Recent content by renevq

The way I see overkill, more than wasted damage, is “what sort of a margin do you have that your next hit will in fact be a killing blow” and the fact that damage beyond a creatures 0hp threshold lowers DPR kind of devalues DPR as a metric in my view. A more probable kill on your next hit should...

Part of the issue, I feel, is that monsters are always at 100% effectiveness until they reach 0hp, which is when overkill comes into effect. Sure, it’s surplus damage, but it also means that the creature won’t be dealinf any more damage to you or your party, which is a big deal. You also have to...

Well, yeah, it’s entirely situation dependent. If you have melee-only enemies, a third level spell would be, IMO, a good (if boring) resource tradeoff to avoiding HP loss and having to use other resources. If it’s a different kind of enemy,you’d use a different resources. At the end of the day...

You’d have to factor in action denial, and not only stuns and incapacitates... for instance if the enemy’s melee-only, a fly spell and plinking away with cantrips and arrows is probably your best bet; hiding with a high stealth mod is also a high value action.

I This is I think, where the crux of the matter lies. DPR doesn't just answer questions of value; DPR itself is something whose value to a character should be considered, but its value is grossly overstated. To bring back the baseball analogy, batting average is a stat that says something...

Wouldn’t DnD’s Three True Outcomes be nova damage, action denial or miss?

It doesn't feel entirely right... Mechanically the subclasses are fine, but other than the soulknife (to a certain point) none of them feels like a transcendent using their awakened mind to enhance their chosen role in the world. If that's the concept people want to play, it should also be...

I love the changes. I think the PHB version is ok enough combat wise, but it’s a class that’s supposed to shine in the exploration pillar and it either renders it useless or really isn’t much better than any other character with the right skill proficiencies. The feel of the class is completely...

Arcane Archer as a feat. Although it could have used some tweaking, it was way better in both a mechanical and narrative sense than the subclass in XGtE.

I really like the idea. I'd had similar thoughts myself; I think the trick is in getting the balance where it's a fun and flavorful ability while being broad enough to maintain 5e sensibilites. Here's one I though of: Iaido - You gain +2 initiative. During the first round of combat, if your...

I really like a lot of the mechanics in 13th age; off the top pf my head, I'd specifically want to implement backgrounds-as-skills. In a broader sense I'd like to find a way to implement the way the game blurs mechanics and story, with things like icons and end-game class abilities that help...

Arcane Trickster 31 Eldritch Knight 28 Gloom Stalker 17 Horizon Walker 7 + 1 = 8 May not be a traditional Gish (arcane), but definitely plays like one. A very fun subclass. Hunter 17 Oath of the Ancients 29 Oath of the Crown 8 -2 = 6 Meh Oath of Devotion 11 Monster Slayer 10

I'd say a fighter/barbarian that would make a viable unarmed combat build; a plant-based druid that could either wild-shape into one, develop plant-like properties, summon plants, etc; an arcane-focused ranger; sorcerers and warlocks that would explore other sources of magic for their power...

Is there are high level D&D tournament that requires high level play? If so, then yes, there should be a benchmark that needs to be met to play in it. You shouldn't have exclusionary elements for the game itself. To finish your analogy, that would be like saying "Can you return a 100+ mph serve...

I think nowadays you're not likely to see that kind of overt, face-to-face behavior towards women; but privately, or behind internet anonymity? In my experience the kind of person who likes the idea of content density as a barrier to entry is the same kind of person who would drop terms like...