D&D 5E November PHB errata highlights

Gavin O. · Nov 17, 2018

New PHB errata came out, here are some important changes to be aware of:

-Paladin divine Smite will now deal 6d8 radiant damage when used with a level 4 or 5 spell slot against a fiend or undead.

-Starting at level 6, Ranger beast companion attacks now count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance

-Ranger beast companion will now take the dodge action automatically if you don't issue a command

-Both abilities of the polearm master feat now work with a spear

-Grapples and shoves now succeed automatically against incapacitated targets

-Storm of vengeance wording has been changed to confirm you only get one of the benefits per turn

-Being raised from the dead now reduces your exhaustion level by 1

-Black Bear and Brown Bear get an additional +1 to hit with all of their attacks (up to +5 and +6 respectively)

-Riding Horse and Warhorse get an additional +2 to hit with all of their attacks (up to +4 and +6 respectively)

What do you think of these? Personally I like most of these changes.

Gladius Legis · Nov 17, 2018

Gavin O. said:
New PHB errata came out, here are some important changes to be aware of:

-Paladin divine Smite will now deal 6d8 radiant damage when used with a level 5 spell slot (up from 5d8)

This isn't what happened. That 6d8 was applied to the last sentence of the paragraph, which now reads: "The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or fiend, to a maximum of 6d8."

Apparently this errata was issued because there were some confused people who thought 5d8 was a hard cap and the undead and fiend boost didn't apply to a 4th-level Smite.

Gavin O. · Nov 17, 2018

Gladius Legis said:
This isn't what happened. That 6d8 was applied to the last sentence of the paragraph, which now reads: "The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or fiend, to a maximum of 6d8."

Apparently this errata was issued because there were some confused people who thought 5d8 was a hard cap and the undead and fiend boost didn't apply to a 4th-level Smite.

Oooh, I see.

Gladius Legis · Nov 17, 2018

I really wish the pike was added to the list for the first benefit (1d4 butt-end attack) in Polearm Master for consistency's sake. No good reason to single it out for omission there.

Also, Storm of Vengeance confirmed to suck as intended.

Gavin O. · Nov 17, 2018

Gladius Legis said:
I really wish the pike was added to the list for the first benefit (1d4 butt-end attack) in Polearm Master for consistency's sake. No good reason to single it out for omission there.

Also, Storm of Vengeance confirmed to suck as intended.

Presumably spinning a pike around to poke someone with the back end would be pretty difficult, but you could say the same thing about a halberd or a spear, so idk why pikes don't work.

Poor storm of vengeance, it's so cool but so awful.

Hjorimir · Nov 17, 2018

Happy about the Call Lightning changes.

Demetrios1453 · Nov 17, 2018

Gavin O. said:
Presumably spinning a pike around to poke someone with the back end would be pretty difficult, but you could say the same thing about a halberd or a spear, so idk why pikes don't work.

Pikes tend to be much longer than halberds or spears; the former tended to be over 12 feet long (in some cases much longer), while the latter were usually 6 feet or less. It would really be hard to spin a pike around (to hit with the butt end - obviously pike formations spun pikes around to hit with the front end as part of their training) without hitting the ground, someone else, or yourself in the process, while it would be relatively easy to do so with the other two.

Shiroiken · Nov 17, 2018

Demetrios1453 said:
Pikes tend to be much longer than halberds or spears; the former tended to be over 12 feet long (in some cases much longer), while the latter were usually 6 feet or less. It would really be hard to spin a pike around (to hit with the butt end - obviously pike formations spun pikes around to hit with the front end as part of their training) without hitting the ground, someone else, or yourself in the process, while it would be relatively easy to do so with the other two.

The real problem is that a pike doesn't work as a melee weapon. The 5E pike, mechanically, i just a really long spear. If it had the correct size ratio, it would have an attack area of 10-15 feet out, but be unable to strike closer than that, similar to the way 3E did reach weapons. Having just the standard Reach property means that it shouldn't really be 12'-18' long.

Even if we ignore that, there is no reason why the Polearm Master swings the entire weapon around. That doesn't work with halberds or glaives either (or really, any polearm). I've envisioned it as simply using the haft in additional to the end, which should allow the pike to do the same. I'd house-ruled that right away, in addition to allowing the spear.

Blue · Nov 18, 2018

Gavin O. said:
-Being raised from the dead now reduces your exhaustion level by 1

Previous lowest level spell to remove one level of exhaustion: Greater Restoration. 5th, with 100gp diamond dust consumed.

New lowest level spell to remove one level of exhaustion: Revivify. 3rd, with 300gp diamonds consumed.

Not a big deal, but one of the groups I'm in we have a Barbarian (Path of the Zealot) from XGtE. No material components for revivify. I wonder if it will ever come up.

Charlaquin · Nov 18, 2018

Blue said:
Previous lowest level spell to remove one level of exhaustion: Greater Restoration. 5th, with 100gp diamond dust consumed.

New lowest level spell to remove one level of exhaustion: Revivify. 3rd, with 300gp diamonds consumed.

Not a big deal, but one of the groups I'm in we have a Barbarian (Path of the Zealot) from XGtE. No material components for revivify. I wonder if it will ever come up.

Wait, so when the barbarian gets exhausted, just kill him and bring him back from the dead to re-invigorate him? That's hilarious!

D&D 5E November PHB errata highlights

Gavin O.

First Post

Gladius Legis

Legend

Gavin O.

First Post

Gladius Legis

Legend

Gavin O.

First Post

Hjorimir

Adventurer

Demetrios1453

Hero

Shiroiken

Legend

Blue

Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal

Charlaquin

Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)

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