DMs, what are your favorite ways to incorporate player backstories into the campaign?
Players, what do you like incorporated into the campaign from your backstory?
>Official /5eg/ Mega Trove v3:
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>Pastebin with homebrew list, resources and so on:
http://pastebin.com/X1TFNxck
>June 2016 Survey
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/june-2016-dd-survey
Hey, anons. I'm trying to work out the balance and other various kinks on a bunch of conversions/homebrews, mostly older edition races and some new Wizard subclass options. Anyone got any feedback on the stuff I've done so far?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XovWm65MSmIzQWSMDMXo0_aIpZgq9YSa2KkpO3kThS4/edit#
Also, I take requests for attempts at race statting. I still have a 5e Trox conversion attempt one anon asked for but never stuck around to get.
>>47958528
i like doing a classical setting with empires and powerful trading cities opposed to the usual medieval small towns and kings
>>47958584
how about shadar kai? lets see what you can brew.
>>47958584
Building on from this, I'm also interested in discussing potential for new class variants. For example, Complete Arcane's Warmage and/or Final Fantasy's Black Mage as a new Sorcerous Origin, or whether or not some of the various Wizard Kits could be spun into new Arcane Traditions.
>>47958949
Heh, I already have a draft of that race in the G-doc. Let me see if I can squeeze it into here as well...
Ability Score Increase: +2 Intelligence, +1 Dexterity (+2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence?)
Size: Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Vision: Low-Light Vision
Shadowborn: You have Resistance to Cold and Necrotic Damage. You also have Advantage on Death Saving Throws.
Shadow Jaunt: Once per short rest, you may spend an action to teleport thirty feet to a point within line of sight. After teleporting, you gain the Incorporeal Movement and Damage Resistance (Non-Magical Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning) traits for one minute.
>>47958996
God last future. No, just no.
>>47958996
Holy shit
>bunch of resistances
>can't die
>misty step once per short rest that gives MORE RESISTANCES
Did you mean for it to be broken as fuck or are you just really shit at this?
>>47959131
>or are you just really shit at this?
not that anon but this is definitely the answer
>>47959131
No, it's just that a lot of the stuff it got in 4e is hard to directly translate. Your 4e Shadar-Kai has a +1 to Fortitude defense, +2 to death saving throws and saving throws against unconscious, and a 1/encounter teleport 3 squares and become insubstantial for a turn racial power.
That's why I'm here. Finding out what's broken and fixing it.
For fixing up Shadow Jaunt, would gaining Incorporeal Movement for 1 minute once per short or long rest be better?
I'm open to suggestions on how to fix Shadowborn. Cold/Necrotic Resistance seemed okay since A: neither damage type is very common, B: it doesn't have any other racial traits aside from Shadow Jaunt, and C: it was flavorful.
The death saving throws aspect is harder to balance since they're *supposed* to be harder to kill than your average human. Would a +1 to death saving throws be viable?
Does Natural armor stacks with barding for an animal companion? I'm creating a beastmaster so this is important for my companion choice
>>47959316
natural armor stacks with everything but other natural armor bonuses
>>47959270
>necrotic resistance
>add proficiency to death saving throws
>misty step 1/long rest
That's it
>>47959316
No, if you want a high-AC companion with barding pick one with +2 agility and give it medium armor
I took heavy inspiration off of another Runeseeker homebrew class someone here made and rewrote it in a way that I thought was more balanced. I'd appreciate any commentary on the class. This version is a rough draft that doesn't quite have a spell list filled out, but I'm trying to keep that fairly limited since many of the other features are quite potent already.
Here's the original one my friend sent:
http://dnd-5e-homebrew.tumblr.com/post/137154240361/runeseeker-class-by-gamehermetist
My version is attached as PDF to this post.
>>47959378
Thanks for clarifying, another questions: It says you add proficiency to damage rolls, does this include ALL damage rolls like poison? Flying snake doesnt roll damage (always do 1 piercing damage), does it get the bonus too?
>>47959570
Unclear, but I would say yes
So, how is this for a Ranger archetype.
Archetype, Warden.
>lvl3
You learn one (maybe two?) Cantrip and one 1st level spell of your choice from the Druid's list.
You gain the ritual casting feature, as a Druid. All your spells known count as Druid spells for the purpose of this feature.
>lvl5
You learn the Circle Spells (Druid, Circle of the Land) from your Favored Terrain. At 9th, 13th and 17th level you also learn new Circle Spells, choosing from your Favored Terrains.
As an example, a Warden with Forest as their Favored Terrain who hits 5th level learns the Barkskin and Spider Climb spells. When the same Warden hits 9th level, his Favored Terrains are Forest and Grassland (chosen at 6th level), he chooses to learn spells from the Grassland list; adding Daylight and Haste to his spells known.
>lvl7
You gain the Natural Recovery feature.
>lvl 11
???
>lvl 15
???
>>47959593
should probably be more than one cantrip
rangers dont get archetype features at 5th level, however. you might want to give them circle spells at third, and then again at 7th, 11th, and 15th or something.
>>47959698
Circle spells start with lvl 2 spells, so the Ranger wouldn't have spell slots for them before lvl5.
>>47959729
Could start the circle spell progression at lvl7, bumping Natural Recovery down to lvl5 and giving out new circle spells at 11/15. Would be ass though, possibly worse than beastmaster
>>47958996
>10 rounds of invulnerability on a fucking SHORT REST
Holy shit you're a retard.
Would you guys say wanting to run a tiefling with a ring of glamour to hide that she is a tiefling is a good idea? Do you think a DM would be okay with it?
>>47960098
Sounds pretty cool and thematically / racially appropriate. I'd allow it.
One of my players wants to be a Warlock and take a pact with a Sphinx. I am A-okay with this and wonder if anyone has any suggestions?
Have there been any player maps created for Princes of the Apocalypse that do not have all the gm symbols on them, like secret doors and "Heres where the fireguys ambush them."
>>47960590
Great Old one might be a good baseline. They're rather focused on mental abilities, which fits sphinxes somewhat well. Pact of the tome could also help represent that sort of wealth of knowledge.
They should probably go for more Illusion and Enchantment effects. Sphinxes are known for riddles, so fighting them should be confusing.
>>47959347
Wrong edition
>>47959316
No, both natural armor and manufactured armor (and Unarmored Defense, and Mage Armor, and dragon sorcerer's ability) modify base armor value. You can't stack them, you take the highest (or only valid, as UD and Mage Armor specify you can't wear armor for them to work). Generaly, if it sets your AC to x + dex, you can't stack it, but if it gives +x to AC, you can (unless it's from the same source)
>Caltrops: While passing through the 5ft square, succeed 15 DEX save or movement becomes zero and creature takes 1 damage.
Say I'm being chased through a 5ft wide hallway and I caltrop a space behind me. There are two creatures in pursuit. The first one goes over the caltrops and fails his check so he remains in the square. The next one goes immediately after, is he allowed to even attempt to get past that square? If he fails his check too, then he'll be occupying the same square.
>>47960881
Str or Dex check to pass through the occupied space, and a dex save for the caltrops
Fail on the initial check: he stays behind
Fail on the caltrops save: he stays on the following tile
>>47959593
>>47960590
Sounds like a divination specialization to me. Sphinxes are really cool but their abilities are kind of lackluster, even if they are innately magical.
What are the minimum changes to 5e basic rules that would be necessary to run 5e in Dark Sun? You only really need a mechanic for defiling/preserving to otherwise just use what's printed already, right?
I'm working on a character for a new campaign, starting at level 3. I want to try and build him as a doctor type, using a Healer's kit and the Thief bonus to try and be the party medic, with expertise in some knowledge skills to go with it.
Any recommendations for backgrounds to fit with this, or cool weapons to fit with it?
Ideally, I'd like to pick up some potions or poisons to go with it and fit the whole medical theme.
>>47961653
I think you'd be missing out on some races, but that's more minor.
For defiling/preserving, I think you could do something involving spending hit die to recharge spellslots or something, but I'm not sure how you'd balance that.
>>47961897
Acolyte is an obvious one.
You could be a hermit that walks town to town healing people.
Or you could be a medic in a army and take the soldier background.
These are just some suggestions that I came up with. You could go with almost any background and just make it “but as a medic”.
>>47961984
Races aren't really rules changes though. Homebrewing races is easy.
>>47961897
I have a character similar to this. He has the soldier / medic background and traded his proficiency in land vehicles for proficiency in the herbalism kit.
>>47962031
then there you go.
>>47961897
I'd definitely take that healer's kit feat, and I might take a look at some of those new tool prof feats in the newest unearthed arcana (such as the alchemist and cook feats).
Are you just trying to do practical healing or are you cool with magical healing?
>>47962055
Isn't defiling supposed to affect the environment around you and potentially other creatures? Isn't preserving supposed to weaken the magic you're using somehow?
Are revenants the worst or are they the worst? Have a revenant in my Curse of Strahd party and it kinda kills all the tension when our pally never fucking dies (plus the fact that he's lawful evil so whenever justified PVP comes up we just can't kill him)
>>47962002
>>47962053
Hermit seems like a good fit. Herbalism is exactly what I was looking for in order to make healing potions.
>>47962060
The Healer kit feat I had planned on taking. I haven't seen those new ones though. Sounds like I'll need to spend some downtime training for more kit proficiencies.
I'm not opposed to some magical healing, but I'd like to keep it mostly mundane.
>>47962557
The other equip feats automatically give you proficiency in addition to their other abilities.
You might consider dipping in Spell-less ranger for the healing poultices too if you want to stay completely mundane.
I'm joining a group that is starting soon with my gf. I've played with her once before and I felt pretty awkward with the whole roleplaying thing. What's the best way to alleviate this? What's the best class to play to play when you're playing with your gf?
btw she does acting and shit so roleplaying is not awkward for her
>>47962673
That could be neat. Do I just need 2 levels for that?
>>47962698
3 levels actually (you take an hour to make your wisdom mods worth, and they last 24 hours). At 9th level you can cure poison with them too.
Info on page 7.
http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA3_ClassDesignVariants.pdf
>>47962686
Just takes practice. I'm DMing a game with some friends and my gf, and for the first few sessions it was definitely bizarre, but we managed to to find a weird balance of me as a DM and me as her partner that has made things roll smoothly, which is nice since one of the PCs loves her some whore houses and drow love slaves. If you're still being bothered by it, try talking to her and seeing what that leads to. Otherwise its just growing pains.
>>47962777
Seems rather useful, especially for getting some Maneuvers as well. I'm not sure I'll be able to spend much time gathering herbs though, since I think most of the campaign is going to take place in a large city.
>>47962851
Gathering herbs can include just buying them in an urban setting. Up to your DM to decide how they wanna do it, but if they can be collected in an hour in the wild, I can't imagine they'd cost more that 1-2 copper.
>>47962827
I'm thinking of taking a few shots of liquor presession each session. It's something I've done for stressful social situations in the past and I've found it to help.
Class recommendations? I usually play rogues. I feel for some reason compelled to choose a class that will end up being the party leader for some reason.
>>47962686
Why do you feel that it's awkward to play with your gf?
>>47962899
Dude, don't be weird and try to be an alpha
What's an interesting way to play as True Neutral?
>>47962899
I'd say go with whatever you wanna play, or if you and your gf's characters are going to be linked in some fashion, do something that compliments her PC. Trying to strong arm your way in to a group leader role because of your partner is going to probably just make you look like a weird try hard and make things awkward for everyone. Besides, it's D&D, there shouldn't be one de facto party leader.
I don't have a specific class recommendation, but that's mostly because I'm forever going to be a DM and at this point am unsure if I could even have fun as a PC character. If ya like rogues, be one my dude.
>>47962881
I'll ask him about it to be sure. Were starting at level 3 though, so I wouldn't swith til level 5 anyway.
So...Tabletitans is the official D&D comic right now. However the current arc deals with a homebrewed setting with an alternate magic system.
Do you think we'll ever see a short book or Gazetteer about the setting. Maybe the rules for Rune Wielders and Musketeers?
>>47962881
>>47963032
Yeah. He basically said I would have to buy them. Still not too bad.
Only thing I'm worried about it getting high enough wisdom to get a lot of use out of that while taking a bunch of feats for other potions.
>>47963306
Well, you'll probably want a high wisdom anyways since it's needed for the Medicine skill.
I'd roll Variant Human with a +1 to Dex and Wis, and point buy for a final array of 8,16,10,13,16,10.
Make sure to take the Medicine skill and try to tag survival and nature skills too to identify and create natural cures.
Take Healer at 1st level and either Alchemist or Gourmad at 4th.
Once you get to Rogue 5, Dip 3 levels into Ranger (maybe a 4th to get your last of the 3 feats) and then decide where you want to go from there.
Does anyone have good photographs or illustrations I could use for Phandalin? It's proving difficult for me to find a village built on top on ruins.
Here's a forest in trade.
>>47963460
I think I'll go for something like that. Alchemist at level 4 to boost up Int.
Any big reason I should go 5 levels of Rogue before switching to ranger?
Is it possible to make a dex-fighter w/ polearm (ala Oberyn) in 5e that doesn't suck dick?
>>47963605
Why do you think Oberyn had low strength? If anything he dumped Con considering how few hits it took to take him down.
>>47963605
No finesse polearms I'm afraid. If you didn't mind doing a Str-Dex build, a Spear fighter with the new Spear mastery feat probably wouldn't be bad
>>47962686
cum in her butt before you guys play, that way whenever you feel awkward, you remember theres cum in her butt lel
seriously though, you know her more than any anons here do, and she, and your group, are fine with it. just ask HER for tips ya potato
>>47963584
I saw that you mentioned going Rogue. Did you just want rogue for the 1st level skill bonus? Because if so I'd actually take 5 levels of Ranger and then dip Rogue
You wanna do your first five levels in a single class because 5-6th level indicates a significant power spike both in classes and in monsters, and you'll want the extra attack to account for that
>>47963626
Just seems like a str/dex fighter is going to be all kinds of glass cannon and not very fun to play. Personally I'd be ok with it but I was trying to help a friend into 5e and he basically said "Oberyn was so badass can I be that" I had to suppress my cringe.
>>47963637
This from the UA feats? I only skimmed those and read a bunch of complaints about reintroducing floating modifiers.
Now that I think about it though, why even have finesse as a property? Why not just let any weapon be finessed - but have a min str to wield without disadvantage. What would be the downsides (other than more dex godstat, I guess).
>whenever i make a character i either plan a loose backstory and build a character around it
>or have a character and make a loose backstory for them
>then i make a massively in depth backstory, and level them up to 20 in my mind, so i know what they will "grow up" to be
>they never get that far
one day il either stop this, or they'll get there
>>47963690
Yeah, Rogue first for extra skills, plus I want to start with the bonus action healer's feat trick.
>>47963697
Oberyn kinda was a glass cannon. Convince him to fight like Oberyn except wear plate armor. Use some of the defensive Battle Master stuff to simulate Oberyn's maneuverable defensive style. Grab Alert.
>>47963697
>What would be the downsides
rogue/fighter multiclass with proficiency in greatsword that can do sneak attacks.
>>47963745
Greatswords are only 2.5 more average damage than rapiers. Great Weapon Master and Great Weapon Fighting would kinda make a difference though.
My current party is
>paladin
>ranger
>bard
>rogue
>barbarian (me)
we're about to hit lv3 and I'm not sure which subclass I should pick. I hear berserker is pretty bad so that leaves Bear totem and Wolf totem.
Bear totem seems amazing but Wolf would be pretty great too given that pretty much everyone but the bard is using melee often
What's everyone's thoughts on adventurer's league?
>>47963745
Could always change sneak attack from "ranged and finesse weapons" to "ranged and one-handed melee weapons" I guess. But fair point, rogues are already damage whores.
>>47963716
How do you achieve the healer's feat's ability with a bonus action?
>>47963827
Thief's Quick Hands ability.
Or the Arcane Trickster's Mage Hand stuff if you're a bait poster.
>>47963697
>"Oberyn was so badass can I be that"
Basically not. 5e rules aren't conducive to strategies that involve wearing light armor while being incapable of casting spells. A Druid or Nature Cleric with barkskin and shillelagh and quarterstaff with polearm mastery would be the best unarmored polearm user.
A fighter's armor proficiency and a barbarian's rage benefits are pretty well accounted for. Forgoing those benefits would make a character extremely weak.
>>47963799
Berserker is okay if you don't frenzy every combat, but it's still kinda shitty. I'd say Bear totem is slightly better than Wolf overall, but team play is always great.
>>47963859
It's possible with crazy dice rolls for ability scores or a generous DM with point buy, but yeah default rules don't support it. Barbarian and Monk become a fuck ton better if you are allowed to start with extremely high ability scores.
>>47963805
Crazy disorganized for an organized play format, but I prefer the flexibility over, say, the Pathfinder Society adventures.
>>47963878
I almost want to pick wolf for the paladin's sake because he's been rolling so poorly but that doesn't really make sense
>>47963841
I see. Totally take 5 levels of Rogue then and then jump to Ranger.
>>47963799
do you know what the others are going? either way, you and >>47963878 are pretty much right
bear is "best" and wolf is amazing party, since alot of you are presumably melee
even if your dm is of the school that lets you choose an animal each level (if you're not from a tribe) theres absolutely nothing wrong going wolf/wolf/wolf
>>47963911
Choose what fits the character, mechanics be damned
>>47963957
b-b-but berserker seems so baaaad
For a game with short rest practically non existent what classes are good? I was playing a warlock but having 2 spells per day was horrible.
>>47963991
>>47963878
mindless rage is really good
>>47963841
>bait poster
Okay I do bait you guys with it but also it is legitimate.
>>47964021
If short rests are non-existent someone is doing something wrong.
>>47964021
martials, or a full caster not druid. bard should be your best bet if you're set on being a caster though, you just lose inspirations
still, being nonexistant, you should have at LEAST 1 a day. not wanting to or not, your characters need lunch
>>47963991
I dunno, I played with a berserker in my party before and they definitely pulled their weight. It's probably not the most competitive choice but it was effective enough for us not to think they were weak.
>>47964039
It works, just not as well as Quick Hands does.
>>47963991
Gimping yourself can be fun, and frenzy being so much of a nuke option can really help roleplay the "shit is serious" or "now you fucked up" moments
>>47959593
This makes me wonder about how each class would mesh with a third-spellcaster subclass like EK and AT.
>>47964158
Well, the Monk and Barbarian are the only martial that don't have a 1/3 caster subclass and monks already have a bad variant of it.
>>47964158
What other classes would you attach those to? Barbarian's can't cast while raging and the only other spell-less class is Monk, which already has a resource system to keep track of and sub class options that replicate spells.
So as a DM I'm a crazy motherfucker who doesn't give a shit about the rules and I decided my next session will include a DOTA-esque segment. The players will have a limited set of their abilities which will have level-dependent cooldowns and infinite uses. There will be "lanes" and they will be able to respawn. They have to kill the other side's collective brain before their own dies.
It kind of makes sense based on the situation, which is that they have incorporated with an alien hivemind and will be fighting inside of it. They will be fighting as their consciousness inside the mind, and their physical bodies are all outside of it, so thats kind of how I will be justifying all this stuff.
Any cool ideas I can incorporate into this? Is this a dumb idea?I know it is but I don't care.Any other DMs do anything as crazy and rule-bending as this?
>>47964199
>>47964103
>>47964203
Maybe he meant reducing ranger and Paladin to 1/3 casters? That's a pretty big overhaul though. 5th level spells are not to be underestimated.
>>47964199
>>47964203
they should have made totem warrior the magic subclass and given the better totem warrior features to the berserker
>>47964263
Hand them a selection of character sheets and let them pick mental constructs templates created by the hive mind from years of calculations by the consensus. They can be conveniently color coded by a simple mental filter.
Be as goofy and meta with it as your campaign mood allows.
Holy fuck how do I disable the fucking godawful photo recaptcha?
>>47964263
Sounds like it would bog the game down a lot if it was truly like dota
>>47964325
It still would have been weird having that no-casting restriction during rage and then a sub class that immediately ignores that.
>>47964325
How would a barbarian even do magic? Maybe just as rituals so they are specifically an out-of-combat thing? Or is it a spiritualist tribal shaman thing?
>>47964263
>Any cool ideas I can incorporate into this?
How would this be different than normal combat rules with the next encounter coming in every 5 rounds?
>>47964420
totem barbarian gets commune with nature as a ritual at level 10. a barbarian with 13 wisdom or intelligence can take the ritual caster feat. a barbarian can multiclass and use existing spell casting rules.
>>47964420
>>47964457
imagine a barbarian automatically casts a spell on the turn when their rage ends, with the spell level equal to the barbarian's rage bonus damage.
>>47964457
Right, but this guy was talking about a full 1/3 casting subclass on a class with a primary feature that prevents spell casting (rage). Although now that I say this, we have a full caster with a similar situation (druid, specifically moon). Maybe give them a high level ragecasting feature that gives your rage bonus to spell damage?
Is there any better Race/Class combination than Aarakocra/Monk?
>>47964509
Half elf/Bard
>>47964509
Variant Human/Anything, Half-Elf/Bard
>>47964509
Get this... a gnome.....
...
...
.
.
.BARBARIAN XD
>>47964310
On a related note, I really think Bards should have been 1/2 casters. Why are they full?
>want to play a character that ends up with mad stealth
>"well, that's going to be a rogue of course"
>bards can get stealth proficiency
>bards can get stealth expertise
...
>bards can get Pass without Trace
>bards are better rogues than rogues
Why.
>>47964559
During the playtest they were half-casters, only in the alfa/closed beta they changed to full, I think it is related to the book "Name of the Wind", someone in WotC is a fan.
>>47964559
They were almost half casters in 3.5 (up to 6th level) and it led to them being a bit too focused on their music. The music got really powerful. To make them half-casters in 5e, the music would have to be just as powerful, as 3.5, which would upset bounded accuracy unless they got really creative. It was probably easier to make them 9th level casters. 5e bards are my favorite iteration of the class.
I'm an utter newfag to 5e playing it with a group of online friends. I feel like I'm ineffective as a Battlemaster with Mariner fighting style in a Golden Age of Piracy-style setting. Everyone else seems to hit harder than me and just be more effective. Give me some tips on better and more creative play, please.
>>47963805
I've been to two stores that have Adventure's League. They both suffer from having min-maxers.
I respect that it's a totally reasonable way to play D&D. I play Magic competitively. I understand the drive to optimize and take advantage of rules systems. But having a lot of min-maxers means that the combat encounters have to be balanced around them. So if you're not playing an optimized build you lag behind in combat.
That being said, if you're willing to put up with that, it's totally reasonable and not a bad way to spend some free time.
>>47964559
Well, original playtest notes said they wanted them to be something akin to a 2/3 caster but felt that it was a design complication they didn't want to introduce. So a lot of the core class features relating to music got cut so they could make it a full caster which they felt was a simpler way of encompassing their variety of musical abilities. Essentially, spells was easier than making a separate magical system for music.
>>47964634
Rogues can get Reliable talent so they never have to worry about the whims of the d20.
>>47964634
Bards are better at everything
>>47964729
Well, What is "everyone" playing as?
And what type of weapon are you using?
Obviously you will be outdamsged by anyone with a Two-Handed weapon, sneak attack, or combat based spells if you are running a defensive sword and board guy.
>>47964729
Give us the lowdown on your character? Battlemasters aren't supposed to be powerhouses.
>>47964634
bards can't hide as a bonus action
if you want to be a mad stealth man be a thief/shadow monk, you still get pass without trace and you can teleport
>>47964782
>>47964787
That's the thing though. Almost all of our engagements have been at distance, and we have guns in our game (obviously). I offhand a pistol and have a scimitar in my main hand. Our party has a Mage, a Cleric, a Monk, and a guy using the Gunslinger homebrew. I feel like a third wheel because distract and disarm are pretty useless almost every time we fight something. The casters just zap shit or the Monk beats it into putty or the Gunslinger goes full cowboy and I barely get a chance to have any real effect.
Huh... So are roguesm the only Single-Attribute dependent class? They don't need any mental stats by default and have dex as both their offensive and defensive stat.
>>47964794
>multiclass
pic related
>>47964766
Bards are better rangers than rangers
Bards are better rogues than rogues
...That's actually all I can think of.
>>47964739
Good point. Speaking of which, what would happen if you had Jack of all Trades and Reliable Talent? I figure because JoaT adds half your bonus, it doesn't quality for RT.
But damn, reliable talent makes the Skilled feat kinda attractive. Does RT benefit tool checks?
>>47964880
Time to change tactics. Man the helm. Control the battlefield. Ram the enemy. Drag them to the brine and bleed them dry.
>>47964794
this, assassin/shadow monk is a great combo
it's a shame infiltration/assassination scenarios are so rare
>>47964926
I love stealth but D&D stealth is so boring... At least by the default rules.
>>47964892
Dexterity fighter. Dexterity barbarian to a lesser extent. Druid can get by with just wisdom. Hell, they don't even need that.
>>47964892
Pretty much. They have the most freedom in where to sink their other points into.
>>47964920
Reliable Talent does work with Jack of All Trades, if I remember a tweet from Jeremy Crawford correctly.
Reliable talent would work on initiative with that combo.
>>47964966
Why can't initiative be taken as a skill?
>>47964892
>have dex as both their offensive and defensive stat
well... going by that logic, wouldn't dex-based fighters and barbarians also fit?
>>47964983
Something called Balance
>>47964892
nature (and really any) cleric, bonus points for hill dwarf, they single stat better than a rogue
>>47964920
Tool checks are ability checks. Reliable talent works on ability checks.
>>47964990
dex based fighters I can see but aren't dex barbarians kind of terrible? Rage is exclusively a strength based bonus.
>>47964924
I'll do my best, but the DM favors the ships not actually being involved as anything more than "where the players are standing".
>>47964983
Bard 2/Swashbuckler 16, 20 DEX, 20 CHA, Alert feat, lowest possible initiative roll is 28.
>>47965090
highest possible?
>>47965085
i presume you guys are boarding partying since the monk was listed as doing more damage than you?
you're a battlemaster, on a narrow wooden island in the middle of the sea
commanding strike
manuvering attack
pushing attack
dont need to do alot of damage to someone when they just got punted overboard
>>47965076
eh, kinda. They deal less damage but their AC is insane.
>dex based Totem Barbarian (Bear + Eagle + Eagle)
>fly through the air raining down death from above
>22 AC with a shield
>half damage from everything but psychic
>>47965119
Alert Lore Bard 15/Swashbuckler 4 with Guidance using Peerless Skill, 20 DEX, 20 CHA. Maxing out all rolls gets you d20 + d12 + d4 + 3 + 15 = 54.
>>47965169
No, the monk did more damage than me because they were able to run across a tiny rope and kick a fairly large fucking boat so hard it did flips in the air and then kill almost every survivor in one turn each. At level 3. This boat had covers on it that prevented me from actually shooting anyone on board.
>>47965237
When DMs rule silly bullshit is allowed to happen, follow suit instead of sticking to just what the rules say you can do.
>>47965195
Well he could also get Blessed, but I didn't mean that. I meant on your bard2/rogue16
>>47965276
Bless doesn't add to ability checks like initiative
>>47965237
>Monk asks to do crazy shit, does crazy monk bullshit
>"I want to shoot them with my pistol"
>Wonder why you aren't as effective
I dunno, try asking to do crazy shit if your DM allows it?
>>47965291
>>47965257
It wasn't even intended to be "crazy bullshit". The monk was fucking around, decides to kick the boat to be stupid, and rolls a 20.
>>47965347
Oh well yeah if he rolled a 20 then anything could happen. One time I rolled a 20 on my charisma and ended up having to marry everyone and the building I was in because they were so infatuated with me.
>>47965347
"I rolled a 20" shouldn't be an excuse to allow stupid shit. Bad DM
>>47965347
>rolls a 20
>flips a ship over and kills everyone
LE EPIC RANDOM d20 GUISE
A M I R I T E
M
I
R
I
T
E
Literally all that should have done was been "roll 2d4 for the damage you do to the hull... instead of 1d4"
>>47964880
You mention distract and disarm. Why those instead of good ones like trip, menacing, precision, etc.?
Also have you ever tried just unloading a maneuver on every attack during an action surge and counting up the damage?
>>47965347
Yeah, that's dumb. As for how to fix your problem, the only real way is to bring it up to your DM. Any suggestions made on here are useless when you have to go through your DM anyways.
Next week I'm gonna throw my pcs against a mystic baddy who is one of the main generals of the BBEG. I've made the character a psychic who only fights for the BBEG because they're being controlled to act against their will. I play music during combat but which track should I play?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzUkyik4J4A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpEdt-DGTSk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEMXjWhXmTc
>>47965395
DMs who decide crazy shit needs to happen on 1s and 20s are the reason why I perma-DM now. Mother fuckers don't understand that more d20 rolls equal more chance for that stupid shit to happen.
>>47965392
>>47965394
>>47965395
>>47965430
Can I have some tips for playing better at least? Using my skillset for more than just basic "shoot and stab"?
>>47965446
Gandrayda to me sounds good because of how hard it ramps up. But if you've played MP music before think twice because a lot of it uses really similar sounds.
>>47965453
Dude, bro, my fellow geekster (:P), just chill out and go with the flow man! Everyone loves le epic random 2d0 XD
>>47962738
i've been thinking the chart should be like this this whole time
finally made a version
>>47965519
I prefer to kill my players for their stupidity, not for their dice rolls.
>>47965517
I mean.. You're playing Fighter. It's basically the 'hit stuff' class. You could try flanking, or creative use of the environment, but really your best bet is just letting your DM know what the problem is and asking him for potential solutions.
You could try just using more maneuvers though. Just use the -shit- out of them and don't ever stop. And then start making called shots to maim or whatever. Or just use the Aid/Help action to give your better-performing allies advantage on their attacks.
I want to play D&D and I have no real life friends. What do I do?
How much would I be gimping myself if I played a caster with nothing but Illusion spells?
>>47965569
Find out if there are any gaming groups in your local area, facebook is surprisingly the place to start looking these days. Do this before trying to find online games through sites like roll20.
Hey, /5eg/, I wanted to find some artwork that is in the 5e style. Its just for handouts for my players.
Thoughts?
>>47965569
>>47965608
There aren't, I've checked. I live in the ass end of nowhere. It's a miracle I even have an internet connection.
>>47963799
You don't have to commit to a totem, you can pick a different ability each level.
I recommend Bear, Eagle, Wolf.
>>47965569
Roll20 is a good place to look. Hit and miss, but that's no different from real-life groups.
>>47963859
Oberyn wears scale. Also, he does know magic.
Also, also, Dornish soldiers train in various sized spears, but Oberyn's fighting style isn't necessarily something that can only be replicated with a polearm. His movement, poison and dirty tricks are what made him a threatening fighter.
You could probably get away with having him go Rogue and giving him a "spear" that actually uses all of the mechanics of a dagger. When it comes to social situations and utility, it doesn't get the benefits of being easily concealable like a dagger does, but can be used to trip people or prop yourself up, like a spear. Is this a bad idea?
>>47965922
It takes more hand-waving to make rogue fully work with the spear that's not a spear than it would be to get poisoner's kit proficiency on a fighter. Skilled may not be the most attractive feat, but it doesn't require asking permission to bend the rules.
>>47965922
Maybe. Sounds fun though
>>47963799
You can mix and match totems
>>47965517
I was leaning towards Gandrayda, thanks anon
Necromancer NPC just add racial traits
>>47965569
Watch Critical Role, roll your own characters and fantasize about having friends.That's what I do.
>>47961653
You might need some good psionics rules.
>unearthed arcana psionics
I said GOOD psionics rules!
>>47964920
>>47964966
>>47965090
Yeah, nah, reliable talent doesn't work in conjunction with jacka trades ya dimwits
>>47966283
One of the guys whose name is on the books disagrees.
>>47966377
Jeremy "I didn't read my own rulebook" Crawford, okay. The book directly contradicts him.
Last time I checked, _(0.5*x) != x, but hey, apparently good ol' JC never finished elementary maths
>>47966416
Jeremy "I compile the Sage Advice and Errata" Crawford.
>>47966442
Jeremy "words have no meaning" Crawford
>>47966416
>I got proven wrong so I'm going to call the guy who writes the rules an idiot!
It's called errata for a reason, they fixed something that wasn't intended.
>>47966377
I have it on good authority that Remarkable Athlete has never accomplished anything in any game since its introduction. It's a placebo ribbon.
>>47966416
It has to do with x being involved at all, same reason why expertise (x * 2) can also be used with reliable talent.
>>47966476
>The book doesn't say "full" proficiency but I inside that's what it means.
>The author isn't allowed to clarify his own book.
>>47966511
You heard it here first, folks. Brilliant absolutely brilliant mathmemegician, Anonymous and colleague Jeremy "literally who" Crawford mathematically prove that
_(0.5*x) = x, x ϵ Z
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Nobel prize nomination coming right up.
>>47966556
>My reading of the rules would not allow an expertise skill to work with reliable talent.
>>47961279
I really like this
>>47964794
Not that guy, but I was thinking about making a Thief/Shadow Monk the other day. Any recommendations on how to progress with it? I don't generally like or engage in multiclassing so I'm not sure when to take what.
>>47966605
What level are you starting at?
>>47966590
>I cannot read
>>47966613
best of my knowledge, the game i'm considering it for is just starting at 1. I was a little annoyed to hear it but whatever.
>>47966605
eh its probably best to go rogue 1 then monk 6, or to go rogue 4 (for the ASI, or skip it if you think you can handle it) to monk 6.
its going to be a long time coming though. if you don't care about missing out on a skill you could start monk 1-3, then rogue 1-4, then monk 6.
its not so bad because rogues have linear progression compared to a lot of classes that want to hit 5 on curve for level 3 spells or extra attack.
>>47966556
>>47966625
>2x does not equal x.
Nice b8 m8.
Can anyone tell me how the rough physical dimensions on a young green dragon? Also, what might my players do with a newly dead young dragon? They're lvl 4.
>>47966613
1, sadly. I was disappointed too but it's whatever.
>>47966644
I was thinking Rogue 1 would be a good start just for early sneak attack help. I think in terms of the character concept it makes more sense to stick with rogue, so maybe rogue 4 and then move to monk is the better idea.
>>47966676
its taken my literally months to get to rogue 4, so just.... be ready for that.
i forgot one path, you could go straight monk 6, then mutliclass into rogue. that might be best.
>>47966669
A young green dragon is large, so around the size of a big horse.
>>47966676
Level 2 should happen at the end of session 1 if not in the middle of it. Rogue 1 and then the monk levels gives you 1 more skill proficiency than the reverse, and you won't delay big offensive things too much that way.
>>47966625
"your proficiency bonus is doubled [for expertise skills]"
a = proficiency bonus
b = proficiency bonus for an expertise skill
a and b are both classified as "your proficiency bonus"
You're arguing with someone who is smarter than you, mate, care to quit yet?
>>47966726
Not a half bad idea actually. I was concerned about losing Cunning Action though is my only objection. It's not a HUGE deal, but i dunno. Like I said, very inexperienced with multiclassing.
>>47966669
well large is 10 feet on a side, coiled most likely since they still have reach, so they should fill most of the tile.
as far as i know (i havent really looked at the MM, my dm doesn't like me doing it and im the requisite quick rulebook) there isn't large Long and large Tall anymore, so while >>47966709
is correct, a dragon is logically going to be much "fatter" than said horse despite taking up the same space
>>47966765
If the DM is using what the books say, level 2 to 3 should also be fast. The first 3 levels are like training wheels for people who have literally never played a tabletop game before. You'll be alright.
>>47966669
With a dragon corpse? Everything. Claws and teeth into daggers and swords, scales into a suit of armor, organs in jars, wings into a cloak, blood drained into vials.
Just be cautious, since green dragon blood is almost assuredly toxic, and it'll probably start leaking poisonous fumes when it starts decomposing.
>>47966669
just be careful you dont enter monster hunter territory
sure every part cant be used like >>47966803 says, but are your heroes talented butchers and able to get the parts without damaging them? did the parts get damaged during the fight? can they get them to both a smith that wants and can afford the parts quick enough?
a dragons horde should be worth more than its body
>>47966843
Eh, I'm ok going into The Witcher Territory, if not Monster Hunter.
>>47966843
>not going full monster hunter
But seriously though, if your players are creative enough, you should let them make some checks to salavge these parts. They don't have to offer massive bonuses either. Probably just Poison resistance for a cloak or armor, an extra point of poison damage for anything bones or claws used as a weapons, and a good number of doses of poison that's a bit better than the PHB stuff.
And it should be difficult to get all of it, but it's nice to see your players think of that sort of stuff sometimes. It'll get old if they try and do it to everything, but it's entirely up to you to decide what'll end up usable and what won't.
>>47966666
>>47966880
def witcher
>>47966905
>>47966880
well theres nothing wrong if thats where he wants to go with it, but then its extra loot they might/should not have gotten if he didn't plan the horde as such
and if he lets them do it with things that arnt dragons, it eventually gets to the point where "how much can i sell this bugbear hide for" and skinning downtime every fight.
like the other anon said though, it'll get old quick. Dont forget that most monsters RAW its handwaved that they dont take good enough care of their equipment for a pc to really bother salvaging it.
skin, hides, claws, and teeth might not be much different
>Wizards licenses full 5e rule set to Fantasy Grounds
>releases full rule sets, entire modules with digital tokens and maps for digital purchase
>says their licensing for digital tabletops isn't exclusive to FG
>Wizards runs official game series on Roll20
>even promotes Roll20 through these official series
Where's our full rule set or at least full module releases for Roll20, Wizards? Do you hate money?
>>47966969
I agree, skinning every mook would be slow and crap. But boss monsters having their actual bodies as loot would be a cool alternative to "a chest of gold and gems".
>>47966905
THIS. One of my most memorable games was when my necromancer started collecting trophies from powerful monsters with the intention of creating an undead golem out of them. Ended up wearing a large lizardman's skull as a helmet for most of that campaign.
The "special properties" tables in the DMG (pg 142-143) are criminally underused for otherwise mundane magic items and if you don't use them you should consider it.
>>47967371
That's some really neat stuff. Perfect for making a generic magical weapon so the players can get past resistances, or to come up with interesting quest items that are still functional.
Thanks for pointing it out, Anon.
Does Eldath have Paladins in her service?
5eg/'s List of Approved Class-Race Combinations:
Barbarian: Half-orc
Bard: Half-elf
Cleric: Warcaster Human Variant
Druid: Ghostwise Halfling
Monk: Aarakocra
Fighter: Shield Master Human Variant
Paladin: Half-elf
Ranger: Wood-elf
Rogue: Earth Genasi
Sorcerer: Half-elf
Warlock: Half-elf
Wizard: High-elf
>>47967616
>Eldath
Well, a quick search shows her as a more pacifist nature god, but for 5e a Protection Paladin with Oath of the Ancients would be a perfect fit for that.
>>47967641
Genasi are pretty damn bad.
>>47967680
+10 stealth for one hour once daily
>>47958528
> Earl King
I hate you so much right now.
>>47967693
Not worth a no-Dex-improvement race, and there's more to being a rogue than being stealthy.
Wood Elf gets +2 Dex, extra movement so that Cunning Action is even better, and longbow proficiency.
I've been toying with the idea of a mageslayer character - specifically an Eldritch Knight with the Mageslayer feat. The melee focus plays well with Mageslayer, and Eldritch Knights have relatively easy access to Abjuration spells for things like Dispel Magic. I just have to wonder, though - would I be better off as a full Abjuration Wizard, if my main focus is making other spellcasters' lives hell?
>>47967759
You could mix the two. Take some levels of Eldritch knight for Mageslayer and some extra melee ability, then go Wizard for more spell slots to make sure you have Counterspells aplenty.
>>47967715
That average +1 damage from the longbow doesn't mean jack shit to a rogue. If you REALLY want, I can approve Aarakocra for rogues as well.
>>47967759
Mageslayer works better if you hit really hard in one hit. Paladins can do this with smites, rogues can sometimes use Sneak Attack on others' turns. A Battle Master can add a damaging maneuver even.
If you want to Mageslayer it up, pick one of those options and multiclass with abjurer, or maybe bard since Jack of All Trades and Peerless Skill can work with Counterspell and Dispel Magic.
>>47967660
Righteous, that's what I was thinking too.Thanks anon.
>>47967802
150 ft. effective range does matter though, Also darkvision, and an extra way to hide.
>>47967824
Maybe you're right. I just have a DM who has never facilitated utility of long-range weaponry.
>>47967641
>Rogue: Earth Genasi
literally a race with no dark vision
good job
>>47967789
>>47967807
So Eldritch Knight to 7 for War Magic, then the remaining 13 into Abjuration Wizard? That does get me to Improved Abjuration and 8th level spells. Assuming the party doesn't need Tankor the Sturdy, it'd probably work out well.
So, I've been running my party through a dungeon crawl the last fw sessions, and it's gone pretty well I think. Unfortunately, I just realized I messed something up - i balanced everything around level 3, but failed to realize that my players were gonna hit level 4 two encounters before the final boss (a succubus). I'm fine with the encounter right before her being easier than usual, but I want to give her some minions to bulk up the encounter a bit and prevent the players from crushing her through sheer action economy.
The ideal minion would be something CR 1 or 2, with decent HP and/or Ac to keep the party from just murderizing it before it goes in the event of good initiative rolls, but relatively low offensive power. It would also be nice if it could be something plausibly summonable, since it'll be popping in via a magical trap. Does anyone have any good recommendations?
![Jackie-Chan-1024x682[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/fR23xDp.jpg "Jackie-Chan-1024x682[1].jpg")
I want to play a Jackie Chan character.
What's the best class to do so? You might jump to monk, but I don't think that's the best. Whatever class it is, it needs to use objects a lot, and probably have a lot of physical skills. Which makes me think Thief.
How would you stat out a Jackie Chan player character?
>>47967841
Right, because there is no light at night time, so darkvision is completely necessary.
>literally
Shouldn't use words you don't understand, idiot.
>>47967839
Last session, my group's rogue, due to a longbow and sharpshooter, prevented an NPC from fleeing a fight on his mount by killing the mount and enabling the group to catch up to the slippery guy.
As DM, I know it prevented another encounter from happening.
>>47967864
That combo would tank very well between the abjurer's ward and liberal use of the Shield spell.
>>47967893
Have you gone into a dark dungeon ruin before? Do the monsters not react when you use a light source?
>>47967869
Forgot to mention, party consists of Life Cleric (originally healbot, but he subsequently realized that there are better uses for his actions), Shadow Monk, ranged Hunter Ranger, and sword-and-board Battlemaster Fighter.
>>47967919
>dungeon
I have never encountered a dungeon (bad dm). But I'm thinking moonlight, city ambient light.
>>47967957
Never been in the basement of a dark building in the city?
>>47967893
>literally
>Shouldn't use words you don't understand, idiot.
literally earth genasi don't have dark vision what is your problem with my use of that word
>>47967957
Dim light gives disadvantage to perception checks. Darkvision treats dim light as bright light, avoiding that. It's still useful unless everywhere you go is brightly lit at all times.
>>47967967
You are making a good case. I'm assuming you're still talking about D&D and the answer is no. Just generic overworld and underdark (which a character without a method of seeing in the dark obviously wouldn't enter).
>>47967982
There was no non-literal way to interpret your sentence.
>>47967957
Have you heard of a new moon? Or the wilderness? Or a cave?
I guess your rogue must have a really hard time sneaking when everything is so perfectly lit.
>>47967996
Still talking about D&D. Forgotten Realms has cities that have basements. Waterdeep even has another city below it.
Eberron's has at least 2 cities so detailed you can do an entire campaign without leaving them.
>>47968001
I don't know about you, but I personally don't have darkvision and most nights I don't have much issue making my way about.
>>47967996
>There was no non-literal way to interpret your sentence.
ok i gotta meditate on this
either way i think you're a shit poster and under estimating the usefulness of dark vision for sneaking around
>>47967869
In future it may be better to let your players level up when you want them to do so, like back at town after a long rest or something - Morrowind style.
Maybe have a single hell hound pop out, they don't have that impressive of a damage output and if you give it time to charge at the party they could knock some HP off it before it gets close.
>>47968023
Most places these days have enough light pollution that you can still get enough indirect reflection of light to see once your eyes adjust.
New moon darkness is very different in the wildnerness. If you're far enough from a town, it's pitch black if cloud cover or trees block the starlight.
>>47968025
I'm not underestimating the usefulness of darkvision. It's just something I've never had to think about because a) DM I had never read the fucking book and b) I have always played elves. I also personally am rarely in situations where it is completely dark so you can understand why darkvision didn't seem necessary initially.
>>47968023
>most nights
>much issue
Meaning that you still have some issue on most nights, and on other nights you have bigger issues.
Geez, it's almost like Darkvision is better at seeing in the dark than normal vision.
If you're in a situation where it's dark enough for your rogue to be sneaking, then you're in a situation where darkvision would help you. After all, if there are enough shadows for you to hide, then there are enough shadows for anyone to hide.
Best class for a sailor?
Last thread I asked for a Satyr Homebrew and I decided to make my own. Do you guys think this is balanced?.
Satyr:
+2 CHA, +1 CON
Speed: 35
Darkvision: 60 feet
Natural Weapon: Proficient with Horns and Legs which do 1d6 Damage. Gain ADV on Shove Checks while using them.
Fey Ancestry: ADV on Charm Saves and Immune to Sleep Spells.
Skilled: Gain Performance Proficiency.
Languages: Common and Sylvan.
>>47968085
Swashbuckler Rogue with the Sailor background.
Storm Sorcerer with the Sailor background.
Basically anything with the Sailor background.
>>47968085
Swashbuckler Rogue or Storm Sorcerer.
