D&D 5E Little rules changes that still trip you up

[the_redbeard]

For some time now, my group has used small plastic chips (like those in a Yahtzee or Axis and Allies game). Green means concentration, white means positive effect, red means negative effect. Place a chip under the mini as necessary. It's not perfect, but it does help a bit, especially to remind a character that already has one concentration spell active to not cast another. Oh how many times I've done that as a GM...

I used chips like that in 4e, but it slowed the game down with so many status effects adding little things to the minis.

I still use chips, but now just put them on their character sheets. I also use them for inspiration.

 

[morikahn]

Lightning Bolts don't bounce anymore. That took me by surprise. No more pool shots.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Oh, here's one. I wouldn't say it trips me up, because it's never come up for me in-game, but just when I'm envisioning characters or thinking about gaming...

I keep forgetting that paladins use Charisma for spellcasting now, not Wisdom. It just... feels wrong. My brain keeps rejecting it.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Lightning Bolts don't bounce anymore. That took me by surprise. No more pool shots.

Hmm...I think I want to rule that old school. More fun that way.

 

[Flamestrike]

Some still allow the Delay action even though it doesn't exist any more. Not because they've houseruled it back in but because they don't realise it's gone.

Man I did that for the first 3 sessions without realising.

I also used 'flanking' optional rule for a session before it was quickly dropped.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Many of those rules (like no lightning bouncing, flanking) were dropped because 5e encourages to no longer track exact positions for faster paced play.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Many of those rules (like no lightning bouncing, flanking) were dropped because 5e encourages to no longer track exact positions for faster paced play.

I'm sure there are some rules which were changed to allow 5th edition to flow better in theater of the mind play - but lighting bolts stopped bouncing more than a decade ago, so that's not an example of one.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Our group has had a challenge remembering to use the inspiration rules. Now that I'm DM'ing I'm trying to keep it front and center of people's minds.

I even gave the PC's a magic item that grants Inspiration. It's a mirror with the words "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh-darn it people like me" written on it in 4 languages (elvish, dwarvish, orcish, and common). Read the inscription and you get Inspired (1 use per day)!

 

[hejtmane]

I'm sure there are some rules which were changed to allow 5th edition to flow better in theater of the mind play - but lighting bolts stopped bouncing more than a decade ago, so that's not an example of one.

Hey some of us only ever played the decade ago ones

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Hey some of us only ever played the decade ago ones

That doesn't change when a particular rule was changed.