D&D 5E Bad Sage Advice?

[DND_Reborn]

So the thread on interrupting rests encouraged me to finally look over the SA-compendium and I found something that is simple idiotic IMO:

So, now your PCs who are not even proficient in Shields can pick up a +1 shield and just "hold it" in their hand and get a +1 AC bonus? Now spellcasters are going to be vying for that very rare +3 shield.

I'm (not) sorry, but this has got to be one of the dumbest sage advice responses I have ever seen.

I am still looking over the rest of it, and will add more if I find any other [NEW] SA I find crazy, silly, or just plain stupid.

Anyone else have a SA ruling they just can't get on board with?

 

[Helldritch]

Too many to recap here.
But that's just me.

I want a smiting punchinator. But SA says we can't... but rules say we can, but SA says no...

 

[commandercrud]

Nope. No way. Don it or get nothing.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I've believed since the beginning that Jeremy intentionally makes the occasional bad rule take just to condition people to STOP worrying so gosh-darned much about trying to make the entire rule system water-tight. Despite the thousands of times he keeps telling people "Take what you have and make your own choices at the table that make sense for your group"... people still constantly hound him for answers about what is "right" because they can't stand the thought of making their own decisions about the rules.

So he puts things in Sage Advice that could make sense from a certain point of view, but which most people would consider ridiculous on their face. Mainly just to get people to stop listening to him as the be-all-and-end-all of rules questions and just inspire them to decide the correct interpretation on their own.

I came to this conclusion back in 2015 when the whole "Barkskin" rule debacle happened, and haven't bothered worrying about or using the Errata or Sage Advice documents since.

 

[Helldritch]

The Barkskin SA... don't get me started on this one... Yes, another f*cking bad SA in my opinion.

 

[DND_Reborn]

So he puts things in Sage Advice that could make sense from a certain point of view

Ugh, poor Obi-Wan is rolling over in his grave.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The Barkskin SA... don't get me started on this one... Yes, another f*cking bad SA in my opinion.

Heh... yeah, but some people think that SA was right on the money. Which is why I said many of Jeremy's SAs can make sense from a certain point of view, cause some people actually agree with him on occasion.

Although you are wrong, @dnd4vr , Obi-Wan doesn't have any grave to roll over in. He's "one with the force".

 

[Aaron L]

So the thread on interrupting rests encouraged me to finally look over the SA-compendium and I found something that is simple idiotic IMO:

View attachment 127011
So, now your PCs who are not even proficient in Shields can pick up a +1 shield and just "hold it" in their hand and get a +1 AC bonus? Now spellcasters are going to be vying for that very rare +3 shield.

I'm (not) sorry, but this has got to be one of the dumbest sage advice responses I have ever seen.

I am still looking over the rest of it, and will add more if I find any other [NEW] SA I find crazy, silly, or just plain stupid.

Anyone else have a SA ruling they just can't get on board with?

I don't recall ever reading that one before. That ruling is... troubling.

It almost sounds to me like the ruling of a first-time DM who had never played the game before and wasn't sure of why things worked the way they do.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Although you are wrong, @dnd4vr , Obi-Wan doesn't have any grave to roll over in. He's "one with the force".

LOL, fine, but it was just an expression, you know.

 

[TwoSix]

I think @DEFCON 1 's theory has a lot of merit. Lord knows I stopped worrying about Sage Advice after the Shield Master ruling/debacle.