D&D 5E Starter Set: Excerpt 3 (actual)

[GravyFingerz]

Starter Set: Excerpt 3

 

[Paraxis]

So DC is staying at 8+ ability modifier.

Almost everyone I talked to thought it should be 10+, figured it would go back to that in the main game.

With proficiency starting at +2 I guess it is not so bad. A level one caster will probably have 8 +2(prof) +3(ability mod) = DC 13 for his spells.

And official, the penalty for making a ranged attack while next to an enemy is that you have disadvantage on your attack roll. I know Mearls tweeted something like that awhile ago but good to see it in the book.

 

[Snapdragyn]

So DC is staying at 8+ ability modifier.

Almost everyone I talked to thought it should be 10+, figured it would go back to that in the main game.

And official, the penalty for making a ranged attack while next to an enemy is that you have disadvantage on your attack roll. I know Mearls tweeted something like that awhile ago but good to see it in the book.

Actually, it says DC is 8 + ability mod + proficiency bonus. That still may not play out where people would like, just pointing out the difference there.

Also, I wonder why disadvantage for attacking w/ ranged while in melee instead of advantage to those who threaten you?

 

[GX.Sigma]

A little disappointing that there's no illusion spells (Mearls said a while ago that they were planning to have a few in the Basic rules).

Interesting that there's no spare the dying​. In the public playtest, that was pretty much an auto-pick.

 

[Paraxis]

A little disappointing that there's no illusion spells (Mearls said a while ago that they were planning to have a few in the Basic rules).

Interesting that there's no spare the dying​. In the public playtest, that was pretty much an auto-pick.

Spare the dying is probably very different or removed from game. It was to powerful for a cantrip, with a cleric next to you there was no real penalty for dropping to 0 h.p.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

As a DM, I won't miss Spare the Dying.

The basic spell list is bigger than I thought it would be.

I'm glad about the penalty for ranged attacks while in melee.
I think it's better than an opportunity attack or trying to remember they have advantage against you.

Overall, I quite like what I'm seeing here.

 

[tuxgeo]

1. The "Cloud" shape of spell effect didn't make it into the Starter Set.

2. The channeling of positive energy to heal wounds is now in the "Evocation" school, rather than the "Conjuration" school.

 

[Li Shenron]

My only nitpick is that Guidance is still a cantrip - i.e. unlimited bonuses to everyone's skill checks

Also, I wonder why disadvantage for attacking w/ ranged while in melee instead of advantage to those who threaten you?

It's much easier, because you apply disadvantage immediately, to your own attack. Then you can forget about it.

Granting advantage to enemies means the DM has to remember that until your next turn.

 

[Li Shenron]

1. The "Cloud" shape of spell effect didn't make it into the Starter Set.

2. The channeling of positive energy to heal wounds is now in the "Evocation" school, rather than the "Conjuration" school.

1. It might be that simply there are no cloud spells yet in the SSet, so no need to describe a type of area that isn't yet in this book. I would have rather removed the "cube" area type completely, I think it's an unnecessary addition, probably most cube spells can be easily either changed to sphere or be free-form.

2. That's an interesting change. I liked them as necromancy but with positive energy being similar to an element, I can see the sense in that.

 

[GX.Sigma]

My only nitpick is that Guidance is still a cantrip - i.e. unlimited bonuses to everyone's skill checks

I'm playing a Dead in Thay game with a Cleric who has guidance. Not actually as handy as it seems. Sure, you get a +1d4 every now and then--but it's only one character at a time, and you have to touch them. Its main purpose in our game is to let the Cleric player ham it up about his deity a few times per session (and the rest of the party make fun of him when the check fails anyway).

Edit: Wait, I just thought of something. If the spell descriptions are in the booklet, then what the heck are the "supporting reference materials" for the characters?