D&D General Weapons should break left and right

[Hussar]

Yep. And some of those are badly injured or killed doing it. If you want to let go and try to fly a thin stick, controlling it's movement, while casting a spell, you're going to be making a check to see if you fall 10's or 100's of feet. If you are dumb enough to actually try and swing a weapon while on that stick, that check will be really hard.

None of which are actually in the rules.

I mean, what's the difference with flying boots? You have nothing to brace yourself with, so, how could you possibly swing a weapon without completely spiraling out of control? Are those flying boots stable enough that you can wave your arms around to cast a spell without breaking your concentration? On and on.

You aren't really proving anything here @Maxperson, other than you like one magic item and not the other, so, you'll pile on nerfs until the players do what you want.

 

[Maxperson]

None of which are actually in the rules.

There are no rules, which leaves what is written and common sense. All that is written is that you mount it. Not that it magically glues your hind end to the stick so you can't fall.

I mean, what's the difference with flying boots? You have nothing to brace yourself with, so, how could you possibly swing a weapon without completely spiraling out of control? Are those flying boots stable enough that you can wave your arms around to cast a spell without breaking your concentration? On and on.

You can't fall off the boots for starters, so spellcasting would be easy since you don't have to hold on to them. Also, you get to control your movement with the boots, so you just use them to....................not move when you swing. They're stuck to you, unlike the broom.

You aren't really proving anything here @Maxperson, other than you like one magic item and not the other, so, you'll pile on nerfs until the players do what you want.

Nothing I have said is a nerf. There is no language letting you ride without holding on or you sticking to the broom like glue. As written, all you are doing is sitting on it just like you would if you went to the closet and got a broom out. If that closet broom started moving through the air, would you have to hold on? Same with the Broom of Flying since RAW does not say you can ride it without fear of falling off.

What I am saying is just the reasonable interpretation for a broom that flies and has no ability to keep you stuck onto it.

 

[Hussar]

There are no rules, which leaves what is written and common sense. All that is written is that you mount it. Not that it magically glues your hind end to the stick so you can't fall.

You can't fall off the boots for starters, so spellcasting would be easy since you don't have to hold on to them. Also, you get to control your movement with the boots, so you just use them to....................not move when you swing. They're stuck to you, unlike the broom.

Nothing I have said is a nerf. There is no language letting you ride without holding on or you sticking to the broom like glue. As written, all you are doing is sitting on it just like you would if you went to the closet and got a broom out. If that closet broom started moving through the air, would you have to hold on? Same with the Broom of Flying since RAW does not say you can ride it without fear of falling off.

What I am saying is just the reasonable interpretation for a broom that flies and has no ability to keep you stuck onto it.

There is also no language there that says that you do have to hold on. It's an interpretation, sure, but, it's not the only one, nor is it any more "reasonable" than any other. After all, nothing about the boots of flying state anything about your balance while flying. Do you have to maintain your feet underneath you at all times? Could you throw yourself out of control by waving your arms around? Who knows?

But, ladies and gentlemen, we have a perfect example here of why players will always choose the most prosaic, uninteresting magic items for buying. They know that if they choose something that is utterly boring, the DM won't start adding "reasonable interpretations" to their items and screw them over. I mean, if I'm sitting at @Maxperson's table, I just won't buy a broom of flying. That's pretty simple. I know that he'll screw me over if I do, so, of course I'll buy the boots.

Or, I'll simply make a loop on my back that the broom slides into, tightened down with straps, and "hang" from the broom like a glider, hands free and completely in control.

Heck, the broom is magical. I don't sit on it at all. I STAND on it. After all, that's a perfectly "reasonable interpretation" as well. It is capable of moving on its own, so, it automatically adjusts itself to keep me perfectly balanced at all times. Now my hands are completely free and no problems.

See, I can add "reasonable interpretations" too.

It's this sort of nit picking, ultra pedantic stuff that drives players to just pick the most boring, prosaic items they can. It's also why players have characters with zero backgrounds, no families, no ties. Because they've been taught by DM's over the years that it's just not worth the hassle.

 

[AlViking]

There is also no language there that says that you do have to hold on. It's an interpretation, sure, but, it's not the only one, nor is it any more "reasonable" than any other. After all, nothing about the boots of flying state anything about your balance while flying. Do you have to maintain your feet underneath you at all times? Could you throw yourself out of control by waving your arms around? Who knows?

But, ladies and gentlemen, we have a perfect example here of why players will always choose the most prosaic, uninteresting magic items for buying. They know that if they choose something that is utterly boring, the DM won't start adding "reasonable interpretations" to their items and screw them over. I mean, if I'm sitting at @Maxperson's table, I just won't buy a broom of flying. That's pretty simple. I know that he'll screw me over if I do, so, of course I'll buy the boots.

Or, I'll simply make a loop on my back that the broom slides into, tightened down with straps, and "hang" from the broom like a glider, hands free and completely in control.

Heck, the broom is magical. I don't sit on it at all. I STAND on it. After all, that's a perfectly "reasonable interpretation" as well. It is capable of moving on its own, so, it automatically adjusts itself to keep me perfectly balanced at all times. Now my hands are completely free and no problems.

See, I can add "reasonable interpretations" too.

It's this sort of nit picking, ultra pedantic stuff that drives players to just pick the most boring, prosaic items they can. It's also why players have characters with zero backgrounds, no families, no ties. Because they've been taught by DM's over the years that it's just not worth the hassle.

So just let every character buy a relatively cheap broom, have permanent flying with no restrictions? Why wouldn't ever character do this as soon as they have the gold? Why not just have an entire party using the broom like surfboards, after all there's nothing saying they can't!

As long as things like this are covered in session 0, I don't have an issue with it. There are a ton of rules exploits and holes out there - it's always been up to the DM and players to decide what works for them.

Meanwhile the typical image ...

 

[Maxperson]

There is also no language there that says that you do have to hold on. It's an interpretation, sure, but, it's not the only one, nor is it any more "reasonable" than any other. After all, nothing about the boots of flying state anything about your balance while flying. Do you have to maintain your feet underneath you at all times? Could you throw yourself out of control by waving your arms around? Who knows?

But, ladies and gentlemen, we have a perfect example here of why players will always choose the most prosaic, uninteresting magic items for buying. They know that if they choose something that is utterly boring, the DM won't start adding "reasonable interpretations" to their items and screw them over. I mean, if I'm sitting at @Maxperson's table, I just won't buy a broom of flying. That's pretty simple. I know that he'll screw me over if I do, so, of course I'll buy the boots.

Or, I'll simply make a loop on my back that the broom slides into, tightened down with straps, and "hang" from the broom like a glider, hands free and completely in control.

Heck, the broom is magical. I don't sit on it at all. I STAND on it. After all, that's a perfectly "reasonable interpretation" as well. It is capable of moving on its own, so, it automatically adjusts itself to keep me perfectly balanced at all times. Now my hands are completely free and no problems.

See, I can add "reasonable interpretations" too.

It's this sort of nit picking, ultra pedantic stuff that drives players to just pick the most boring, prosaic items they can. It's also why players have characters with zero backgrounds, no families, no ties. Because they've been taught by DM's over the years that it's just not worth the hassle.

There is no "screw over" or "nerf" happening here. Nothing in the language written says or implies that you just stick there with no need to balance. Now, if required ability checks to simply stay on while it is moving, that could be seen as a nerf.

Here's the thing. If an item grants an exception to common sense, it explicitly says it in the language. The broom doesn't say that it works how you want it to work, so it doesn't. You don't get to just add in stuff that isn't written. As written it isn't a combat item, it's just a transportation item.

Are you going to call it "screwing over" or a "nerf" if I tell a player that their Horseshoes of Speed won't work unless affixed to the bottom of the horse's hooves? Because it doesn't say bottom.

 

[Maxperson]

So just let every character buy a relatively cheap broom, have permanent flying with no restrictions? Why wouldn't ever character do this as soon as they have the gold? Why not just have an entire party using the broom like surfboards, after all there's nothing saying they can't!
View attachment 419674

As long as things like this are covered in session 0, I don't have an issue with it. There are a ton of rules exploits and holes out there - it's always been up to the DM and players to decide what works for them.

Meanwhile the typical image ...
View attachment 419676

Yeah. Standing is even harder to balance on, so I'm not sure why they would change it to "stand on" and then not include language stating the magic keeps the person on the broom with no ability check.

 

[AlViking]

Yeah. Standing is even harder to balance on, so I'm not sure why they would change it to "stand on" and then not include language stating the magic keeps the person on the broom with no ability check.

I've had people argue that they can attack with a bow or use a shield and a weapon while riding a broom. Not really any different than standing on it like a surfboard, the rules don't really say anything at all about restrictions on how the character rides the broom.

Use it for overland travel? I'm okay with that. Use it in combat? You're going to need some acrobatics checks to see if you stay on, perhaps dex saves if you're hit.

 

[Lanefan]

Here's the thing. If an item grants an exception to common sense, it explicitly says it in the language. The broom doesn't say that it works how you want it to work, so it doesn't. You don't get to just add in stuff that isn't written. As written it isn't a combat item, it's just a transportation item.

A long-ago Dwarf of mine would very much beg to differ.

He had a broom, and a 2-handed sword. Occasionally, if attacking from the air, he'd put the 2-hander under his arm like a lance and swoop in in a high-speed power-dive, intending to both skewer the target with the sword and (depending on target's size/weight) either fly off with it impaled on the sword or knock it on its backside.

Loads of fun!

 

[Mecheon]

As written it isn't a combat item, it's just a transportation item.

I mean, call it my love of Touhou but given a certain ordinary magician I generally associate with broom-orientated combat, absolutely one of those things easy to associate on the combat side