D&D 5E Rules We Have Been Doing Wrong This Whole Time

[Reynard]

Five editions in, it is easy to accidentally think you know how a rule works. For example, I just found out via another thread that I have been doing saving throws wrong this whole time: a natural 20 does not automatically save in 5E. Huh.

What were you getting wrong because you made an assumption, didn't read closely and/or applied an old rule accidentally?

 

[Stormonu]

I’m doing nothing wrong. Anything I’m doing like that has been houseruled that way.

 

[Reynard]

I’m doing nothing wrong. Anything I’m doing like that has been houseruled that way.

Interesting.

There’s others I’m sure I am incorporating subconsciously, maybe even from other game systems.

 

[Maxperson]

Five editions in, it is easy to accidentally think you know how a rule works. For example, I just found out via another thread that I have been doing saving throws wrong this whole time: a natural 20 does not automatically save in 5E. Huh.

What were you getting wrong because you made an assumption, didn't read closely and/or applied an old rule accidentally?

And a 1 doesn't auto fail a save, though in my game I've brought back both of those. 1s fail and 20s succeed.

As for rules we got wrong for a long time. Darkvision. We played it for a long time like 3e. Once I realized it wasn't that good and started playing it by RAW, the PCs often light up torches or light spells anyway.

 

[Laurefindel]

I’m doing nothing wrong. Anything I’m doing like that has been houseruled that way.

“A DM is never wrong, nor is he always RaW, he does precisely what he means to"
- Gandalf

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Five editions in, it is easy to accidentally think you know how a rule works. For example, I just found out via another thread that I have been doing saving throws wrong this whole time: a natural 20 does not automatically save in 5E. Huh.

What were you getting wrong because you made an assumption, didn't read closely and/or applied an old rule accidentally?

Anyone who lives within the rules suffers from a lack of imagination.

And anyone who lets a written remonstration carry more importance than a played enjoyment suffers from a desire to exalt consistency over pleasure and deserves neither.

 

[Reynard]

Anyone who lives within the rules suffers from a lack of imagination.

And anyone who lets a written remonstration carry more importance than a played enjoyment suffers from a desire to exalt consistency over pleasure and deserves neither.

Poetic. Not especially relevant, but poetic.

You didn't answer the question, tho.

 

[Maialideth]

One of my players pointed out to me recently, that it is possible to do 0 damage with an attack (for example an unarmed attack with a -1 strength modifier). I've always thought it was minimum 1 point of damage, which it was in earlier editions. Though I decided to keep the minimum 1 damage per attack as a house rule.

Also that you roll 1d4 per magic missile, when in fact you only roll 1d4 (+1) and each missile does the same damage.

 

[Reynard]

Also that you roll 1d4 per magic missile, when in fact you only roll 1d4 (+1) and each missile does the same damage.

The description is ambiguous.

 

[billd91]

One of my players pointed out to me recently, that it is possible to do 0 damage with an attack (for example an unarmed attack with a -1 strength modifier). I've always thought it was minimum 1 point of damage, which it was in earlier editions. Though I decided to keep the minimum 1 damage per attack as a house rule.

Pretty reasonable. Otherwise, you could do negative damage (such as with an attack that gets -2 as a modifier) and heal the target as you hit them.