Search results

I just now read about Steady Aim, and, if it weren't for the fact that I'm almost done with all my 5e campaigns and am going to take a long break from DMing 5e, I think I'm just about ready to ban this book.

I think you have to establish "You can nearly always flee" at session zero.

Generally: Me: Make a Nature or History check or something Player: I rolled 14 Me: On a scale of 20, Chungus the Humongous looks like he's about a 12. Player: And let me guess, on that same scale, I'm a 5. Me: You betcha. This usually works. I have one player who is super-paranoid from having...

There are several other things to consider with attacks: It is much easier to gain advantage on an attack roll than impose disadvantage on a saving throw. There's no such thing as Legendary AC you have to burn through to score a hit. Magic weapons are far more common than spell-boosting items...

I ran Khyber's Harvest once, and everyone had a good time.

Picture's worth a thousand words: Note also that multiple attacks are especially important when you have extra damage abilities that trigger on a hit.

I've just been having them roll concentration saves for each effect if they get hit. I thought of letting players concentrate on one additional spell that is no more than half the level of their current spell...but idk, I don't feel like players are underpowered.

What's an example of a legendary, spell-casting creature whose nature is something you feel would be completely incongruent with allowing it to concentrate on two spells?

Here's how I narrate them: Player: Two attacks, a 12 and an 18. Me: One hit. Damage? Player: 14 Me: OK. Anything else? Player: Nope Me: OK, rogue's turn. Riveting stuff, I know.

DM: Behold, a terrifying monster! What do you do? Fighter: I draw my sword! Invisible flying wizard from behind his phalanx of summoned fire elementals: Don't worry, I've got this. I largely think the Concentration mechanic was a brilliant addition to D&D and, more than any other particular...

I have recorded a 2-hour video on why six-hour videos are unwatchable. Link is at the end of my unskippable 45-minute video on why Snappy Puffs are the ultimate gamer food.

Monsters with counterspell aren't particularly common. What happens more often than the players blowing through a bunch of 3rd-level slots to make sure a spell happens is monsters that simply can't cast spells. This isn't notable to the players. Hey, it was just another monster we killed, some...

Even in the case of damage spells that don't do half damage, it's a 1-step process. "Monster no save -> monster go boom." Other spells it's like "monster banished -> monster not hurt friends -> cleric no heal -> friends focus other monster -> ..." Cognitive load is higher. You could do 5 pages...

I mean, sure, you can do this. You have lots of options as a DM. Casting monsters can just always a) be invisible b) gain surprise c) have a few sorcery points for Subtle Spell d) be far away and have Distant Spell e) etc This is what I meant by contrived. Always doing something to ensure one...

Most spells require you to see the target.

I would consider ensuring that every single area a magic-using enemy happens to be in is at least 120' wide and modifying his spell list to get rid of 60'-range spells on it (of which there are many) to be contrived, especially if it means altering a published module.

This. If there are two casters among the adventuring party, a 5e caster monster much can't do...things. At all. You have to contrive something so he can actually cast some spells.

It was good. We're playing Dwellers of the Forbidden City in 5e. The party, with some shepherding, managed to make an alliance of convenience with the mongrelmen, who dislike living under the cruel hand of the Yuan-Ti. We just upgraded to FG Unity, and it is a little less terrible than FG. I do...

People tend to default to damage because it's the lowest cognitive load (more damage is always better, requires zero neurons to analyze), Most players will typically opt to cast Lightning Bolt at a pair of enemies rather than upcast Hold Person, despite the subsequent flurry of auto-crits from...