D&D 5E [Guidance] What, +1d4 to every check ever?

[Krachek]

We got a Cleric with guidance in our group.
He use it with "style". Saying a prayer and reserving it for important check.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Okay, Cleric/Druid cantrip, Guidance, gives you +1d4 to use on any ability check, after you've seen the roll. It only stays on you for a minute, but there is no limit to reapplying it.

So, as long as the Cleric/Druid keeps rubbing one of his mates (or touching himself), anything that doesn't require all of them to roll at once, happens at that average +2.5 bonus.

So if you're doing a week of library research, say twelve hours a day, are you actually telling me that you're going to cast Guidance 50,000 times during that week just to make sure that you get a +d4 bonus on the check? If so, you deserve that bonus for your fanatical, nigh-psychotic devotion to the task.

Not all ability checks are applied to actions that take less than a minute.

Honestly, Help is more of an issue from a balance perspective, because it renders any other source of advantage moot.

 

[Lehrbuch]

When I read about Guidance, my thought was, "Why didn't they make it give Advantage instead?" on the basis of KISS.

Because it then wouldn't do anything if the character already has Advantage and / or it renders using tactics and narration to gain Advantage (i.e. engaging in the game) moot, if the cleric can just cast a spell for it.

 

[Lehrbuch]

Not all ability checks are applied to actions that take less than a minute.

Good point.

It actually seems like RAW that it wouldn't work at all on ability checks that arise from activities that take longer than a minute. It doesn't seem to allow you to just crazily cast the spell continuously for the activity period. If you are in the library researching for a week, there's never any applicable ability check that occurs over a single minute (unless you get attacked by a book wyrm or similar).

 

[Satyrn]

Honestly, Help is more of an issue from a balance perspective, because it renders any other source of advantage moot.

If I was gonna add in houserules, this is one of the first I'd do, switching Help to +1d4 Instead of advantage, because my players like that extra die from bless and inspiration, etc.

This also amusingly transforms guidance into Help from Above.

 

[Quartz]

Because it then wouldn't do anything if the character already has Advantage

It's late here, but I'm failing to understand this part. If the character has Advantage and Guidance grants Advantage then they don't need Guidance.

and / or it renders using tactics and narration to gain Advantage (i.e. engaging in the game) moot

Isn't that covered by Inspiration?

 

[Lehrbuch]

It's late here, but I'm failing to understand this part. If the character has Advantage and Guidance grants Advantage then they don't need Guidance.

Exactly. In the story that makes no sense.

In the story, if the character really wants to succeed at something, he should be trying to use tactics/thinking etc. to get the Advantage and making a quick prayer to his gods for divine guidance. That's what we want the characters to do, because that makes story sense. That's the way we expect clerics to act.

If Guidance simply gave Advantage, then the players would know that they only need to use tactics/think or pray for divine guidance (if that's an available spell), and thus the story is poorer.

and / or it renders using tactics and narration to gain Advantage (i.e. engaging in the game) moot

Isn't that covered by Inspiration?

Given the option, if Guidance simply gave Advantage, then players (being lazy) will usually go for "cast Guidance" rather than "think of a good idea", and the story would be poorer for it. Why think about tactics and how to engage in the game-fiction, if you can simply spam Guidance?

While using Inspiration to get Advantage suffers from the same issue. Inspiration does require you to "do inspiring stuff" (whatever that means for your table/DM) to gain it in the first place, and Inspiration is a very limited resource compared to a cleric cantrip.

 

[shoak1]

1) Making a stealth check to keep sneaking around, I agree. Making a stealth check to hide really quick, guidance has you covered.

2) Doing a diplomacy check in the middle of a negotiation, agreed. Walking into the room and making the big speech, guidance has you covered.


Bottom line is, in situations where guidance can be used...and that is a very large list, it is proficiency in every skill. Need to recall knowledge on any subject, check. Plan to walk into a shop and haggle with a merchant, check. Need to climb a wall, check. Need to find out which way is north, check. Need to calm a horse down, check. Need to swim across a river, check.

meh...most physical skills are gonna end up being multiple rolls and you only get help w/one possible miss (after which no longer in touch range), and then only if miss by up to 4 and then roll high enough on d4 to get over hump. And then the occasionally cant be doing the physical task in some cases while maintaining a concentration spell. And barring ducking into a closet, casting and having a quick negotiation, its out for the CHA skills...So situationally with certain skills at the right time and place, and when you miss by just enough, and then roll high enough on the d4, it might mean the difference between success and failure.

Its NOT the "+2.5 to every skill " some claim it to be.

 

[Henry]

I think that kind of suffers inflation when you invoke your god for everything...
'Good luck for this mule trade haggle'
'Jump good over this fiendish gap! You too! And you!'
'My god knows how to scare this street urchin for info!'

It's just a +2.5 to everything out of combat. Which certainly makes having a divine member along desirable, but it is SO great, that it is better than any other ability you could pick up (for non-combat utility or, hell, with vigorous rubbing for one check at start of combat)... Which means someone should pick up a throw-away cleric/druid level for it, if no-one is playing those already.

Have you ever had a Holy Man standing next to you for four hours straight shouting praise to his Deity?

I Have. (Relatives.)

NOT RELAXING.

I don't care how lucky I suddenly inexplicably got...

"Sorry, Uncle Jimbo, I gotta go..."

 

[Capn Charlie]

I would add a required tithe or sacrifice. Every time he casts the spell, he "owes" his god a special candle to be lit and prayed over in their temple over a 4 hour period. As long as the caster keeps up his "tab" and does his devotions later and during downtime, we're good. For that matter, he can make donations to the temple to have lesser priests perform the devotions in his name, and that donation scales with level. Bleed their freetime and pockets a little, and the characters might be less prone to overuse the ability.