D&D General When do you overrule RAW?

[Micah Sweet]

I'd do the same for spellcasters. If a spellcaster had a 1st or hell even a 3rd level spell called trip and wanted to trip Godzilla, I'd ask him what it looked like for a low level spell to trip something as massive as Godzilla. Magic has limitations, too. It's called spell level.

Yup. No objection to that at all.

 

[Reynard]

That's not how either hit points or hits work, though. The storm giant "hitting" doesn't actually hit the fighter unless the fighter is somewhere close to 0 hit points and will be knocked out or killed by the hit. What actually happens is that it's a glancing blow or complete miss that causes the fighter some skill or luck hit point loss.

People say this but in my experience, at the table during play hits are described as hits, flying teeth and blood and all. I literally can't think of a time that a player or GM has described a hit as a "miss" to conform to the "glancing blow" nonsense.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

If we were doing reality, both the spellcaster and fighter, even at 20th level, would be unable to kill or even hurt Godzilla.

We're not doing reality, though. We're in a fantasy world where people's whole point is fighting godzillas, so I find appeals to 'it doesn't make sense for him to be able to stop Godzilla, after practising how to stop Godzillas' to be non-sensical.

The rules tell how the world works. The rules say the Godzilla stops. However you end up flavoring it.

 

[jmartkdr2]

As a dm, I of course reserve the right to change any rule that I think is a problem, but if I'm making the change mid-session I will always rule in favor of the player. So in the original example, I would let the feat work.

In practice, I just rarely go against RAW although I don't always agree with everyone about what RAW means.

On the other side, as a player - I do try to think about these things ahead of time. I'd like to think I would have asked the dm if I could possibly trip/slow/halt such a massive creature before choosing my action, since I presume my character would be able to see that "this thing is way to big for me to push around." Ideally I'd ask when I took the feat, and hopefully I'd ask before using the reaction.

I do ask about the interaction between booming blade and Warcaster as soon as I have access to the combo. I find RAW finicky but fair once you clear up some RAW vs RAI, although I'd be inclined to read "willing movement" as the same as Opportunity Attacks rather than relating to the creature's mental state. It ain't psychic damage after all. But if we can hash it out beforehand that's easily the best time to do so.

I would, however, be pissed if the ruling was given after the *re*roll.

 

[Mort]

So it wasn't a person. It was a Godzilla sized monster and the DMG explicitly tells the DMs not to be a slave to the rules. It makes no sense for the Sentinal feat by a medium sized creature to be able to stop Godzilla from moving. Godzilla would literally not be aware that you even tried something. He barely notices missiles hitting him.

But the feat doesn't say "person" it says "creature."

Is the Godzilla sized monster a creature?

If yes, and the attack hit (the requirement) then why shouldn't the feat work?

Frankly, this is a great monkey's paw situation. The massive thing, which didn't even acknowledge your existence now has all of its very considerable power - focused on you.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

This doesn't mean what you seem to be suggesting it does.

If you were able to talk at any time, they surely wouldn't need to specify when you can talk.

Can you walk outside of your turn? I mean, it says you can walk during your turn, but it doesn't say you cannot walk at other times...

 

[Micah Sweet]

But the feat doesn't say "person" it says "creature."

Is the Godzilla sized monster a creature?

If yes, and the attack hit (the requirement) then why shouldn't the feat work?

Frankly, this is a great monkey's paw situation. The massive thing, which didn't even acknowledge your existence now has all of its very considerable power - focused on you.

Like I said: bad feat. It really should say person, or at least specify a size limit.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Like I said: bad feat. It really should say person, or at least specify a size limit.

And Godzilla should collapse under its own weight, just like any humanoid larger than 2.5 meters. But we're not in that kind of a world.

 

[Mort]

And Godzilla should collapse under its own weight, just like any humanoid larger than 2.5 meters. But we're not in that kind of a world.

Exactly. THIS is what I keep on about. The fantasy world is NOT our world!

If a fighter can take a hit from a 30/40/50 foot giant, if they can take a hit from a massive dragon's breath weapon - and keep right in going;

Is it REALLY even a stretch to think that when they learn to stop a creature in its tracks - they can ALSO do it to these huge creatures? Because the fighter lives in the same world as these creatures - and it's not ours.

But regardless of ALL of that. IMO, Ruling in the middle of a game, when the situation has just come up that the feat doesn't work? That's a bad call. Houserule it for future occasions, if you must, but don't hose the player at the time.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And Godzilla should collapse under its own weight, just like any humanoid larger than 2.5 meters. But we're not in that kind of a world.

Not the same kind of thing.