Recent content by FreeTheSlaves

Choose a background with non-combat options, like Sage, Charlatan, or Noble, and then put higher scores (not highest!) in those skills. Not only would that increase out-of-combat options, your character would feel pretty unique. Ime, 5E is set at a fairly easy difficulty. Allocating 3rd or 4th...

I've had this problem before, quite recently too. I've noted several causes: 1. Not establishing minimal expectation of system mastery. 2. Letting casual players make complex characters. 3. Allowing phone character sheets. 4. Player using forum 'power-builds' in a game where all 3 pillars get...

Narrative: The Blue Dragon plummeted down from its globe of darkness, broke its fall with a spread of the wings, and unleashed a continuous stroke of lightning - smoking the Fighter, Bard and Paladin. Mechanics: Natural flier dropped prone (free downward vertical movement), stood up at altitude...

I don't plan specific outs with my encounters, I reckon that's up to the players to figure out. That's what I'd want if I were a player, open slather freedom to respond in character to whatever encountered. And sure, if I were playing a LG Paladin of Devotion in impossible circumstances (very...

As a DM I'd do very little. Get the player to check the oath I suppose. There could be reputation repercussions, but even then, a dragon is fearsome. The other characters and friendly NPCs might have an opinion, which some might air. The player might have their character feel conflicted...

PHB pg190 refers to speed as a measurement of a combination of walking, swimming, climbing and jumping. No reference to flying... I think we've hit a rule with legitimate arguments both ways. 1) Plain reading adds bonus speed on all modes. The omission of flight on pg190 simply reflects that no...

What if a second caster cast Haste on someone under the Fly spell? Would their fly speed double to 120'??

Good points all round. Thanks guys. I've ruled they stack, but the Fly spell is quite specific about the speed it grants.

Here's a simple question. Barbarian fast movement (BFM) increases speed by 10' while not heavily encumbered. Wizard casts Fly on Barbarian, giving him a 60' fly speed. Does BFM boost it to 70'?

Hi all, One of my players wants to play a Deep Gnome (Svirfneblin) Druid - either Circle of the Moon or Land. For Circle of the Moon the player would like his character to be able to wild shape into fungi and underdark creatures, rather than snakes and bears. Has anyone come across this? He'd...

Hi all. I ran a game the other day and the players used a bunch of traps - to good effect I thought. They set hunters traps and a line of unlit oil in a breach in a wall and later, their 2nd level PCs fought off a trio of bugbears there, taking minimal damage. Two bugbears were caught in the...

I see the noble background doesn't give animal handling nor is it included in the Paladin skills. So what gives? Is the default Paladin going to have to buy a military saddle, strap in and otherwise bounce around the battlefield all Don Quixote?

With the character sheet preview I have been thinking about the Human racial trait, the default ability score array, and level boosts, specifically how they all interact. First the default array. It has been bumped down slightly to 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 and as such using this and picking Human...

One of the consequences of the new flat math / emphasis on ability scores is that in D&DN the scores are an amalgamation of raw talent and developed skill. Fine so far? Good. Well now I've got a wee problem, stats go up by level and naturally the prime stat is going to approach the 20 ceiling...

Ok I'm still a bit at a loss on what's going on with int/wis/cha saves. There seems to a be a bit of a mish/mash on what saves against what and that's coupled with wisdom seemingly the stat that really matters. I am aware of the pitfalls of enforced symmetry, but how about splitting the saves...