D&D General Curbing Guidance after all these years

[jmartkdr2]

DnDBeyond prompts you if you want to add guidance before any skill check. As a player, I usually ask myself “would my character have seen this skill check coming?” - and that seems like enough of a limit that it doesn’t feel spammed.

IE most knowledge and perception checks are a reaction to seeing something, so I wouldn’t have known to pray for insight ahead of time - but if I’m searching, researching, or investigating something actively my knowledge cleric would have a chance to pray ahead of the check.

Another way DnDB helps is I don’t need to announce to the table either - I can just do it.

I suppose if I tried to add guidance to everyone else’s skill checks it would get annoying, but fir that to work we would both need to see the activity coming ahead of time and be willing to spend a moment preparing.

 

[Stalker0]

I like this idea a lot, although a +1 might be a tiny bit on the weak side (not necessarily a bad thing, considering how strong a +1d4 is, but maybe a +2 could be experimented with).

Even at a meer +1, I still argue there is no stronger cantrip in the game. So far in every campaign I have used this houserule, someone still always takes it.

 

[Li Shenron]

Even at a meer +1, I still argue there is no stronger cantrip in the game. So far in every campaign I have used this houserule, someone still always takes it.

It sounds like everyone gets a +1 to all ability checks all the time. For the cost of a single PC permanently giving up a cantrip, to me it is broken.

 

[Li Shenron]

DnDBeyond prompts you if you want to add guidance before any skill check. As a player, I usually ask myself “would my character have seen this skill check coming?” - and that seems like enough of a limit that it doesn’t feel spammed.

IE most knowledge and perception checks are a reaction to seeing something, so I wouldn’t have known to pray for insight ahead of time - but if I’m searching, researching, or investigating something actively my knowledge cleric would have a chance to pray ahead of the check.

Another way DnDB helps is I don’t need to announce to the table either - I can just do it.

I suppose if I tried to add guidance to everyone else’s skill checks it would get annoying, but fir that to work we would both need to see the activity coming ahead of time and be willing to spend a moment preparing.

This is a good point!

I am going to add to my checklist of adjudications that Guidance cannot essentially benefit reactive checks, unless it was somehow cast in advance but still within one minute.

 

[Mannahnin]

It sounds like everyone gets a +1 to all ability checks all the time. For the cost of a single PC permanently giving up a cantrip, to me it is broken.

They did make it Concentration. So they lose it when the Cleric casts another Concentration spell, and any other time Concentration is broken.

 

[Mannahnin]

I have the following limits on Guidance:

1. Can't be used on an action that takes longer than a minute, like searching for a safe place to rest, crafting an item, etc.
2. Can't be used during conversations.
3. Can't be used while stealthing
4. Must be used before the check is made

It took a while for my party to get used to it.

This is basically how I handle it as well.

 

[Charlaquin]

Is it more or less powerful with the new rules of advantage when you have proficiency and tools for a check. I'm thinking of open locks using thieves' tools and sleight of hand? Part of me thinks that some of these are now, why bother rolls so adding 1d4 is just more whatever.

The way Advantage works is it matters more the closer you are to needing a 10 on the die to succeed. If you already have a high enough bonus that you’d succeed on anything above a 2 (for example), Advantage hardly makes any difference. Likewise, if the DC is already so high you fail on anything short of a 20, Advantage is pretty unlikely to help. But if you’ve got a 50/50 shot, Advantage turns it into about 75/25.

So, Guidance on top of Advantage might help you get a high enough bonus that Advantage is relevant, or it may make Advantage redundant; depends on the DC and your baseline bonus.

 

[Charlaquin]

Honestly considering that clerical magic is actually real...almost no dnd campaign takes religion seriously enough. Every tom, dick, and harry would be super religious....I mean this isn't faith anymore. the gods ARE REAL, we can literally see their magic happening in the world. Actual miracles and magic.

The gods ARE REAL was also very true to ancient people. Polytheistic practices were very much matters of practical concern.

 

[SkidAce]

I have the following limits on Guidance:

1. Can't be used on an action that takes longer than a minute, like searching for a safe place to rest, crafting an item, etc.
2. Can't be used during conversations.
3. Can't be used while stealthing
4. Must be used before the check is made

It took a while for my party to get used to it.

Totally agree with bolded.

As for;

#2 - if they want to accept the NPC reactions to magic cast right in front of them, potentially swaying the NPCs actions, then take that risk. (only affects one check, see #1)

#3 - cast guidance on a character before they move stealthily across a a dangerous area? Sure! go for it, as long as its only one round of movement. (see #1)

 

[Tessarael]

I recall in older campaigns, possibly 3E - I don't remember, that the 2nd level Enhance Ability spell was our go to for boosting skill checks. Now there are other ways (e.g., a party member assisting) to get advantage on a roll, so that is not a must have spell to cast, and it encourages cooperative team work with multiple people involved, which is good, so problem solved from my perspective.

Guidance does feels like a spammy +d4 skill roll booster much of the time. At least with A5E rules, given that you may already have expertise from other sources, it ends up being an average +1 benefit rather than +2.5, and for those without expertise already, the +d4 is okay. It does lead to skill roll totals being inflated. For bounded accuracy on skill roll reasons, I wouldn't let Bardic Inspiration and Guidance / expertise in A5E to stack. As a DM, you do sort of need to factor Guidance/expertise into what the expected skill roll range would be ... It is okay for a heroic campaign where the PCs succeed much of the time.

I do like Stalker0's idea of just factoring in say a flat +1 or +2 and then ignoring the need to consider casting Guidance ... That said Guidance does require Concentration, so this is a non-trivial choice for spellcasters in some situations.

I also wouldn't allow Guidance to be used in a social situation, unless you can cast a spell subtly.