D&D 5E Please understand your spells

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Isn't the solution here to sit down the problem player and say 'hey man, combat is taking ages because you don't know the spell list very well, what can we do to help make combat faster?'

I agree with this statement, with one condition: change "sit down the problem player" to "sit down with the player having a problem" - because otherwise you are basically creating an equivalence wherein a player that has only just become interested in playing RPGs and thus doesn't know much about actually playing one is a "problem player." Not that I assume that distinction was made intentionally on your part, Puffin.

I had this issue last night. THe Druid cast Thunderwave and started rolling to hit. Then I asked 'Why are you rolling to damage

'Oh thats right its 2d8 damage' So '12 damage' . I asked 'Is there a save'? 'Ummmm' Multiple people scrambled to check.

With my group it is usually one of our two players that have a cleric in one campaign and a warlock and wizard in another campaign (we have many campaigns going on at one time, it can get confusing). Both will forget what they need to roll for a cantrip from time to time - such as by saying "I cast sacred flame" and picking up a d20 for the attack roll, or by saying "I cast fire bolt" and rolling the damage without an attack roll.

We don't need to reference the book to fix things in those particular instances, of course, but we have been having fun making a joke out of "Wrong dice, try again. Maybe it's that [insert color that is definitely not correct] one?"

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I had this issue last night. THe Druid cast Thunderwave and started rolling to hit. Then I asked 'Why are you rolling to damage

'Oh thats right its 2d8 damage' So '12 damage' . I asked 'Is there a save'? 'Ummmm' Multiple people scrambled to check.

Shouldn't the DM just roll the Con save and be done with it?

Player: I cast Thunderwave. [starts rolling to-hit]
DM: No, just roll 2d8 damage.
[Player rolls 12]
[DM rolls some dice]
DM: Two of the worgs are blasted directly away from you and take 12 points of damage. One of them resists the brunt of the electricity and takes only 6. He's still right here.

The problem you had last night was that no one, not even the DM, understood how the spells worked. That's a table issue, not a specific player issue. Fortunately it should go away over time.

 

[Guest 6801328]

change "sit down the problem player" to "sit down with the player having a problem"

You have a toddler, don't you?

 

[sunrisekid]

Late to the conversation but, "me too", with players who don't bother learning how their spells work. Last campaign I had four players, none of whom bothered learning how their spells work beyond memorizing the complexity of something like Magic Missile. It was/is incredibly frustrating for me, as the DM, to wait for them reach for the PHB and flip through it - one of whom often couldn't even find the spell in the otherwise alphabetically-organized book. GRRR!

Eventually I just skipped them in the initiative order and got to them at the end.

I have never been mean about it, like forcing them to skip their turn if they didn't get their together. But now that I think of it, might do so in the future.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

You have a toddler, don't you?

I do not have, and have not previously had, children of any age. I amused that you thought I might though.

 

[Bob_no_Oni]

Many of the spells that I use are ones that are used regularly. However, there is a certain class of spells that I will reference, even during combat, the PHB due to their difficulty. This is the different Illusion spells. They are so difficult at times to understand that I have to constantly read them again to ensure I am doing something within their limits. Thankfully, the spell sheet I use from the character sheet I like has a brief description of spells so I can judge from there. Of course, there is also the rule I like to put into play of "think about your turn before I get to you."

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

"Shuffling through the PHB" is just "reading" said with judgement.

I think you've missed my point. The problem is not the reading, it's the time.

Rather than spend minutes finding and reading the information in a rulebook, a player should spend seconds finding and reading the information on a few pieces of paper; pieces of paper they (or someone else) prepared before the session started.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

I think you've missed my point.

Seems to be going around, since you seem to have missed mine too.

Rather than spend minutes finding and reading the information in a rulebook, a player should spend seconds finding and reading the information on a few pieces of paper

The point I've been trying to make is that the player reading the book in the original statement hasn't been shown to be taking more time than they'd take even if it was their character sheet and quick-reference sheets that they are reading, so it wasn't clear that what was being mentioned was someone refusing to try and learn the information, rather than someone trying to learn the information and taking longer than some unspecified time limit to succeed at their endeavor.

 

[Nellisir]

I do not have, and have not previously had, children of any age.

I find your specificity both amusing and, as I thought about it, depressing. I don't need the feels, man.

 

[Celtavian]

I memorize as many rules as I can. I read up on anything I don't know after the fight if I have a question as to how the player runs it. In general, players have to bear part of the responsibility. They should at least know the rules involving their character. It really does slow the game down if the DM has to say, "Look it up." And the player has his nose in a book on his turn because he can't be expected to learn the game. If a person doesn't enjoy playing the game enough to learn about it, why is that person playing? That's what I always wonder.