

>>53889101
It has felt very, very much like that over many campaigns I've done online, compared to those in real life.

I've decided to try a 'play by post' system to see if this changes things - Yes, it'll be slow, but since you can play at any time essentially and this would be practically impossible in real life, maybe it'll work?

>>53889263
Redpill is older than /pol/, plebbitor.

>>53889046
>Oath of Conquest is just an evil version of Oath of the Crown
fixed

Is Deep Rothe qualify as a beast conclave's companion?

Medium. 15 HP. Attack is 7 (1d6+10), unless you count their charging special ability.

>>53889651
It was in an area where both sides have an even playing field, but I plan on giving the guys plenty of things to interact with since it seems like choosing to investigate derelict ruins that the city they're in has been built on. My biggest worry is railroading this group but I feel like I'm doing fine. They're doing whatever as they try to get back home.

>>53889699
I don't plan on throwing too many of these things but I'm still going to make them paranoid about them.

>>53889502
I made a level 1 party fight an animated armor for 23 turns.

>>53889827
But you don't understand, anon, jackbooted dictatorship and merciless ruthlesness is okay, if it's for the GREATER GOOD!

>>53889835
Yes. Issue is they have hooves. Good luck getting it to climb a ladder or rope

How would you folks handle, mechanically, a PC attempting to raise a warband of barbarians to lead a charge against what essentially amounts to a big spooky not-Cthulhu and its denizens? In story, he currently wields a pretty famous war hammer whose owner's tomb is a pilgrimage point for wild men throughout the region. In addition, they goofed stuff up bad and basically let a fragment of a great old one into their realm on an island, and it's slowly corrupting the plane.

Thinking of stuff like:
>Persuasion checks or payment or feats of strengths/favours to convert people under his cause in cities, bars, taverns, etc.
>Need a settling place as travelling
as a horde would attract attention and cause logistics issues. Maybe have to clear out a small settlement?
>Find means of employment for his people, or basically pay them to train and sit tight until the battle begins? (This will take a while in game to go down)
>Excess funds towards furnishing the settlement, purchasing weapons, armour, maybe like training personnel?

I know in the lore for faerun barbs are pretty nomadic, so I have this image of the dude seeking leads to find them in the mountains or wherever they nest, and convince them to fight for him, either through money or promise of fame or basic do the right thing. They would show up with a few trusted people or friends from the local area, maybe not as strong, but would still be a body. Normally I would not dedicate a portion of a campaign to one character, but the whole crew is onboard, and think they would really need an army of people immune to charm, fear, and similar to really even stand a chance.

Does anyone have any more suggestions or systems I could look into to make these feel as rewarding, realistic, and balanced as possible?

>>53889917
Most companion can't climb up rope anyway.

>>53889905
>jackbooted dictatorship and merciless ruthlesness is okay
This is not what the oath tells, stop projecting

>>53889263
Fucking Summerfags abound

>>53889082
because the bard is so good regardless of its archetype

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>>53889931
Or you could just be like me and ask your DM if you can get a giant wolf spider and not have to put up with that crap. It can just climb up the wall and give zero fucks.

>>53889880
>It was in an area where both sides have an even playing field
It's normally hopelessly against the enemy's side.
>Railroading
It's generally fine to give a plot hook and say 'go over here' and have general expectations for what will happen. As long as you're prepared to improvise if things go off rails, that's pretty much fine.

>>53889919
Probably have a series of 'Prove your worth to get people on your side'
Going about through drinking competitions, bringing back the head of a foe a tribe has long been troubled with, feats of strength and so forth, and maybe have some chieftains or important people (rather than the whole tribe) come with them as they gather more until it's eventually like a barbarian crusade as people realize 'holy shit shit's getting real'
.. Probably have an extra motivation such as 'after we win, with all the barbarians together, we're going to topple the capital of this empire we really fucking hate with heroes in tow' or something. Or divvy up previously corrupted land. Or, heck promises of a great place in the afterlife, I don't know.

So instead of 'manage a warband of settlement' it's more 'rouse a crusade, tell a load of people to all arrive at the same place at the same time of their own accord'.

Maybe take back the holy land along the way.

Would an oil elemental or oil slime take extra damage from fire, or would that only make it more deadly?
Or would it just explode?

>>53890020
>Barbarian Crusade

This pleases me greatly, and having them stay put until the time arrives simplifies things on my end.

>>53889931
>not just strapping your 500+ pound boar companion to the back of the barbarian
Just tell him about all the gains he'll get.

>>53889962
>Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.
>Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.
>Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.
Lawful Evil tyrant - the oath.

>>53890004
Too much damage.

>>53889931
That's why you take one that can at least climb a rope ladder, can fly, or is light enough for you to carry; unless you want to spend 10 minutes strapping your animal into a harness and pulling it up every time you come across a ladder

>>53890022
It wouldn't take extra damage, but it might catch fire and be more deadly, but lose health in the process.
Essentially ragemode.

>>53890052
>500lbs
I'd imagine they are in the 200 region. Maybe 250-300 for a big one

>>53890064
Well considering poison damage is one of the most resisted in the game, my DM allowed it. Half the time the poison is resisted or ignored all together against stuff like undead, but up against enemies it does full damage on, yeah it can do alot of damage (provided they don't make the con save).

I'm starting up a new campaign soon. The premise for the group is they are problem solvers for an organization building a magical train line.

One of my villain groups will be a bunch of terroristic druids trying to prevent what they call an affront to nature.

How can I use druidism for terror, preferably in a comical way?

How do I get my party to deal with the fact that the only available (and acceptable) races are human, halfling, elf, dwarf, half-elf, and half-orc? No more of this tiefling / aasimar / drow shit. I also banned subraces because they are stupid, there is ONE kind of elf and ONE kind of dwarf, they just get to choose where the extra point goes, because I am not dealing with this Forgotten Realms bullshit. Fuck Forgotten Realms, it's a Mary Sue playground with shit lore. The Spine of the World is the only good part of Faerun, cause it's a cool name. But anyway, I am so sick of these fucking faggots who always want to play le edgy XD races like tiefling and drow. But they whinge and bitch when they have to face realistic consequences for picking that race (i.e. being shot on the surface on sight). I mean for fuck's sake you are playing (1) the evil elf race, or (2) a LITERAL FUCKING DEMONSPAWN. Oh, and dragonborn? Fuck no. They see that they think "oh shit it's a weird-looking orc" and kill that shit instantly. Yeah, the guards in the PHB are way too underpowered too. 11 hp? Fuck that shit. I made all the guards Veterans with Max HP and Max Damage so the party would learn how the fucking law works.

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>>53890145

>>53890097
I don't know, depends on where your from I guess.There have been boars with recorded weights between 600 and 700lbs, but they're much rarer now due to hunting.

>>53890054
>A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.
Literally saying it's better not to just kill people

>Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.
Follow the law, justice and fairness for everyone

>You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.
Improve yourself, if you are not the best then you are not fit to rule. Meritocracy


It seems Lawful Good to me

>>53890235
Yes, that sounds like a very good lawful good oath. It's nice of you to provide quotations from Oath of Conquest saying much different things, you know, to provide the contrast.

I'm making a cleric of Ilmater and wondering about a few things.
So Ilmater is about suffering for others, and he believes in pacifism and forgiveness, and that all can be redeemed and forgiven if they truly want to be. Evil can brought back into the light, basically. Even monsters like Orcs and Goblins deserve a chance.
How does Ilmater feel about necromancers though? I mean like ones that make undead servants. For example, Hamun Kost in LMoP. Would Ilmater want to let him live because he isn't hurting anyone and is just researching? Would Ilmater want the zombies dead but allow Hamun to continue otherwise unharmed? I'm sure Hamun would not want to give up his guards.
Also, Ilmater wants his followers to take others' suffering as their own. Would this extend to criminals? For example, if a thief is to be beaten for their crimes, would my cleric want to intervene and stop it from happening?
Anything else about Ilmater would be appreciated. I've read the info on the Forgotten Realms wiki already and there's some good stuff but it doesn't cover a ton.

>Fuck that shit. I made all the guards Veterans with Max HP and Max Damage so the party would learn how the fucking law works.
This is not fucking how the law works at all you drongo.

'If you break the law, superheroes will fly after you and beat your head in'

No, that's not how it works at all.

'If you break the law, the guard will be alerted. They don't want to risk their lives, so they team up with many of them. So many, when you realize it, you'll just have to fucking surrender. Maybe you can down one in two or three powerful hits before they crawl away bleeding, but you'll only have one or two rounds before you're either dead or completely restrained.'

Sure, I feel commoners and guards could use a slight health boost (I place a common man in his prime as essentially a level 3 1d8 hitdice without features and likely a bit lower attribute scores and only having proficiency if they have reason to have it) and a trained guardsman might have proficiency or even experienced guardsmen might get as far as getting extra attack, but they function because they work together against bullshit adventurers. Not because they have superpowers.

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>>53890235
Watch out anon, you'll trigger the 'No, Oath of Conquest paladins are explicitly evil even though nothing specifically says that and they have to make a seperate mention for 'hell knights' as lawful evil paladins!' anons.

What does the 'CIC' in 'DDALCIC' mean? Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League...?

>>53890302
>Take a note from real life peta or dehta from wow. Party tries to clear some wooded areas to make way for the train line, druids make said trees come to life and inconvenience them (branches steal items from them, roots trip them constantly, etc.)
>You could also get angry woodland creatures under the druid's control to fall out of the trees and onto party members, whereas they proceed to claw/bite their faces until they get them off.
>Generally the druids sending a message to the party and their organization that they're not welcome in the woods.

I'm thinking about not having the druids as immediately obvious threats. I had a thought for them enslaving/bargaining with a lake troll who would search out workers at night and kill them, and the group has to follow clues to figure out what's happening. Maybe if they can figure out what's coercing the troll, they can renegotiate a better deal with it or free it from its enslavement.

I'm also thinking about making one of the ring leaders an awakened ape that guides summoned/charmed animals by playing conga drums.

>>53890273
Here you go, Illmater is in here on page 75.
When you want Realmslore, look to 1e and 2e material.
https://dnd.rem.uz/Advanced%20D%26D%20(unsorted)/Faiths%20%26%20Avatars.pdf

I have this cool concept for a half-orc Archfey Warlock.

Thing is, I fear it will be shit, given how half-orcs make pretty bad Warlocks.

Any suggestions for making this suck as little as possible?

I know Hexblade would be the way to go, but I gotta have this as Archfey for reasons.

>>53889901
How'd they take it?

>>53890020
I mean, provided they're humans they'll use cover and the like too. Might have a reoccurring enemy or two be creative as well if the group makes one. And yeah, I asked if they could check something out, they want to explore and assumed that there's some labyrinth under the desert and here I am.

>>53890397
>How'd they take it?
Let's just say there was no second session.

>>53890393
>Warlock
Prepare for casting hex every combat and using eldritch blast every round.

>>53890334
Con-created Content. Less than 60 seconds with google, my friend.

>>53890393
Stop hitting enter after every sentence.

>>53890409
No shit.
>>53890429
Thanks for the tip bro

>>53890393
Focus more on utility, I guess. Your EBs will be slightly worse but you can still use repelling blast to good effect in combat, you can take the UA invocation that slows enemies by 10ft if you hit them that archfey get.. And then you'll be all the back liner's friends.

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>>53890381
So basically donkey kong. I can dig it. Could also go crypt of the necrodancer route and have him raise undead woodland creatures to fight for him, depending on what your druid's views https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAzz02gKc_I

>>53890390
Thank you, I appreciate the help.

>>53890429
>CIC
>Con-created Content
What is the 'I' for?

>>53890481
I guess I know what song I will play when that ape druid shows up. That's catchy as hell.

>>53890481
Goddamn that fight's fun.

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>>53890545
Crypt of the necrodancer music is catchy as hell. I recommend checking it out on Steam if you get the chance. I think also someone tried to come up with ideas for a CotND styled dnd dungeon crawl a while back.

>>53890567
Yeah. My all time favorite would have to be Necrodancer fight though. Momentum mori is catchy as hell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zWHPLDHFhE

>>53890617
>lose to Necrodancer
>mocks you and invites you to try again
Welp, looks like I need to start playing again.

>>53890617
>tfw will never finished Aria

I have an idea for balancing combat: No Dual Wielder (DW) feat, no -5/+10 on GWM/SS.

TWF: no bonus action, fighting style gives +1 AC instead of ability modifier to second hand, you can draw/stow both weapons on the same turn, stacks with extra attack.
GWM: merge Savage Attacker feat and remove the "once per turn" text, now it's basically advantage on damage rolls.
SS: increase shortbow and longbow damage from d6 and d8 to d8 and d10 (same as crossbows)

Feat-less 2HF and TWF have the same damage output.
GWM increases the mean, but not the maximum.
PAM increases the damage by 5-7 and costs your bonus action and feat
SS increases damage to the same as Duelist fighting style, along the other bonuses from the feat.
http://anydice.com/program/c0f0

>>53890235
>Literally saying it's better not to just kill people
It's saying it's more EFFECTIVE not to just kill people. Not necessarily better from moral standpoint.

>Follow the law, justice and fairness for everyone
Follow the law? Maybe.
But it doesnt say anything about justice and fairness. It does speak about exemplary punishment, though, which i don't think is JUST thing. Exemplary punishment is (by definition) harsher than default punishment to set example and discourage others.

>Improve yourself, if you are not the best then you are not fit to rule. Meritocracy
I would agree, if the merit in question was wisdom or something. Strength is important, but it is not the main thing good (in ethical sense) ruler should have.

>>53890662
They added some new DLC recently that added a lvl 5 with new enemies, a new vampire girl character, and a rapping mole boss, so now would be a good time as any to pick it back up.

Anon with the evil druids could also make an awakened mole bard just for shits and giggles if you want to do more references.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF18bHI3iSM

>>53890726
>I would agree, if the merit in question was wisdom or something. Strength is important, but it is not the main thing good (in ethical sense) ruler should have.
Do you really think that when it says "the strongest should rule" it's implying the ruler should be the one who can lift more weight?!

>>53890798
No. I used word strength and wisdom in purely common meaning, not as attributes.

>>53890735
>Anon with the evil druids could also make an awakened mole bard just for shits and giggles if you want to do more references.

It's the start of an idea. I could always do more than one group of bad guys.

>>53890381
>I'm thinking about not having the druids as immediately obvious threats. I had a thought for them enslaving/bargaining with a lake troll who would search out workers at night and kill them, and the group has to follow clues to figure out what's happening. Maybe if they can figure out what's coercing the troll, they can renegotiate a better deal with it or free it from its enslavement.

I'm thinking with this idea, the concept will be the troll is doing what the druids ask because some other group has his brothers and sisters captured by minotaurs or gnolls that are cutting off chunks of troll to eat. The druids said they would free his siblings.

>>53890153
(You) saved the thread. Thanks

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Hunter or Deepstalker for a Dwarf ranger focusing on Strength and Wis?
I'm planning on using the duelist fighting style with an axe and shield. What feats would be worth taking?
Other than Gourmand.

What are some character backstories I can fit into Curse of Strahd?

For example, maybe a character is a sibling of Ireena and Izek
Maybe a player is looking for Rictavio, or even Mordenkainen
I even thought maybe a female player is disguised as a wood elf but is actually the last surviving female dusk elf, and she's here to take revenge on Rahadin and make many dusk elf babies with Kasimir

Have you done anything of the sort in your CoS games? Did it work out?

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Could I get a quick true/false reply to the following statements, please? I need something clarified.

1) You do not need the material components of a spell to cast it if you have a spellcasting focus, like a wand or staff, with the exception of the following statement.

2) If the material components of the spell list materials of an explicitly stated, specific monetary value (like gemstones worth 1,500 GP) then you will need those components to cast the spell, even if you have a spellcasting focus.

>>53890798
Yes. It means "strongest shall rule" in the primal, law of the jungle kind of way. Oath of conquest determines leader in the very same way prison gangs do.
Oath of conquest is nigger tier in the very literal way.

>>53891162
1) True
2) True

>>53891112
Deep Stalker is tailor-made for an underground race like dwarves

>>53891162
1) You are correct
2) Exactly, any casting component with a GP cost must be provided, can't just toss out gold in the wilderness, they need the stated item at that stated value

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Yo /5eg/

Got a player who ended last session buried 60 feet deep in a sea of sand and is probably gonna end up dying there

Anyone got any good sand or desert related puns I could use for this situation?

>>53891204
>>53891231

Alright, thanks! I knew spellcasting focuses (foci?) let you eschew material components but for some of the really high-level spells that seemed a bit too lenient.

>>53891162
That is true.
Please note, material components are not consumed unless it says so.

>>53891245

>Looks like your friends have DESERTED you!

Question about Open Hand Monks: if I hit a target with all 2 Flurry of Blows attacks, I can impose 2 of the Open Hand Techniques, even the same one (unless successfully knocked back by 1st attack)?

>run a homebrew
>All the work makes me wish I was running a module

>Run a module
>Wish I was running one of my cool homebrew ideas.

Help

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>>53891245
Could have him sink further and fall into some underground ruin that he has to navigate his way through and fight off whatever fitting desert creatures might be there.

Certainly better than dying in the sand somewhere and the last thing to remember said character by being a shitty dessert pun.

>Magic Circle
>Components: V, S, M (holy water or powdered silver and iron worth at least 100 gp, which the spell consumes)

Am I reading this wrong or can I choose Holy Water OR 100GP components? meaning if I choose Holy Water I can just use my focus since holy water doesn't have a cost? What's the point of listing components with cost if you can choose like that?

>>53891314
>combine the two

>>53891314
run a module, but twist it to your heart's desire. If you have a session where you don't have enough time to prep what you want, you can still run it mostly by-the-book and improv stuff.

>>53891314
>Run modules
Handwave stupid shit

>Run Homebrew
Steal cool shit from modules

>>53891370
Holy Water costs 25g each, per the Player's Handbook; so you either need 4 flasks of Holy Water or 100g worth of Silver/Iron dust.

>>53891353
This.
Best if it kinda hints towards an overlying plot that the players later find themselves chasing.
That way it's a 'death, but also omnious information reward'

They might even find the character enslaved later to underground desert creatures.

Way more interesting.

>>53891370
>What's the point of listing components with cost if you can choose like that?

I think Holy Water is still a necessary component in this case. The way I understand it, if a specific gold value ANYWHERE in the material components, then you need them.

Besides, a lack of a comma splice means that this could very easily mean "holy water...worth at least 100 gp, which the spell consumes."

>>53891442

wait, so even if the cost of a material isn't listed on the spell, it can still have a cost listed elsewhere? I could have been doing a lot of spells wrong then. Isn't there a way for clerics to make holy water though?

>>53891480
>wait, so even if the cost of a material isn't listed on the spell, it can still have a cost listed elsewhere?

Yea, but again, unless the dollary-doos are listed in the spell description, you don't need them. No numbers, no problem.

>Isn't there a way for clerics to make holy water though?
I don't know off the top of my head but I'd let them cast Bless on it.

>>53891480
>Isn't there a way for clerics to make holy water though?
A cleric or paladin may create holy water by performing a special ritual. The ritual takes 1 hour to perform, uses 25 gp worth of powdered silver, and requires the caster to expend a 1st-level spell slot. (PBR, p. 49; PHB, p. 152*)

>>53891500
>unless the dollary-doos are listed in the spell description, you don't need them

I thought it was if a price was mentioned and the spell explicitly consumes it. If it just has a cost but the item isn't consumed, you can use a focus or a component pouch (though it does get weird when the cost of components is more than the component pouch itself).

>>53891480
Anon, it lists the cost of materials in the spell, 100g worth of iron/silver powder or holy water. No, they can't make more of it on the spot for free, it's a consumable like a healing potion or flask of Alchemist's Flame.

>>53891480
A cleric or paladin may create holy water by performing a special ritual. The ritual takes 1 hour to perform, uses 25 gp worth of powdered silver, and requires the caster to expend a 1st-level spell slot. (PBR, p. 49; PHB, p. 152*)

>>53891550
>explicitly consumes it
the holy water/dust is what you're drawing the circle with

I should probably just do point-buy, but I like the variety of rolling for stats.

help.

>>53891555

alright the way it was worded made me think it was holy water (no cost listed) OR powdered iron and silver (100GP) but now I see the 100GP can apply to both. I just woke up, fuck off

>>53891550

no, if the cost is listed you need the item. for instance or Chromatic orb, you need the diamond worth (I think) 50GP before you can cast the spell. Once you have the diamond though you can cast Chromatic Orb repeatedly with the same diamond.

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>>53891592
don't be grumpy anon, just trying to help
here, let Heathcliff help start your day off right

>>53891666

people who are happy or pleasant immediately after waking up are the worst

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Feeling a little conflicted about the current game I'm in.

Before I start off, I'm well aware things could be much worse than they are. I'm well aware that, in truth, things aren't really "bad."

That being said, the game I'm in is a bit... unsatisfying. Overall, it seems pretty low effort on the DM's end. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to even have a game to play in. Some sessions are good and others are fairly boring.

We've only had... I think maybe four or five combat encounters out of 13 sessions over the last 5 months. Only one encounter lasted a good while (about an hour and a half, I think) and it was a very close battle. I'm not sure if that encounter scared my DM or what, but since then the game has been so light and underwhelming on combat that I'm feeling pretty bummed. I'm actually kind of losing motivation for even explaining the situation as I type this up.

The few encounters we get rarely last more than 3 rounds and they are just so underwhelming. Usually the enemy either goes down without much of a fight or they expertly disengage and run away and we aren't given a chance to pursue. Level 7 and no magic weapons, no magic items. I don't even know what the point of the "story" is. It doesn't make any sense.

Our latest combat encounters haven't even been real ones. Just "roll to attack, okay you killed an enemy." No map change, no enemy sprites or tokens, just the world map. (We play online.)

No satisfying skill checks or anything. Just shit like:

>"You can't break down this wooden, non-magical door despite being a Barbarian with 18 strength."
>"You can't jump 10ft across despite having 18 str and 16 dex, so even on a high roll you'd fail."
>"You can't use a water walking spell because I didn't take that into account when I designed this shitty three room dungeon."

I'm at a loss. The game isn't bad, but it gets so boring and underwhelming that I start to get negative thoughts.

Is celestial warlock good?

>>53891743
Better no DnD than bad DnD. And that sound bad. Are you sure you are not holding yourself as a hostage for stockholm syndrome?

>>53889739
I've been on those sites before and it's generally not worth it.

Mostly staff issues and in-fighting among underage nerds, as well as no sense of uniformity for balancing ideas and actions.

Is there a good way to capitalize on the The Undying Light: Radiant Soul's radiant/fire daamge bonus?

On on e hand it feels like you're pretty much devaluing your EB

>>53891743
Sounds like a shit DM

Why don't you offer to run a game next session, anon?

>>53891750
>1+Warlock level healing words except you can actually cast a spell after using it unlike with healing word so you can endlessly get your teammates up while still fighting
Gee, I don't know, anon.

>>53891750
A best.

So i'm going to be joining a new group of friends in my first ever mini campaign in D&D just so they can help me learn the game a bit before starting a real campaign. They said they'll help me make my character and everything but I just want to come prepared. All I want is to make sure I don't die. What is the tankiest race and class in the game? Forget damage. I want hight constitution and Armor Class I know. I'm looking at half orc or dwarf Hill dwarf Specifically. That's what they're called on the website i'm using to research stuff. And a paladin so I can be tanky but also heal myself. Which would make a better paladin dwarf or half orc? Or is there an even tankier race and class?

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I always thought how I wish I could DM a game for once to see what it's like.

So I did, one day, and on the very first session the party was at a village enjoying a celebration and taking part in contests and drinking and other events (for about 30 minutes before it was all going to go to shit) and suddenly the party rogue says "I take out my bow and kill one of the kids"

???

I didn't know what to do. I blacked out. Do I let him do it? How do the guards react, I don't even have their stats handy. What if it's a total party wipe? What if the party kills all the guards and takes over the village? What about the event? What about the goblin attack that's about to happen to propel the campaign forward?

I asked him "are you sure?" and two players looked at me like I was the worst DM in the world. The other two called the guy names.

He didn't do it in the end but I still regret it to this day. I should've let him do it and then let all hell loose on him just to see what happens.

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So I'm trying to make a Giant based NPC that was created because a witch was really really lonely, and it was accidentally seen by common folk and have begun hunting it down.
How do I write it so that the Giant can be a threat to hold its own should things come to blows, but without making the PCs want to outright kill it the first time they meet? There are two ways I can go with either approach, but I'm terrible at coming up with NPC personality and manners. Of course, the common folk that hire the PCs will make it sound like it's a terrible monster that needs to be put down. Also what possible rewards could be given out for such a task?

>>53888260
Run Armor of Agathys and kill people for hitting you. You'll still die, but hey, progress.

>>53888345
Start them with something interesting and something with purpose. I like Sunless Citadel and I liked the idea of the Shackled City stuff (which starts with looking for missing children, not updated to 5E). Rather than say don't do bandits, think about why there are bandits and build on that.

>>53888360
> You just won't have proficiency when using it like that
>Answer hazy.
You might have proficiency, or you might not. You definitely only deal 1d4 damage with 20'/60' range though.
It's probably better to have actual throwing weapons to use, not least to avoid arguments about whether you get your proficiency bonus.

>>53888412
You do it by investing in Str/Cha/Con and taking armor feats as you level if you want better AC (They still raise your strength some). You mostly spend your spells on defenses and hit people to death.

>>53888536
Its melee attacks can be better than its cantrips and that's all I can recommend for it actually using melee. None of your spell slot spells actually want you that close.

>>53888788
>>Still fucking d6 hit die.
That's the big problem. A little bad luck and you go down and bladesong ends.

>>53890637
They can only hide when there's somewhere to hide. It's not stealth mode.

>>53889101
I find the text only games go at a glacial pace compared to the voice chat using game I was in.

>>53889372
Kinda. They should know you're casting, but it's DM's prerogative if they know what you're casting.
>That's a thing that makes sorcerers good (they have access to subtle spell).
>Sorcerer hands you a penny.
>Now knows your thoughts.
>How does he keep doing this?
Actually, Detect Thoughts also gives itself away when you probe deeper, so you still have to be careful with it.

>>53890393
You can still be a Str blade-fey-lock. Start with 17 Str and take moderately armored at level 4.

>>53891743
>No map change or tokens
How? I can understand using theater of mind for some things but at least a few 'this is where you fight' maps would be fine. That green text is disgusting, I'd never not let my players do things like that because they can either be awesome of fail spectacularly.

>>53891950
>"I take out my bow and kill one of the kids"
What is it with retards like this?

>>53891950
Good thing to remember in a situation like this is you control time in game.

So when your players declares this you say to the other players 'You see the rogue pull his bow out, he seems to.be aiming at one of the children what do you do?'

This gives them a chance to react and for the rogue to change his mind but all in character.

If they do nothing then yeah all hell breaks loose, big tough combat with guards. Don't hold punches. If the rogue escapes he's branded a child killer across the land and his companions are aiding and abetting .

Don't be hard on yourself. Gming is tough, you slowly just get used to how to deal with situations like that.

>>53889015
>Play a Paladin after a failed attempt of a game as a Blade-lock
This is so much fucking better its unreal. How do people defend the state of Blade-locks?

>>53892010
You can follow the "Me no stoopid, me not that kind of giant"-theme, the giant is strong to be a menace, but is retarded or has the mentality of a child, probably the easiest way.

>>53892080
>Blade-lock
There's your problem lad.

>>53892010

I hope they kill it

fuck giants

>>53892107
I know friend, thats why I rerolled a Paladin after 6 sessions of being a garbage melee-caster who had to min/max like crazy to not die/be effective. I'm just questioning why people feel the need to jump to its defense when people badmouth it. That shit is worse than PHB Ranger ever was.

>>53892080
>How do people defend the state of Blade-locks?
No one does, you're better off in every way (except flavor) playing a paladin of your choice.

>>53892010
If the giant looks like the one in your image you should be more worried about your party trying to fuck it. Or go diving.

>>53891162
1)False, technically, because the following statement isn't complete.

Add to 2) Or if the material component that is listed is consumed by the spell.

>>53892080
Nobody defends bladelock.

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>>53892146
Won't be problem. Apparently everyone in my group has taken an oath of celibacy, for not a single one has ever attempted to seduce anyone. I think I got lucky.
This makes it more difficult for any of them to find the hidden vampire.

>>53892010
Maybe the first time the players see it the giant is hiding behind a rocky outcropping or bigass tree. When it is approached it acts inquisitive but cautious. It's never seen these strangers in their shiny clothes and is curious, but they could be dangerous so Gigantor needs to be careful. All the "dangerous acts" it's been committing are like Lenny in Of Mice and Men: he just doesn't know his own strength and hurts people/breaks things by accident. But if attacked the giant will no longer be curious and want to stop people from hurting him.

That's how I'd do it at least.

>>53891310
You can even knock them back twice but you'd have to follow them after the first knock back.

>>53892010
Have it take the dodge action while trying to appeal to each character on their turns, if they're still trying to kill it 3 rounds later, whip out massive non-lethal damage to a PC or 2 until they want to talk.

>>53892188
Reddit does
Its why Hexblade got smashed to pieces.

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>>53892212
>>53892202
These sound like great ideas. Thanks, lads.

How is sorcadin? I'd imagine smites with almost full casting would be pretty strong

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>>53892230
Np my dude.

>>53892230
Your pic made me curious. Which monastic tradition would be best for a Sentai themed monk?

>>53892010
The rewards:

If they kill it, they get some random crap that was in the giant's bag. Roll a couple times on the Giant's Bag table in the Storm King's Thunder to determine what they get.

If they befriend it, they get a lovable but dimwitted giant NPC that can carry them around, carry their heavy equipment and help them in battles.

>>53892225
Hexblade was shit though. It was all the shit I was saying they shouldn't do to save bladelock save for the 'whether or not you use melee weapons shouldn't be decided by a level 3 minor feature, but rather a more major feature like bard's colleges'.

It's like EB warlock except you now get more armour except you get less armour if you decide to actually use swords and the features all work for EB warlocks and it's OP anyway and aaaah.

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>>53892234
Paladin and Warlock/Sorc multiclass are apparently the strongest multiclass from my experience, and what i've seen in these threads.
Full Caster gets more smites. Extra Attack gives more Smite attempts, as well as Crit Smit fishing. Even better if you take War Caster at some point and 6 levels into Paladin for +CHA to saving throws. Pop a haste, and you'd have 3 Attacks, all capable of smiting for 5d8 radiant damage each at high enough levels.

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>>53892181

Thank you!

>>53892234
I'm not too familiar with how multiclassing works in 5e but I think that'd work pretty well, lots more spellslots for versatility but Divine Smite specifies that you have to spend a Paladin spell slot, so that kinda sucks.

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>>53892146
>going diving with a qt giantess

>>53892285
I was planning 2 paladin. No extra attack, but smite+booming blade and more spell slots

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>>53892266
Monk is too limiting. You should base the class on what type of sentai/Toku you're going for.
Take Blade, for example.
Eldritch Knight, Heavy Plate, Greatsword, Magic weapon

>>53892285
Personally I'd say sorcadin is a viable sidegrade and fighter2/warlock2/sorcererX is the most powerful core multiclass. Not insanely powerful, it still has drawbacks, but powerful.

I wanna make my first campaign, with people who haven't really played before, I wanted to keep it sorta simple-ish. I was thinking something like Dragon Age: Origins, big bad army guys coming from X, gotta go around and get the various races of the world to fight them or everyone will die, perform quest lines for each race, add some interesting side story stuff to do inbetween each race, towns to do stuff in, etc.

Any ideas to go along with this? Thanks!

>>53892274
It was only OP because WotC has a retarded thought-process to not limit Warlock goodies to Warlock only goodies. If they put in a hard line on Eldritch smites working only with and only scaling with warlock leves and for Warlock slots it would have been fine. They can't think shit through at all though.

As for the level 1 dip issue with Hexblade they should have just made it a level 3 feature for CHA to weapon stats, and rolled their Balefull hex into a melee only feature instead of EB turrets getting even more options but then again WotC seems to think EB is literally the only thing you should ever do as a warlock so its all pointless.

Blade pact should have gotten a rework to include the following.
Level 3 you get medium armor profs, and a fighting style.
Level 5 you get extra attack invocation for free
Level 12 you get Lifedrinker for free.

then roll in the Hexblade Invocations with hard restrictions on multiclassing and call it a fucking day. Too hard for them I know.

>>53892368
>OOO
I don't think Druid is going to cut it.

>>53892285
Oh hell no they don't get more slots for Divine Smites, you put your min/maxing players in their damn place!

>>53892348
Divine Smite specifies that you have to spend a paladin spell slot, Warlock/Sorcerer spell slots are for warlock/sorcerer spells/abilities.

>>53892413
incorrect, devs clarified smites can use ANY spell slots from any classes you have.

>>53892413
>Divine Smite specifies that you have to spend a paladin spell slot
That was errataed like two years ago. There's no such thing as a paladin spell slot, you can spend any spell slot you have to smite.

>>53892398
>Level 3, you get free AC for picking this pact instead of something interesting and flavourful
>Level 5 and 12 you're also now good at fighting in melee even though you probably picked this because you just wanted free extra AC so that's a nice benefit I guess

Firstly, it kinda goes against the point of pacts to have 'Utility!', 'Utility!' and 'Free AC I guess'
Secondly, it doesn't make bladelock interesting. Bladelock should've been a dangerous DPS class that could output good damage yet still do spellcasting, yet also be more vulnerable than other melee fighters.

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>>53892413
>>53892329
It was errata'd

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>>53892140
100% agree.

>It takes an action just to bring out your pact weapon
>You can only have 1 pact weapon
>You can't even go sword and shield or dual wield swords
>You're only proficient with your pact weapon.
>Meaning, if you wanted to dual wield two swords, you'd only be proficient with one of the two weapons because the other is not a pact weapon.
>Can't take ranged weapons as a pact weapon
>Bladelock gets no bonus armor proficiencies
>Can't just summon armor with your pact weapon (lesser complaint)
>You only have 2 spell slots until you reach level 10
>You only have 3 spell slots until you reach level 17
>Nobody ever takes short rests after every combat encounter
>Spamming Eldritch Blast is more efficient than melee swinging anyway
>Half the invocations give you level 1 tier spell effects
>The other half of the invocations require you to expend one of your precious spell slots just to use it
>Level 20 capstone for warlocks is a "stand here for 10 rounds (1 minute) and beg your patron to refill your 4 spell slots
>meanwhile Chainlock gives you an invisible familiar you can scout and cast spells through with
>meanwhile Tomelock gives you about 10 cantrips, most from any list, and the best ritual casting in the game

Will bladecucks ever recover?

>>53891940
Cleric get heavy armour and healing plus defensive spells.
Fighters get heavy armour and lots of health, plus second wind to heal themselves often.
Paladins get heavy armour and a little bit of healing.
Barbarians get loads of health and take half damage when boosted by their rage but their A.c. sucks so they will get hit easily.

>>53892461
Not trying to be contentious but is that the right errata? It just seems to be saying that since monster spell slots aren't class based, if you make a monster X class, those spell slots can be used for X class' things.

>>53891592
In either case, the spell consumes the components so you can't sub in a spellcasting focus.

>>53891804
>The Undying Light
Use Celestial, and no, not particularly. It makes some of your spells better but you'll still cast a lot of Eldritch Blast.

I'm hopeful some of my feedback will be heard and they'll actually expand warlock choices with Xanatar's though.

>Bring back all the 4E at-wills by combining cantrips, patrons, and invocations in different ways.
>Pick EB, Chill Touch, Sacred Flame, Fire Bolt, Poison Spray, and maybe others as your primary at-will attack instead of piling 7 invocations all onto EB.

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>>53892506
Yeah, clicked the wrong one

>>53892459
Nigger both of those invocations are mandatory choices that run counter to what 5e warlock is supposed to be about, a versatile caster that allows you to customize how you want it to play via invocation choices and pacts. Instead Blade-lock out of all of them has 2 mandatory invocations(3 if you want o sparingly use EB) out of their ballpark 5(in most games not level 20 bullshit) eaten up by features every single other melee gets by default.

Bladelock isn't a dangerous dps class in melee, they do average damage(marginally like 2 fucking points) over EB turrets for waaaaay more opportunity cost as being a melee retard with light armor no fighting style while being MAD as fuck to get milage out of spellcasting beyond buffs which come at a huge premium of 2 spell-slots.

Right now you have to pay through the fucking nose to be moderately effective, via losing ASI for feats to make up for trash profs.

Pacts are supposed to enhance the path you take, Blade doesn't do this beyond giving you a magic weapon and huge opportunity cost to use it.

>>53892080
>Some people just enjoy roleplaying

>Some people don't care about perfect balance because this isn't an MMO

>Some DM's don't put players through a death gauntlet every session and design things for fun.

>Some players don't track their DPR to inflate their ego.

>>53892562
You stupid nigger, bladelock is not a class, it's not even a subclass. It's a pact BOON. It's a small thing. It's not gonna make you do as much damage as fighter just because you picked a pact boon. Are you too dense to understand that?

>>53892473
>It takes an action just to bring out your pact weapon
As long as you have your weapon with you, it doesn't disappear. Summon it in the morning and you're good

>You can't even go sword and shield or dual wield swords
how does having a pact weapon stop you from using a shield or another sword?

>You're only proficient with your pact weapon.
and Simple weapons, plus anything you gain from race

>Meaning, if you wanted to dual wield two swords, you'd only be proficient with one of the two weapons because the other is not a pact weapon.
or you stop being a retard and pick a race with proficiencies, or be variant human and pick up the weapon proficiency feat

>Bladelock gets no bonus armor proficiencies
race and/or mage armor invocation

>Can't just summon armor with your pact weapon (lesser complaint)
mage armor invocation

>Spamming Eldritch Blast is more efficient than melee swinging anyway
If you take all the invocations to make EB good. even then, there's nothing wrong with being a switch-hitter, you get a dickload of invocations

>>53892591
>Option to go melee as a pact
>Its literally worse than everything under the sun
Man weird how people have problems with it.
>>53892571
Found reddit

>>53892571
>Some players don't track their DPR to inflate their ego.
If you aren't tracking DPR all game, how do you determine who wins?

>>53892562
This. Everything this anon says is absolutely correct. You're forced to use your first 3-4 invocations for the obvious choices. The rest are trap options that only ledditors would defend.

>>53892591
Nigger, you're a fucking retard.

see
>>53892473
>meanwhile Chainlock gives you an invisible familiar you can scout and cast spells through with
>meanwhile Tomelock gives you about 10 cantrips, most from any list, and the best ritual casting in the game
Meanwhile Bladelock gives you a giant smelly pile of dogshit.

>>53892571
I'd agree if 5e wasn't so combat focused, doesn't take a genius to figure out that Blade pact is garbage compared to every other option Warlock has, or any other gish for that matter.

There is a huge reason why every single Warlock player I've ever played with over the last few years has rerolled or multi-classed after a few sessions. Warlocks suck.

>>53892562
It's not bad to give those things for free, but what's bad is tying tankiness + strong melee to a level 3 pact option. It's at odds with the other options and doesn't actually require you to be a proper bladelock, merely gives you the options.

Pact options should be for cool, flavourful utility options. And, to some small extent, pact of the blade is that, except it's shit and the whole invocation tax thing is weird.

Instead, bladelock should be a variant of the entire warlock class that doesn't have the same eldritch blasting spam power (perhaps no +cha to damage) but has good melee power and spellcasting, yet is still fairly squishy like a monk.

There isn't really a proper frontliner 'glass cannon' class.

>suddenly remember mimics
>about to reach a perfect place where they'd reside
What are some fun, but subtle ways to hint that a mimic might be nearby? I feel skeletons would be a bit much but if it were to change form and camp in different spots I think that'd be enough to instill paranoia in people. So are mimic's original shapes just like, ditto blobs or something?

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>>53892613
>using DPR to determine who wins
>not spending the whole campaign planning how to kill the rest of the party after they outlive their usefulness thereby making yourself the last PC standing and the winner

>>53892490
thanks. Looked them up and still think i'm gonna go with Paladin. Fighter looked cool but i'm feeling being a holy knight. Do you think a dwarf or half orc would be better?

>>53892543
Oh wow, that's kinda OP.

Guess Paladin/Sorcerer's back on the menu!

>>53892664
>There isn't really a proper frontliner 'glass cannon' class.
probably because "Frontliner" and "Glass cannon" are directly opposed. Frontliners need to take hits, glass cannons by definition cannot take hits.

What is and what is not consider difficult terrain?

>>53892713
whatever your DM says it is.

Party of 6 level 5's on deck.

Taking all sorts of suggestions. What kinda stuff should I squeeze in next session? Only have a royal ball right now.

>>53892613
My table goes by total kills at the end of the night.

The dick move killsteals I've seen have been great, it's even better when the team healer steals a kill because "you've only failed 1 death save, you're fine".

>>53891314
As someone new to DMing who never run module, i gotta ask - is it really easier running pre-made adventure than coming up with something on your own? The latter seems to be easier than reading 200 pages book.

(Especially when English is foreign language to you and you need to translate most of the shit to your native language - which is my case.)

>>53892702
All 'frontliner' means in 5e is 'most obnoxious because they're at the front' rather than 'uses aggro mechanics to hold enemies'
There are exceptions such as with sentinel, but for the most part 'frontliners' are just people who put themselves in danger. And yes, they do need to take hits - and the fact it's opposed to being squishy does make it less user-friendly, but maybe 5e shouldn't have to baby you all the way through. You're not super squishy when it's 1d8 hitdice instead of 1d10 with a likely similar con mod and perhaps 15 AC instead of 18 AC, but you're probably not so tough either.

>>53892702

Generally front line glass cannons work via damage avoidance rather than taking it.

>>53891950
You were right, anon. It's acceptable to say "no child murder in my fucking games".

>Mr my-guy-would-do-this decides to burn down the Library of Plot while separated from the group
>Mr lolrandumb shouts "I'LL KILL YOU" at the enemy kingdom's ruler during tense negociations
>Mr edge decides he wants to flay a captured kobold alive
>Mr spotlight-hog decides to fuck off to the other side of the game world alone overnight and expects narration to follow
>Mr opportunist wants to steal from the party or betray them and it's not a PvP game
>Mr degenerate wants to sneak away at night to fuck the pig

No, no no no no and no. The DM gets to veto anything, and the group gets to vote to retcon stupid actions that could pointlessly waste party resources or cost PC lives. That's how it works at my table at least.

>>53892747
turns out the punch in the punch bowl was an ooze this entire time.

>>53892770
I was with you until the end but I see nothing wrong with sneaking away at night to fuck a pig.

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>>53892603
>As long as you have your weapon with you, it doesn't disappear. Summon it in the morning and you're good
One of Pact of the Blade's main selling points is being able to summon it anywhere and anytime at all. If you're ever ambushed, attacked first, or in a social situation that doesn't require you to have a weapon at the ready, your entire 1st turn is going to be summoning your weapon as an action and that's it. The fact that you'd have to pre-summon it and never unsummon it is testament to its shit factor.

>how does having a pact weapon stop you from using a shield or another sword?
Pact of the Blade is for summoning your weapon. You can't also summon a shield if you're a sword'n'board, and you can't also summon a second weapon if you're a dual wielder. Meaning it defeats the purpose of being able to even summon it in the first place.

>and Simple weapons, plus anything you gain from race
Spoken like a true nigger. I guess you'd have to take a race like Elf to gain any kind of weapon proficiency just to dual wield, or spend a feat, huh? Once more you prove my point: it's suboptimal and shit.

>or you stop being a retard and pick a race with proficiencies, or be variant human and pick up the weapon proficiency feat
>"just pick variant human lol"
What a faggot. The fact that you'd need to pick a specific race to offset your lack of options in the base class proves that it's shit. Saying "PICK THIS RACE FOR THE RACIAL BONUSES" is not an argument: it's admitting that the class itself is so terrible that you need to supplement it just for it to work with any concept or idea even remotely outside of the box, limiting all options severely and crippling it as a class even further than its shit even needs to be.

>race and/or mage armor invocation
Already commented on race, mage armor invocation doesn't get you medium or heavy armor which grants you superior AC to 13+dex.

>you get a dickload of invocations
A true nigger. Have you ever even played a warlock?

>>53892225
Sure it's not the fantasy they defend?

>>53892762
i should clarify, by "taking hits" I don't necessarily mean being able to soak damage, but to "absorb" the attack. Someone with 25 AC can "take a hit" because the attack will likely be ineffective.

>>53892817
Sorry I meant "the pig". It's obviously a very important pig, not just "a pig".

>>53891590
Anon in other thread suggested rolling for different arrays created by point buy.

But you should probably just do point buy.

>>53892664
Well the issue is that their are neither. They can't frontline without burning a ton to survive, and they can't focus on glass-cannoning without giving up that tender asshole to anything that sneezes on them. Removing the Invocation tax would do wonders but they'd still be a dude wading into melee with light armor profs which is fucking garbage due to no real survival features outside of your 2 spellslots being eaten by say things like mirror image or AoA, those tricks lose mileage real fast if you are in combat with anything decent or for some reason you don't get your established encounter rest cycle.

I don't see a problem with giving them more, class is so limited in what it can do.

Does anyone have any advice for running war/military-themed campaigns? Ones where the PCs are soldiers in a larger army. How do I keep things interesting?

>>53892824
You realize you become proficient with a weapon when you make it your pact weapon, right?

Attune a Greatsword or Polearm, you are now proficient with that weapon.

>>53891590
Standard Array and roll a 1d6. You can add the dice roll up to 18 per stat.

Or Point Buy with 30 instead of 27.

Slight boost, overall balanced.

>>53892732
I will just make difficult terrain myself then.

>>53892675
Mimics are fun, especially the adhesive trait.
>Party finds treasure chests
>Properly paranoid and fearing traps, they decide to open them at a distance using mage hand
>Some open, some don't
>No rogue in group, they decide to smash open the ones that don't
>Monk punches mimic chest, fist gets stuck
I might throw a mimic disguised as a door at them at some point.

>>53892838
Warlock has the best flavor and fantasy, but bar none the worst mechanics in all of 5e. If only they weren't tied to a horrible rest system, then they might have been anything other than a powergamer dip.

>>53892877
What the fuck are you even talking about?

>>53892473
>It takes an action just to bring out your pact weapon
>You can only have 1 pact weapon
>You can't even go sword and shield or dual wield swords
>You're only proficient with your pact weapon.
>Meaning, if you wanted to dual wield two swords, you'd only be proficient with one of the two weapons because the other is not a pact weapon.
>Can't take ranged weapons as a pact weapon

I already addressed that in my original post pointing out how sub-optimal it is. Can you even read?

>>53892904
>Warlock has the best flavor and fantasy

how's that now?

>>53892675
>>53892898
>Mimic impersonating a giant stalagmite proceeds to imitate Roper in order to spook players

My own suggested fixes: Blade boon lets you kill a creature once a day to gain an extra spell slot.
Thirsting Blade does something besides being extra attack (but worse). For example: When a creature takes damage within your reach, you can use a reaction to attack that creature.
Lifedrinker is 1d8 damage (instead of +cha) and you regain HP when you hit creatures with it.

>>53892140
I'm curious what you did as a blade-lock and what you're doing as a paladin. Share your brain.

>>53892266
Warlocks are also transforming heroes/magical girls.
>Mage Armor at will
>Disguise Self at will
>Summon a special patron weapon at will
>False life at will
>Armor of Agathys not at will
>30 second transformation sequences
>Other patron stuff.
>Hex with Verbal components only: "In the name of the moon..."

>>53892274
>This
The warlock UA was throwing out everything anyone had ever asked for, but not everything people asked for were good ideas.

>>53892285
>Full Caster gets more smites.
They get to full smite spell slots earlier, but it seems like a waste to use higher than 4th level slots on smiting, so I don't consider them more smites.

>>53892398
UA isn't balanced for multiclassing, and that was never more obvious than with Hexblade (and Twilight druid), though they made the same mistake with EB in the first place so whatever.

>>53892562
It should take one less invocation than it does, or get more out of the invocations it is expected to take. Its damage is alright up to level 10, but it should have more utility than "less than half of a half value feat" to compare to the tome and the chain. I'd really like to see it bring back the "kill enemies for benefits" function for all patrons instead of just fiends. That's what a special patron weapon brings to mind for me, anyway.

That said:
>no fighting style
You're retarded and blade locks don't need to have more AC. It'd be more interesting for their defenses to work differently, like temp HP.

>>53892824
>One of Pact of the Blade's main selling points is being able to summon it anywhere and anytime at all. If you're ever ambushed, attacked first, or in a social situation that doesn't require you to have a weapon at the ready, your entire 1st turn is going to be summoning your weapon as an action and that's it. The fact that you'd have to pre-summon it and never unsummon it is testament to its shit factor.
yes and you are then better off than the rest of your party, who can't summon weapons.

>Pact of the Blade is for summoning your weapon. You can't also summon a shield if you're a sword'n'board, and you can't also summon a second weapon if you're a dual wielder. Meaning it defeats the purpose of being able to even summon it in the first place.
Neither can a fighter, but they aren't useless are they? The summoning is just a fucking ribbon, anon.

>Spoken like a true nigger. I guess you'd have to take a race like Elf to gain any kind of weapon proficiency just to dual wield, or spend a feat, huh? Once more you prove my point: it's suboptimal and shit.
Jesus, anon, daggers, hand axes, light hammers, and sickles are all light simple weapons. You can TWF with those.

>What a faggot. The fact that you'd need to pick a specific race to offset your lack of options in the base class proves that it's shit. Saying "PICK THIS RACE FOR THE RACIAL BONUSES" is not an argument: it's admitting that the class itself is so terrible that you need to supplement it just for it to work with any concept or idea even remotely outside of the box, limiting all options severely and crippling it as a class even further than its shit even needs to be.
You say all that like people DON'T pick their race specifically for any class they are going into.

>A true nigger. Have you ever even played a warlock?
I have, a bladelock as a matter of fact. Never felt I was short of invocations. Guess what? I even had fun while i was playing.

>>53892920
I mean your character's weapon proficiencies mean jack all when picking your pact weapon, you become proficient with the weapon when you attune to it, no need to go Elf if you want to use a long sword, for instance.

>>53892675
crumbs, or offal laying near the chest, no light source within 20ft of a mimic, mimic walls where the mortar is misaligned with real walls, the mimic chest or wall looks damp under scrutiny, inteligent but weaker and smaller mimics that offer information about mimics it is competing with; in exchange for food. also door mimics. thats just off the top of my head

>>53892926
Invocations and boons, along with a higher power offering you its power in return for something. Shit is absolutely lit in terms of RP potential, and the options via invocations to build a character's backstory and ideals harder than every other class option there is.

>>53892926
Conan'esque "magic is not for mortals, you want it, you gotta haggle for it.", passive magical effects and you slowly grow weirder.

>>53892871
I'd say it's fine to give them AC if you make it seperate from the EB warlock, because I just hate to see these warlocks being given the option of 'More AC!' and 'Something diverse, flavourful and good for general utility!'.

So those who get the extra AC don't get quite as powerful EBing.

But, optimally, we want to make bladelock more distinct than 'I guess it's a fighter with warlock spell slots?' and I'd say the best way of doing that is making them squishy but strong somehow.

No doubt blade pact sucks right now, but better to have no pact and remove blade pact entirely as it should never have existed than to make a fix that doesn't work for it.

>>53892675
>>53892898
Mimics disguised as desirable things that aren't chests are always fun too.

Like me and have a player that plays his monk like a drunken master? Cask mimics!
Rogue swiping vials of poison off the shelf in the abandoned assassin's den? Bottle mimics!
Got a player who frequents brothels and spends all his money on the company of ladies? Sounds like you need a vagina mimic, my friend.

>>53892989
Chasm that is too far to easily jump without magic? Rope swing mimic!

>>53892817
Honestly I might allow it because it's funny, as long as you're not creepy about it.
>Fine, you stick your dick in the pig. What's everyone else doing?

The little girl though, probably not.

>THE pig
It's a recurring pig, anon! It's got a name and everything. Don't fuck Waddles, he deserves better than this.

What if characters with dual wield could use their bonus action to do not one attack, but as many as they have "extra attack" for as well?

>>53892989
Fainted elf adventurer Mimic!

>>53892989
Imagine wielding a mimic weapon. A symbiotic bond, the player kill and it eat.

>>53891743
I know the pain, i am in similar situation. (Except i think my GM is actually good GM - just one that would enjoy running Dungeon World or something lighter than DnD).

I think i will probably slowly disappear, since i expect some life changes soon, but the right way to do it would probably be to tell him, so he can either do something about it, or at least be aware of that. People sometimes do things the way they've been taught and don't even realize, it's different way than other people use.

What are things you enjoy about that game, Anon?

>>53892960

I don't know about mimics; how might they compete with one another? As a player I make it a point not to read monster stat blocks, but to me a "mimic" is that thing in video games that looks like a chest and tries to eat you.

>>53892758
I'd say try out homebrew first because some of your best ideas could come to you in the heat of the moment.

>>53892898
>door
If I was going down this route I'd be picky with the target and separate the group.

>>53892928
>A monster disguised as a monster disguised as another monster
Brilliant

>>53892960
Those are all pretty good, especially if the murderhobo of the group ruins things.

>>53893020
>>53892989
>not a chasm mimic
We have to go further

>>53893040
Fighter's DPS goes nuts.

Hell, any martial really.

>>53893051
>not a chasm mimic
We have to go further
The entire dungeon is a mimic.

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>>53892932
My suggestion is to make Warlock a full caster, abandon the short rest thing, then try to improve the rest of the class.

Here is my try at it, additions/changes are highlighted in purple.

>>53892987
Well thats the issue though, there is not flavorful way to say hey man get more AC. Sometimes you have to give vanilla shit to make features work. Easy fix to the flavor would be they get super-mage armor or something but once again this raises the issue of multiclassing(literally the reason why Warlocks will never be good). Squishy but strong doesn't really work unless you have bullshit strong features like a rogue with uncanny dodge and evasion. Monks get cucked hard for a long fucking time due to Ki restrictions but they at least get high AC due to unarmored defense. Not saying Warlocks should get equal features, but they could certainly use a bump, and I'm all for EB turrets not getting another tool.

If Blade-lock is going to be good, its going to need to have severe multi-class and EB restrictions.

>>53893020
>>53893041
>>53893043
>>53893051
Now you're cooking with a gas mimic! Mimics mimics everywhere! Big mimics! Small mimic! Chest mimics filled with coins! Chests filled with coin mimics!

Hell, just make the planet itself a mimic!

>>53892693
I'd suggest Dwarf over orc, or possibly varient human if your feeling cheesy. Heavy armour master gives you actual damage soak and extra strength to match half orc stats.>>53892693

>>53893080

At a glance this looks like another caster that is strictly better than sorcerer. Kindly fuck off

>>53892932
I was a sub-par melee who lost out on stats to make up for shit stats who burned my few spellslots for Armor of Agathys. As a Paladin now I have actual chances to use my slots for more than just upkeep, I can turn that into real damage. Plus the overall chassis of a Paladin is far more conductive to being in melee.

Its also nice to not have to stress so much about short rests. Its just more pleasant to play.

>>53893093
bedroll mimic
Chair mimic
Lamp mimic
"obvious trap" mimic
pit trap mimic
Dank memeic
spooky skeleton mimic
pristine sword in the hands of a dead adventurer mimic
bathtub mimic
busty barmaid mimic
The dreaded Keg of Ale mimic
jack-in-the-mimic
glory hole mimic

What about a gazebo mimc? Fuck with people who know the story

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>>53892675
You can tell by the chain on the right side of the chest, if it is curled in a circle its safe, if its in an S shape it's a mimic.

>>53893164
i prefer a Schrodinger's gazebo. If they decide not to fuck with it, it was a normal gazebo, if they decide to meme it, they anger it.

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>>53893164

>>53893164
fuck you gazebos are mean enough already they don't need a fucking template

vampire gazebo, lich gazebo, fuck right off with that

Someone stat a lower CR tiny mimic for weenie mimics.

>>53893087
>but they at least get high AC due to unarmored defense.
If they don't start putting their ASIs into other things (which many of them do, especially considering mobile exists) the monk can end up with.. 18 AC, which is the same as an arcane trickster could get, or a fighter not using a shield. I guess you can call it good, but it's not great. 17 AC before level 8, probably even 16 AC if they decided to grab mobile or something just before level 8. I find monks tend to be some of the most vulnerable. And then later on they get 20 AC, proficiency in all saves, practically permanent invisibility and resistance to all damage and - What the heck?

But sticking to monk's line of AC is probably fine. Mage armour for 13+DEX AC is probably enough to support a bladelock.

And really, multiclass restrictions shouldn't be necessary. It's harder to make a class that's multiclass-balanced, but you don't have to ruin a class to balance it for multiclass, just spend a bit of extra time on it. For example, barbarians can't cast while raging. Doesn't affect normal barbarians.

>>53893197
>all the coins in the chest were mimics
>the swarm of mimics flows around the party, roll initiative

What's like the official d&d wiki? I keep finding fan made ones that aren't too great which is best?

>>53892898
The Tome of Beasts have a map mimic I want to use.

>>53892675
>Open chest at distance with mage hand
>Oh gosh, it's full of gold! But the gold is oddly misshapen and..There's not really any heads on the coins or anything? It's just pure gold pieces? Did a proper mint even make these coins? You're sure you've never seen a sword like that either. It's curved and jagged in some weird odd way and it looks like it's dripping wet. There's a few of them actually, looks like a collection of daggers. Might be worth a look.
>Alright, time to loot the chest-
>Oh shit

>>53893080
I don't like the idea of just removing everything unique about the warlock as a way to fix it. Also, that fix is pretty shit. Invocations are closely tied with warlock spellcasting, for example, so you'd have to remove them all. Magic resistance and action-free scouting with pact of the chain is just BS wishlist stuff.

>>53893230
There's already coin scarabs.

>>53893252
>opens chest far enough away to not trigger mimic, yet close enough to thoroughly inspect everything in the chest.

You know mimics can move, right?

>>53893198
Well it was more addressing a monks ability to actively do more to defend itself over say a bladelock with its 2 slots. Patient defense, shit-loads of mobility, stun options and other good stuff like shadow-monk teleports and all that. I should have added those in my mistake. Couple all that with some decent damage options as well.

As far as the multi-class thing, doesn't matter man. They've got a mountain of shit that other classes want, refreshing spell-slots, baller invocations, and the best cantrip in the game. Its why they pull every punch they have when it comes to Warlock additional stuff and why I suspect Hexblade when it comes out in Xan's book will be a shadow of what it was because prior it was the ultimate 1 dip for any CHA class due to free profs, weapons scaling and a hex. I am aware UA isn't intended for multiclassing, but just stating how careful they have to be to keep Warlock out of an even bigger X/2 Warlock spread.

Warlocks are unique like that with their slots, they could use harder restrictions honestly.

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>>53893147
>glory hole mimic
If I ever run a modern game I'm doing this.

>>53893178
>half the players have played Souls games
This is going to be too easy.

>>53893191
Jesus Christ how horrifying

>>53893252
>have the mimic outplay players
Apparently they can speak and knowing one of the players they'll try to make peace with it. I'd love if they tried to get a pet mimic.

>>53893197
>It's literally just a hermit crab that uses chests to reside in

>>53893284
Why would it move when the creature is about to put its hand willingly into its mouth?
That's some pretty shitty baiting technique right there.

>>53893297
>the players see a treasure chest
>"Hey guys, want some treasure?"
>"Just reach on in, that's right"
>[LEWD MIMIC NOISES]

>>53893251
>Map Mimic
>STR 10
>DEX 15
>CON 14
>INT 13
>WIS 15
>CHA 16
Jesus.

>>53893297
>Treasure chest with giant sign pointing to it saying "FREE TREASURE!"
>Players become suspicious of chest
>Check to see if chest is a mimic, trapped, if items are cursed
>Sign eats them

>>53893261
>Magic resistance
Magic Resistance is a variant rule on Monster's Manual.

>action-free scouting with pact of the chain is just BS wishlist stuff.
This is the exact text of the Voice of the Chain Master invocation.

>>53893050
each mimic has to eat yes? if an adventurer falls to one, its fed. what are the odds that trick works twice? each mimic competes with eachother like all life. who is the most alluring? who is the best disguised? who stays the best hidden? thats how mimics evolved only the best beat the rest out. the smaller mimics get by, by negotiating information in exchange for food. it bypasses its shortcomings at the expense of its bigger stronger competitors.

How do mimics reproduce? Binary fission?

>>53893346
Yeah but all it does is suffocate someone. I think it has little hp too

>>53893433
When two treasure chests really love each other...

>>53893346
>tfw a Map Mimic is smarter than my entire party

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>>53892940
>yes and you are then better off than the rest of your party, who can't summon weapons.
Objectively false. You either have to ignore the summoning ability altogether and have it holstered like normal at all times, or you risk expending an entire turn just to draw your weapon on the off-chance that you roll for initiative before summoning it.

Consider the following:
>You have a party of two: one fighter, one bladelock
>Guy in town decides to attack you, oh no! roll for initiative!
>Bladelock spends his entire turn summoning his weapon.
>Fighter draws weapon as a free action and stabs the shit out of the enemy.
>Guy drops dead.
>You stand there uselessly as you stare at your pact weapon.
>You're so ashamed of your pact weapon summoning taking an action that you decide to never unsummon it, defeating the purpose of even having the ability to summon it to begin with unless you get thrown into some niche roleplay situation like a jail cell. Too OP, plz nerf.

>The summoning is just a fucking ribbon, anon
My point is that the summoning is shit and too limited and restricted to be useful. It could have been good but instead it's shit.

>all light simple weapons. You can TWF with those
Yes, Anon, every class can dual wield daggers and other simple weapons to a limited, shitty extent. Wow, bladelocks are so powerful!

>You say all that like people DON'T pick their race specifically for any class they are going into.
Not everyone wants to pick a halfling when they decide to be a rogue because of the hiding racial bonus. This is the most asinine argument I've seen today: "lmao anon just pick the obvious power-gaming race for the class it's the only way you'll have a decent bladelock xDD"

When are you going to stop proving my points, Anon?

>>53890129
Check out the Goblinpunch blog's articles on Druids. There are some strong, terrifying, and often comical ideas there that should help you quite a bit.

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>>53892940
>Never felt I was short of invocations.

You begin with 2 invocations: obvious choice is Armor of Shadows (because you probably have no medium or heavy armor proficiency unless you picked Dwarf or some shit, which means that you won't get Charisma bumps with another class like Half-Elf or god knows what else you'd pick) and either one other fluff invocation or an EB invocation. At level 5, when you have 3 invocations, you're forced to take a valuable invocation to attack twice.

At level 7, when you get your 4th invocation, you'll almost certainly pick an EB invocation or go with the Darkness/Eldritch Sight meme if you want to do anything in combat. Or if you're a masocist you'll pick some trap option or a roleplay fluff option. Which is fine, but you're not especially powerful for it, and it begins to show in the party when you're doing suboptimal damage with your shitty 2 spell slots. At level 9 to 11 you get a 5th invocation, which is free to be used for anything, but at level 12 when you get a 6th invocation your bladelock will be forced to pick Lifedrinker.

So to recap, of your 6 invocations all the way until level 15, 3 to 4 of your 6 invocations are what everyone else picks at those levels: you only get 2, maybe 3 at best, for diversity's sake unless you want to gimp yourself. And you're going to tell me that you have "plenty of options"? The options are obvious and pick themselves, you mongrel.

tl;dr - by level 15 Bladelocks will get 2 or 3 invocations to spend how they like while they're forced into choosing the staple choices at related levels. Other warlock classes have more options all along, particularly since bladelocks are forced to get Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker when available while Chainlocks and Tomelocks only need to expend 1 invocation for their good options.

>>53893472
>Consider the following:
why is it the bladelock didn't have his weapon holstered when the fighter did? Anytime the fighter would have his weapon, the bladelock would as well. Anytime the fighter doesn't have a weapon, the bladelock has one 1 action away.

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>>53892952
Hooo boy. You can't read, can you, lad?

Let me break it down nice and simple for you. I'll try going as slow as I can go.
>be you
>you want to dual wield as a bladelock
>you can only have 1 pact weapon
>you are only proficient in that 1 pact weapon
>if you have two of the same weapon you are only proficient in one of those weapons
>you are proficient in your 1 pact weapon
>you are not proficient in your 1 non-pact weapon
>they are identical
>there is no different
>they are the same weapon
>but you are only proficient in one of weapons
>you cannot dual wield without a racial trait, multiclassing, or exchanging ASI's for a shitty feat
>thus, my point is that you cannot dual wield as a bladelock efficiently, limiting the class and resulting in it being a pile of shit

Please, just hit alt+f4 and end it. I don't know how much clearer I can make it.

>>53893040
Dualwielding fighter 20 have can squeeze out 12 attacks in round. Wow.

I feel it would be too strong - it was discussed in previous thread, i believe.

Do you think dual wielding need boost? Why?

>>53893511
as opposed to EB warlock whose first invocation is to buff EB, second invocation is to buff EB, third invocation is to buff EB...

>>53893534
Doesn't dual wielding do less damage than both 2Handers with -5/+10 and 1H+Shield with Quarterstaff & Polearm Master?

It feels like you have to take a feat and a fighting style just to make it "okay".

>>53893549
EB locks only need one to be effective in combat, rest are gravy. Blade needs 2 possibly 3 to be effective in combat. Your argument is complete shit.

>>53893549
Wow, turns out that EB deals more damage and gives you more bang-per-turn than a bladelock swinging in melee with the equivalent of light armor on, exposing himself to his targets point-blank, who knew!

I'm going to make my 6 player group of level 9 morons fight a battle against a death knight and a lich tomorrow because fuck them.

>>53893583
Thank you, Anon.

You expressed what I meant to say in a single sentence.

You are my hero.

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>>53893519
my point <------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> your comment

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>>53893472
>Bladelock not having its weapon holstered all times
>Not summoning the sword only when it's lost, like when arrested or disarmed.

>>53893583
heaven forbid a warlock have to use TWO invocations, my what a shitty subclass.

>>53893587
>exposing himself to his targets point-blank, who knew!
not a problem if you aren't a retard who acts like a fighter or barbarian. I know, I played the fucking class. I almost never got hit because i didn't sit their and try to block attacks with my fucking face.

>>53893618
your point sucked because you carefully crafted it to but the bladelock at a disadvantage when there was no reason he would be. The fighter had his weapon, why didn't the bladelock?

>>53893524
>proficient with pact weapon
>pact weapon is long sword
>proficient with pact weapon while wielding pact weapon

you're proficient with longswords as long as you're wielding your pact weapon and your pact weapon is a longsword

>>53892932
>They get to full smite spell slots earlier, but it seems like a waste to use higher than 4th level slots on smiting, so I don't consider them more smites.

high level spell slots->sorc points
Sorc points->low level spell slots

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What are your favorite Mystic disciplines and powers?

>>53893654
Doesn't work with another longsword that is not your pact weapon if you want to dual wield longswords.

>left hand: long sword, pact weapon (proficient)
>right hand: long sword, normal weapon (not proficient)

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Would it be worth multiclassing a beast conclave ranger with gunsmith artificer? Or am I just better off taking CBE and being a full ranger?

>>53891112
So many Dwarf Rangers with that feat these days. And I know exactly why. Deliciously why

>>53893634
>>53893645
Bladelock can't use his pact weapon to summon it at-will and engage in combat in a moment's notice. At first glance it appears that you can walk around barehanded, with no weapon at your hip, but the Pact of the Blade tricks you if you fall for that trap. The idea of a badass warlock walking through fire as he summons a weapon from nowhere and swings down, lopping off heads left and right, is a trap.

Instead, if you want to be efficient, you'd have to play the game as a warlock pretending that your summoning feature doesn't exist unless you get stuck in a meme situation like a jail cell or some faggot disarms you and you spend an action to bring it back.

My point, since you retards can't grasp it, is that summoning your weapon should be a free action and should be considered drawing a weapon the same as anyone else. It's retarded that you have to expend a full action just to summon it.

>>53893583
My enemy mage cast silence: EB can't be cast. Enemy is a Raksasha: EB has no effect
Enemy has ring of force resistance: EB does half damage.
Enemy captures party and uses an iron mask to gag the warlock.

I'm sure there are many more ways to screw over a one trick pony.

>Character has +3 STR mod

>Break a bottle over somebody's head
>Attack roll is 1d20 + STR
>1d4 damage (improvised attack)

>Punch that person
>Attack roll is 1d20 + STR + Proficiency bonus
>4 damage (1 + STR)

New DM here. Is this correct?

>>53893697
Of all the rulings that could be made, that's how it works?
That's stupid.

>>53893752
>Bladelock can't use his pact weapon to summon it at-will and engage in combat in a moment's notice. At first glance it appears that you can walk around barehanded, with no weapon at your hip, but the Pact of the Blade tricks you if you fall for that trap. The idea of a badass warlock walking through fire as he summons a weapon from nowhere and swings down, lopping off heads left and right, is a trap.
Neither can the fighter, that's why the previous example was shitty.

my bladelock would regularly let himself get captured, discard his weapon. Gather info while captured, resummon weapon, kill sleeping guard, and misty step away. It's also useful when meeting a high priority target. No weapons allowed? While everyone else is trying to hide daggers or shit, you simply leave your weapon and resummon it in secret later.

Would the ability be better as a free action? Yes, absolutely. But it is far from useless, for those who recognize it was the ribbon ability it is.

>>53893849
Yep. Only applies to your pact weapon.

Pact of the Blade is the biggest disappointment since my first time getting laid.

>>53893775
You realize I can make up arbitrary scenarios as well to make literally everything pointless right?

>>53893844
Don't fall for the 1d4 improvised weapon damage meme. It's a guideline.
Also don't fall for the 1 damage unarmed attack meme.

If you feel the situation allows for it, allow unarmed attacks to do a bit more. If you feel the situation allows for it, have an improvised weapon do a bit more/less.


Generally though, use those numbers. If the guy is dropkicking someone who isn't expecting it or they crit, feel free to kick the damage up. Improvised weapons depend alot on the object but 1d4 is for most standard things like a bottle.

>>53893752
>unless you get stuck in a meme situation like a jail cell or some faggot disarms you and you spend an action to bring it back.
That's more plausible than having your "warlock isn't holstering his weapon because he is a roleplayer" situation.

>summoning your weapon should be a free action and should be considered drawing a weapon the same as anyone else. It's retarded that you have to expend a full action just to summon it.
You could be ambushed by a Minotaur Skeleton while wielding a longsword, then you use your action to change it into a warhammer to abuse the vulnerability.
Also, I could throw infinite javelins with free actions.

>>53893844
I'm pretty sure you add your Str to the damage of an improvised weapon, so it should be like 1d4+3 (or whatever die you want to use)

>>53893861
I don't really disagree with your post this time. Yes, it's a ribbon ability, but it should have allowed you to summon and attack in one go. It could have been good.

Too many times have I seen new warlock players fall into the trap of summoning their weapons in cool roleplay description scenes each time combat engages until they finally realize that they're losing their turn and just wear it at their waist like normal.

My point was that it's sub-optimal because it requires an action to bring out and "draw" your pact weapon, whereas for anyone else drawing is included as a free action. But it is great for the scenes you described, allowing yourself to be captured, etc., as long as you decide when combat begins in those situations.

>>53893947
If you have a magic weapon +1 of bladelockery (what kind of bladelock doesn't get a magical weapon after a certain point?) you lose the ability to shapeshift it to any weapon, meaning you also lose the ability to summon a javelin if you get a greatsword +1.

Also, you could summon up to two javelins because you can only attack up to two times in one turn. And by "free action" I mean it's equivalent to "drawing your weapon as a free action."

>>53893962
it may just be my group, but we are oftentimes dictating when the fights start. There's the occasional ambush, but most of the time we are scouting ahead or have planned an ambush of our own. Even when there is an ambush, we often spot them ahead of time:
>hmm...we have to walk through an area with high ground on either side of us and blind corners? Suit up lads.

>>53893861
>my bladelock would regularly let himself get captured, discard his weapon. Gather info while captured, resummon weapon, kill sleeping guard, and misty step away. It's also useful when meeting a high priority target. No weapons allowed? While everyone else is trying to hide daggers or shit, you simply leave your weapon and resummon it in secret later.

in the campaign I'm in my rogue can do the same thing. He has a magic weapon that once attuned, can be summoned to him as an action.

>>53893844
>Break a bottle over somebody's head
>Attack roll is 1d20 + STR
This is right
>1d4 damage (improvised attack)
"When attacking with a weapon, you add your ability modifier—the same modifier used for the attack roll—to the damage." (PHB, pg. 196)

>>53894052
shit's fun, aint it? My character was a pirate, and often drunk/seemingly drunk and i would have him stumble into "ambushes" or restricted areas and play the drunk card.

>>53893916
Be careful not to houserule anything to be better than the standard options unless you're okay with players using it all the time. If an improvised weapon suddenly becomes better than a manufactured weapon of comparable size, something has gone wrong. If you make some obscure combat maneuver so good that all fighters in their right mind would do it every turn for every fight (houseruled systems for called shots are common culprits for this,) something has gone wrong.

>>53894086
If it's a one-off, I'd say it's fine.
>You throw a massive fucking boulder into the enemy and deal a load of damage
>But you had to have several spells up to make you strong enough to hold it and you have to find boulders to throw in the first place

>>53894083
just want to point out, i was less "Jack sparrow" drunk and more "Where's the shitter? Ah...fuck it I'll use this clock" drunk

>>53893147
>dank memeic
Such would decimate these boards

>>53893916
Sounds fair. I guess I could use 1d6 if the improvised weapon is like, some creature's huge, sharp fang.

>>53894086
Good advice! I'm wary of "optimal solutions" or whatever the game design term is called.

>>53893955
>>53894056
Thanks guys, I'll keep that in mind. I need to check the rulebooks more often...
(I think what's stopping me having to keep track of game vocab translation between the translated basic rules I'm using and the purely English documentation.)
>tfw already used 3 different names for cunning action

Any other, potentially unrelated advice you guys think a newbie DM may need for his second session? (I've already ran a couple one-shots before but that's the extent of my GMing experience.)
My players will be reaching Phandalin, if that helps.

>>53894125
Doing cheesy things with giant improvised weapons is usually done by goliath (or some other race with Powerful Build) barbarians who can permanently increase their carrying capacity into the stratosphere. These characters will wield up the biggest thing the DM lets them carry around and use as a melee weapon. Be ready for them.

>>53894219
I believe it's called a dominant strategy in game theory - a choice so strong that player has no incentive to change after it's been chosen.