Common rules errors

[Mercule]

-A DM of mine once insisted that the rules state that Spellcasters are still disrupted if they are hit at ANY time before their action in a round. I had to prove it to him, to be sure that he wanted to use his version as a house rule or not...

*chuckle*

I'm sure that my DM is sick to death of me saying "Oh, I didn't realize you house-ruled that." I don't mind variant rules, but I do like to know, in advance, what I should disregard from the PH.

My two (least) favorite at the moment are:

1) If a creature or PC did not move during their previous turn, they may take a 5' step as part of (in order to take) an AoO. Examples are someone standing 10' away from someone and casting are firing a bow.

2) Flanking only applies after each person has attacked the target. Example:

AXBY

B attacks Y. A attacks X -- no flanking. B attacks and kills Y. A still has no flanking on X. B turns and attacks X, gets flanking (A has just attacked X). A attacks X and gets flanking.

And a house rule I _do_ like (but acknowledge as house):

Picking something up provokes an AoO.

 

[Numion]

And a house rule I _do_ like (but acknowledge as house):

Picking something up provokes an AoO.

D&D Players Handbook, page 128, Move-Equivalent Actions:

Pick up an item AoO: Yes

So it's not a house rule.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Hi Matt - something's been bugging me - did I forget to apply Sneak Attack damage to the invisible wererat wizard/rogue's Melf's Acid Arrow attack on Xyzzy last Sunday?

Yes, you did. But I didn't know he was a rogue at that time...plus, it would only have applied to the first round of damage, as I'm sure you're aware.

I just assumed he was a straight wizard, and kept wondering when the big evocation guns were going to come out!

How much would it have been, anyway? 2d6?

 

[Psion]

This "people thought it was a house rule" bit reminds me of my first 3e group. They insisted that by not allowing people to flank with a ranged weapon, it was "my rule." They conflated "sneak attack" with "flank." Yes, you can sneak attack with a ranged weapon within 30 feet, you just can't flank with one (and must use the flat-footed criteria to sneak attack.)

 

[Murrdox]

Our most famous rule error EVER.

When we started playing 2nd edition again 5 years ago (I hadn't played since Jr. High) somehow we got it in our heads that CASTING TIME was the AMOUNT OF ROUNDS IT TOOK TO CAST THE SPELL.

Can you imagine being a wizard and saying "I'm casting a fireball!" and having to stand there and keep casting it for the next two rounds, and if someone attacks you, you're immediately disrupted?

That's how we were playing.

 

[Mercule]

D&D Players Handbook, page 128, Move-Equivalent Actions:

Pick up an item AoO: Yes

So it's not a house rule.

Sorry, my bad. Someone else made a comment about picking things up that sparked my thought. I fell victim to a locked switch in the head.

What I'd actually meant to say is "standing from prone" provokes AoO.

 

[Zander]

...he duly rolled to confirm and did me 14d6 acid damage to a 7th level monk. I became goo....C'est la vie.

Hello Matt

Actually, c'est la mort.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Hello Matt

Actually, c'est la mort.

ARGH! 4d6+5 points of Bad Joke Damage to that man...

 

[smetzger]

The rule mistake that bugs me:
"Roll a Ref sv DC 15 to avoid slipping on the ..."

It should be a Balance check people.

 

[Rel]

What rules errors drive you to distraction?

Quasqueton

Actually, Quasqueton, it wasn't until the recent NC Game Day that I caught on to the fact that you can only Run in a straight line. It's a good thing that I've got those big battlemats, because for the last two years, we've been running all over them at 4x speed.

I am mildly perturbed by those players who still don't understand the AoO rules as they pertain to movement. I don't think a single session has gone by where I didn't say, "The first space doesn't count as long as all you do is move."