D&D 5E Unarmored Defense and Surprise

[Blue]

Fine by me. If a player wants to be a rules pedant rather than a flexible player, well...that's a style of game play I can do without.

Are you are equally flexible - if they don't like that your are nerfing class features without warning after character creation, are you perfectly happy to let them recreate a character? Let them bring in a new character of equal level and XP, and change any magic items/rewards to work with the new one?

 

[Yunru]

Versimiltude is a good word. I've also used the term suspension of disbelief, rather than a wholesale breaking of it. I've addressed the flavor origin of an unarmored defense. I've also stated that inasmuch as it's a game of magic and adventure, some folks like a more grounded playstyle. Obviously, I'm one of them. Does all of that seem like whim?

I also stated what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Rulings like this cut all ways, which should not have to be stated. Why some folks resort to being asinine is lamentable.

As for having to be informed of a lawyer's list of house rules before you play a game...no. If you want to play a pure vanilla D&D game, go ahead. I like to use the game's rules as a starting point with the understanding that rulings favoring suspension of disbelief (i.e., versimilitude) precede any rules that break disbelief. Who decides when a break occurs? The DM.

Good luck, go ahead with your houserules. I'm sure you'll end up eith some tumble weeds that don't mind.

No, really. You "addressed the flavour origin of unarmored defense"? No. You dismissed the flavour origin of unarmored defense, probably because it didn't support your house rule.

You don't have to provide a list of houserules to those joining your game? What nonsense is that, of course you do.
"Come on over to my place for some DnD."
Later:
"This is Warhammer..."
"I DON'T HAVE TO INFORM YOU OF CHANGES I MAKE!"
"..."

Also "Grounded playstyle"? Nothing about having your core classes features being changed on a whim counts as a "grounded playstyle." In fact, given you can't even rely on your core fratures to not change, it's the exact opposite.

 

[lowkey13]

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[canucksaram]

[MENTION=88539]LowKey[/MENTION]

I'm not relying on strict wordings; I'm trying to get to what I believe is the intent of certain rules, subject to the caveat of suspension of disbelief trumping the breaking of disbelief.

Not having to don armor counts in so many other ways. Characters don't sleep in anything other than padded or perhaps leather armor. Anything else would be too uncomfortable and would result in less than ideal sleep...and in the long term that would have an in-game effect. Putting armor on takes time. You don't typically wander around civilized folk in full armor. Having an unarmored defense is a real boon in such circumstances.

As for having a shield, merely being equipped with one doesn't mean it's "in use." Being surprised would not allow you to use your shield's defense.

Re: a flood of DMs not aligning with my sense of common sense...so be it. Without meaning this as a dig....but...just because everyone else thinks the earth is flat doesn't mean they're right.

 

[Hriston]

Hidden is the status which grants advantage on attacks (and indicates that your enemy is unaware of your current position).

Actually, unseen is what grants advantage on attacks. If I am in a heavily obscured area, let's say an area of dense foliage, and you are in the open and within range, then my attacks against you have advantage. I don't have to try to hide to gain advantage because it doesn't matter if you know my location or not. I could be making all kinds of noise, letting you know exactly where I am, and my attacks against you would still have advantage until either I was forced out of the dense foliage, or you found a way to also become unseen.

 

[canucksaram]

Are you are equally flexible - if they don't like that your are nerfing class features without warning after character creation, are you perfectly happy to let them recreate a character? Let them bring in a new character of equal level and XP, and change any magic items/rewards to work with the new one?

Of course.

 

[lowkey13]

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[Fanaelialae]

Actually, unseen is what grants advantage on attacks. If I am in a heavily obscured area, let's say an area of dense foliage, and you are in the open and within range, then my attacks against you have advantage. I don't have to try to hide to gain advantage because it doesn't matter if you know my location or not. I could be making all kinds of noise, letting you know exactly where I am, and my attacks against you would still have advantage until either I was forced out of the dense foliage, or you found a way to also become unseen.

That is true, keeping in mind that being hidden makes you unseen by definition.

Concealment often cuts both ways. If you are in dense foliage, then you probably can't see me clearly either unless you've established a kill zone and I happen to be in it (the limited area where you have clear line of sight through the foliage). If a PC is running around in dense foliage and tries to attack a creature outside of it, I'd treat them both as unseen (advantage and disadvantage cancel out and the attack is rolled normally; well, technically speaking I've house ruled it such that if both creatures are unseen the attack is made with disadvantage, because my players enjoy using effects like Darkness defensively). If, on the other hand, the PC had prepared an ambush and the creature wandered into his kill zone, then he would gain the benefits of being unseen so long as both he and that creature are in position. That's how I would rule it anyway.

 

[canucksaram]

@LowKey

You are not wrong. But some aspect of being flat-footed needs to be brought back to the game. I might split the difference and have any addition of DEX to AC be predicated upon using a reaction (for one and all), and have other addons like WIS or CON from unarmored defense remain "sticky." Seemingly supernatural toughness and/or awareness.

You might like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnS14PQcXSs

 

[lowkey13]

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