D&D 5E Sage Advice August 17th

[Kobold Stew]

Maybe Assassinate is the problem, rather than sneak attack? I can imagine that if you allowed this then an Assassin/Monk could do staggering amounts of damage in the first round of a combat, every single combat, all day, with no short-rest or long-rest restriction.

Possibly, but the Assassinate feature already synergizes with flurry of blows. Sure, it would be better if you could add +2d6 of SA damage, once, but that's not what makes the interaction crazy.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I don't like the official ruling on goodberry + cleric of life combination.

Yeah, it seems wrong to me too. Goodberry doesn't heal via spell, so cleric of life shouldn't apply to it. I'm ignoring this one.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

The more I see of Sage Advice, the less I agree with it.

That's been my experience with Sage Advice ever since AD&D days. As time goes on, Sage Advice always diverges from the rulebooks. Feel free to ignore it.

 

[Minigiant]

Yeah, I'm just curious why that's the case. Maybe they're aware of some broken combination that I'm not. Or maybe they just hate monks.

I think it's more a preemptive strike.

Unarmed strike "power" is currently siloed off to the monk by making the unarmed strike not a weapon.

You can't buff it as a weapon with magic.
Weapon based class features and feats can't affect it.
Magic items which affect weapons can't affect it.
Variant rules for weapons cannot affect it.

This frees you of the fear of some crazy monk shenanigans you didn't think of. Weapon shenanigans were planned.

Imagine some twinked out monk dancing at the ball were everyone is unarmed and unarmored coming out of nowhere channeling sorcerer shots into paladin divine smites to uppercut the hell out of some defenseless noble on an assassination mission. A rogue would have to at least sneak in the weapon via Sleight of Hand or plant it earlier with Stealth.

But...
"I'm using two hands in my double axe handle strike... from off the turnbuckle... so that's a two handed weapon attack so I get +10 damage from HWM feat.... and the magic oil gives me +5 to melee weapon attack rolls... and 3 Ki for Quivering Palm and the wizard casted magic weapon on my hands"

It's all okay with a greataxe though.

 

[Mistwell]

My Lore Bard with a level of Life Cleric will be happy when he gets his Goodberry spell at 6th level

I don't agree on archery not applying to a melee weapon used as a ranged weapon. It's the one redeeming feature of a dagger that it's the only finesse light melee weapon that is also ranged.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

My Lore Bard with a level of Life Cleric will be happy when he gets his Goodberry spell at 6th level

Oh, don't do that. Aura of Vitality is still more efficient than Goodberry, as well as being less annoying and having some in-combat applictaion. 120 HP for 5 SP = 24 HP healed per SP. Greatberry is 40 for 2, which is only 20 HP per SP. And you might have problems feeding Greatberries to unconscious characters, since they can't chew or swallow.

Greatberry is castable in advance so it does have a niche still, but if you can only pick one pick Aura of Vitality.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Jeremy Crawford is the co-lead designer of 5e. He doesn't just interpret the rules, he makes them.

Not in Sage Advice. He was very clear about that.

 

[Mistwell]

Oh, don't do that. Aura of Vitality is still more efficient than Goodberry, as well as being less annoying and having some in-combat applictaion. 120 HP for 5 SP = 24 HP healed per SP. Greatberry is 40 for 2, which is only 20 HP per SP. And you might have problems feeding Greatberries to unconscious characters, since they can't chew or swallow.

Greatberry is castable in advance so it does have a niche still, but if you can only pick one pick Aura of Vitality.

But Goodberry has a lot less chance of healing being wasted, as it's only applied to people who need it on a direct 4-hp/berry basis (instead of 2d6, which can be overkill), when they need it. Aura only works out the way you describe if someone needs it all, in that minute (or splitting it of course between several someones, in that minute). I think the ability to split goodberry between battles, and more precisely (it's not averages, but always the same number), is pretty helpful. And, of course, it's only a first level spell - which I have more of, and worse choices to use those spells at higher levels. I think overall I rate the versatility of Goodberry over the relatively small gain in total hit points of Aura.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

But Goodberry has a lot less chance of healing being wasted, as it's only applied to people who need it on a direct 4-hp/berry basis (instead of 2d6, which can be overkill), when they need it. Aura only works out the way you describe if someone needs it all, in that minute (or splitting it of course between several someones, in that minute). I think the ability to split goodberry between battles, and more precisely (it's not averages, but always the same number), is pretty helpful. And, of course, it's only a first level spell - which I have more of, and worse choices to use those spells at higher levels. I think overall I rate the versatility of Goodberry over the relatively small gain in total hit points of Aura.

That's cool then. As long as you're aware of both alternatives, I'm good.

 

[Scorpio616]

I'm a bit surprised at the answer on delaying your action.

I'm not. Ready was made VERY costly, as you have to be specific; then you use use up Reaction & Action and then lose access to Extra Attacks, many possibly bonus actions along with Concentration. Many times players would just delay if they could instead.

With delay you'd see certain things over and over again,

Melee type would delay after their blasters and their foes, hoping the enemy would move in closer.
Multiple attackers delay after the debuffer so they can pick targets based on who's debuffed.
Rogues delay until after the tank closes into a foe.

With Only Ready, it's "Sorry! No plan survives first contact with the enemy (or your allies) ! Act now or ready!"