Little Known Rules of D&D

[Tonguez]

You've never stayed awake for 24 hours straight? It's entirely possible, although you definitely want some sleep afterwards.

It also helps that in DnD you actually don't need to sleep at all. There are no rules for fatigue or ill-effects from sleep deprivation (unless you are a wizard wanting spells)

Pretty sure he was being humorous, I have a hard time believing this is at all supported in the text.

Yeah I think so was Aleolus

 

[cheshire_grin]

It also helps that in DnD you actually don't need to sleep at all. There are no rules for fatigue or ill-effects from sleep deprivation (unless you are a wizard wanting spells)

Not entirely true. There are rules for what happens when you are fatigued/exhausted (see here); you may be right that there's no rules for how one gets that way short of specific situations/abilities/spells (such as sleeping in medium or heavy armor, for example).

As a DM I would probably rule that if you go more than 16 hours straight without sleep, you have to make a CON check (or a Fort save, perhaps), with a circumstance penalty of -1 for each hour thereafter, or become fatigued. I'm kind of surprised this isn't in the rules already, honestly.

 

[Angerland]

I think 16 hours is a little early for a fatigue check.

 

[Dread Polack]

If your speed is less than 30 feet, you take a -6 penalty for every 10 feet of speed less than 30 feet. If your speed is greater than 30 feet, you gain a +4 bonus for every 10 feet beyond 30 feet.

This is why my Monk never took ranks in Jump past 1st level. By 18th level, I had +28 to jump, maxed out my vertical jump on an average roll, and could jump 38 feet reliably out of combat.

Don't forget that Barbarians get +4 for their increased speed too.

Dread Polack

 

[Dread Polack]

One little known rule I've used to hose many a fellow PC in a spar or duel is: If you haven't moved at all and you ready an action, you can take a 5 ft step as part of the readied action. Best general usage being if the foe has a reach weapon and you do not.

Related to this, I think a lot of people forget:

Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack

After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.

About halfway through my last campaign, I learned about and took full advantage of this option:

Aid Another

In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent or a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent’s next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack.

You can also use this standard action to help a friend in other ways, such as when he is affected by a spell, or to assist another character’s skill check.

I used it most often when my monk couldn't break through a target's DR or hit his AC. Lending a little survivability to the fighter, or an effective +4 damage to his 3+ attacks often helped a lot.

A good way to munchkin it was to Aid Another defensively because even with a -4 to hit, it was only AC 10, and I got a nice +3 to my own AC (5+ ranks in Tumble).

This was the next best option to flanking and double-teaming a monster, but it was better than sitting around and watching.

 

[Dread Polack]

Oh, and it might be a little-know rule, but perhaps an often-missed rule:

Don't forget your synergy bonuses!

Dread Polack

 

[Voadam]

My source is the Book of Erotic Fantasy. Just kidding...although I hear it's quite the, ah, interesting read.

Maybe I should take my attempts at brevity and humor and ride off into the sunset, eh?

Although I'd love to see any serious book use the term "The giggle will be sincere and melodic." Tee hee.

Humor in these threads is fine. Just use a when doing humor and nobody should misstake it for nonhumor.

 

[RefinedBean]

Humor in these threads is fine. Just use a when doing humor and nobody should misstake it for nonhumor.

Too late, I've already been frightened off for good.

Oh, and:

There, covered my bases!

 

[Hypersmurf]

A good way to munchkin it was to Aid Another defensively because even with a -4 to hit, it was only AC 10, and I got a nice +3 to my own AC (5+ ranks in Tumble).

While this is arguably fine (though there are also arguments against it - while you are making an attack roll, you aren't actually attacking), note that you can't use Combat Expertise while Aiding Another.

-Hyp.

 

[TYPO5478]

Not correct.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/ride.htm

You just use the lower of the two.

Right, so both of the checks have to beat the DC to make the jump. Whimsical's correct. Maybe he phrased it strangely, but he's not wrong.