D&D 5E Is Tasha's Broken?

[Maxperson]

You are correct.

What I meant was that the game element changes the game some much into an entirely different game which could not be adjusted back without severely adjusting or removing said element.

If the game is not longer the same game, it is broken even if it technically works.

We agree, but are having semantical differences I think. I agree with you that the ability is very strong and alters how the game is played. I don't agree that it is a break. The game functions, but differently. An all Cleric group is going to be a functionally very different game than an all Fighter group, yet both will result in functional games.

 

[Horwath]

My point is that "bad" is relative to the other characters perhaps, but they're still able to contribute meaningfully in combat. The game is far more forgiving in 5e and 1d8+2 will still help, especially since it's going to be for 2 attacks at 9th level, plus other class abilities. A Paladin is still going to be smiting. The Fighter will still have Action Surge, Superiority Dice, Improved Critical or spells.

You just can't make a truly bad character like you could in 3e short of sticking 5s in primary stats, and even then class abilities would mitigate that to a large degree.

You can make somewhat bad character for combat, but that character should excel somewhere else,
I had a skillmonkey character of 9th level that was pretty bad in combat in the damage department, but control was good.

I had a half-elf, level Bard(lore) 5/Rogue(scout) 3/Cleric(knowledge) 1, with UAs Everybody's friend feat.
Stats: 12,14,12,12,14,16.
16 Skills, 10 Expertise, 7 Languages

 

[Maxperson]

A wizard not being able to prep/cast spells of any level worth mentioning for a YEAR isn't 'difficult" it's absurd. Unless the player was warned of the limitation going in and chose anyway, but doesn't sound like that's what happened here.

And I'm sorry, if he's actually been told you guys are hating it and thinks you guys are just being crybabies? That's not a new DM problem, that's a jerk DM problem (reinforced by the shortsword breaking. How often do weapons break in standard D&D? This is just the DM being mean!).

Frankly, I can't believe you guys haven't walked. Are there friend group issues, I mean near a year!

I play in a group of friend's that have gamed together as a group for close to 20 years, and me and one of the guys have been gaming together for almost 40 years. We STILL talk to each other about things that aren't going in a way that's enjoyable, because we all experiment still to try and make the game more interesting and fun. We don't just endure things that aren't fun just because the DM is a friend. Friends talk and work things out.

 

[Maxperson]

You can make somewhat bad character for combat, but that character should excel somewhere else,
I had a skillmonkey character of 9th level that was pretty bad in combat in the damage department, but control was good.

I had a half-elf, level Bard(lore) 5/Rogue(scout) 3/Cleric(knowledge) 1, with UAs Everybody's friend feat.
Stats: 12,14,12,12,14,16.
16 Skills, 10 Expertise, 7 Languages

That sounds like a great character. He excels outside of combat, but even in combat he still has d8 Bardic inspirations to hand out and can Sneak Attack for weapon damage +2d6 which isn't insignificant. He may not be a combat beast like a combat focused character, but he's still viable in combat. I'd love a character like that.

Right now I'm DMing in one group, but just started a second game with a new DM. One of the players in my group wanted all 5 of us to play PCs at the same time. We're now 2nd level and I'm playing a Variant Human Artificer(going armor), but with the Sage background and Prodigy feat. I get to be the knowledge person and won't be fantastic in combat, but with my magical gadgets and knowledge, will be amazingly fun to play.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

A wizard not being able to prep/cast spells of any level worth mentioning for a YEAR isn't 'difficult" it's absurd. Unless the player was warned of the limitation going in and chose anyway, but doesn't sound like that's what happened here.

And I'm sorry, if he's actually been told you guys are hating it and thinks you guys are just being crybabies? That's not a new DM problem, that's a jerk DM problem (reinforced by the shortsword breaking. How often do weapons break in standard D&D? This is just the DM being mean!).

Frankly, I can't believe you guys haven't walked. Are there friend group issues, I mean near a year!

part of me thinks I should make another thread... but no warrning.

We were told he was going to try Curse of Strahd. We all made characters with FR backstories to be told we were not starting in the realms but his own home brew...he was useing Reddit and Youtube modifications to the adventure and that was one. we started with 8 players and are down to 6 now.

1st session we all had weird dreams and woke up with the name of a bar. We went there and a group of Vistani told us about the cards and that we needed to go to a place they called Boca (he missremembered Broviria then doubled down on the Vistani having a different name for it) we agreed to go in the morning, we went to bed and mist took us in our sleep and we woke up near the death house...NAKED WITH NO EQUIPMENT. we got roped into a modified death house with no real treasure and a giant baby thing at the end instead of [redacted] we lost 3 PCs but then strahd came resurrected them each with a dark gift (d6 roll).

by session 4 we made it to the vilalge where everyone told us we had to kill strahd (remember all we knew at that point in game was he hated the cult and he brought some of us back from dead. They told us he was a vampire and evil. We found Irena and took her to madam eva... where we got a reading that even those of us that know the adventure can't understand, and then were on our way to Viliki we tried to skip the windmill but he insisted we atleast try it... then got mad when we didn't attack the little old ladies that we had no clue did anything wrong... but they did warn us about the 'hag' eating children at the Viliki orphanage. We headed out got an info dump about the fanes that predate strahd and our now on our way again...

every 1/2 of travel is a random encounter check (I am 99% sure it is by the book) but we mostly run or almost TPK. The fights are hard especially with us still being down equipment (although Irena has a breast plate and rapier, but wont actually help in the fights)

 

[Horwath]

That sounds like a great character. He excels outside of combat, but even in combat he still has d8 Bardic inspirations to hand out and can Sneak Attack for weapon damage +2d6 which isn't insignificant. He may not be a combat beast like a combat focused character, but he's still viable in combat. I'd love a character like that.

Right now I'm DMing in one group, but just started a second game with a new DM. One of the players in my group wanted all 5 of us to play PCs at the same time. We're now 2nd level and I'm playing a Variant Human Artificer(going armor), but with the Sage background and Prodigy feat. I get to be the knowledge person and won't be fantastic in combat, but with my magical gadgets and knowledge, will be amazingly fun to play.

I played a warforged armorer until level 6. It's fun, nothing powerful or even neat top tear. But fun.
Try to get the magic tool from tasha's if able. Guardian model+eldritch blast from item, and good to go for melee and ranged.

had kinetic feat with him. fun times.

 

[MichaelSomething]

we have had after session reports on what we like and don't like. We have also given advice on how to fix things. He is very stubern and thinks we just 'want things too easy'

One of the regular complaints I see is 5E is too easy and that DMs are unable to make the game challenging. Your DM is using his empowerment to make the game a non cake walk. He's also willing to remake the game according to his vision. That person is the Dark Souls of DMs!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

One of the regular complaints I see is 5E is too easy and that DMs are unable to make the game challenging. Your DM is using his empowerment to make the game a non cake walk. He's also willing to remake the game according to his vision. That person is the Dark Souls of DMs!

the funny part is he only started playing in 4e, but he is listneing to online advice from 20+ years ago. He thinks if a PC isn't at deaths door every game it is too easy...

but I will add as a player he doesn't feel that way. If you counterspell his spell you are 'targeting' him, and if he is at less then half hp after a fight that fight was 'too hard'

 

[Minigiant]

We agree, but are having semantical differences I think. I agree with you that the ability is very strong and alters how the game is played. I don't agree that it is a break. The game functions, but differently. An all Cleric group is going to be a functionally very different game than an all Fighter group, yet both will result in functional games.

An all Fighter or all cleric party is in the designed parameters of the game.

A cleric having spotlight in 8 encounters is not.

 

[Mort]

part of me thinks I should make another thread... but no warrning.

We were told he was going to try Curse of Strahd. We all made characters with FR backstories to be told we were not starting in the realms but his own home brew...he was useing Reddit and Youtube modifications to the adventure and that was one. we started with 8 players and are down to 6 now.

1st session we all had weird dreams and woke up with the name of a bar. We went there and a group of Vistani told us about the cards and that we needed to go to a place they called Boca (he missremembered Broviria then doubled down on the Vistani having a different name for it) we agreed to go in the morning, we went to bed and mist took us in our sleep and we woke up near the death house...NAKED WITH NO EQUIPMENT. we got roped into a modified death house with no real treasure and a giant baby thing at the end instead of [redacted] we lost 3 PCs but then strahd came resurrected them each with a dark gift (d6 roll).

by session 4 we made it to the vilalge where everyone told us we had to kill strahd (remember all we knew at that point in game was he hated the cult and he brought some of us back from dead. They told us he was a vampire and evil. We found Irena and took her to madam eva... where we got a reading that even those of us that know the adventure can't understand, and then were on our way to Viliki we tried to skip the windmill but he insisted we atleast try it... then got mad when we didn't attack the little old ladies that we had no clue did anything wrong... but they did warn us about the 'hag' eating children at the Viliki orphanage. We headed out got an info dump about the fanes that predate strahd and our now on our way again...

every 1/2 of travel is a random encounter check (I am 99% sure it is by the book) but we mostly run or almost TPK. The fights are hard especially with us still being down equipment (although Irena has a breast plate and rapier, but wont actually help in the fights)

Much of this can be chalked up to inexperience. I have HUGE amounts of patience for inexperience. People need the time and space to learn.

BUT the clear desire to make the PCs suffer and/or punish them? that's not inexperience that's malice and DOES NOT need to be tolerated.

Now this is Ravenloft and supposed to be gothic horror, so suffering and even a bit of punishment - ok. But that expressly DOES NOT mean deny the PCs use of their schticks!

Anyway, good luck!