/5eg/ D&D 5e General

First lockadins being the strongest

>>48976361
Warlocks are indeed the best, so it would make sense that lockadins are among the best.

>>48976361
Sorcerer paladin is better.

>>48976348
Isn't that the point of Dark Sun?

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/4ze9ar/spoilers_just_picked_up_storm_kings_thunder_ama/

SKT has begun the early release!

>>48976398
scan when?

Is there a way to represent that my character is good at navigating underwater ruins/dungeons as opposed to ones on the surface?

>>48976348
>Have you ever played a campaign that primarily took place in dangerous/inhospitable environments?

Yup, had one entirely taking place in cold-weather climate places for awhile once.
Campaign didn't last particularly long, but it was a memorable one for everyone involved, enough that I've reused PC's and NPC's from it as characters in other games I've done.

>>48976446
Sure.
Give them Advantage when doing Perception checks and such in those specific environments.

>>48976446
favored terrain, underwater dungeon.

>>48976398
>The disclaimer
Someone call in an orbital retrieval for my sides.

>>48976493
is that a new feat?

>>48976437
yes please

>>48976511
Ranger feature. You can be forgiven for forgetting about stuff rangers can do.

>>48976437
Best case is sometime this weekend, worst case is a week or two after world wide release and not the early WotC-approved stores.

>>48976511
No, it's a ranger class feature, but ask your DM to let you have it.

>>48975997
Rogues are supposed to sneak attack pretty much every turn, but they're forced to think about it.

They don't just choose an enemy and say 'I'll sneak attack them.'
They have to co-ordinate with their team, get the jump on the enemies, use a bit of skill.

>>48976016
The level 13 ability does not gaurantee advantage.

You have to use either an action or a bonus action to move the hand within 5ft. If you use your action, you've lost your attack. If you've used your bonus action, you cannot use the ability to grant advantage. You cannot move the hand as the target must be within 5ft before move.

The 'you can't take shield or absorb elements if you take find familiar' is a very good point, but it doesn't stop someone such as a wizard abusing it, either.
A wizard practically gets 'find familiar' for free, and has a good number of spells that would benefit from free, unadulterated advantage.
Not to mention, warlocks get invisible familiars, so they could have invisible familiars granting them advantage all day long.

>>48976095
Longbow does less damage, plain and simple.
BB does extra damage, increased on a crit (more likely to crit with advantage) and then more damage if the enemy moves (You can disengage the enemy).

>>48976130
See above, the hand is a later level feature and doesn't automatically grant it. This doesn't justify use on warlocks, either.

For rogues specifically, advantage is better than two attacks if the target cannot be sneak attacked.

>>48976536
>moving next to enemy that your teammate is hitting
>hitting them for sneak attack damage
>moving out with your free disengage

"""skill"""

Rogues aren't that hard to play.

>>48976557
I'm not saying it's hard to do.

I'm saying rogues aren't supposed to automatically get sneak attack on anything they want to sneak attack. Guy the fighter is fighting? You can help with that.
Want to go lone wolf and attack that archer way off in the distance? You're going to have to use a bit of stealth.

If you want to make a point like that, you might as well ask them to remove the requirements for sneak attack entirely.

>>48976536

You can use your bonus action to move the hand AND grant advantage (otherwise the ability would be totally worthless). It's part of your cunning action; it grants a new feature to your Mage Hand and your mage hand is useable via bonus action. Furthermore, when you use your mage hand you can move it up to 60 feet as part of the action.

You do have to think about how to keep your owl safe too. It's not just someone shooting it with a bow or swatting it out of the air. Any AOE will kill it dead, and while you can "just summon" it takes an hour and ten minutes which isn't something you always get. If you're relying on your owl spam too much and it dies before a fight with your BBEG, your screwed.

>If the target cannot be sneak attacked

that's ridiculously easy to do. Go up to something another melee is in range to, and use two attacks. Those are better than one attack with advantage.

>>48976589
>attack with advantage for sneak attack damage
>move to obstacle
>take free hide action at end of turn
>repeat

This barely requires any thought at all.

Alternatively
>be swashbuckler
>attack with advantage when alone
>attack with advantage when not alone

Alternatively
>be arcane trickster
>use mage hand to gain advantage every turn.

In order for a rogue to not have sneak attacks you practically have to ignore all their class features, and force combat to be in featureless rooms made of perfectly clear glass.

I am very excited for tressym stats. My minotaur could do with a flying cat familiar.

>>48976536
Also, let me add to this:


At level 20, a rogue might actually prefer having advantage over having two attacks sometimes.

Let's say you roll 17, and then 20.
The 17 hits.
Normally, you'd apply your 10d6 sneak attack then.
However, since you have advantage, you take the 20, your sneak attack crits and you do 20d6 sneak attack damage instead along with a 2d8+5.

Otherwise, you'd make two attacks, a 1d8+5 + 10d6, and then you crit on the second doing an extra +2d8.

Of course, the chance of this situation occuring is (19/20)*(1/20) for getting an extra 10d6 which is slim, whereas the rogue with an extra 1d8 every round they get an additional hit probably competes with that.
Even so, you're choosing between an additional tiny chance of getting super sneak attack or an extra 1d8, it's not a big deal.

>>48976627
You designate a creature within 5ft of the hand. THEN you can move it.

You can move the hand every time you do something with it, and while you could normally make it go pick up something, you can't even take the action in the first place if nothing is within 5ft of the hand.
You can easily move the hand into position on another turn since you can use it as a bonus action, there's no way that's useless.

And, as above, sometime advantage is better. And, what if:
a) you move first, visible but high initiative
b) you're not an assassin (you're an arcane trickster)
c) because of the above, you have neither advantage and there are no allies within 5ft of enemies?

File: binding.jpg (834KB, 3264x1840px) Image search: [Google]

834KB, 3264x1840px

Thanks to whoever suggested contacting customer support before when I mentioned that giant chunks of pages had fallen out of my PHB. I preordered it on amazon and got a first print and had no idea the bindings were faulty until the pages just fell out one day when I honestly had barely even used the book, everything else is basically perfect condition.

They just offered to send a replacement with basically no questions asked except my mailing address.

>>48976695
There are not always places to hide.
You do not always succeed your hide check.
Hide action is not free. Hide action takes a bonus through cunning action. If you could use it as a free action and use your cunning action, you could probably dash 60ft to find something to hide behind in almost any situation. But you can't, because hiding is a bonus action.

The swashbuckler is one specific archetype that's sort of a dueller and kiter, the other archetypes can't follow that.

I've already ben mentioning why mage hand - which you only get to get advantage with at level 13 - does not always grant free advantage.

>>48976733
Yeah, bindings on the very first print run were rushed and shitty because they wanted to get like 5 million books on the shelves for day 1 sales and only got PHB to the publishers like 6 weeks before release.

>>48976729

your reasoning that advantage is "Sometimes better" is retarded and doesn't make owl flyby assistance any less not broken.

You're also wrong about Versatile Trickster. The 5 feet restriction just means your hand needs to end within 5 feet of what you're trying to get advantage of.

>>48976775
Moving 30 feet to find an obstacle to hide behind is sufficient in most indoors environments, and really outdoors too. Unless you're fighting on them featureless plains, in which case your DM is really phoning it in.

Failing hide checks is possible, but far less likely with expertise and eventually reliable talent. You may as well say that sometimes other classes miss their extra attacks. Good job captain obvious and irrelevant.

tfw fighter 2/ sorcerer 6

tfw hurling 3 fireballs in a single turn.

Fireball + Empowered Spell
Action Surge
Fireball + Empowered Spell
Fireball + Empowered Spell + quickened Spell

>tfw out of all my 3rd level spell slots and almost all my sorcery points in a single turn.

I just rolled 24d6 and it was dank as fuck though.

>>48976807
You're going to have a hard time convincing anyone that two things that are completely allowed by RAW and RAI from the developers is something that shouldn't be allowed. You've chosen an interesting hill to stand your ground on.

>>48976850
You should probably read the rules on bonus action spells. Page 202 iirc

>>48976850
When you cast a spell as a bonus action, any spells that require 1 action to cast, on that turn can only be cantrips.

>>48976851

Wrong guy?

>>48976878
Probably but the sneak attack argument has been going long enough that I'm sure the interested parties will still see it.

It's probably a response to bait though.

>>48976874
Oh, so quicken spell is like, fucking worthless then.

Whatever I guess you could get similar effects by using an action surge and casting 2 single target spells that were twin spelled + empowered

I'm experimenting with making magic item creation more interesting and wanted some thoughts.

This assumes magic items are rare and cant just be bought in town. Although ive toyed with the idea of rare underground magic item auctions in big cities.

My idea is that players with the correct proficienes collect magic iten formulas that can then be used to craft items. Theae formulas are scribed in a book much like the wizards spell book but the formulas are random and handed out by the DM as treasure or are gained on a level up . They start out as uncommon item formulas from level 3 and this increases at level 6 and then 11. There's also a small chance they can get a higher rarity formula at lower levels.

The formulas themselves contain components needed to craft the magic items such as an ogre hand , or an enemy chief killed in battle that players need to quest for. They may also need to craft the item in a certain location ot a certain time of the day. I'm concerned this may be too laborious or abusable if the players find a way to farm ogre hands or whatever.

I also thought of an alternative which can work either in tandem or alternatively which would involve players being able to melt down magic items for an equivalent amount of residuum which they can use to craft items from the formulas they have learned. Such residuum is so rare it again can't just be bought in the marketplace however may turn up as treasure sometimes. This makes the process simpler but removes some of the flavour. The idea in general is to make magic items special but also give the players some agency and control over it, and excitement when they find a cool formula and manage to find the components for it.

Any thoughts?

>>48976924
Quicken can make the bonus action spell and the cantrip hit the same target. Twin has to be different targets. It's more damage, but it's spread out and less effective.

>>48976924

Twin Spell can't effect a creature twice. Quicken Spell is also by no means "retarded", it's arguably the best metamagic alongside Twin Spell. You may not get to throw out double fireball but bonus action fireballs are still swell, whether you get additional damage out of a cantrip that turn or simply use your action for something else.

Don't call Twin bad either because Twinning haste or Hold Person is huge.

do we know for sure if Volo's guide will ahve goblin playable race?
Reaaaallly wanna do that one shot campaign that matthew mercer did for that pathfinder event, it was fun as fuck.

>>48976927
Your first option is literally suggested in the DMG as an alternative.

Your second option works exactly as it did in 4e DMG 2.

>>48976968
This. Quicken is the best metamagic because of its efficiency and versatility. A fun combo is to concentrate on Sunbeam or Watery Sphere and then quicken spells on subsequent turns while controlling the concentration spells with your action.

>>48976968
>>48976955
Fucking worthless was definitely an exageration. I think I'd rather have twin spell though and be shittier on single target fights until later when I can pick up quicken as well.

Since I can only cast 3rd level spells what spell is best for LOADS OF DAMAGE thats a spell that can be twin cast?

>>48976807
And where does it say that?

According to mage hand, you can use an action to control the hand, and move it 30ft. It then lists things that you can do during that action.
You do it during the action, which means you can move it and then do the task.

However, according to the versatile trickster ability, it doesn't even specifically state you are using the mage hand. It is implied, but it is not stated.
>you pick a target within 5ft of the mage hand, you gain advantage against it.
That is what it is functionally doing.
It does say you are distracting targets with your mage hand, but it doesn't specifically state you are using the mage hand.
So, already, it's coming into question whether you can move the hand after using that ability.
And most would say yes.
But, it doesn't really say you're controlling the hand at any point, whereas the other features specifically state you are controlling the mage hand.
If you want to be strict about RAW, I don't think you can even move the hand at all using that ability.

And it'd still be viable. You can move your hand as a bonus when you don't need to cunning action, and you can grant yourself advantage as a bonus another turn. This advantage is MUCH better for booming blade, as booming blade does not allow you to make two attacks.

And you'd deal
8d8+20d6 + potential extra 4d8 on a crit, at a 39/400 chance.

Two-weapon-fighting on the other hand without advantage might deny you extra crit damage, and does less damage.

>>48976437
Hopefully not for a few weeks at least. Go buy the damn book.

>>48976980
can someone answer me please?

>>48977034
There's nothing really good for single target damage until Disintegrate that is eligible for Twin Spell.

>>48976839
If you're in an indoors environment, you could be having to fight through doors or corridors sometimes.

If you can't find a flank route and have to go through that choke point, stealth may very well not work.
A hide check doesn't make you invisible like on WoW or something. If you have to go right up to an enemy's face and attack, there's debate as to whether you've been sneaky enough to catch them off-guard with all the fighting going on or if they see you coming down that corridor because it's almost impossible to stealth down that corridor when a guard is looking directly down it.

I think, in the end, it's vaguely justifiable if you used a bonus action to command your owl to give you advantage.
A beastmaster has to use an entire action to make his pet use the 'help' action.

So yes, it's not awfully broken at later levels and conditionally at lower levels, but...

Your DM will then have to allow all chain warlocks to have advantage on their familiar's attacks.
A warlock's familiar has invisibility.
A warlock's familiar has magic resistance.
A warlock's familiar can actually attack if the warlock uses an entire action, however -
Can a warlock's familiar really grant the warlock advantage all the time until an enemy notices this invisible, helping thing in the air?

That would make pact of the chain way too powerful compared to the other two pacts.

>>48977077
Just use stats for halflings with a few extra twists to it. Run the game, have fun.

>>48977172
>>48976839
Sorry, I meant on 'their' attacks, not their familiar's attacks.
The familiars likely already have advantage on their attacks due to being invisible.

>>48977082
>doing the math now I'm cockblocked my sorcery point caps.

I assume I need 8 sorcery points max in order to spend 8 on one turn even if I spend a spell slot for more points.

They made it really hard to do tons of damage like a boss. I just want to do 12d12 damage on one turn at level 8, is that so much to ask?

>>48977184
ouh, which twists would you put?
I'm a fairly new both dm and tabletop player.

Advice building a Flaming Grappler in 5th edition? I am DMing Lost Mine of Phandelver and have a friend who wants to build a grappler who sets himself on fire and then grapples people. I would prefer to find a magical way to do it, but I can't find any touch attack fire spells that stack with grapple attempts. I may have to just suggest a non magical means or homebrew something. Any help would be appreciated.

>>48977172
Beast master is the most underpowered class in the game. If you're using it in any way as a basis for your balance opinions about other classes, you've got serious problems with your argument.

And yes, Pact of Chain Familiars can use the help action, explicitly RAW.

>>48977240
Yeah, you got it right. It usually takes a little multiclassing to get serious single target damage out of a sorcerer, but you give up aoe potential and versatility for that kind of character.

>>48977266
Yes. Explicitly by RAW, you can be trying to tell the town guard that you are not a warlock.
Your imp can come around the corner and give you advantage through the 'help' action, to help tell the guard you are not a warlock.

That is RAW.
That is a thing.

And I'll be damned if I ever see a DM allow you to do that, or allow a player to do that myself, because that is downright stupid and what the purpose of having a DM is - to cut out blatant, unintended abuse of the RAW.

>>48977252
I honestly can't think of anything off the top of my head. Never really considered it. Take a look at the character race and if something sticks out as 'that would not fit' then toss it. Same with 'really need that and it is not there', just add it.

But I can't think of anything specific right now.

My greater point is not to wait for the official officialness to come out. If you don't tell anyone, they likely will never know. Or even care.

Just narrate the thing as if they are goblins, use Matt's game as an example, and go with it. Focus on size problems above all else. You will do fine.

>>48977278
Well I figured the action surge from fighter would be good for that, but I guess not.

I mean I did have the idea of going dragonborn, then being a draconic sorcerer, and doing like,

Breath Weapon + cantrip + quickened spell. That would be pretty cool I guess.

>>48977034
Ice knife, for a low-level interpretation of "loads of damage."

Spend a 2nd level slot on it, twin it, and send the knives at a pair of chumps within 5 feet of each other.

Despite creating an AoE damage effect, Ice Knife explicitly only targets the intended recipient of the spell attack.

>>48977322
thanks for the help :) much appreciated

>>48977341
I don't know how many levels you're working with, but Fighter 2+/Paladin 2+/Sorcerer X can Booming Blade+Divine Smite, Action Surge Booming Blade+Divine Smite, then Quicken Booming Blade+Divine Smite. Substitute Greenflame Blade if you can get the cleave damage and/or you're a 6+ draconic sorcerer

>>48977399
>>48977346
What the fuck is booming blade/ice knife. I only have the PHD to work with.

>>48977446
Booming Blade is a cantrip from the Sword Coast Adventure's Guide

Ice Knife is from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion, which is a free pdf on the DMs Guild.

>>48977446
>>48977463
EEPC is official content from Princes of the Apocalypse, not some homebrew crap

>>48977446
Booming blade makes you make a melee weapon attack with additional effects. It does not work with multi-attack, nor does it run off of your spellcasting modifier. Damage scales with character level.

It is a direct upgrade of making a single melee weapon attack.

File: helprules.png (1MB, 1565x438px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1565x438px

>>48977312
It's like you don't even read the rules.

Imps can't help convince people that someone isn't a warlock, because an imp doing that is a fairly obvious sign that someone is a warlock. However, imps can help distract an enemy in pitched battle, conferring advantage on their master's ranged blasts.

File: 1467846456131s.jpg (85KB, 634x721px) Image search: [Google]

85KB, 634x721px

First time DM, I'm using a module that is meant for 3-5 level 1 characters. But my group agreed level 1 is boring as piss for a one-shot so i agreed to make everyone level 3.

How do I scale the encounters meant for 3-5 level 1 characters for 5 level 3 characters? Should I make new ones, if so whats some good creatures for 5 level 3s to fight?

>>48977552
Imps have proficiency in deception.

And if you follow that very last part of the rule, you may as well throw the whole familiars thing out the window.

A familiar cannot attack. It cannot get directly involved in combat, other than flapping about and being annoying.
They do not have proficiency in attacks, because they can't even attack in the first place.
Therefore, they cannot help you make an attack.

And don't try and tell me 'well, if they COULD attack, they would have proficiency'... Because a blind bat that has proficiency in perception sure as hell isn't going to help you see the colours of the rainbow.

>>48977617
>>48977552
Oh, alright, all of what I said there assumes a wizard's familiar.

For a warlock's familiar, you have to really bring into question whether a imp can use the help command independently while invisible.

By RAW, it could.

Otherwise, I don't see why it should.

Most people can't see the imp.

Most people could hear the imp, but they're kind of too busy fighting.

The imp can't really tug at their hair or whatever, because in such a case, why don't they attack instead? That uses a warlock's attack.

File: pact of the plate revised.png (41KB, 730x436px) Image search: [Google]

41KB, 730x436px

Repostan. Question: If warlocks could wear cool suits of armor and turn that suit of armor into a giant mecha of 16x their size, what mechanical functions should that have?

>>48977595
kobold fight club.

>>48977617
You're really misreading a lot of rules here:

The Help Action is a combat only thing, and doesn't have the limits that Working Together has.

Find Familiar lets familars take other actions as normal, including the Help Action.

Additionally, working together doesn't require proficiency all the time. it only requires proficiency if proficiency is a requirement to do the action being helped. Proficiency isn't a requirement for making attacks, and anyways, as previously stated, this doesn't matter for the Help Action.

Help Action is someone serving as a distraction. Tapping on your shoulder, whispering in your ear, shouting in your ear, etc, etc. (more for >>48977646). All of these are things a familiar can do in some form or another.

Hey lads

I'm playing 5e for the first time and rolled a ranger. I just leveled up and need to pick a fighting style, I was originally going to go with archery but everybody in my group is a ranged/squishy character so I am thinking about getting dueling or TWF but all my stats are in dexterity so what would you guys recommend?

>>48977788
So can you tell me why it is a free action to make this imp distract an opponent, but why it takes an attack action foregoing an attack to make the imp make an attack?

I can't argue that it can't do it by RAW, but I swear, if anybody tries to abuse something like this I might as well make a universe where everyone carries around BEES because as long as a bee counts as a combatant and has something telling it what to do, it can technically use the help action, and BEES using monsters will always have advantage because they have BEES helping them.

If you outright tell everyone that the level 3 warlock feature is:
1. Gain 3 cantrips from any class
2. Summon a weapon in your hands
3. Get a chain that lets you use augury a few times
4. Give one person in your party free advantage on their first attack every round until the enemies discover and kill your invisible imp

I think people would probably go for the free advantage.

It's really a case of RAI over RAW, and I seriously hope you're just fighting for the case of what the RAW says, because I can't get it into my head that this would be fair.

Speaking on multiclassing paladin 6/ fighter 14 wouldn't be a meme right?

hypothetically with a paladin 6 fighter 3 you could make

4 attacks with a greatsword and deal

4 because of extra attack/action surge(((2d6 greatsword) + (2d8 divine smite) + (1d8 menacing strike superiority dice))+ strength/other damage mods)

I think that would work. It just says you can make a divine smite for each attack that hits. You can use 1 superiority die per an attack.

>>48977904
It's raw, and it's fair. Giving up 3 cantrips and ritual casting is huge. As you've previously demonstrated with your silly beastmaster based arguments, you have no idea what's good or bad, so I highly recommend you never DM, or attempt to """balance""" the game.

>>48977938
It wouldn't be a meme but it'd show you were a holdover I guess. Not that that's a bad thing.

>>48977870
If you're concerned about the party being too squishy pick up dueling & use a shield, or just pick defensive for the passive power.

TWF for rangers is alright, but not amazing, since you already have so many ways to spend your bonus action

>>48977870
Dueling's a great choice.
Get a rapier and deal 1d8+Dex+2 damage and you'll find shit works out pretty well for you.
It won't be as blatantly powerful as archery can be once you get Sharpshooter, but you won't exactly be hurting for damage at all.

>>48977938
Serious question, no judgements; do you even have a group?

>>48977617

Help has two different paragraphs. One of those paragraphs says something can help you make an attack by distracting an enemy. I'd say you could have a bird or bat familiar distract someone pretty easily.

>>48978052
not right now, I'm a DM and I'll probably never get to be a player. Its not so bad imagining myself playing while I watch critical role though right?

If I did run a game it would probably be fantasy craft

I'm looking at 5e because I figure the games popular enough that I might actually be able to find a group at some point. Finding a group would be easy if I could drive since I'm pretty outgoing in regards to meeting new people and hanging out.

>>48977972
>it's fair
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would think it would be fair.

Wizards get 'find familiar' as practically a class feature, you could call it.
It isn't even a choice for them.
Why do they have 'true strike' as a possible cantrip when they could just use their familiar for a no concentration, free action, applies to any one teammate and not just yourself truestrike?

Pact of the tome is pretty much entirely utility. Yes, you can get shillelagh, but that only opens the option of melee fighting. Yes, you can get attack cantrips, but those are weaker alternatives to eldritch blast usually.

So is pact of the star chain, and to some extent pact of the blade as pact of the blade offers no immediate, no-invocation direct combat advantage other than allowing weapon proficiencies.

If you understand the level 3 warlock pacts, you'd understand why you aren't given 'magic resistance' as part of the familiar, and why familiars aren't intended to be free truestrikes.

Familiars are scouts, not proper combatants.

It's not even beastmaster. Almost everything that has pets or something that can help them requires the user to use actions to command their minions about.

There is a reason it's generally discouraged you have a minion army that can do everything as its own actions. Because that's broken.

Stop wasting the DMs time with extra creatures to worry about that just 'help' every turn, and play D&D as not something to be abused, but as a roleplay.

>>48978007
>>48978028
Alright, thanks guys. Gonna just go with dueling then. I don't think we are playing with any optional rules so I couldn't get feats like sharpshooter anyways.

Also just to double check, ranger spells cast like sorcerer spells right? I don't have to prepare them like a wizard, I just spend a slot and cast any of my known spells?

>>48978081
Quite possibly. Given it's practically free, ritual-based spell for wizards and it's a warlock's utility option, however, I would say the intention of 'find familiar' is not to have a direct effect on combat.
Only open more possibilities, for scouting and the like.
It's not supposed to be a free truestrike every turn.

File: TWD.jpg (68KB, 721x232px) Image search: [Google]

68KB, 721x232px

Good/Bad/Meh?

>>48978191
Nice Stormwind fallacy, faggot.

And as a DM, I think all the familiar stuff is fair. Familiars have issues with stuff like aoe spells and breath attacks. You act like familiars are invincible.

True Strike is just in the game as a legacy thing. It's a trap option.

>>48978191

True Strike sucks anyways. It's probably there because...honestly I have no idea. Set up? But True Strike sucks and True Strike sucking doesn't make Familiars being able to give advantage in combat over powered.

>are scouts, not proper combatants

giving someone advantage on a single attack at huge risk to yourself is hardly a "proper combatant".

>that shit about minion army

not even closely related dude. I honestly think you are just kind of a shitter.

>>48978230

If you don't want the Wizard getting True Strike every turn then just have people kill the fucking thing. Have someone shoot a bolt into it to remind them that familiars aren't immortal and that the help action has risks if they keep trying to abuse it against the same enemy.

>>48978139
>Its not so bad imagining myself playing while I watch critical role though right?
No no, not at all.
I'm just telling you that theorycrafting silly builds for 20th level characters you won't even play and don't have a group for is kind of not really the kind of thing a lot of groups look for in a long-term player or even at GM.
You see that a lot in those Pathfinder threads and stuff too, but a ton of people on there have self-admitted that they don't actually even have games, so they just do silly theorycrafting exercises all the time instead.
While there's nothing inherently wrong with it, groups that tend to stick together for longer then one session tend to look askance at that kind of behavior because it looks like you're some Magic the Gathering player trying to "win" the game before you even play it, which I guess for some people kind of peeves them off.

I used to do that alot myself, and I basically found out that it's something people online do but the people who ACTUALLY play the game more then once and stick around in a group are usually either causal players who don't care enough to maximize efficiency and thus think the behavior is a little annoying or are more interested in the character of the character or his story or his art inspiration rather then his elite stat build or whatnot.

>>48977051
I don't think there's much room to question whether Versatile Trickster counts as using your Mage Hand, but you're overlooking its biggest limitation. It still took an action to cast in the first place.

As for advantage versus an extra attack, the extra attack from TWF comes at the cost of using different weapons too. Advantage on 1d8+5+sneak attack barely edges out TWF with 2d6+5+sneak attack. Advantage with 1d8+5+Sneak Attack+Booming Blade is the best, but it's hard to pull that off, and a lot more dangerous of a position than just hiding and shooting a light crossbow.

>>48976348
>Have you ever played a campaign that primarily took place in dangerous/inhospitable environments?

Does the underdark count?
yes, yes it does.

>>48978191
>I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would think it would be fair.
Google it. Mine is by far the majority interpretation.

>Wizards get 'find familiar' as practically a class feature, you could call it.
>It isn't even a choice for them.
>Why do they have 'true strike' as a possible cantrip when they could just use their familiar for a no concentration, free action, applies to any one teammate and not just yourself truestrike?

Wizards shouldn't be attacking, generally. But familiars let them truestrike and grant advantage through help. The two are not mutually overwriting.


The warlock's biggest disadvantages are limited spell slots and limited available spells. Pact of the Tome directly addresses each of these disadvantages with cantrips, and the ability to learn rituals. It is as close to objectively the best pact there is right now.

>It's not even beastmaster. Almost everything that has pets or something that can help them requires the user to use actions to command their minions about.

Really? Because every conjure spell in the spell list lets you issue orders to your pets with a big fat (no action required) written write into the spell.

Create Undead is a bonus action to command.

Giant Insect doesn't say anything either way (it acts on your turn, but obeys your commands).

Find steed doesn't say anything either way.

I'm sure I'm probably missing a few, but in general, Beastmaster is the minority: most pets act without their master having to use an action.

Read the fucking rulebook before you pretend to be a DM.

File: samael_raal__szat_by_coboye-d39g8ds.jpg (193KB, 647x1233px) Image search: [Google]

193KB, 647x1233px

So aside from strike damage and debuffing via eldritch blast and hex, what are other areas that a warlock excels in?

>>48977172
Warlocks get less benefit from Help anyway, since they operate on Eldritch Blast's multiple attacks.

>>48978426
Warlocks don't have to use it.

They can grant advantage to any friendly target.

They can grant it to someone such as the rogue or the champion fighter.

>>48977938
tfw 17th level character
paladin 6 / fighter 11
martial adept feat

6 greatsword attacks
4 1st level divine smites
2 2nd level divine smites
6 total d10 superiority dice

12d16 + 14d8 + 6d10 + damage mods

A magical weapon might make it absolutely amazing

If you go oath of vengeance you could even spend a spell slot to hunters mark it and swear your oath to get advantage on all the attacks.

>>48978260
Looks okay, but I feel like it reduces the likelihood of taking TWF down to just people who want to dual wield something bigger than short swords.

>>48978269
>muh Stormwind
The people who shout stormwind are usually the worst at showing that there's no fallacy

>>48978418
Utility/buffing.

Hex/Darkness are great debuffs, because they don't force a save. With the limited amounts of spell casts, you want to avoid saves as much as you can, meaning you have to turn your spells towards utility/buffing.

For instance, warlocks get Silent Image at will with an invocation. This is full cover for a teammate, at will. A hide check, at will. And those are just the obvious uses. Hex is more like a party wide damage/accuracey for saves buff.

>>48978574
>Looks okay, but I feel like it reduces the likelihood of taking TWF down to just people who want to dual wield something bigger than short swords.
Oh, so your saying it should be Dexterity or Strength mod damage, for people who use swords? I can see that...

>>48978192
yep

File: 1467092434497.png (152KB, 269x270px) Image search: [Google]

152KB, 269x270px

>>48977595
Any help?

>>48978366
Yeah that makes sense. I'm just trying to understand the classes and what they are good at. I'm really not much of a "combat" type player and I have no idea what I'd actually play in a game I got to join.

I don't think I'd ever bring a planned out character to the table since that destroys the fun of actually discovering your character. My choice would most likely be a spur of the moment decision. My personal problem I'd have to get over with 5e, and why I'd tend to multiclass in other games isn't to find sinergizing abilities like that, its to cover a classes weaknesses.

I like playing rounded characters that are good at lots of stuff but 5e is really designed against that in its core. I'd probably be a monk, or a bard.

I understand having a glaring weakness is interesting, but I'd rather have my glaring weakness be no specialization than be shitty at an important save, or have shit HP, or shit AC, or something like that.

>>48978700
I forgot to mention being shitty at important skills like stealth and perception.

>>48978700, >>48978735
Bards are my favorite class for "do anything" characters and since they can sort of do a bit of anything they can really help support any group type at all with their skills, magic, and combat skills if it's a Valor bard.

>>48978628
I mean, yes it's part of it, but unless you're planning on dual wielding big weapons, TWF is now a pointless feat to take.

>>48978579
>Hex is more like a party wide damage/accuracey for saves buff.
Are you mistaking ability checks for saving throws?

>>48978768
Hmm, I guess I don't understand. Do you mean that the AC bonus on my feat invalidates the one on the Dual Wielder feat? Wouldn't they just stack? Any other bonus my feat gives only works when the user takes the Dodge action...

>>48978700
It's designed against it because players that can do everything are boring.

In my personal opinion, one of the biggest flaws that most D&D players have is that they're not able to see the beauty of, or even willing to accept having, flaws. Your character being shitty at something is realistic and interesting because most people in the world are bad at something. They may not know what they're bad at because they've never tried it, but they're bad at something.

If you're able to somewhat decently handle every encounter thrown at you, what's the fun in that? The contrast and blend of strengths and weaknesses are what help to define a person.

Does Ploearm master and War Caster's Opportunity Attacks stack together? ie: assume a Goblin runs at a Warlock with both.

Polearm Master gives an OA when they get within 10 feet.
War Caster lets you Spellcast as an OA when an enemy provokes one by movement.

Could you then use EB (targeting only them) to knock their ass away again? Or if you can't use Cantrips as "Cast a Spell" use some other control spell to force them away?

>>48978028
Don't play a ranger or monk. Fighter or rogue sounds good for you.

>>48978260
Why not makes the second point:
>When a creature that is within 5 feet of you makes a melee attack roll against you and misses, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

It would be good for anyone who two wields, but especially good for rogues, since it could allow them to sneak attack also.

>>48978876
Only if you use a melee weapon attack with the polearm.
i.e. booming blade or green flame blade.
You can only use booming blade or green flame blade at 5ft, unless you have the spell sniper feat.

>>48978876
I might be wrong, but I think that using an OA consumes your reaction for the round, so that would be only one OA per round.

>>48978876
>>48978914
Actually I had enough curiosity to check the PHB; page 190, quote "The
opportunity attack, described later in this chapter, is the
most common type of reaction.
When you take a reaction, you can't take another one
until the start of your next turn"

>>48978914
unless you further stack that with tunnel fighter from Unearthed Arcana: Light Dark Underdark.

>>48978855
I don't get why its not a weakness to be worse than everyone else at whatever situation those characters are good at though?

5E is a good game despite Mike Mearls. It was really the play testers who made 5E and Mearls put his name on it and got a pay check.

>>48978960
Well, it's fine to be a well-rounded character, but you should definitely have no real specific strength, if you do that.

What I meant was people who want don't want any stats lower than 12, want all their saves to be decent, want to have good magic, good attacks, good AC, good movement, etc. It's like they can't have fun unless they're completely in control of every situation.

>>48978903
RAW, the PoleMaster OA doesnt specify melee only that you're wielding a Pike, Halberd, Glaive, or Quarterstaff. So if your weapon is also your focus it might work, depending on DM.

>>48978806
No, I was mistaking that hex applied to saving throws. It's still an amazing buff though: Consider the party grappler in combat. His victims make strength or dexterity ability checks, and you just made them even worse at strength (strength will usually be the better one to choose for this purpose). Or the party rogue, who needs to hide from the BBEG. All of a sudden the BBEG sucks at wisdom based perception checks. Any contested ability check gets much better when there's a warlock hexing people.

>>48978914
Yeah, I might have worded it poorly but I mean only one OA per round with that.

>Enemy gets in range
>Polearm Master grants one OA
>War Caster lets you convert one OA to a spell instead of melee attack

And I actually just looked it up, EB is only V, S so you don't even need a focus anyways and War Caster lets you make the Somatic movements while both hands are full.

>>48979102
Ah okay, so you meant to turn the OA you get from Polearm into a spell with War Caster? Totally cool

File: 1429310907470.png (437KB, 645x913px) Image search: [Google]

437KB, 645x913px

>>48978418
not taking pacts into consideration, warlocks get a lot of illusions and enchantments. Bare bones warlocks make good sneaks and manipulators. Something I've often had to drive into my players is that they shouldn't expect WoW warlocks. 5e warlocks play more like Worm Tongue with some blast spell options.

>>48978876
This is part of why blade pact can be extremely fun.

>>48978418
Invocations are their bread and butter

Either buffing your EB to push people around from 300 ft away, to just going invisible whilst sitting still in dim light, read anything, speak to animals whenever you want, see in magical darkness.

All sorts of cool stuff

The more I look at this War Caster+Polearm Master+Invocation'd up EB Bladelock the more I like it.

Someone pls deflate my hype with sourced info before I go and make a character

anybody have a recommendation/dl links to books with a buncha maps? i'm shit at making creative environments, be they dungeons or cities or whatever

>>48979361
welcome to the most overused minmaxed build

File: Selection_049.png (49KB, 723x566px) Image search: [Google]

49KB, 723x566px

>>48978996
Well, I'm actually explicitely talking about a character that doesn't dump stats and tries to get good saves on every attribute. Something like pic related for a Monk for example. You wouldn't be taking home any awards for, well basically anything, but you wouldn't get fucked by anything either.

Two more Extra Life previews are up.

NPCs: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/EL3_SKT_AppnD_0824.pdf

Wilderness encounters: http://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/EL4_SKT_WildEnc_0824.pdf

>>48979423
yes, yes you will.

>>48979456
Please no, what would you get fucked by? Is it something preventable? You can only do the best you can not to get fucked by stuff.

>>48979414
>Most Overused
Not that I'm doubting you, but up until now I never heard of it. I thought I was being a speshul snowflake and made something original but if not that kinda deflates it a bit for me.

>>48979509
Don't worry about it being overused, go ahead and roll it. But trust me, it's more fun to play roleplaying a character than to try to race to become a combat god. Because combat won't matter if you are having a good time.

>>48979486
So the only way to make sure you don't get fucked, is to specialize in whatever that thing is.

So being a jack of all trades in this way you've planned, you'll get fucked by literally everything.

>>48979509
It isn't overused, don't worry. Bladelocks are probably the least played full casters.

>>48979553
I don't want to prevent getting fucked by bad rolls. I want to prevent getting fucked because I'm shit at something so I might as well not even roll.

As long as I can roll a dice and have at least a moderate success chance at everything its better than having a reliable success chance at some things to me. I don't know what class is best at this type of thinking, maybe its paladin, I have no idea.

Do you guys roll initiative for enemies individually or as a group? Seems a lot easier to do the whole group but I have 6 players and if the enemies roll low they all end up getting slaughtered before they can get a single attack off just because there are so many players.

>>48979509
It was asked about in sage advice some two years ago, as an example. I don't think there's been any official JC answer to the combo though.

Polearm master is great with a warlock (bladelock) anyway since they're capable in both melee and ranged.

>>48979633
I tend to follow the PHB's suggestion and group creatures of the same stat block together.

>>48979609
>I'm shit at something so I might as well not even roll.
Not really a thing with this edition.

>>48979551
Well this would be for an already existing RP-heavy Bladelock with Polearm Master anyways so that won't be a concern, War Caster OAs would simply be a very tasty icing on the cake.

>>48979423

You're going to be totally useless and get fucked by everything. By trying to cover for your "weaknesses" you've made a character who sucks at everything and has no strengths. Their weakness isn't that they're not experts at something, it's that they're fucking shit at everything and there's no reason to have them in an adventuring party except to do clerical work.

>>48979669
Warcaster also works well as a standalone if you have a lot of concentration spells and spells that force OAs like Dissonant Whispers, Command, and Compulsion.

>>48979509
Somebody has always done something before you have done it. Always. Even if they've never published it and have been completely hidden from society, you're not really the first.

Don't worry so much about being special or unique. Make something with care, attention, and well-crafted. That's what matters. But yes, this build has been done before.

>>48979423
That's fine. However, don't let yourself believe that this is going to let you handle a lot of situations because that sort of character relies a lot more on dice rolls than most other characters. You have nothing to specialze in, so most of your checks and saves are going to be 60% dice and 40% stats.

Like >>48979553 said, it's better to just specialize in some things then let yourself get fucked by some other things. That way, you'll know what your character can handle and can better take control in situations that call for it. Instead, you can be a character who has mostly 11's and 12's that can sort of do everything but also has a chance to fail at everything. You'll never ever have a situation that you can pass with confidence and will largely be at the mercy of fate for most things. Yes, you'll be slightly better at those fate rolls, but now almost all of your scenarios boil down to that.

>>48979665
If its not a thing then surely having bonus's to everything is good then?

I keep getting completely mixed singals and its super confusing.

>>48979696
That makes it sound like this edition is shit because I have basically 1 choice in character per a class or my character is going to be shit.

>>48979734
Sorry D&D isn't a fucking video game where everyone can be amazing at everything.

>>48979734

>1 choice in a character per class or my character is going to be shit

No, but if you dump whatever your characters main stats are the chances are you're probably going to be shit. Monks are a pretty shitty example too, because they're melee focused in combat and they get their defenses off of their Dex and Wis which for the sake of having a better Charisma score you've put at the absolute minimum. You're running around with less chance to hit, less HP, less AC, and worse saving throw DC then a monk who's build isn't dumb.

You could theoretically do this with a casting class because they don't have as much combat focus and still be useful through spells with no DC I guess, but why. I don't understand the appeal of playing shitty characters. "My guy sucks at being his class isn't he quirky/realistic/interesting"? He just holds the rest of the party back. That's awesome, fukken great.

>slightly better at those fate rolls, but now almost all of your scenarios boil down to that.

Thats what D&D is about though isn't it? Also it seems like most class specific "You should do this thing" shit is handled by proficiency bonus's which are far more important than a +1 bonus you would get from having 16 instead of 14.

>>48979788

I guess I'm just fucked then because either I'm a powergamer like with >>48977938 or I'm fucking useless I guess.

I'm not making a standard array generic single class though, fuck that, I'd rather just not play than play the obvious exact character the devs wanted me to play.

>>48979800
Stats don't make up for proficiency bonuses, and proficiency doesn't make up for stats. That's why you build your character around specific strengths and flaws.

If you want to make an all-around generalized character who is slightly good at everything, you really shouldn't even be playing a class-based RPG system like D&D. If you're playing a Wizard, you need good Intelligence. Not having a good Intelligence stat does absolutely nothing for you. It doesn't have to be an 18 at level 1 or anything, but it shouldn't be a 10. If it's a 10, why are you being a Wizard?

You also need to remember that this isn't a 1 player game like a video game. You don't need to power up your character to handle all the situations because you're the only character or have stupid AI party members that can't do things without you. It's a group game. Your group can handle what you can't, and that's the point. If you want to make a well-rounded character like >>48979423, you also need to build a character around that theme: versatility. Just remember that versatility comes at the expense of speciality. They can't really come together equally without being overpowered.

Could a party of seven 7-8th level characters kill the Lich in the Amber Temple of CoS reliably or should we just run? Party comp is champ fighter, bear barb, open hand monk, sun soul monk, bladelock, vengeance pally, wizard

>>48979800

Because of bounded accuracy a +1 is a bigger deal in this edition than it might have been in editions past. It's definitely not worth having a +1 in a stat you almost never use (+1 Strength on most wizards) isn't worth starting off with -1 Intelligence modifier.

>>48979851

There's nothing power gamey about the post you quoted except for maybe the fact that instead of making a Fighter/Paladin they're trying to squeeze the most damage out of the Fighter/Paladin class as possible and are doing a shitty job of it.

Having a bunch of useless +1s at the cost of your main stats not being as good is absolutely a big deal.

so with the warlock spell table only going up to 5th level, but the spell list going up to 9th, how does that work for picking spells? am i missing something here?

>>48979851
Stop being a stubborn brat. Barbarians are strong and hit things. You can also make a DEX Barbarian. Those are your options, though. You don't make an INT Barbarian that learns spells. Why? Because it's a class-based system.

The devs aren't telling you how to play. They gave you a ton of different options, builds, templates, and variants for each class.

Why don't you just say what you want to make? What is your overall goal with this character?

>>48979851
Are you conflating class and character intentionally?

>>48979931
Mystic Arcanum.

>>48979931
Read the book. It explains it.

>>48979633
as a group. If the fight ends early, too early, I might add more mobs as reinforcements.

>>48979609
The class you want is Bard.

>>48979633
in groups of about 3-6. so say there were 12 goblins, i might have groups A, B, and C, each with 4 goblins and their own initiative

>>48979851
You'll be fine imo.
Even if you do 15,15,15,8,8,8 you'll at most have a +3 after racial adjustments in 2 stats. So you miss out on +1 on some rolls.

Maybe at higher levels it will be an issue? Alot of people are stupid and plan their characters beyond 5th level. Their characters will probably never even get there. They will probably die and have to remake their character.

You shouldn't be concerned with being "good" in DnD. It isn't a video game, there is no "winning" in DnD. You play and your character grows and changes. If your DM is really good, you're stats wont matter.

You shouldnt even plan your character beyond first level, you can't know what the adventure is going to be like. If you plan to multiclass at level 3 or take a specific feat at level 4, how do you know it will make sense for your character to do that?

If you're DM is good and the other players are good, then you'll be fine. If they shit on you for making a mediocre character, then fuck them, maybe you shouldnt play with those wangrods.

DnD is not an epic war strategy game. Combat is fun and exciting, but it is primarily a Role Playing game. Don't be concerned with numbers too much, it's just some rules to keep things in-line with the generalized fantasy setting so things dont get too crazy.

>>48980193
I'll be honest what I want is to get

Paladin 1/Fighter 1/ bard 1 by level 3 and then level up whatever the fuck I want after that. It will probably be shit but it sounds like fun to me.

I need some cool magical shield pictures, /tg/.

The shield in question allows its wielder to cast Absorb elements and spend a hit die when they take a critical hit.

>>48980242
Do that, then. You just need to go into that understanding that there will be times where you feel inadequate at whatever you're doing.

>>48980242
Just go Valor Bard.

>>48980298
Is this the Aegis of the Undying or whatever people came up with a few threads ago?

Still sounds interesting, and is an area of exploration that could be decent: situational triggers that give a boon.

>>48980308
valor bard doesn't give me smite, action surge, two fihting styles, and aura of protection.

>>48980332
And divine sense, and lay on hands, and second wind.

>>48980326
That was a nice thread, and the guy with the idea about the shield was cool as fuck in my opinion, totally stealing it for the next session

>>48980347

You kind of sound like that guy, mate.

>>48980332
What level are you starting at?

Also, why does it make sense for your character to have training in these different classes?

I played a Dwarf who was a Paladin/Bard and i told people I was a Steward, i protected the Kingdom's people and lore. I much prefered thinking of my character as a Steward than as either of the classes on my character sheet.

>>48980326
Yeah, that's the one. I'm still thinking up a name, because one of the character is actually called Aegis, but that suggestion just sounded really cool. And since I can't draw for shit, I have to pan through google to find a decent picture, still haven't found one that fits.

>>48980332
Aura of Protection isn't until Paladin level 6.
Action Surge isn't until Fighter level 2.

And if you're >>48979423, your Aura of Protection would only give +1.

>>48980388

>the character is actually called aegis

is the character also a warforged waifu

>>48980377
Yeah, this is what I like from 5e personally; combining classes is sort of a class on its own, that fits the background of your character. Like, a Barbarian Druid is not a Barbarian that knows druid spells; it's more of a spirit warrior/protector, that fights to defend the sacred land his tribe originates from up in the mountains.

File: spellbreaker.png (604KB, 670x810px) Image search: [Google]

604KB, 670x810px

>>48980388
Spellbreaker from oblivion? It even fits with the absorb elements thing.

File: Colored_NPC_-_Hellish_Co-Workers.png (115KB, 1549x594px) Image search: [Google]

115KB, 1549x594px

I was talking to one of my players, a warlock, about possible plot hooks to get his character more invested not really an issue since the guy is not a cunt about going on quests without a good enough reasons and I mentioned the possibility of his "contact" being kidnapped. Said contact is a devil who works for his patron: he does stuff like recruiting new warlocks, handing them their tomes/improve their familiars, etc.
Player said this devil should be like demigod tier powerful and that being kidnapped by mortals sounds stupid, now I don't know a lot about devils, but archdevils have tons of lowly minions to do simple tasks like these right? I cannot think of a good reason of why one would send their more powerful minions to hand out books and contact mortals.

File: Selection_050.png (48KB, 596x573px) Image search: [Google]

48KB, 596x573px

>>48980377
Starting as a level 1 bard.

I don't understand why I'd need more explanation than a bard with great conviction in the battle of good against evil that wants to follow in the footsteps of knights in shining armor that are often written about in folktales.

>>48980407
I was planning a stat spread more like this. Level 6 paladin would give me extra attack. Level 3 Fighter would give me superiority dice as well. I can dumb the rest of the levels in lore bard to get more multiclass spell slots.

>>48980467
That's what imps and such exist for. In a lot of settings it's hard for a powerful devil to cross over and relatively much easier for something like an imp.

>>48980367
Thanks anon! Though I can't take all the credit for it, the critical hit effect was stolen from this guy: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVdb9Yr8fc05_VbAVfskCA
His D&D videos are a great resource for DMs, by the way, especially new ones. He called it the Shield of Aendrim, which is also a cool name, but I didn't wanted to steal too much...

>>48980438
Awesome! All it took was googling "spellbreaker shield" and I suddenly find a bunch of great pictures. Thank you.

File: BroGuest_Demon_gent.png (992KB, 2480x1961px) Image search: [Google]

992KB, 2480x1961px

>>48980503
oh right I had forgotten that bit. Either way this guy is like a humanoid and as tall as a human, perhaps I can say it is a cambion? or he's stuck in this plane because reasons.

>Session is on Friday
>I have drawn one singular map in five hours of "work" (most of it staring at a screen and being frustrated)
>I have no idea what the encounters are going to be
>I have classes and a poker game tomorrow

Fuck my life. What do you guys do when you get writer's block right before a session?

I think I can improvise some shit, since most of the session is going to be preparing a city for an invasion. The problem is, I want the actual invasion to also happen next session, and figuring out how fighting in a larger group works combat-wise will be difficult.

The fuck am I supposed to do?

>>48980368
I'm not. Even though thematically a valor bard is a "fighter bard" its more of a skald. I don't want to make a skald, I'm making a bard with actual fighter training who is trying to take on the oath of a Paladin and stand against evil.

Paladin being a starting class is retarded anyways, multiclassing into it makes more sense than having the fledgling abilities of a divine champion as a greenhorn adventurer.

>>48980498
What's your level progression plan for this? Be careful because you won't really be getting any of your fun class features until 4+ levels after the rest of your party has started getting theirs.

You said 1/1/1 for the first three levels, right? Most classes start getting their fun stuff start at Level 3 or so, so you won't really be getting most of your fun things until Level 9 or so. Your Paladin extra attack will be at Level 7, at the earliest. And that's if you rush to that. And if you do that, you won't get your Fighter stuff until Level 9. Are you just going to dump into Bard after that? If so, all the spells you'll be getting at that point will be very weak.

I'm guessing that you plan on just using them as batteries for your Smite?

If you're fine with all this, go for it. Just pointing it out, is all. Personally, I would just skip the Fighter part altogether and go Paladin/Bard, but that's only my personal opinion.

>>48980637
Check out the first chapter of Hoard of the Dragon Queen. It's in the mega. In that chapter the PCs have to help a town that is being raided by doing a series of missions, like saving a mill, rescuing survivors trapped in the temple, defending a sally door, stuff like that. I'm sure you can get a bunch of good ideas from there.

File: 1376080181128.jpg (494KB, 1100x1100px) Image search: [Google]

494KB, 1100x1100px

>>48979893
>If you want to make an all-around generalized character who is slightly good at everything, you really shouldn't even be playing a class-based RPG system like D&D
bards?

>>48980639
That's not true at all. Many Paladins become one because of a divine calling. A Level 1 Paladin can sense evil and heal people, which perfectly represents becoming aware of their calling, whether it's from within or from powers above.

Could a full grown Dragon wield a Ballista as a weapon? What would be able to, a Giant probably?
Assume Polymorphed player, really this isn't a real question so much as something retarded that passed through my mind.
BALLISTA
Large object
Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: 50
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic
A ballista is a massive crossbow that fires heavy bolts.
Before it can be fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It
takes one action to load the weapon, one action to aim it,
and one action to fire it.
Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/480
ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3dl0) piercing damage.

>>48980720
Dude

You are a literal savior of lives

>>48980639
>>48980737

when i play a Paladin, i almost always just RP as a Knight who is virtuous and doesnt really know where their powers are coming from. It isn't usually until i hit level 3 when i do my oath that I start discovering my "divine calling".

>>48980692
probably

Bard -> Fighter -> Paladin -> Fighter -> Paladin -> Fighter -> Paladin -> Paladin -> Paladin -> Paladin -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard -> Bard

>>48980793
What Oath, and what Fighter specialization?

>>48980809
Devotion and Battle Master.

File: Stats.png (45KB, 633x747px) Image search: [Google]

45KB, 633x747px

>>48980809
Also I think I'll probably do this and start with the Martial Adept feat.

>>48980769
No worries, senpai. Good luck.

>>48980745
3d10 piercing damage, that sounds about exactly like a Huge heavy crossbow. So any huge creatures with enough coordination and the right limbs could feasibly wield it.

>>48978996

The whole point of playing as a group/team is so the individual players can specialize in one area and the overall group dynamic can compensate for the individual weaknesses. When players try to average out all their ability scores it makes the game average and boring and then the players have less opportunity to shine when they encounter different types of challenges. As an individual you are supposed to excel in one area and suck in others so everyone in the group will be useful.

>>48980886
>might as well just be a Human for the feat
You've gone down a dark road..

>>48980886

this is already a way, way, way better character than what you had before. however because of your build you only get one feat, so make it count.

The way you're going to take levels is going to suck because everybody else will be getting better and stronger abilities while you'll have shitty casting, no asi, and a hodgepodge of not necessarily synergetic abilities with no subclass until level 7 but if you really want to make a shit character then do you man.

>>48980825
I dub you're multiclass title "Gallant"

Always fun to throw off the other players
>What class are you?
>I am a Gallant
>they start looking through PHB

I developed a serious pet peeve when I played a druid and when other players were roleplaying they said "you're a druid aren't you? you should be doing XYZ right now, right?" and like...it is fine for their characters to kinda say stuff like that, none of them were magic-user classes, but i never said i was a druid outside of session 0 when i told them what it said on my character sheet.

>>48980886
omg...are you going Dex based? You're going to be Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride. A brutal warrior who uses a rapier and has a sassy personality.

I love the idea of a Dex-aladin. So neat.

>>48980928
That's what I said earlier.

What I said in the post you quoted is that there's also players who want to be REALLY good at everything.

>>48980950

With the shitty way this guy's leveling I wouldn't even go Human. half Elf would be leagues better.

>>48980950
Not the Bard-Paladin-Fighter guy. But i go human +feat because my DM is lame and boring and serious and won't let me be a weird special snowflake of a character.

I've got some great ideas for playing an Infant Umberhulk.

>>48980886
>>48980952

Also actually 12 bard / Fighter 4 / Paladin 6 would net me the same ability score increases as if I had gone full bard as well which is 5.

>>48980928
I agree with you, but I'd like to mention the shit I'm getting with this build is

>Inspiration
>A badass aura to help everyone with saves
>Superiority dice that I can use to assist people

I also wont be getting more than 1 extra attack which is the same as if I had gone valor bard. The main difference is the aura, smite, lay on hands, second wind, and action surge, instead of combat inspirations and the bonus attack when you cast a spell thing.

If anything all those things will make my party shine far more.

>>48980978
>I can't be my own unique race so I just always pick Human to show my disdain
What?

>>48980952
Eh? He gets atleast 2 feats from being 11 bard, 1 feat from being 6 paladin, and 1 feat from variant human.

So 4 feats in total. Though he doesnt get his second feat untill level 9. Which isnt actually all that bad, similar progression of feats compared to non-multiclass non variant-humans.

>>48980997
I derped 10 bard 4 fighter 6 paladin would be 4 feats

>>48981001
We cant even be Dragonborn.

>It would be too weird, it doesnt make sense for villagers to be okay with this monstrous character walking around.

>>48980997
>If anything all those things will make my party shine far more.
Those are things that anybody can get if they just do the same thing as you and dip 1 or 2 levels into something.

The things that lets players shine are the later level abilities of a class, typically. That's why they're in the later levels. You're giving up those things just to be able to do various level 1-level 4 knick-knacks.

>>48981022
To be fair, the PHB does point out that those rare races ARE rare and can sometimes scare people. I think he should let you be a Dragonborn, but comparing that to not letting you be a baby Umberhulk is completely different.

>>48981001
oh also, different players enjoy different things. Coming to the table as an artist, the visual mind image of my character is really important to me. If, in my imagination, my character doesn't look cool to me, i am having less fun.

>>48981022
It does if they're a natural part of the world.

I despite DMs who think that D&D = Medieval Europe.

>>48979734
You do realize that D&D, especially the current edition, isn't supposed to be based entirely on playing the stats. Its not WoW. 5e balances roleplay and storytelling along with combat much more. The game is supposed to be fun because the players do creative shit as a group to build the story by using all that background fluff to predispose the actions of the player characters to act and make decisions a certain way. Your character doesn't know it has an 18 in Dex or a 6 in wisdom. They just know they are good or bad at stuff. Focusing too much on the cold hard math to make every decision/choice is metagaming. You are supposed to be really good in one area and relatively average or bad in others. The group make up compensates for weakness. You are supposed to building a character to fill a role in the group/team. Stop being a snowflake, If everybody at the table focused on the whole group instead of just themselves and their loot the games will be far more fun. If you can't grasp that then just go play a video game.

>>48981056
I'm an artist, too. I can also use that artist angle like you're doing to bias my argument: limiting your materials and creating restrictions as an artist can help you develop your creativity.

I personally like to draw a lot of freaky weird sci-fi alien pieces of shit with floating arms and non-humanoid body shapes. This is D&D, however. Be creative within the rules and guidelines given to you. Just because you're not allowed to be a baby infant Umberhulk doesn't mean your artistic integrity is being compromised.

>>48980960
If you are really good at everything you are average. The DM is going to have to adjust encounters for mary sue so its going to average out. It just causes things to be bland or no fun'

>>48981112
What are you trying to say? I agree with you.

>>48981058
>tfw you remember the huge butthurt one of your 2e dms had when the party had the idea of doing an all-elf game
>but elves are supposed to be rare!
>then why are there elven kingdoms you moron

>>48981125
Then lets agree to agree and end this ;-)

>>48981085
It isnt about artistic integrity, its just about what i enjoy. I like seeing this cool visual image in my head. I have fun with that. The image in my head is more interesting to me, and therefore more fun if my character is more on the weird side.

I am not biasing my arguments. I am explaining why I enjoy the things i enjoy.

also i should have put more context to indicate that the Umberhulk comment was facetious. The original idea i had for a character that the DM vito'd for being "a bullshit character" was a Dragonborn Cleric with a texan accent because he was this world's equivilent of an Oil Baron. He was from a desert and i told the DM i wanted him to be visually themed like a desert lizard and sent him a picture of a Thorny Devil.

Additionally our DM also vito'd a character idea from another player because the character had "tattoes on their hands that were pyramids with eyes in them". He refused the character idea on the basis that he knew the player has an interest in illuminati stuff and didnt want that "bullshit" in his world. I told him "why not just have the player's character think that stuff exists and is actually a crackpot conspiracy nut?" There was no compromise. We all made very regular characters. Human Monk on a pilgrimage. Dwarven Druid awoken from Druidic Hibernation. Elf Ranger searching for kidnapped family. Half-Orc Barbarian who likes to drink and fight.

The funny thing was, we had a TPK recently and he had the gaul to make the comment "everyone is going to just make characters that are weird and bullshit and i'll have to do all this work to make them fit" when that has literally never happened.

File: 1467311546388.jpg (240KB, 800x542px) Image search: [Google]

240KB, 800x542px

Hey /tg/. I'm running my first campaign soon.

I was wondering if there is some kind of tool which allows me to upload the silhouette of an image and it automatically adds terrain and biomes to, generating what looks like a continent or island.

I have 0 graphic design skills, but I really want my world map to have a certain shape. Is there such a thing?

>>48981174

How about this...you and your DM are incompatible. He want to run one kind of game and you want to play another. If you can't reach a compromise then you DM a game you'd like to play or you go and find a new group that wants to play the way you do.

In my last game I learned casting Leomund's Tiny Hut spontaneously makes a nearby enemy learn Dispel Magic. At any rate, can a Wizard sitting inside a LTH cast touch spells through a familiar they send out?

>>48981174
Well see, that's not what you said before. You said that your DM didn't let you be a baby Umberhulk with no real joking context behind it, so obviously it's going make you look like you're being the odd one here because the DM didn't let you play your own little unique race thing that has no stats.

I actually like the idea of a rough-talking Dragonborn Cleric with a cowboy-ish hat and a cigar. See, that's neat. You should have just said that before and what I was talking about by working within the limitations of the game.

Did he say why he doesn't want anything aside from stock characters?

>>48981277

>casting leomund's tiny hut spontaneously

it has a ten round casting time

>>48981266
Not the same guy; just wanted to reiterate on this. I am pretty much that guy's DM, kinda. My LGS was running a campaign recently and I wanted to join, but immediately busted out once I learned these guys were playing lolis, eldritch abominations, WWE wrestlers (one guy was literally the Undertaker) and they started the campaign on a map that was the plaza the store was in. So I created my own group and campaign for a more serious thing.

>>48981011
>>48980958
I do have a question though

10 bard/ 6 paladin/4 fighter would be a level 13 caster. How does that work with preparing and using spells from other classes? I'd assume I can only cast up to level 2 paladin spells and only level 5 bard spells. So the bonus levels of the 6th/7th level spell slot is just for casting a 5th level spell at a higher level or whatever?

>>48981032
I disagree, there might be later level spells that are cool but most of the later level abilities sound fucking dumb to me.

Barbarian and Monk are like the only two classes where the later levels are super cool to me. Everything else is like

>You gain wings or some shit and you can fly
>You regain inspiration, ki, sorcery points, whatever when you roll initiative
>You gain one super special thing that you can do once a day

I'd rather have Aura of protection, high AC, combat maneuvers, inspiration, be able to hit shit with a sword better than if I had just gone valor (because I'd have fighting styles, smite, action surge, and superiority die)

With this I can do shit like go college of lore and rip shit like faerie fire too, I'd have proficiency in a ton of skills and expertise too. I'd have better synergy with feats like warcraster as well.

Like with this I should be able to do something every action, bonus action, and reaction every single turn and be able to not suck balls in stealth and social situations.

What I'm giving up is straight up just super specific gimmick high level class abilities and spells.

The way I see it I'll be getting a slow start but after like level 5, I'll be getting super cool shit every level.

>>48981328
Yea, you have it right. You can only prepare spells that you know of the associated caster level, like you normally would if you were just a Level 6 Paladin. But the chart in the PHB in the multiclassing section has a chart for the spell slots you'd have access too. So you'd be doing alot of casting of lower level spells with higher level spell slots.

>>48981363
I'd probably do some concentration ability and then use spell slots to smite shit.

>>48981307
Rephrase: Casting Leomund's Tiny Hut normally makes a nearby enemy suddenly learn how to cast Dispel Magic. In our case, one of the 4 trolls that attacked us was a 7th level caster.

>>48981328
>there might be later level spells that are cool but most of the later level abilities sound fucking dumb to me

>Bard
>high level spells
>Peerless Skill
>Battle Magic
>Magical Secrets

>Cleric
>high level spells
>Visions of the Past
>Supreme Healing
>free smite damage with no spell slot use
>Stormborn
>Invoke Duplicity
>War God's Blessing

>Druid
>high level spells
>live 10x longer than others of your race
>unlimited Wildshape (Moon Druid is gross by the way)
>alter self at will

These are just examples. I could go on forever. If you think any of these are "fucking dumb" and aren't "super cool shit" compared to a 10 ft. radius Aura of Protection (it's stuck at 10 ft. forever, by the way), then you might want to rethink things. I would instantly trade Aura of Protection for having even one 9th level spell slot.

>>48981266
I dont see what he likes and what I like as mutually exclusive.

You can have a serious world/story and have a player be the "monster character" of the group. Chrono Trigger and FF7 are anime at times, but Frog and RedXIII are fairly serious, driven, and grounded characters. They just happen to be weird looking.

There's some pretty weird looking humans out there, i dont think it is out of the ordinary.

also it is frustrating because I am willing to compromise and he isn't.

>>48981316
nah, we arent that bad. We could have made all of our initial character ideas fit perfectly well into a more serious story without much work.

>>48981316

This is one of the things that baffles me about new/younger players. They will fucking pester the shit out of the DM to do shit the DM doesn't want to deal with in his game constantly but they won't accept that some players and DMs aren't compatible and move on or :gasp: DM their own game. Even worse is the group that is afraid to tell the creepy annoying asshat jerk player to get the fuck out. They will look for every possible solution except to tell the person they are an asshole who is no longer welcome in their game. I grew up in the 70s and 80s. If someone was an asshole that couldn't even get along at the nerd and dork table they would at least shun/avoid them till they got the hint, if they didn't gang up on the guy and kick his ass in private to drive him out.

>>48981573
you might not but your DM does. So move on. Find a DM that wants to play the way you want to play or you start DMing games and run them in the style you prefer.

>>48981465
Have fun getting to 9th level ever. I don't really care about 9th level spells either. I don't care about wildshape, I've never wanted to be a druid in any version of the game, except maybe pathfinder because Packlord or whatever its called sounded baller.

Primal magic is super cool though I'll give you that.

Supreme Healing is awesome, but everyone keeps telling me that healing is shit so my boner for it has died.

Stormborn, I don't care about flying.

War gods blessing is awesome but it being limited to 3 uses at high levels sucks ass. For the majority of the game you have 2 uses per day. If it was like earlier editions where it was like 2 uses + cha modifier then I'd like it more. I'd rather just pop out inspiration and superiority dice. A straight +10 is better but giving / holding on to inspiration and rolling dice is more fun imo.

I'd be getting plenty of magical secrets.

Meh on the peerless skill.

Multiclassing to get action surge and combining it with other classes abilities is easily as cool as any of those things and far more practically implemented during actual play.

When everyone else is altering reality and flying around with their 9th level spells I'll be happy rolling skill checks to carve their likeness out of stone and write their epics while leaving myself out of the story.

I'll still have my full proficiency bonus and expertise at least.

>>48981634
He and I are really good friends, I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize that.
Also i would feel petty if i left because "i didnt get my way".

I know, i am impossible to please. I am just frustrated with my DM. We just had a TPK and i sent him an email with a new character idea, and it's been more than 24 hours and he hasnt replied, and I am already of the impression that he's going to say "too weird, make something else"

>>48981689
Gee man, your DM might seem like a lazy fuck, but just out of curiosity what kind of character are you planning to do now?

>>48981689

Then stop complaining about it. After a few exchanges with you on the internet I'm pretty sure he won't mind if you leave the group. Wait till an appropriate time...just inform the group that once this adventure/campaign ends you want to step away from their game to try something different or ask if they would mind if you DM'ed a few games to give the regular guy a break and to explore a different style of game. .

File: Murk_Final.jpg (472KB, 800x681px) Image search: [Google]

472KB, 800x681px

>>48981770
I tried to temper my desire to play a Monster.

So i asked to play a Human whose been cursed by a warlock where his skin is plated and he's got acid powers. Basically just taking the Draconic Sorcerer and theming it to be more insectoid. Here's a photo manip of what i want the character to look like.

I've got some backstory written up, i'll try and shorten it for sake of reading
>is a Knight
>he and fellow knights confront a warlock terrorizing peasants
>warlock melts other knights in their own armour.
>something weird happens, instead of melting in his armour like his comrades, he starts vomitting acid and passes out.
>wakes up back home with weird plated skin and a burning feeling in throat
>all his strength is sapped, can no longer walk around in armour or even lift his broadsword and shield
>Asks his Lord to sent him to find this warlock and bring it to justice


>>48981813
>After a few exchanges with you on the internet I'm pretty sure he won't mind if you leave the group.
Thanks.

>>48981846
That's cool actually.

File: dark_omen__s_morgan_bernhardt_by_jonasjensenart-d4kl2et.jpg (265KB, 727x953px) Image search: [Google]

265KB, 727x953px

DMs, what do you use for motivation?

character/location art are what does it for me.

Like this guy, he's going to be a shady arrogant lord up to shady shit with a small contingent of knights (but in actually he's a vengeance paladin working in the shadows to expose a cult)

File: 1.jpg (241KB, 832x1367px) Image search: [Google]

241KB, 832x1367px

>>48981928
oh and also, where do you guys go to find character art/portraits?

>>48981897
Thanks. I think the picture helps lol. The main crux of the character is basically he's steadily losing everything that made him who he was before.

>He's not strong enough to wear armour and wield a proper weapon
so he's going to be frustrated with not being on the front lines and he'll be jealous of any fighters/paladins and vindictive towards anyone who plays a warlock.

>he's from a lesser noble house, and he was offered a marriage with another house, which has been rescinded since his transformation.
Now he can't further his House and family name in a traditional sense.

Also, trying to subtly make a monster character. Start as normal as possible and maybe evolve and mutate over time lol. Before the DM knows it, i'll be a giant bug monster spewing acid. (this isnt a serious ambition, i dont want to be a giant bug monster spewing acid in DnD)

File: ff0b97c9b8a27639e818483307d079a6.jpg (45KB, 564x833px) Image search: [Google]

45KB, 564x833px

>>48981943
pintrest is great for character concepts/artwork.

personally if I can get an interesting setting and a few key characters together, i can start weaving together a cohesive story and campaign with just that.

File: wizaaaard.jpg (220KB, 640x1077px) Image search: [Google]

220KB, 640x1077px

What are some cool unique mediums for an illusionist wizard? i.e like smoke from a pipe or illustrations from a book

File: Sai6.png (239KB, 500x1034px) Image search: [Google]

239KB, 500x1034px

>illustrations from a book

This is forever ruined for me.

File: 1450017070020.jpg (466KB, 800x1123px) Image search: [Google]

466KB, 800x1123px

>>48982059
A puppet show?

>>48977256
Swashbuckler4/Dragon sorcerrer1

You take the grapler or tavern brawler feat (or both as variant human).
Expertise in athletics.
Free AC from D. Sorcerer.

Hit target with action and graplle with bonus action.
Next use the Create bonfire cantrip on your square.
Enjoy the fact that your spells won't hurt you as you cast them.

Then enjoy the fact that you are also the best gish around.

I'm going to have a wild magic sorc in my party

any DMs here have experience with handling wild magic PCs in their game? How often should I have them roll for tides of magic?

Is my Nautical Coastal Druid is forced to land adventures?

I'm trying to create a blind warlock that hunts down demons a la demon hunters from WoW. Anyone have helpful tips to get over the whole blind thing? Are there any feats or backgrounds that would help or should I try to homebrew some stuff with my DM?

>>48977870
Get dueling and get the blade master feat.

Enjoy your free AC boosts and +3 to rapiers/shortswords.
Dip a Level Into monk or barbarian for free AC.

What monster races do you want to see in the game?

>>48982201
I'm playing one now.
My DM usually sets it off pretty much instantly, unless I'm fishing for procs or abusing it (Tides takes work from both sides, to work well), and I roll a d10.instead of 20, with the surge getting progressively easier to trigger (ie. every time it doesn't go off, the chance increases by 1. After 10 casts it's guaranteed).

I'd suggest be a little more sparing with it at low levels, but we haven't had any severe problems from it. Only team kill we've had from it was a ranger pet.

>>48982232
being actually blind is utterly crippling in terms of gameplay. maybe play a warlock with devil's sight, say that you were born blind but through your patron you gained magical sight in order to hunt demons? basically make it more background/fluff than actually being blind

>>48981647
You're fine having your opinion. All I'm saying is that your opinion of high level abilities and rewards being "fucking dumb" is just terribly misguided, rather immature, and ignorant.

I personally don't even like magical classes and abilities all that much. I'm perfectly happy just being a Barbarian and attacking somebody really hard with my maul over and over until they're bloody. I personally don't like a lot of things, but that doesn't mean that they're bad.

You can be perfectly happy with your mutli-classed characters, but don't you think it's rather ridiculous to even begin to state that getting Second Wind is comparable to things like Wish, Antimagic Field, etc.

Action Surge is great, but you can't even make the best use of it because you don't get to spam countless attacks like a high-level Fighter would.

File: kuotoa (1).jpg (242KB, 768x565px) Image search: [Google]

242KB, 768x565px

Anyone have any good Sloobludop pictures?

File: 58611285_p0.png (803KB, 1350x1800px) Image search: [Google]

803KB, 1350x1800px

>>48982422
Is it true that 5e is receiving catfolk soon?

Will I be able to play a catgirl (male)?

>>48982688
We already have CaT Dads on planes in Macross

>>48982688
Closer to furfaggotry than weebshit, but yes, catfolk are coming.

File: image.gif (11KB, 300x360px) Image search: [Google]

11KB, 300x360px

>>48982688
They mentioned it, but given the book's Faerun-focus it's likely to be the tabaxi, a race of fairly primitive jaguar-people from Mazteca that could later be found in Chult.

>>48979931
>readniggaread.jpg

I've been running all of my campaigns in the Forgotten Realms setting until now, with mostly prewritten campaigns like Lost Mine of Phandelver.

Right now I'm running Curse of Strahd for a few people, and I was thinking I would end it with the players stepping out of Ravenloft into an unknown world, still similar to Faerûn. I've been wanting to come up with adventures on my own rather than continue doing modules from books.

Does this sound like a good idea? The players don't have any real connections with any NPCs or places.

>>48982876
Sure, why not?

File: commission__rory_by_kiikii_sempai-da8ruk2.jpg (468KB, 726x1403px) Image search: [Google]

468KB, 726x1403px

pls name my african-american elf

>>48983144
Nhalahla

>>48983144
Shaniqua
Shawnell

>>48983144
http://www.behindthename.com/rating/highest.php?type=urban&rev=n&gender=f&extra=no&num=20

Lakeisha
Tanisha
Latoya
Monique
Latasha
Lashawn

>>48983144
Cheaqaunte

File: BrA2CljCEAEEHl7.jpg (38KB, 600x400px) Image search: [Google]

38KB, 600x400px

>>48983144
Yolandi.

>>48983180
Any of these, but change the order of the syllables.

So guys

How are healers? I really want to make the classic "helpless cutesy healer", former street urchin, that is to be picked up by the (already existing) party

But it just seems like they encourage heavy armour and weapons... am I needlessly gimping myself by going armourless healer?

>>48983348
Rogue (Thief) + Healer feat + Healing kits.
"Woops, sorry, didn't mean to do that" when you sneak attack like a truck.
Go 14 Charisma to be a decent face for the party.

>>48983348
Go lore bard. Healing word and Cure wounds for immediate patching.

Then during rests you can shyly sing them the song of your people for extra hit die healing.

And at 6th you can use your Extra Magical Secret to grab Aura of Vitality and literally radiate healing while hiding timidly behind the big strong fighter.

>>48983348
Life Clerics don't get martial weapon training or extra attacks so hitting people is likely going to be a last resort. They do get heavy armour training but that's so they can run up to the front and dish out any serious healing to anyone allies in trouble without getting killed themselves.

>>48979904
yer if you don't heal him

y tho

>>48983348
Alternatively, you can talk with your DM. Life Clerics are the greatest at healing and nothing can really compete with Disciple of Life.
If you don't like the heavy armour proficiency you can reasonably trade it for a skill proficiency or a bonus cantrip, like the other Domains have.

You could also play a Dexterity Paladin, Lay on Hands is pretty great. There are even class variants out there that allow for ranged paladins with ranged smites.

Or you could go for a Dexterity Fighter (Battlemaster). With high Dexterity and high Charisma, taking the Inspiring Leader feat and Rally as one of your main maneuvers.

> Anyway,

The fact is that healing isn't that amazing in 5e, except for "in combat resurrection" when someone is unconscious. More often than not, dealing damage and actively preventing more damage from coming is a safer bet.
So, really, buffers and battlefield controllers, especially with a quick Healing Word in their skillset, are probably better for the group as a whole.

It's a shame, too, I'd like a healer that fit all of that. Giving temporary HP to people and buffs when these shields are destroyed, etc.

>>48983404
>>48983463
I think I'll go lore bard. Seems quite appropriate actually, and a lot better supporter than just straight up healing, for healing is really subpar here.

We've just been close to death a bit too often, and my character died because no one had time to help. It also stays close to my old thief rogue in concept.

>>48983348
>>48983712
Keep in mind this depends on your party. If your party is like 5+ players then a lore bard will not cut it as far as healing goes. Also, if your party is mostly low AC it can be an issue.

People hate on life clerics in 5e but I think it is just because they play in small parties usually.

>>48976348
>Have you ever played a campaign that primarily took place in dangerous/inhospitable environments?

About to run a small adventure on Icewind Dale. What would be the diet for the average Ten-Towner? I'm thinking a lot of fish, but, any vegetables? What would people be able to grow on such a hostile environment?

>>48984008
Probably because the game becomes pretty shit after 6 players.

>>48984076
Potatoes?

>>48984008
We're only 4 players, but we have constant issues with health. We are always at like half health, and we often go down in fights, so someone who can at least prevent people from dying would be great.

>>48984113
It's always potatoes.
The same was in Mulmaster...anything else or is it just Knucklehead Trout for EVERYTHING?

Question /5eg/
If you Magic Initiate Warlock, should a DM allow you to pick a patron and have access to the patron spells for your MI spells, or no?

File: image.jpg (48KB, 346x542px) Image search: [Google]

48KB, 346x542px

My DM for an upcoming game came to me with an idea for my warlock.
In short, the character does not exactly enjoy her patron, and the patron likes messing with her.
So the DM wants to (Pact related ones the exception) shuffle my invocations every long rest.

What are your thoughts on this?

>>48984191
Pic related?

>>48984206
Yes, actually.
My warlock was a medicine woman who got in too deep with those wacky undying when trying to help people.
She's a neutral good Undying patron, with her human feat being Healer.
I wanted to try and play a medic, and I fully plan on her going Tomelock for the revival rituals.

>>48984246
I player similar once actually. A Shadow Sorcerer Doctor who was killed in an orc raid but he got better.

Is the repugnance of undead supposed to be a balancing factor for Animate Dead? Put another way, would a hypothetical Summon Illusory Fighters spell that created non-undead creatures with the same stats be balanced?

>>48984298
I would make it a little weaker because it's Necromancy's big thing and it steps on the toes a bit.

>>48984298
You mean Spirit Guardians?

>>48984331
No, I mean an "I summon shit" spell but instead of being concentration and temporary, last as long as you keep dedicating spell slots to them.

I want to be a Warforge Artificer... Why do they have to be so bad in 5e...

>>48984369
I feel your pain. I want to play a young angry Elf who hates nature because his parents like it but I can't

>>48984369
Because artificers and warforged both aren't fully Canon and you can make magic items anyway.
Wait until the ebberon supplements come into play before picking stuff.

>>48984311
I figure Elemental minions of a more primal nature would be appropos. Looking at the HotEC book from 4e, it has:

Arctine
Automaton
Chaos Phage
Crysmalite
Flame Serpent
Hordeling
Magmin
Mud Wretch
Nereid
Pech
Storm Talon
Sylph

As elemental companions. As far as I'm aware, only Magmin have stats in 5e.

Would this be balanced?

Conjure Elemental Minions

3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (a small amount of the basic 4 elements)
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell creates an elemental servant. Choose an elemental
creature of CR 1/4 or less. An elemental of the chosen sort
is formed and bound to you.
On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action
to mentally command any creature you made with
this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you
control multiple creatures, you can command any or all
of them at the same time, issuing the same command to
each one). You decide what action the creature will take
and where it will move during its next turn, or you can
issue a general command, such as to guard a particular
cham ber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the
creature only defends itself against hostile creatures.
Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it
until its task is complete.
The creature is under your control for 24 hours,
after which it stops obeying any command you’ve given
it. To maintain control of the creature for another
24 hours, you must cast this spell on the creature
again before the current 24-hour period ends. This
use of the spell reasserts your control over up to four
creatures you have animated with this spell, rather than
animating a new one.
At Higher Levels.W hen you cast this spell using a
spell slot of 4th level or higher, you conjure or reassert
control over two additional elemental creatures for each
slot level above 3rd.

File: 53c3a73f97558e1d1163957b4a1756de_original.jpg (336KB, 1536x864px) Image search: [Google]

336KB, 1536x864px

Anyone here have the Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press? is it worth buying?

>>48984542
It's pretty great. I recommend the physical book though because it is a lot to digest, like 400+ pages.

>>48983333
> Keishala
> Nishata
> Toyala
> Nimoque
> Tashala
> Shawnla

Not bad.

Need help. Long story short, I have a player who has a sword given to him (unbeknownst to the PC) by the Demogorgon. It's been talking to him, promising him power, and leading him down a chaotic / evil path that will eventually lead to the releasing of the Demogorgon unto the Material Plane.


NOW, the PC in question (a Half-Orc Barbarian) is currently about to smash a huge Statue / idol of Tiamat in the center of a huge Cult of the Dragon temple. He's smashing it because the "sword" is leading him to do it, in a kill all the gods kind of way.

Does it sound like an asspull or is to too strong of an effect if when he does smash the statue, to have one of the random color Ancient Dragon lair effects happen?

>>48984689
First of all, what level is the PC?
Base what kind of lair action happens on a rough level/cr closeness.

>>48984770
8th level, in a party of 6 8th level that all have at least 1~2 rare or higher magic items; they're pretty beefy.

Has anyone bothered to type up large lists of 3rd party spells for the spell viewer in the MEGA?

More specifically the Book of Lost Spells? I want to try using it with my players but we're all so addicted to using the spell viewer that going back to a PDF would be painful.

Almost as painful as typing up a couple hundred spells...

>>48981928
I get most of my ideas listening to instrumental or minimal-lyric music. It helps me conjure a mood to a scene and I build around whatever mood the scene and the NPCs are supposed to evoke.

>>48984163
Nobody's answered this, but no.

>>48982059
I had one that had a giant paintbrush at the end of his staff. Casting illusions looked like flinging ink and paint into the shape of the illusions.

>>48977870
>I am thinking about getting dueling or TWF but all my stats are in dexterity
Dex is fine for both those things. Just use finesse weapons, like a rapier or shortswords or something.

>>48976348
How do you guys deal with the Players be able to hit everything? They just don't seem to miss anymore. We're at level 11 and most things they fight don't have that high of an AC.

One of them has a +12 to hit for fuck sake.

>>48984542
It's in the mega at the top of this thread.
It's okay.
Some of it is unbalanced.
There are a lot of "murderous scantily clad woman" monsters.

>>48984966
>There are a lot of "murderous scantily clad woman" monsters.
Well now I have to check it out

>>48984982
Heh.
"A lot" might be an overstatement but I think there's at least 5.

>>48984962
You look at monster HP vs. player HP and realize it's not a big deal to let them hit all the time.

At level 11, the character has at most +4 proficiency and +5 main stat for a +9 bonus unless they took the archery fighting style or you gave out magic weapons.

There's perhaps a lesson to be learned here about +X magic items in a bounded accuracy system as well.

how do I make a character who is basically a Blue Mage/Kirby?

>>48984962
Disadvantage, high AC enemies, stuff that's challenging beyond "it's right in front of you and it's tough"

>>48984542
The artworks are unacceptable for the price they ask, some of the humanoid/wraiths/spirits ideas are interesting, the rest is either a copycat of the MM or backshit backwards creatures that have no real sense or are just too wonky.
I mean i won't say it's complete shit, but i personally would never buy it at that price.

>>48985022
One of the fighters has a +1 sword and took the UA Blade Master feet for another +1 so that's 4+5+1+1 = 11.

Plus the parry move in that gives him an automatic +1 AC for the entire duration until his next turn and he can automatically roll at advantage for opprotunity attacks. Basically they just hit everything all the time unless by some freak accident they roll anything lower than 8...

I'm also finding it hard to throw monsters at them. There just doesn't seem to be a whole wealth of bad guys past level 10. The game was a lot of fun from level 1-8 but now it's starting to feel like "the players have no threats simulator".

>>48976348
I have trying to homebrew my own goblin playabkle race, i've looked into other homebrews but here's my idea:
as ability score modifier instea dof having the same +2 to dex as the halfling template everyone seems to use I would like to bring it up to 3 but with the malus of having -1 to INT.
Is it too extreme? Maybe i should bring it ups as a trait for subraces?

>>48985029
Yeah ive tried tihngs like this but watching a Stone Golem get soloed by the Fighter was like, "Did they even playtest these fucking shitty monsters?"

>>48985063
As a DM, you allowed a UA feat and gave out a +1 weapon, so that's on you. Learn from the mistake and don't give out +X bonuses to attack rolls on permanent things.

At higher levels, you need to use larger numbers of enemies instead of trying to jack up the CR of each individual creature in every encounter.

5 CR 5 creatures is supposed to be a deadly encounter to a group of 4 level 11 characters with no magic items. You need to have a feel for how powerful your group is, but there's nothing saying you need to use CR 11 creatures against your level 11 party. The 5 CR 5 creatures would be harder to fight just because they're harder to control.

5e combat isn't designed for long drawn-out fights, so you may just need to come to terms with the system. +11 to attack rolls means they hit 17 AC, the recommended number for level 11, 70% of the time. That's still a 30% miss rate. It's far from guaranteed and the issue is just luck of the dice or a fixation on the party's successes while glossing over the failures.

>>48985172
How do you handle +x weapons/items then? I'm just genuinelly curious here. I'm a relatively new DM and this is my first time handling "higher level" play.

>>48985164
How did the fighter solo it? Did you give him an adamantine weapon?

>>48982232

good fucking luck. I don't think you can accurately make a demon hunter in DND 5e.

>>48985200
I do not give out +x weapons or armor. I strip those bonuses off DMG items and reduce their rarity if I feel they lose too much from it. I also create a fair number of custom magic items.

>>48985204
His +1 weapon counts as magical so doesn't that just work?

>>48985063
What CR do you throw at your players? How often do you let them rest? Do you throw spellcasters at the players, and not just in "This dude is a wizard by himself" but as a part of a group?

I find if i want to hassle my players, screwing the long rest cycle, and throwing a mix of villains tend to do the trick. That and taking a hint from the published adventures that it's perfectly fine to throw retarded shit occasionally at the players. (like some of those Curse of Strahd encounters)

Also flameskulls, those are 1 hour to respawn fireball throwing assholes, if the players don't want to use a dispel magic. they're a good means of just sapping resources in the form of Hitpoints and spells. I like sticking them in ossuaries, torture chambers, and the like. It makes the players paranoid, once you blast them fireballs.

File: 1470421569288.jpg (70KB, 720x720px) Image search: [Google]

70KB, 720x720px

>>48985134
> racial malus
It goes against 5e design.
Doesn't mean it's necessarily bad (I think it is, it just is even lazier than grabbing halfling bonus), but it does mean you're moving away from one big design decision of this edition. There (might) be dragons.
Just refluff halflings. Switch out Lucky for something else (Nimble Escape inspired maybe, Lucky being strong I don't see how that'd really be a problem) if you really want... But you won't get a whole lot of support for your snowflake race in /tg/.

>>48985063
Anything lower than 8 still means 35% chance to miss.
You're also entering a level range where the DM has to be smart when it comes to encounters. You have to think of terrains, synergies and tactics.

If you can't outsmart your players, maybe you'll either have to come to peace with it (less combat encounters) or you'll have to get good at it.

There's no weird secret. As always, work is the key.

>>48985217
My bad, you're right. I run those kinds of monsters differently than default. If your weapon is not both magical and adamantine, it's immune.

The creature relies on its resistance for its defensive CR, and you gave out something that negates it. That's not the fighter's fault, that's on you as the DM. The CR system is not built for magic items at all and you need to get a good sense for it. You could have used more than one stone golem for the encounter.

>>48985063
Just make the party fight alot of magic users. They are level 8? seems good enough of a time as any to fight some evil wizards.

Basically i'd just have a bunch of ranged enemies be an issue now. Like a Ranged Thief-Rogue. Can disengage as a bonus action.
>Shooty shooty crossbow
>fighter runs up attacks
>uncanny dodge to halve damage if he hits
>disengage as a bonus action, run away. Shooty shooty crossbow.

Kite the fighter around if he's the issue, it makes sense for the enemies to see him as a threat and avoid him.

>>48985215
Does that work out well for you and do your players care?

>>48985219
I should probably read through CoS everyone says thats a really well made adventure and it'd probably be good to see what kind of threats the official guide has players facing.

I've tried throwing groups of enemies at like CR5-6 but they just get cleaved down, as for resources the players are not adventorous, they retreat all the time. It has major game world consequences but they just keep retreating.

When do you determine its best to interrupt their long rest?

>>48985227
I wish there were some guides at useful monster pair ups and the like. I spend a lot of time reading the MM but that still hasn't given me much. It's an area I certainly need to improve in but I'm willing to put in the work I just need some direction.

>>48985256
I think I see what you're saying.

>>48985257
Yeah that works. I'll have to start adding in some PC class-type villains then and not just shit from the MM.

>>48985271
Let me detail a weapon I gave out to a player:
The Royal Decree: This magical glaive is plated with solid gold and has many jewels embedded around its shaft. It was crafted by the finest dwarven smiths and brownies appear to keep it in pristine condition when no one is looking. It has the following properties:
-The Royal Decree critically hits on a roll of 19 on a d20.
-Commander's Strike does not cost you a bonus action.
-When you critically hit, you regain the use of your Second Wind.
-You may cast Prestidigitation at-will. Intelligence is your casting ability score for this cantrip.