So /tg/, what's your opinion about Volo's guide to

No one? I thought some of the giants are great.

>>50307989
>a Tabaxi who wears sunglasses and has a dream of making a snack brand
sounds dangerous
dangerously cheesy

File: maxresdefault.jpg (58KB, 1280x720px) Image search: [Google]

58KB, 1280x720px

>>50308454
>It ain't easy being cheesy

My friends are not to fond of 5e's combat. Maybe i'm doing something wrong.... I love the book though. Great Illustrations and very easy to read.

Haven't read it yet, any new Beasts for Polymorph or is Giant Ape & T-Rex still the only good combat options?

>>50308658
I don't play as a shaman. Is there a requirement for a beast to be polymorph-able? The new assorted beasts are Auroch, cow, dolphin, and a warm of rot grubs.

>>50308601
What made your friend dislike the combat? I thought it was good. Do your friends like to play 4e?

>>50308658
>>50309003
There are some dinosaurs too. The good dinosaurs are in the low moon druid range but are weak by polymorph standards.

>>50309003
not for polymorph, but druid's wild shape has CR limits, and has to be a beast.

>>50307989
>goblin player race
>kobold player race

fuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuck yoooooooOOOOOOooooooooouuu

>>50307989

Couldn't give less of a shit about Forgotten Realms, but I have to admit there's great fluff in there for roleplaying types of monsters, and the monster stat blocks and new player races are totally worth it.

Mearls said that this is direction he has wanted to go with the line in general, and I'm okay with that. Hopefully we'll get other books like this for other settings like Dark Sun, Eberron, and Spelljammer.

File: Screenshot_2016-11-20-05-34-31.png (1MB, 800x1280px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 800x1280px

>>50309107
How about this?

Tiny, weak, but funny for telepathiy shenanigans.

Give me your ideas for adapting the Aasimar to Eberron. Since gods and celestials are usually non-interventionist in the setting, I'm thinking about making the Aasimar the result of a blessing from the Silver Flame. Off the top of my head I cannot think of any other celestial force with a direct influence.

I'm toying with the idea of the 3 sub races of Aasimar in lore being the result of the Silver Flame's blessing on different races. Something like the Protectors are the result of the flame's blessing on humans, the Scourge are the flame's blessing on half elves, and the Fallen are the flame's blessing on half orcs unless someone can convince me that other races would be more fitting.

>>50309048
Neither that guy nor his friend, but I dislike 5e's combat because most builds don't have an abundance of combat options. Or even more than one option, really.
I'm personally playing a rogue. I have no offense worth noting unless I sneak attack something. I can only sneak attack once per turn. I'm too fragile to risk melee at our level.
My turn is literally "I shoot the enemy next to the paladin. I use my bonus action to resume hiding." Every fucking turn. Even if I waded into melee, I'd be rolling the exact fucking same to-hit and damage.

>>50309234
- Blessed by the Silver Flame
- Influenced by the ring of Siberys
- Touch by the celestials of Shavarath or Syrania

>>50309234
- The thirteenth generation of a line that has lived in Sharn for all their lives manifest Syrania-related aasimar characteristics.
- An angel of Shavarath is summoned and bound to a mortal.
- A child conceived on Aerenal while Irian is coterminous is born an aasimar.

>>50309234
Eberron already has Radiant Idols, which are literally fallen angels. If one of those were to "bless" a line of mortals, they would probably come out as Fallen aasimar.

A celestial from Shavarath could produce either Protector or Scourge aasimar.

File: Screenshot_2016-11-20-05-40-22.png (1MB, 800x1280px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 800x1280px

Seriously, the monster races are great. That cowardy kobold though.

>>50309234
I'm not knowledgable about Eberron, or even Aasimar, but how about a curse? A low level celestial got cursed by his competitor and became Aasimar for example?

>>50307989
Does this have much on succubi/incubi?

>>50309258
I understand your sentiment. Rogue and beast companion ranger really got it hard. Even a motherfucking monk has a better option in combat than rogue.

>>50309309
I like the idea of people in Sharn being influenced by Syrannia and people on Aerenal being influenced by Irian. I was thinking half-orcs for the Fallen because of the Silver Flame-worshipping tribes at the edge of the Demon Wastes.

>>50309328
Dragons pretty much replace celestials in the workings of Eberron. It's exceedingly rare for celestials to come to the material plane. Coautls were the dominant celestials of the material plane but most of them sacrificed themselves in the creation of the Silver Flame. Most of the forces of good are things mortals have to channel as opposed to higher powers that actively work in the world. Dragons generally look at mortals like ants that aren't to be trusted.

>>50308601
>>50309258
What specifically is it about the combat in 5e that turns you off?

>>50309384
No, the monster manual had that, and Volo's Guide is sadly just a MM2 that is trying to cash in on nostalgia.

>>50309384
No. only 3 demons, and a couple of fiends. No devil at all as far as I read.

>>50309410
Aasimar could be used as people touched by couatls then, maybe like a variant of the shulassakar?

Kalok Shash producing Fallen in the Wastes makes sense, and the numbers would still be low because of the high mortality rate of the Demon Wastes in general.

Also, it just occurred to me that you could swap some of the damage types from necrotic/radiant to lightning/thunder/cold and turn the aasimar into House Lyrandar dragonmarked, since you gain a fly speed.

>>50309531
I like the idea of the Aasimar and Tieflings being accidents in Eberron rather than special snowflakes specifically chosen. I was going to allow Shulassakar using the Yuan-Ti stats.

Though I already have conversions of a lot of 3.5 and 4e dragonmark stuff, the idea for the Lyrandar dragonmarked is neat for the Protectors, and similarly the Fallen would work for Aberrant dragonmarked.

>>50309499
Read what you're quoting.

>>50309258
As a rogue player, I know that I wouldn't be much in combat in low level, so I usually just do something that might give advantage to my team. Bandit on horse? shoot the horse because high chance is the horse isn't a trained warhorse. Fight inside a mine? push a rail cart to your enemies. Make use of your skill and wits if you think you can't give much on battle.

Plus, while it is certainly boring, a constant 2d6 damage each turn is not something to underestimate.

>>50309688
Please elaborate further.
If you ever played 4e, you don't get the abundance of choice that 4e offers with its at-will, encounter, daily powers?

>>50307989
I'm in the process of making a Feylock so I'd have loved any material on the Fey :(

>>50309838
>Fight inside a mine? push a rail cart to your enemies. Make use of your skill and wits if you think you can't give much on battle.
That's nothing to do with the actual combat system, though. That's just decent encounter design by your DM.

>>50309499
>>50309688
I think with 5e especially, the DM needs to design encounter with environmental set pieces in mind.

>>50309838
>just do something that might give advantage to my team. Bandit on horse? shoot the horse because high chance is the horse isn't a trained warhorse. Fight inside a mine? push a rail cart to your enemies.
>Make use of your skill and wits if you think you can't give much on battle.
You mean make use of what the GM lets you. Our last three fights have been "Orcs in a wheat field", "Zombies pouring out of a burning field", and "Bogbeast attacking from a river". We had no terrain features we could use, played without maps or minis, and we're second level so I can't do anything fancy.

>Plus, while it is certainly boring, a constant 2d6 damage each turn is not something to underestimate.
I have the best damage/turn in the party, but it's still boring because I only have one choice. The most interesting thing I've done all game was chase down a fleeing enemy and use my same fucking attack as every time else.

>>50309883
I'm a 2nd level rogue. My combat options are "Attack with shortsword" and "Attack with crossbow". I also get to choose where to move (but we play mapless) and get to choose between "Attack with offhand shortsword", "Move further (on the map we don't use)", "Get out of melee I'm never in", and "Hide from things that are too focused on the paladin to care about me" for my bonus action.
4th is barely better. There's a clear optimal order to your encounter powers. Your only real choice is "Use a daily yes/no?" and 4th is absolute garbage out of combat.

>>50309984
What options do you think you should have as a rogue?

>>50310008
All sort of ideas come to mind, but they really boil down to "Sneak Attack is my only combat feature that uses a standard action" and "My bonus action can't do anything interesting".

>>50309984
>>50310008
>>50310198
Don't you have cunning dash? Is that the bonus action you're talking about?

Once you hit 3rd, you get the choice of an archetype which may offer more in terms of what to do.

>>50310198
It would help if you listed off some of the stuff you think you should be able to do. You might be able to do some of the stuff but be unaware of the mechanics allowing you to do so.

I would disagree about your bonus action because Cunning Action is one of the neatest abilities in 5e. Hiding is useful, and both Dash and Disengage are really useful for staying out of trouble while using melee weapons, and that's not even getting into what the various archetypes can do with it.

As it is, level 2 is a training wheels level that the designers explicitly said is only meant for teaching people the basics of 5e.

>>50310228
Cunning Action is nice, but ultimately worthless in improving choice: All three options just let me get into amazing position to do the exact thing I do every round with my standard action.

Archetype isn't going to help. The only one that offers any choice in standard actions is Arcane Trickster, but fuck if I'm throwing away class features for trash casting when we've already got a wizard.

>>50310250
I'd like to be able to use my Sneak Attack to do things other than +1d6 damage. Hit somebody in the foot and hinder their movement. Hit somebody in the arm and fuck up their swing. Things like that. Not trading my attack for a debuff, but trading damage for utility.
I'd like for hiding to provide something that having a buddy doesn't. Right now all it gives me is advantage, but I can pop disengage/move/attack/move to get advantage from flanking, assuming our fucking kobald hasn't already given everybody advantage already.
I'd like for my choice of weapons to be more interesting than "1d6 slashing/bludgeoning/piercing". Right now all my attacks do the same thing.
I'd like for choosing to spend my bonus action on an attack to not be nearly useless. Wow, 1d6 with no bonuses if I hit, big fucking deal. What happened to the "two knives in your spleen" rogue, they were fucking iconic.
I'd like to be able to do stealing in combat. I have expertise in Sleight of Hand and I've used it exactly once.
I'd like to be able to sneak ahead without getting fucked over by the d20. I've run the math, I'm fucked if I try to sneak past a pair of guards, let alone a full encounter.

>>50309896

There is new stuff about the FEy, though.

>>50310250
>As it is, level 2 is a training wheels level that the designers explicitly said is only meant for teaching people the basics of 5e.
What options become available to a higher level rogue? I don't see anything aside from crap spellcasting that uses standard actions.

>>50307989

It's pretty good. Haven't read it all so far, though.

>>50310788

*Fey

>>50310614
Hindering movement, fucking up someones swing, etc. is part of the Battle Master Fighter's kit. The two classes multiclass well together if you know you'll get to a reasonable level. The DMG describes how to disarm, etc.

Can't speak for weapons. Generally you need feats or fighting styles from fighter/paladin/ranger to differentiate weapons a bit. You're too low level but that stuff exists.

You can steal in combat as a Thief rogue iirc. Get to a higher level.

The thing about sneaking resolves itself at level 11 of rogue. Until then when you get caught, you have Cunning Action, meaning you can Disengage + Dash in the same turn. The guards aren't going to catch you unless something stops you from moving or the guards have access to full PC abilities like Cunning Action, Action Surge, Step of the Wind, etc.

>>50310614
>I'd like to be able to use my Sneak Attack to do things other than +1d6 damage. Hit somebody in the foot and hinder their movement. Hit somebody in the arm and fuck up their swing. Things like that. Not trading my attack for a debuff, but trading damage for utility.
Utility is monk's playground now. Dude can make enemy do a DEX, CON, and STR save in 1 turn. Maybe do a multiclass?

>I'd like for hiding to provide something that having a buddy doesn't. Right now all it gives me is advantage, but I can pop disengage/move/attack/move to get advantage from flanking, assuming our fucking kobald hasn't already given everybody advantage already.
But that's what stealth is all this time. To give you an advantage so you can provide a consistent damage every turn.

>I'd like for my choice of weapons to be more interesting than "1d6 slashing/bludgeoning/piercing". Right now all my attacks do the same thing.
The same can be said to other martial class.


>I'd like for choosing to spend my bonus action on an attack to not be nearly useless. Wow, 1d6 with no bonuses if I hit, big fucking deal. What happened to the "two knives in your spleen" rogue, they were fucking iconic.
at level 2, 3d6 is a big damage you know. moreover if you have advantage, so your damage is consistent.


>I'd like to be able to do stealing in combat. I have expertise in Sleight of Hand and I've used it exactly once.
That's thief's expertise. But stealing while the other party is on alert usually gives disadvantages. I haven't play rogue much in 5e so I don't really know how stealing in combat works.

>I'd like to be able to sneak ahead without getting fucked over by the d20. I've run the math, I'm fucked if I try to sneak past a pair of guards, let alone a full encounter.
That's for your DM to decide. If you're level 2, you DM should not give guards with tons of percetion bonus or advantage, for example. Plus, there's other way for you to sneak in safely by distraction by your teammate.

>>50310614
I think in 5e a buddy in combat with an enemy always provides sneak attack to you?

>>50307989
>All reptillians are cold, unfeeling sociopaths

I'd expect that from Yuan-ti, but not every reptile monster has to be cold blooded. Lizardfolks could do better than just dispassionate survival, at the very least.

>Always evil gobbos
I never liked anything being Always Evil unless it's a fiend or sapient undead. Still, who wants non-evil bugbears and goblins anyway?

>Orcs don't HAVE to be evil they're just raised that way
>Record scratch
Wait, hold the fuckin' phone here. Goblins are evil by nature but orcs aren't? Why? I would understand the OTHER way around, but this just seems wrong.

>Everything else
Perfect and awesome. I especially learned a lot about Beholders and how wrong I've been playing them. Mind-flayers being a quasi hive mind is a great thing that I never really knew about them. Giants are pretty great, and that fluff would fit perfectly into my favorite campaign setting, too.

>>50310829
Oh, I forgot about battle master.he's also the utility king.

>>50310614
The point is, don't think of a level 2 rogue as some kind of ninja. You can't safely sneak in, do a big critical hit, dance with your 2 weapons, yet. Also while iconic, dual wield rogue isn't really recommended in here. Most of the time you need an open hand to do your rogue-ish thing. Let ranger or fighter do the dual wield.

I have the feeling that you might expect the rogue class too much. Try other classes and it might actually gives what you really want. Try a dual wield ranger for example.

File: 5e kobolds.png (127KB, 353x175px) Image search: [Google]

127KB, 353x175px

>>50307989
>So /tg/, what's your opinion about Volo's guide to monster?
It's the best 5e book since the core books.

>>50310614
I think you're a bit too low level to do most of that stuff. You are only level 2. Wait until you get into the higher levels.
What other systems gave you so much to do at 2nd?

What race are you and where did you put your proficiencies?

>>50310844
I know that 3d6 is a lot of damage, but it burns my "don't die to melee" bonus action. Not really that helpful. Also not really much more interesting unless I feel like rerolling.

>>50310904
Correct. Which is actually making things a bit less fun, since I don't have to do anything to have sneak attack online.

>>50310951
>You can't safely sneak in, do a big critical hit, dance with your 2 weapons, yet.
Unless I get extra bonus actions from some unlisted source, I don't ever get to do that. TWF is trash for a rogue, which is infuriating given that the pregen equipment strongly suggests a TWF build.

>>50310951
I think it's a bit of a throwback to multiclass into a kit. PF seems to encourage single-classing and getting everything you want via feats and alternate features, and 4e similarly tried to cram everything possible into single class toolsets.

It might be a bit of an old-fag thing to just assume you'll multiclass if you want to have varied fighting styles.

>>50310984
The reason the pregen equipment has multiple weapons is because you don't always use the same tool for every situation as a rogue. Short sword/rapiers are your typical combat weapons, you pick up something ranged for when it's too dangerous to get close or when you want that style, and you get daggers because they're easily concealed. It's not encouraging two-weapon fighting, it's encouraging multiple paths to sneak attack. Combat-oriented, ranged-combat-oriented, and stealth-non-combat-oriented.

The only encouragement for two-weapon fighting is the chance to still land your sneak attack if you miss with your action.

>>50309258
> "I play 4e and can't imagion acts the rules don't spell out for me."

>>50310982
Mostly systems that weren't D&D.
Human, went for stealth, sleight of hand, and cha skills. Expertise in stealth and sleight of hand.

>>50311360
Did you go variant human and take the feat or nah?

>>50311360
Spice up your roleplay. Sleight of hand isn't just for stealing. Be a gambler and use SoH to cheat, or be a street magician to earn money. With cha skills I assume you also take deception? Honestly with that build, you're lucky you still have a constant 2d6 damage in combat at level 2.

>ITT : Waaaah, why didn't I roll a caster

>>50311635
No feat, this DM doesn't allow them.

>>50311907
I'm great out of combat. Plenty of stuff going on that lets me shine. The issue is combat options.

>>50312489
>No feat, this DM doesn't allow them.
no feat at first level, or no feat at all? If it's the latter, damn that's a shit DM.

>>50312591
No feats at all. Or any other optional rules.

>>50312489
>>50312624
It could be your DM is shit.

>>50312799
Are the feat optional rules that important? The chapter clearly marks them as optional and subject to DM approval, is this another "D&D devs are retards" moment?

>>50312837
>does limiting my already limited option stupid?
I think the reason the devs makes it as an optional rule is for newbies to learn first. After all, most of the time feats are rule breaker. they might get confused with all those new rules they have to learn so the dev's don't want to throw rule breakers as mandatory.

Aside for that, there is absolutely no reason not to use the feat.

>>50312837
Nah, feats in this system are entirely optional.

>>50307989
I like the book but I mostly like it because I can use it as a reference to make up my own lore for my games. I've been trying to utilize lazy dungeon master methods a lot lately.

>>50309328
Bugbear and Hobgoblin look fantastic, Kobold is so stupid it makes my head hurt.

>>50312837
Feats are entirely optinal because the system can run perfectly without them. It actually allows that.

>>50309258
I guess that's what potions, scrolls, items and spells should try to easy up. I agree though, it's very one sided. Then again I find most system that way and try not to let that get to me but D&D suffers more for it as it's very "encounter" centric. I'd love a bit more inspiration from 4e in some places (not the scale of the numbers but in the with of actions for characters and monsters).

>>50312837
>>50313541
>Feats
I try to use them as a reward system. If I know players will want to up their stats more so than get some feats I try to give them some situations that they can learn a feat suiting their character (or even make one up for them or with the characters player).

They add some diversity and character to the characters and I wish (I guess I will be making some) they were even more diverse (like the special things that set your characters appart and made them uniqe in Numenera) and uniqe traits/feats to grant them (from start or down the line as the story develops). Don't quite get why GMs would want to limit players characters on that, not like you as a GM cant just throw whatever you want at them any way.

>>50313448
I found Hobgoblin underwhelming, honestly. The martial weapon proficiency and int are wasted on most martials, and wizards actually benefit most from that stat spread.

>>50309328
>>50313448
What bugging my mind about bugbear is this
>Long-Limbed. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
>on your turn
What do they mean by this?

>>50314089
You don't have reach when calculating AoOs.

>>50314089
They mean that you can attack at longer range on your turn but not with opportunity attacks or readied attacks.

>>50314089
>>50314103
>>50314111
That wording makes the racial better with Polearm Master. You can hit with the polearm and not need to move to put the enemy outside your range off your turn for the PAM reaction.

File: Screenshot_2016-11-20-11-46-07.png (1MB, 800x1280px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 800x1280px

>>50309328
Rest of the monster races; orc and yuan-ti

>>50314103
>>50314111
You do if they use a reaction on your turn that provokes.

>>50314039
While it lacks Dex, it's not bad for a rogue. Use the martial weapon proficiency on longbow/heavy crossbow on an Arcane Trickster.

It will be really good for psionics soon enough.

>>50314103
>>50314111
but what about stuff like Battle Master's commander's Strike?

>>50314153
>>50314153
When someone else uses Commander's Strike on a bugbear, it happens off the bugbear's turn so the bugbear doesn't get the extra reach.

File: tumblr_mhjkv4y7Pl1qen0rmo3_500.png (290KB, 500x333px) Image search: [Google]

290KB, 500x333px

I'm liking the book so far, but Yuan-ti are fucking stupid.

Heres an idea for any Yuan-ti Wizards out there:

>For Arcane Tradition, go Necromancer (or Conjurer, something that gives you minions)
>Grab Stinking Cloud and animate dead at 5th level
>When combat starts, place Stinking Cloud over yourself.
>You and your shitty zombie/skeletons are immune to the con checks
>You're foes are probably not
>Cloud also heavily obscures you
>Melee fighters risk con checks to fight you and mages cannot directly target you.
>Magic resistance gives you advantage on any saving throws for AoE spells
>LaughingSnakes.png

>>50314254
That's pretty brilliant but you'll need a way to target outside your cloud since you can't see through it yourself. Get an evasive, stealthy, and perceptive familiar.

>>50314168
This is what I don't understand. Why? What's the reason of lmiting it to "on your turn" only?

>>50314271
Well, ideally, skeletons and Zombies would probably just leave the cloud to go fight for you while you sip on fine drinkery and talk to your pet snake about the superiority of the Yuan-ti.

>>50314289
Because of the implications it has for opportunity attacks. A bugbear would lock down a huge area with Sentinel since unarmed strikes would cover anything leaving a square 10 ft. from the bugbear and the reach weapon would cover 15 ft.

In all honesty, would you let your player to use a monster character if you're the DM?

>>50316211
Depends on the setting and tone.

I'm running Eberron so I've allowed all the goblinoids and kobolds (with background restrictions), but none of the others in VGM. It came out a bit too late for anyone to play one, but the options are there in case someone wants to change characters or ends up dying.

>>50316211
The balance is my issue. Yuan-ti are the obvious ones, but orcs are strictly worse than half-orcs for example. Purposefully imbalanced options are extremely shitty options in this kind of game. I actually have no clue why they did it.

>>50316211
Frankly no, maybe Kobolds but like 99% of people who want to play Kobolds are fetishists who need to be hung by the neck until death

yaun-ti are laughably broken and don't make sense as just "hi i'm carl the yaun-ti fighter i'm an adventurer!", goblins are a dumb cannonfodder race, and orcs are worse than half-orcs and are also universally hated by... every other sentient race in pretty much every established setting.

bugbears are pest cannon fodder too, and really the only people picking bugbear are doing some gimmicky "build" to exploit long-limbed. Hobgoblins could be interesting PCs as a mercenary or something like that, certain areas of certain settings probably have hobgoblin mercs, but if a player is just picking hobgoblin because they make good wizards then no

other race options in Volo's are totally allowed. Firbolgs and Tritons are two of my favorite races now, though someone needs to explain why a fey-blooded race and a race of beings from an elemental plane that live in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean don't have fucking DARKVISION but everyone else and their mother does.

>>50312624
If you don't have optional rules then an ally "flanking" isn't providing you advantage. The flanking rule is one of the options offered in the DMG (along with disarm and tumble combat options).

While having an ally in 5ft of your target does enable Sneak Attack, actually getting advantage requires something more. Hiding can be one way to do this, but you need a way to attempt hiding while you'd otherwise be visible (lightfoot halflings, wood elves, etc). Mundane equipment can give you some additional options: Ball Bearings, Caltrops and Oil give you some board control.

As a rogue, Expertise in Athletics can go a long way (even if you don't have a large strength score). Both Shove and Grapple can provide some interesting options. Combining the two allows you to lock down a single target, preventing them from moving and giving everyone in melee advantage on their attacks.

>>50310797
Thieves get use-item at bonus action speed.
I know the rules "officially" say that magic items do not qualify for the use-item action, but I've managed to convince 5 DMs to permit it nevertheless.
Combined with some higher level generosity, items like potions and Dust of Disappearance become fancy maneuvers.

>>50312837
The system functions without feats, but denying them basically rips out an entire dimension to character building.
For example, characters like Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster work a lot better with Magic Initiate to diversify their options and get a keystone spell.
People who want to "tank" like Paladins can protect allies and convince the DM to pick on them more with the Sentinel feat.
Heavy Armor Mastery and healer go a long way to survival at early levels.
Great Weapon Master and Sharpshooter grant great rewards to people who want to forgo shields or fight at range.
And trying to dual wield without Dual Wielder is just plain inefficient.
There's plenty of other options, but those come immediately to mind in regards to character building. I have seen each one used to great effect across a dozen games.

>>50314145
>Yuan-Ti Pureblood
>Poison immunity
>Innate Spellcasting
>MAGIC RESISTANCE
Wait, hold the fuck up. How is that even remotely fair?

File: hwy.png (19KB, 291x34px) Image search: [Google]

19KB, 291x34px

>>50317283
It isn't, and it isn't supposed to be. For some fucking reason.

>>50317241
>And trying to dual wield without Dual Wielder is just plain inefficient.
That's not the case though, the feat gives +1 damage AC so unless you want to use strength (in which case your build is even worse) the feat isn't necessarily worth it. At least not until you max dex as that gives those things but also to hit, initiative and dex save.

>>50317387
You know what, fuck this.
I should have realized Wizards didn't know what the fuck they were doing then they put out the Ranger '''''fix'''''.
I'm gonna go make a game of BoL with blackjack and hookers.

>>50317417
It fixes most of the problems the PHB ranger has while being a bit front-loaded for testing purposes. Wizards knew exactly what they were doing.

>>50317435
>a bit front-loaded
Understatement much?
One of the abilities (Ambuscade) was a better version of what ONE Rogue archetype gets at 17th fucking level. Plus
>Skirmisher's Stealth
I know I'm overreacting, but WHY

>>50316892
>>50317283
Okay, remove magic resistance. make the innate spellcasting before the third level as once per short rest. there, is he balanced enough?

File: UA 2016.09.12 - The Ranger, Revised (Ranger class).pdf (1B, 486x500px)

1B, 486x500px

>>50317473
He's talking about the newest ranger fix, they put out another one.

>>50317475
I'd say remove the Magic Resistance and you have a slightly better tiefling.
>>50317486
Oh thank God, this one looks reasonable.

>muh builds
You guys would fucking die if you ever tried to play an edition of D&D from before 2000.

>>50317486
Is that the one where the ranger no longer has favored terrain, instead he can excel in any kinds of terrain?

>>50317473
>>50317486
I was talking about revised ranger and not ambuscade ranger, yes.

>>50317547
But at least we wouldn't die before you because of old age, grandpa.

>>50317616
yep

>>50317646
Sorry, meant for >>50317603

File: 1479449097636.jpg (51KB, 736x1012px) Image search: [Google]

51KB, 736x1012px

wow, those triton stats are fucking awful.
STOP GIVING AQUATIC RACES USELESS WATER MAGIC YOU FUCKING FAGGOTS.
the lore is much better than they usually shit out for water people, tho. usually its just: nomadic primitives that hunt fish and scavange from ship wrecks

File: chopper-again-surprised.png (127KB, 304x304px) Image search: [Google]

127KB, 304x304px

>>50317772
>+1 to Str/Con/Cha
>swim speed
>breathe underwater
>cold resistance
>talk with fish
>extra language
>plus three free field control spells
>awful

>>50317800
Those are situational as fuck though unless you're doing a seafaring campaign that never leaves the damn ship

>>50314145

>Orc Base Height
>5'4"

I keep forgetting Orcs are suposed to be manlets.

>>50317814
might as well complain about dwarven stonecunning being useless for seafaring campaigns.

>>50319187
human base height is 4'8", for comparison, +2d10".

>>50310614
>I'd like to be able to do stealing in combat. I have expertise in Sleight of Hand and I've used it exactly once.

You lost me. I was on your side, and then you started this shit.

Rogues need to fry.

>>50310939
Yeah, orcs are a lot worse than goblins. It should definitely be reversed, and for all of our games, it will be.

>>50309328

Looking at those Hobbo stats again... It's kinda shitty. The whole martial proficiency seems pretty useless. I get WHY they did it, in case you played a non-martial class with a Hobgoblin, but lore-wise you were probably going to be a Martial Hobbo anyway.

Would you guys replace, or even add a feat ('Cause Yuan Ti has already broken the rules on racial feats anyway) to make this more viable? Or even add an ability score and make it +1 +1 +1?

>>50319187
That's way higher than the human base height. Plus they've got at least a hundred extra pounds of rapist muscles on top of the normal amount of rapist muscles a human would have.

They need to be killed.

>>50319288

So your Orc will be between 5'8" and 6'8" (Average: 6'0"), and your human will be between 4'10" and 6'4" (Average: 5'7"). I guess that scans.

>>50319370
>Plus they've got at least a hundred extra pounds of rapist muscles on top of the normal amount of rapist muscles a human would have.

Also something to consider when statting out your rapis-- I mean Adventurer. Still sucks that the Half-Orc is better.

>>50319337
I'm also not sure I like what they did with Gnolls. They've needed some actual lore for a while now, and when we get it, they're basically just orcs, but insane. Okay, great. That's... Bland as fuck.

>>50319427
Actually, with these new Volo's revelations, there's no longer a need for orcs or half-orcs, since Goblinoids are your Evil Humanoids, and Gnolls are your Eviler Humanoids. Orcs no longer fill any design space that isn't Magical Realm Rape Tribe, which the Ogre actually does a better job of filling.

>>50319460
I dunno, mang, I like my orc rape tribes.

More seriously, I've always liked what Legend did with Orcs, by making them more Hobgoblin-like. Professional Mercenaries that don't really get anything that isn't entirely practical.

File: 1479122704035.jpg (74KB, 400x400px) Image search: [Google]

74KB, 400x400px

>>50309143
I may be reading this wrong, but it sounds like you're saying,

>More options for player creation to make people happy that if undesired can be declined by the DM
>This is wrong and I hate it

>>50319495
I think he's more upset that it legitimizes people who want to play goblins and kobolds, which he personally hates for reasons of magical realm/anything different is mary sue/no fun allowed/etc.

>>50319344
>but lore-wise you were probably going to be a Martial Hobbo anyway.

Depends on the setting. In Eberron, you have the Dhakani which, while martial, have the orders of Silent Knives and Silent Wolves who specialize in stealth/assassination/spying and the Dirgesingers who act as their priesthood.

And then you have regular Darguuni, which are as varied as any other race. Yeah, they have soldiers and warriors, but they also have priests of the Dark Six (clerics) and arcanists of various stripes (wizards and sorcerers), and others.

>>50311200
But all that happens then is the GM has no idea how much damage it does or what the effects are, asks for a skill check, and then either gives you a negligible bonus or has you waste your turn.

Why not just give different combat actions their own rules and leave spells as "idk just make something up lmao" if that is so appealing.

>>50319575
Play with a not-shit GM.

>>50319574

I think we got the Hobbo wizards in volo's guide too, and while I don't think you need to hobble a race to only one sort of role, that feat still feels underwhelming.

I'm (>>50319344). After looking over their Monster stats, I think I'd replace the Martial Proficiency with the Martial Advantage trait. I feel that it fits better with them.

>>50319602

Although I might add the caveat that you can either use Sneak Attack or Martial Advantage, but not both at the same time, to keep from it being a bit overpowered.

File: 5bf98e929cd63f9b6f1a0849273e303c.jpg (63KB, 736x927px) Image search: [Google]

63KB, 736x927px

>>50319460
>Actually, with these new Volo's revelations, there's no longer a need for orcs or half-orcs, since Goblinoids are your Evil Humanoids, and Gnolls are your Eviler Humanoids. Orcs no longer fill any design space that isn't Magical Realm Rape Tribe, which the Ogre actually does a better job of filling.

D&D has always had a glut of "monstrous humanoid tribal savages led by shamans/chieftans".

D&D Goblinoids often find themselves falling into that role as well in many settings and individual campaigns.

Usually another LE human empire with Fiendish/Undead themes takes up the role of "Organized martial society threatening to invade and enslave the Kingdom/world."

>>50319580
Fact: most gms are shit unless a system holds their hands.

WOTC clearly knows what's up when they train GMs to fellate casters with codified rules and leaving a big ??????? for Martials.

It is only Right and Just.

>>50310939
>>50319337
Forgotten Realms orcs have a history of being people too, with only one particular sub-group of orcs who are more vicious and brutal.
In AD&D they had to print a new orc subtype to explain that "No no, you're not killing potentially good people, if they were a good orc they would be <subrace>." because TSR are pussies.
Hell if you really want to get into it, FR has a whole lot more examples of half-orcs born out of just culture mixing than half-elves too.

Goblins in the FR tend to just be murderous little shitcunts that are barely above animals though.

>>50319675
Who hurt you?

File: 1462572894879.jpg (365KB, 600x800px) Image search: [Google]

365KB, 600x800px

>>50307989
I bought it as soon as it came out. All the races are overpowered, so my dm wont let us play as most of them. I made a build for an aasimir too.

>>50319810
I'm not hurt. This is just how D&D works, which is why I prefer other games.

File: (You).jpg (1MB, 3840x2160px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 3840x2160px

>>50319963
So, by your logic, all GMs suck when they run DnD, no matter how good they are at other systems?

Here's what you want so bad, it's my last one.

>>50319755
This is legitimately the only thing I've ever learned about Forgotten Realms that I have completely liked with no caveats. Amazing.

If I have Hold Person, Suggestion, Hypnotic Pattern already, would it be bad to pick up Banishment?

We actually play in a setting with plane travel and we are frequently attacked by baddies from a different plane. But I also like the Charisma saving throw, it's very unusual, I would pick it up just for regular bad guys.

But that'd be the 4th CC with Concentration I'd have, isn't it too much?

File: 1447798661414.jpg (234KB, 1505x1080px) Image search: [Google]

234KB, 1505x1080px

>>50310829

The first 2-3 levels in 5e are the Apprentice levels. You have the absolute basics of what makes your class your class. It's so newbies can learn the game.

1st session-: Nothing but passive abilities/bonuses. Play a couple hours. Level up.

2nd session: Get your rest or optional abilities and fight a bit more. Level up at the end of session or the next.

3rd/4th session: Get your first subclass, if you haven't already. By now you should be getting some additional skills or abilities, if not opening up serious spellcasting options, and really specializing.

Later sessions- Get your feats and start to customize your character further.

Even then, unless you pick up spellcasting or the Battlemaster's maneuvers, your round to round options when it comes to wielding a weapon are pretty narrow. As a Rogue, you're expected to make up for it outside of combat with all your skills and shit.

Much of this is response to the latter days of 3e and 4e, where people were complaining that classes were getting too complicated and bloated. Many old school players also bemoaned the fact that warrior-type classes were getting all kinds of "anime moves", "MMO style cooldowns", and "indie rpg-style 4th wall breaking narrative powers" which didn't feel like the classic D&D they grew up playing. They were distracting for people who just wanted a guy to beat the shit out enemies without a sword without any fancy shmancy magic. If they wanted to sit and look at a half dozen ways to fiddle with the rules, they'd play a spellcaster...

Or so the reasoning goes.

>>50320042
Were you looking for the /5eg/?

>>50320096
Oh I thought this doubled as the 5e General because OP said it

>>50320009

No, he's saying most GMs suck, not that all GMs suck.

And in order for those GMs who suck to not suck, they need a good system. He doesn't think D&D is that good system.

Good GMs are good GMs no matter what they're running, but that can be in SPITE of the system as opposed to because of it.

PDF for the Volos guide?

>>50320112
There's one on its last 13 posts over >>50309252

>>50320009
I am saying that an inexperienced GM has no idea how to git gud at handling martials and casters doing shit, but the game only helps him git gud at casters.

Because, well, D&D is a game about casters first and foremost, and playing a Rogue in D&D is just like wanting to play a normie in Mage the Awakening.

Just cast Knock, nigga.

>>50320196
I misjudged you. I figured you were shitposting, but you just worded your post weirdly. My bad. I can agree with your issue with DnD, it's a pretty legit one. 5e isn't as bad, but it's still got it going on. I really need to actually look at the forum bestiary for Legend.

>>50309503
>Volo's Guide is sadly just a MM2
Except you're fucking wrong. Yeah, it has a decent amount of new monsters, but the main event is lore elaboration on monsters that were already in fifth edition: beholders, kobolds, goblinoids, giants, mind flayers, gnolls, orcs, hags, and yuan-ti.

>>50320490
I suppose I just find myself bitter about it because it really altered a lot of the pre-existing lore in big ways.

>>50320581
I can't say I noticed any significant changes.

Or cared about them.

Or didn't just realize that it's my game and I can run things like I want if I don't like it.

Personally though, I like the re-imagining of Maglubiyet as a badass god-killer who's trying to absorb the orcish pantheon like he has already absorbed the goblin, hobgoblin, and bugbear ones; and absorb the orcs into the goblinoid race.

General 5e question here. I have the idea to have my players fight a dragon with a sort of hard, plate-like shell covering it. I don't want to just increase its AC, but I would like to reward clever players who do something like "attack spaces between plates with a [insert piercing weapon here]".

What are some alternative ways to mechanically reward player ingenuity in combat?

>>50320809
Easy, if they say "I hit it with my sword" or "I stab it" the AC is higher, if they specifically say they aim for weak spots, the ac is lower.

>>50320652
>Or didn't just realize that it's my game and I can run things like I want if I don't like it.

Seriously. Faerun kind of uses this fluff, but Eberron throws most all of it out, as does Dark Sun, Planescape, Spelljammer, Birthright, etc.

And DMs will throw out what they don't want in their campaigns. In my homebrew, gnolls are just one of a dozen other beast-men, Orcs are backwards primitives that were driven to near extinction long ago, and Goblins are the remnants of those Orcs who fled across the ocean and created an atheist socially engineered Darwinist society in order to create an army with which to retake the lands of man.

Even my level 8 character had absolutely no combat options other than either relentless attack or do not.

File: Nemesis-of-Mortals-Art.jpg (386KB, 700x512px) Image search: [Google]

386KB, 700x512px

>>50320809

Make it so that when the dragon does a particular attack or movement, a particular part of its body armor is exposed, dropping AC or reducing resistance or damage reduction on the next X attacks.

Or you can say that sneak attack damage damages it as normal, allowing the Rogue a chance to shine.

Or have the armor covering reflect ray spells with a percentage it goes back at the caster or an ally.

Or let the party ready their actions until it uses a breath attack, which makes it vulnerable to auto crits.

And give it a swallow whole attack so opponents can chop it up from the inside.

>>50320828
I suppose that would be an easy way to do it, if not very dynamic.

>>50320905
I like these ideas though! Would it be too much to combine more than one?

Sorry to ask here, but didn't know where to do it. Does anybody have a link where I can download de DnD Dungeon Master's Guide 5e?

>>50321995
Check the 5eg trove. There's always a 5eg on the boards or in the archives.

>>50309984
>Orcs in a wheat field", "Zombies pouring out of a burning field", and "Bogbeast attacking from a river". We had no terrain features we could use

You really are an uncreative, sad sack of shit player. The problem is you, not your GM or the system.

File: 1468949297601.gif (3MB, 360x203px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 360x203px

>DM starts bringing angels and fallen angels and all that emo shit into the game
No, just no.
Fuck. Off.
I refuse to take any of it seriously.

>>50323065
What's wrong with it? As long as it doesn't become full fledged emo, it looks interesting.

What's the story?

>>50321055

Do as many as you think are necessary. Hell use all of them and the other guy's suggestion 'cause, chances are, your party is really only going to figure out one or two of these things.

File: An Especially Euphoric Hat.jpg (13KB, 385x307px) Image search: [Google]

13KB, 385x307px

>>50323065

>>50323065
D&D is highly borederline FURRY
F . U . R . R . Y !

LOOK AT THE MONSTERS AND PLAYER RACES, .....

and here you are gettting your panties and mascarea all mangles up over emo

>>50319575
>But all that happens then is the GM has no idea how much damage it does or what the effects are, asks for a skill check, and then either gives you a negligible bonus or has you waste your turn.
Giving the GM guidelines for making improvised actions usefull would be too much like 4e.

>>50323065

You do know that fallen angels are right out of the Bible, right?

>>50312837
Feats are important if you want your character to do more than their class's designated role. Whether this be things from other classes or things not already covered.

>>50321055
One other thing to consider,
Look at the social system, with bonds flaws ect...
Apply that to your monsters but with combat.
Bonds note what they will do. Astute players can perceive a rhythm in combat and attack while the enemy is vulnerable and defend against the big attacks.
Also, if you really like how an attack was described, consider giving the creature vulnerability to the damage from that attack. Did the player specifically get it's weak spot? The beast is likely vulnerable there.

>tfw reading Volo's Guide to Monsters
>see disclaimer text

>Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast does not vouch for, guarantee, or provide any promises regarding the validity of the information provided in this volume by Volothamp Geddarm. Do not trust Volo. Do not go on quests offered by Volo. Do not listen to Volo. Avoid being seen with him for risk of guild by association. If Volo appears in your campaign, your DM is undoubtedly trying to kill your character in a manner that can be blamed on your own actions. The DM is probably trying to do that anyway, but with Volo's appearance, you know for sure. We're not convinced that Elminster's commentary is all that trustworthy either, but he turned us into flumphs the last time we mentioned him in one of these disclaimers.