D&D 5E What Rules do you see people mistake or misapply?

[Mortilupo]

No. I definitely choose what happens on a macro level. I made the entire temple that is being explored. I choose where ever single turn was, where every single monster was, what their statistics are (including how intelligent and strategic they are). I choose everything about their personality that would dictate whether or not they would go check out a strange sound or not.

I do not decide what actions my players will take. But I definitely choose what lightning conditions they fight under, what trap is causing the room to slowly fill with water, and whether the challenges and monsters in this area are in sufficient quantity to level up.

I choose all that before the adventurers ever got there.
Interpretation only happens at the end.

And your players decide that they don't want to go to your nifty temple and head off in a complete 180 from it.

 

[Mortilupo]

RAW really isn't a strong a case in 5th as previous versions. Notice how a podcast by Crawford changes the whole discussion on what is RAW (or RAI if you must) about Perception, Invisibility, and Hiding. To dismiss such RAI because you don't like the results also weakens the case for such articles/podcasts provided by WotC that benefit to other players.

Thanks for providing the definitions of Trance and Long Rest. I see how Sleep is a possible activity of a Long Rest and Trance modifies that one part of it, but I still don't see where Sleep == Long Rest (Long Rest -> Sleep does not mean Sleep -> Long Rest). You can certainly have a long rest without any Sleep (or be in a Trance). If that happens, does the Elf now need the full 8 hours? You can sleep/be in a trance at other parts of the day without gaining the advantage of a long rest [if you already had one within 24 hours]. This certainly lends a certain amount of interpretation to what is perceived as RAW. I would lend more credence to saying neither ruling is RAW, but closer to RAI(ntrepreted).

I think it's just bad wording. Them not making all the rules on Trance/ Long Rest mesh. I interpret the "sleep" part of Trance to mean long rest, otherwise it just doesn't make sense as there's no requirement that you sleep nor does it even reference actually sleeping a whole 8 hours in the first place to benefit from a long rest.

 

[Pathkeeper24601]

And your players decide that they don't want to go to your nifty temple and head off in a complete 180 from it.

Then they get random encounters and treasure and not the nice item one of them wanted that is hidden somewhere in the temple.

 

[Mortilupo]

Actually... that's pretty funny, because the rule you (correctly) cite ruins your own example.

You are correct by RAW: "Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other." But let's say the thief has initiative 19, and the lowest initiative roll is 10. The thief takes a turn on initiative 19. Everyone else then takes their turns. By initiative 10, everyone has taken a turn. RAW, a new round begins--but the thief's extra turn is on initiative 9. The thief never gets her extra turn!

Obviously, this is not the intent of the thief's ability, and the round should continue until everyone has taken all of their turns. I would define a round as being one of the following time periods:

• From the start of the first turn at the highest initiative, to the end of the last turn at the lowest initiative; or
• From the start of the first turn on initiative X, to the end of the last turn on initiative X+1.

You are also correct that there is no "one per round" limit on reactions. There are lots of scenarios, depending on where you place the start and end points of the round, where you can have two reactions in a round, and one (with the 17th-level thief) where you can have three. The limit is "one for each of your turns."

I'm not sure Oofta was disagreeing with this, incidentally. I think the misconception Oofta had in mind was the idea that you can't take a reaction on your own turn (a rule in previous editions, explicitly contradicted in 5E). That "limiting you to one per round" was an aside.

The best way to put reaction is you get to take only one reaction from the time you take a regular action until the time you get to take another regular action.

 

[Pathkeeper24601]

I think it's just bad wording. Them not making all the rules on Trance/ Long Rest mesh. I interpret the "sleep" part of Trance to mean long rest, otherwise it just doesn't make sense as there's no requirement that you sleep nor does it even reference actually sleeping a whole 8 hours in the first place to benefit from a long rest.

These answers to Sage Advice would suggest otherwise as to intent:
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-september-2015
https://thesageadvice.wordpress.com/tag/trance/

After all, what happens if you use alternate versions of Long and Short rest? If you are playing where 1 week is a long rest, then obviously 4 hour trance vs 8 hour sleep means very little as far as a long rest goes.

 

[Hussar]

Another take on this is that some people approach things from a game-centric perspective while others (such as myself) approach it more from a simulation that uses game rules to make it work. I have no problem accepting that where the rules leave off, the DM needs to decide what kind of world they're trying to simulate. In my case it's as closer to "realistic-if-there-were-dragons" than anything else.

Really, this I do agree with. The long and the short of it is, it comes down to how you want to play the game. And, of course, playing the way you want.

I don't like your adjudication, simply because it means that I have to step in as DM too much, for me. The criteria of "realistic if there were dragons" simply isn't an issue, for me. It's not even on my radar. For me, the criteria is, "Does this ruling work and is it easily applicable to most situations?" It allows me to step back as the DM, and not tell the players, Thou Shalt Not.

But, at the end of the day, it's all about play style and choosing the one that you like best.

 

[Caliban]

Reactions aren't taken on your turn but someone else's. You only get one reaction.

This is incorrect.

Reactions

Certain Special Abilities, Spells, and situations allow you to take a Special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack is the most common type of reaction.

When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction.

 

[Seramus]

And your players decide that they don't want to go to your nifty temple and head off in a complete 180 from it.

Then they get random encounters and treasure and not the nice item one of them wanted that is hidden somewhere in the temple.

And the Lich finishes his spell uninterrupted! Or both.

 

[jeffh]

9. Dim light grants disadvantage to Perception checks (and passive Perception).

I'm certain this one is wrong as stated. What would "disadvantage on passive Perception" even mean? Disadvantage is a specific way of using dice, and passive checks do not involve dice rolling. If you're rolling dice, it's not a passive check.

Actually, that would make a good addition to your list - misunderstanding what passive Perception is. For example, if you're ever, ever, under any circumstances, applying the +5 from Observant to a dice roll, you're doing something wrong. No exceptions.

 

[User_Undefined]

I'm certain this one is wrong as stated. What would "disadvantage on passive Perception" even mean? Disadvantage is a specific way of using dice, and passive checks do not involve dice rolling. If you're rolling dice, it's not a passive check.

Actually, that would make a good addition to your list - misunderstanding what passive Perception is. For example, if you're ever, ever, under any circumstances, applying the +5 from Observant to a dice roll, you're doing something wrong. No exceptions.

It means that you take -5 to your passive perception (or any passive check your DM uses). In the same manner, advantage gives you +5 to any passive check.