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I think it is good to say "in your world", certainly there is a reasonable split on this idea either side of the fence. Star Trek (great source material) to bring over to DnD for sure. But yeah, Star Trek style of engagement includes some pretty formal implied rules of engagement, representing...

I am admittedly pretty dismissive when it comes to precasting. I rarely let my PC's do that unless they get the drop on a for-sure encounter... problem is, as soon as the caster opens their yapper for the verbal component I request initiative... sometimes I allow the cast to resolve first...

Plus, if you wanted to tank damage, which I think the OP didn't want to do... Then the barbarian is getting higher relative value sinking more points into CON. Unarmored fighting with a +4 from CON is now bringing your AC right up 19 with right there with the fighter + giving another HP +...

That is fair. I was mostly thinking Stoliath barb for stones endurance for the previously referenced situations where you are alpha'd before rage can be online yet. Otherwise, I didn't reference the post, but I was responding mostly to the one about the fighter with tough+magic initiate (blade...

I guess I am saying it is a more fair comparison for-- human fighter: tough + magic initiate vs stoliath barb: tough + stone's endurance... missed initiative = no problem, use a reaction for 1d12+CON dmg whisked away... do it again, same amount of uses as 2nd wind. Or dwarfbarb: tough +...

There is some fighter bias in the previous stuff (said as someone who loves them fighters 😀) 1) leaving heavily into the extra feat for a cantrip (casting time action with verbal and somatic components), but the barb does not benefit of the humans racial 2nd feat in this comparison, so an...

That is funny, my adventuring days do tend to be marathons. I think a good amount of DMs want to manufacture gameplay stopping points equating to character rests.

I frequently have those mental "loremaster" types of abilities as a contingency on game stallout situations... I do like challenging players, but it can be very nice to also let the 'intel' character move things forward with smart rolls when they want to sip a cocktail but still be the...

The scene is littered with plain-sight items, you perceive the non-scorched boots... and with an active perception roll in the 20's... you still perceive the same boots, they were never hidden... now synthesize the information (intelligence) with investigation and you deduce they are some magic...

I think maybe I use them a bit differently. With the Investigate skill pertaining to 'how things work'.. 'Study' action vs. 'Search' helps me sort them. The way I DM them often; feels like one is about finding an unknown. The other (investigation) is working more with known commodities... so...

I still think The Gladiator is somewhat missed opportunity to lean into a more inspiration-synergy class. It could have been so uniquely vibing with inspiration dice. I love the idea of party-dynamics with inspiration. That could have made it feel pit-bossy instead of MAD battlemaster-light...

Youch on this... Very DM-dependent class that doesn't hold up for long head-to-head... small bursts yes, but yeah, I wouldn't nerf that feature

'Tone setting' is hard to find with alot of playgroups, a good amount of PC's can go a little meta and assume (not unreasonably) if the DM wrote it, it probably has some utility or sandbox/choice aspect. Alot of my game is retraining our little metagamey mindframes (mine included). I can have a...

Yep, that is how rests work in my game. A LR is actually a significant commodity, where players will actively ignore their metagame instincts to get that LR... particularly because I am a stinker about leveling up 😀

I've mentioned this before, but it is kindof nuts how very non high fantasy-framed things translate to real solid inspiration for this kind of thing

Ah yes! The WW made me understand why you realistically want to try to "social-combat" your way out of a gunfight when you can... lethal firearms, no joke when you are outnumbered, even when they are in the hands of plebs 😀

It really is.. it lets my Wizard or Bards truly do the Gandalf thing and play lorekeeper for the party. So, I whisper what they connect with a knowledge check..then they get to frame it up to the party if they choose to. It leads to some cool situations as well, such as, the wizard being the...

Sometimes I will use that add-on "naturalist" NPC to push non-combat interaction. The whisper feature on VTT has been a godsend for saying "here is your knowledge of ___ now frame your own response"

One thing I've done is enriched regional cultures. This can guide encounter types. Currently the region my PC's are in; NPC's incapacitated a few party members instead of killing (keeping the meat fresh). In a roundabout way, the party has found out that this region is chalk-full of...

I agree, the handwave can be problematic for world-builders. Like when you read something that was obviously rushed - the writer describes "the vastness" of a place.. but suddenly the characters complete a chase scene through it completely 😀!