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[that = shield bash as an Improvised Weapon] Well, the thought that came to mind immediately was "Fighter with sword and shield, facing a foe [like a skeleton] that has resistance/vulnerability that you want to avoid/exploit." Is it better to do d8 half damage, or d4 doubled? Maybe - like the...

TL;DR = Just realized everything I say below is "I hate ASI being in Background." I feel like Class+Race is the core of your character; Background should be an extra layer of bonus goodness, not a key part of your optimization. For example, in the old MechWarrior RPG, you could purchase the...

My campaign has "Herbal Healing Pots", separate from healing potions. The HHPs have a 0-3 round "onset" time, then heal 2hp a round for 5 rounds. (So yes, a guaranteed 10pts, everytime.) And you can get them cheap (like 6-10gp) or expensive (40gp)... cheap ones are "Fresh", and will expire in...

BG3: Chuck a potion at them from across the room, works just as well!

Also, this made more sense back when the Combat Round was one minute, not 6 seconds. Talked about this in another thread -- many things made more sense on that time scale, and it also allowed for changes in environment (reinforcements, spreading fires, etc.).

I made a host of herbalism / Medicine skill-based non-magical items for PC. Burnsoothe Ointment is great on burns (fire, acid, extreme cold); Woundbind Poultices help with long-term healing (i.e. spending Hit Dice during a rest) - particularly slashes; and Fireberry Smokes restore the illusion...

Actually, I'll jump in on this one. You totally can, as a core rule, without a Feat. It's called "attacking with an Improved Weapon". You're not proficient (without Tavern Brawler or some other such), and it does 1d4 damage (a one-handed improvised weapon - probably bludgeoning, but you might...

@Thomas Shey This has been my experience in every game I've played, from BattleTech to D&D, from Champions to GURPS, even for massive wargames. Battles are always resolved with what's there when the battle starts, because combat in games is so fast, there isn't time to move more than 1 room /...

I have alternated my approach to Religion and the Gods. Some campaigns have had full custom Creation Myths, establishing custom pantheons; about half those games have the gods directly meddling, while the other half is "... and that's why they died/left/pulled-back." More campaigns have used...

I'm basically with @Edgar Ironpelt .... if it's on your sheet, you have it. If it's not on your sheet, and you decide to have it, I'm probably okay with it... and now make a note of it on your sheet. Yesterday we didn't have a reason to know your mom was a Wainwright, today we do, how...

I think the name "Prestige Class" couldn't be used because of 3e trauma of this kind, but the concept is valid, right? :-) (I totally agree, hard to be excited about your metamagic candle when the Oracle is scry-and-die-ing across the multiverse with no chance of failure.) In short, yes. If...

And the funny thing is... WotC could capitalize more on having an "advance subclass at 12th level" -- that's a minimum of 3 more class options, per class... what a great set of splatbooks (like 2e, and 3e) we would all buy, because yay more options!

For starters, not playing or reading published adventures. Running my own homebrew campaigns entirely. (Not even "repurposing" pieces.) So this is partially informed by my own struggles with balancing skill checks - especially lockpicking! - and multiple characters having exceptional skills...

Cycling back to the OP and Uncanny Dodging out of the maths discussion... A few things have stuck out at me several times through these 10 pages. First, most "take advantage of Rogue abilities" examples seem to be "give the rogue a bow" / "be a sniper". Second, Expertise is either meaningless...

First, from the OP: "martial fighting looks fun, spellcasting looks fun, and I have a fear of missing out." -- Hard to say this isn't part of it. I want to play with all parts of the system. Second, I'd be remiss in not saying one word here: "JEDI". sword-wielding space wizards. Grew up with...

One of my players' first involvement in fantasy roleplay was WoW, where he played a gnome frost mage. Two campaigns later - in a campaign that didn't have gnomes - he played a "dwarf" that was so twisted by torture and experimentation in a Shadowfell prison that he had all the gnome racial...

I get that a 5e design goal was to make it easy for a new player to "just get started". Hence start at 1st, play a few sessions, okay, now make a new decision (subclass). Oh, and one more level (or so), get a new choice: feat or ASI (and if ASI, which one(s)?). But.... I would prefer if they...

Hey, I really appreciate you explaining things this way. It doesn't address why the Bandit Captain is vastly more powerful than a Guard, but it does a great job of explaining/equating the Bandit Captain to a PC. 10 HD vs. PC lvl 5... I wonder if that analogy/equivalency holds true in other...

My world assumes that most of the population are "2nd" level, with a noticeable quantity being 3rd towards the end of their careers. Elites are young 3rds, and can reach 4th. Anyone 5th is legendary/celebrity: the Mage of the Ruby Tower, the Hand (master assassin), the Mad Alchemist of Jendar...

I think a "compromise" situation is the best solution. As many others have posted - commoners can't afford even the cheapest thing, so it can't be a 7-11. Nobles and wealthy merchants will purchase magical items that make their lives easier - or highlight their wealth in an obvious fashion...