Search results

Aside: If anyone can produce an instance of passive investigation use, please let me know? I haven't found one yet, and the definition and even name of the skill largely precludes its use. I'm guessing maybe in some illusion somewhere? A search didn't turn anything up in either of the free...

About a dozen DMs. Certainly true. It's very difficult to get statistically significant data for D&D. That's fine, but that's also my point. By RAW you use passive perception very rarely. Its primary use is to determine if you're surprised by someone stealthing. Otherwise it's a hodgepodge of...

I dunno; how many passive investigation checks have been used by anyone, anywhere? The only passive skill that sees common use is Passive Perception, and many (about 1 in 3, that I've run into) DMs still prefer to ask for the group to roll Perception checks to notice many things*. In many other...

I'd suggest starting it at 2nd level, at least. It makes the whole first section much more fun. It might even work to level up to 3rd later in the day as a pseudo-rest mechanic (pretty sure there's enough XP there). I'd also avoid random encounters in Greenest. Have the threat of them ready...

It's better than advantage only in situations in which you already have advantage. So, for some druids, some of the time. The rest of the time _especially for the investigation skill, which by its very nature is almost never used passively_, I'd rather have advantage on the relevant skill than...

Fwiw, having advantage gives you +5 to your passive score. So the feat is strictly worse than having advantage under most circumstances.

Awesome. Thanks, Raddu!

Yeah, I'm really okay with Encounters being low level perpetually. That's its thing. I'm just really hoping Expeditions doesn't feel beholden to do the same thing. If I'm going to play HotDQ/TotDQ or Princes of Elemental Evil... I'm pretty much going to just play it, and not consider it really...

I found Maptools to be a much stronger more optioned toolset, so with a bit of modification and time I was happier with it; but someone new just expecting things to work was completely lost. Whereas Roll20 is better for just hitting the ground running.

That's fair. Actually, I think we were playing that you got advantage while folks were surprised. I'll need to doublecheck those rules. Thanks for the pointer.

Do you know how AL is planning to handle level range and advancement? I might have a 6th level PC by mid-March; are they going to restart at 1-4 for 10 adventures like the Tiamat plotline? Kinda hoping for more level 5-8 play than 1-4 play. I'm not a big fan of the Apprentice tier.

There's a reason I said _almost_; the primary difference is that you can take your reaction once your initiative comes around.

Fwiw, this is almost exactly how the actual surprise rules work.

Since you have no visible injuries until below half hit points, we sometimes jokingly use the term "damaged" as 5e's bloodied. "Does he look damaged? Okay, good, he's below half hit points"

Every time Tide of Chaos is used, basically. As a DM, you want to let the wild mage get his advantage, then deliver the chaos as soon as possible, so that the circle of crazy continues.

I gotta admit, setting expectations is an amazing tool.

Based on this, yes. "devastated the landscape far and wide." "had attacked the Tarasque with knights and catapults to no avail"

Occam suggests that's not the case. Sometimes designers forget things. It happens. Certainly, if a wizard tries to solo a tarrasque with a fly spell and an acid splash, better hope the Tarrasque is also chained down to the ground or something, cause otherwise there's no reason for it to stay...

I do find it interesting that they took long enough to give the Giant Ape an adequate ranged attack, but missed out on the Tarrasque. That's an intriguing omission, given the relative history of things.

No reason it can't be all 3. ;)