D&D 5E Reworking Answering. Or, would you allow an item to give a Legendary Action?

[Kurotowa]

Fair enough, but why prevent others?

I didn't advocate for that. My stance boils down to, "If you do this you're juggling unstable explosives. It looks impressive as heck if you pull it off, but make sure you're careful and consider exactly what you're doing first."

 

[Bacon Bits]

Making it a Legendary Action simplifies all that.

I think it needlessly complicates it.

And really, at high levels, what is the problem with PCs having very restricted Legendary Actions? It's not like the Legendary Action is 'Acererac casts a spell' - any spell, mind you, from Magic Missile to Wish.

"It's not broken," is a pretty weak argument. It's not going to be broken to give a high level Fighter the ability to cast teleport as a ritual, but that doesn't mean it's a good addition.

It's the same reason you wouldn't make the answering effect a spell that the wielder can cast as a reaction. Mechanically, that works perfectly fine. It has the correct outcome and is equally balanced. But it's still completely wrong. It's aesthetically wrong, and it's co-opting mechanics that are intended to serve a totally different purpose. What a mechanic does and the purpose that the mechanic serves are not the same thing. The fact that you don't need to co-opt those mechanics makes it a questionable design.

It's fine if you don't agree. I don't care. But you asked for an opinion so I gave mine.

 

[Quartz]

I think it needlessly complicates it...

I'm failing to follow your train of thought.

It's fine if you don't agree. I don't care. But you asked for an opinion so I gave mine.

Fair enough!

 

[CapnZapp]

I read the OP but I did not understand the complaint.

What was wrong with the ability as written?

Why the complex ideas about legendary actions?

What is the problem the OP is trying to solve?

 

[Quartz]

What was wrong with the ability as written?

Because the answering power as written is pretty poor. And Fragarach is only an example.

Why the complex ideas about legendary actions?

I don't think it's a complex idea; I think it's a simple idea. Tell me why you think it's complex.

What is the problem the OP is trying to solve?

I'm not trying to solve a problem.

 

[CapnZapp]

I guess I was unclear. I really didn't ask for an answer. I pointed out the original post would be improved by actually explaining the reason for the house rule.

 

[Dausuul]

I might implement this by giving unlimited retaliation strikes... but, any time an enemy is within 5 feet of you, you cannot take reactions. And you cannot refuse to take the retaliation strike.

The idea that the sword is hijacking your ability to react to enemies. It's very very good at it--better than you are, better than any human can be--but you don't have control over it, and the sword doesn't care if it's interfering with your larger plans.

 

[JasonZZ]

Personally I like the idea of especially powerful items granting Legendary Action options. But that's the thing--it needs to be a big deal item, and I'd also say that everything you have that grants Legendary Actions draws off the same pool of 3. A Sword of Answering? Sure--there's only supposed to be 9 of those, and they're supposed to be powerful. But making that level of power a common thing? I don't think I would do it. This is more or less "artifacts and things that might as well be artifacts" territory.

 

[CapnZapp]

Because the answering power as written is pretty poor. And Fragarach is only an example.



I don't think it's a complex idea; I think it's a simple idea. Tell me why you think it's complex.



I'm not trying to solve a problem.

You did not explain what about the power as written you think is poor.

You are obviously solving a problem - being that you think the power as written is too weak.

Since you haven't explained why you have this problem it's really hard to offer constructive criticism.

For instance, I happen to think the power is very strong. You basically gain an attack on your reaction - something that otherwise is pretty rare unless you manage to proc opportunity attacks regularly.

Not only that, this attack is extra strong, with free advantage and ignoring resistances.

And of course, a +3 weapon is quite a catch in itself.

With that I think I'm done here. I've asked you to improve your original post to help your readers understand your issue, but hey - if you don't want to...