D&D 5E Would you allow switching shield proficiency for Agonizing Blast as a DM?

[Thomas Rainsborough]

The Rules are 'Ask Your DM'. And I think the DM should do it because class features you have but don't use aren't making anything more fun.

Ah..the standard trope: "The DM should give me everything I want because otherwise the game is not fun for me."

 

[lingual]

The Rules are 'Ask Your DM'. And I think the DM should do it because class features you have but don't use aren't making anything more fun.

Being allowed to cherry-pick which class abilities (and maybe even skills/spells) to "trade" for Feats, other abilites, etc. can result in overpowered characters.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I suppose then what would be the point of playing a blind character if you won't accept any of the penalties. It should be harder to be blind.

Why?

Overall, it should be more difficult though since it supposed to be an extra challenge for the player.

No, it’s not. Not unless that is why the player wants to play a blind character.

Being allowed to cherry-pick which class abilities (and maybe even skills/spells) to "trade" for Feats, other abilites, etc. can result in overpowered characters.

It can. This isn’t such a case. AB just isn’t a big deal.

It’s 1-2 average damage per attack better than just using a longbow. A swords bard is going to want good Dex even if attacking with Cha. Let them use Cha for ranged weapons without the terrible invocation tax (seriously it’s absurd that this costs an invocation) and it becomes 1 average damage per attack. At level 20 that is 5 damage a turn assuming no misses. Who cares!?

The PC would gain more power by using a shield and asking to flavor it as a bracer that projects a shield of force, and asking the DM to be lenient about casting while armed.

 

[Immoralkickass]

The Rules are 'Ask Your DM'. And I think the DM should do it because class features you have but don't use aren't making anything more fun.

Well, to what end? "DM, my elf has blue skin, can i have something special?" "DM, my character's daddy is a god, can i have a super power?"

The rules are there so that players don't bombard the DM with endless questions. I do like the idea of a 'special request within reason' for each player and I have done that as a DM, but I'm quite surprised that most of them don't really make use of it.

Back on topic of the OP, i dont think giving the player Agonizing Blast will help him realise his character concept better. Also, the way it should works is, players pitch the idea, and DM come up with the mechanical solution. If you let players suggest mechanical solutions, its almost always in their favour.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

More powerful as in 'not taking penalties for being blind'.

Remember that's where this line of discussion started. Someone wanted to play a blind monk but not take the blindness penalties, ie. the blindness being flavor text.

"i want my character to be blind, but instead of all the negatives I want to be like Lynxo and Dare devil and have other senses mean I am only limited in corner cases and with reading or telling color"

Edit to add: "As my blind Ninja master once told me, the true eye is that witch looks in word" -jinx

also the ear that sees and the masters of snake eyes and storm shadow in the coics

 

[Vaalingrade]

Well, to what end? "DM, my elf has blue skin, can i have something special?" "DM, my character's daddy is a god, can i have a super power?"

Ah. The classic class feature: eye color.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Ah. The classic class feature: eye color.

my introduction to D&D tic tok was people saying "wotC is wrong about there own game" and it was about skin color of teiflings... but I had blue green and purple ones in my game so I was sure they misread...

 

[Vaalingrade]

my introduction to D&D tic tok was people saying "wotC is wrong about there own game" and it was about skin color of teiflings... but I had blue green and purple ones in my game so I was sure they misread...

You have to be a fighter teifling to get green.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

You have to be a fighter teifling to get green.

i not only was thrown back by the "they are shades of red" but when I said it to a friend he laughed and said "I never played a red one"

 

[FrozenNorth]

More powerful as in 'not taking penalties for being blind'.

Remember that's where this line of discussion started. Someone wanted to play a blind monk but not take the blindness penalties, ie. the blindness being flavor text.

In this case, wouldn’t the GM just say “Ok, you get the Blind-fighting fighting style for free”, then call it a day?