Massive damage applied quickly seemed to do the trick in this fight. Which is the opposite of the Bonfire spell which applies a little damage consistently.
But can see hints of scorching on even the zombie that remained untouched by your Bonfire, which is puzzling.
There might be context I'm missing.
Because it sounds like you're obliquely arguing against someone saying "The Fighter doesn't need complexity"? I'm not sure. I didn't see anyone say that. But I didn't think this conversation or the post you responded to from @J-H was about singling out a...
I think the faulty logic here is twofold.
First is the err that because some (maybe more than half?) players like playing casters, therefor all players enjoy caster-level complexity.
Second is the err that because no simple(r) caster class exists in D&D, therefor there are no players who would...
D&D has had some version of "a new class option unlocks" throughout its history. In BD&D there was name level stuff at 8th/9th, like a (traveling) fighter choosing to become an Avenger/Knight/Paladin. In AD&D you could become a Bard or Druid iirc, or dual-class if you were human. In 3e there...
I’m spicy, but I think it’s the wrong question because it’s assuming skill rolls (or passive number comparison) universally are The Way to discover traps. And I think that premise should be very critically challenged.
I'll see this and challenge a little. And it may be you are perfectly aware of all this, and are just working within the confines of existing 5e because it's the big gorilla and such - in which case just laugh at my soapbox?
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In my humble opinion, the way D&D5e uses Perception and traps...
I wonder how they fit such a large chamber inside such a rickety door. And then I proceed into the actual room. Could you describe what we see beyond the weird chamber-inside-a-door? ;)
Definitely I do not see the kinds of trap questions from the OSR crowd! It's the 5e or modern D&D crowd that is asking those questions, at least on the Discord servers I belong to. And it's not an insignificant number, maybe 1-2 per week I will notice if I have the time to check regularly.
I...
Well said! I think the realization from the OP is a good one.
I don't think it's a "one answer fits all sizes" thing though. There are multiple ways to use traps or reasons why a GM might use them. "Adding spice or variety besides combat" is something I often hear on the Discord servers, but...
Zeth makes a Religion check for zombie weaknesses/special abilities that would be useful to know. 1D20+6 = [11]+6 = 17
Certain unsavory merchants Zeth has dealt with were known to use zombies as messengers, guardians, even porters to unload their ships. He's had occasion to talk at length with...
Pardon my trimming down your quote - I needed to focus on the key parts.
1. There are multiple shortcuts that have worked for me and players I run for – not perfectly, but they've definitely accelerated the process of inspiring improvisation and wild ideas:
Showcasing NPCs and monsters taking...
There are a couple variations I've played with on "continuous initiative" – I prefer the term "weapon speed" or "action speed" as you'll see. I 100% agree with @Rabbitbait that it's slow not just in the learning phase, but in the "we're experienced and know what we're doing phase" too...
Some of the greatest fun my players have had is working around an "unbeatable" situation with clever strategies that create a total sea state change to what I'd anticipated the combat to look up.
In Mike Mearls' recent thread on rebalancing 5e's monster maths we had a laugh when we pointed out...
Maybe yes. It's a softer version of the "restricted domain wizard" that other folks were suggesting - instead of a hard limit, you have a more permeable limit.