D&D 5E D&D 5E Does flanking grant advantage ?

[Hriston]

There is an optional rule, a rule of which you are completely aware, that gives advantage to attack an opponent that you are flanking.

If I ask if you are using any optional rules in general, or ask if you are using the optional flanking rule in particular, and you say that you are not, I'd take that at face value.

Then, during play, you consistently give advantage for flanking, while still claiming that you are not using the optional flanking rule but just using your DM authority to judge things on the fly, but your judgement just happens to perfectly match the optional flanking rule every single time, can you understand why I'd accuse you of lying to my face?

Yes, I think that would be dishonest.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Okay, maybe there is no meaningful distinction except that one is more common than the other.



That's what I was trying to do before in an attempt to clarify your position. You seemed annoyed that I was asking you questions you felt you'd already answered.

Not to keep hammering on this, but your questioning my clear statement didn't illuminate that you were after nuance in acceptance of the DM's ability to make rulings at the table, nor did it get to your (seemingly) intended point of the line between a house rule and just consistency in judgement. It was a bad question to get to your points, because it was asking after something that didn't really address them unless you were thinking I held a 100% binary position of 'it's the rules or it's a house rule, no judgement need apply.' As that would be a rather extreme position, a better use of our time would be to ask if I held that opinion rather than assuming I might and trying to tease it out via Socratic questioning.

 

[Arial Black]

Yes, I think that would be dishonest.

So, two questions:-

1.) Do you use the optional flanking rule in the DMG?

2.) Do you give advantage to attack a foe you are flanking?

 

[Hriston]

So, two questions:-

1.) Do you use the optional flanking rule in the DMG?

2.) Do you give advantage to attack a foe you are flanking?

Well, I run multiple campaigns, each with their own evolving houserules, so I'm certainly inclined towards implementing such a ruling, but as of now the honest answer to both your questions is no.

 

[Waterbizkit]

I've only skimmed the thread because frankly once things devolved into people trying to argue the difference between "standard" and "optional" rules I couldn't stomach it.

Regarding what I'm fairly certain was the original topic: flanking does not grant advantage or any other boon in my games. I find that advantage is easy enough to get as is and in fact many class abilities and other things in the game exist expressly to do so. I feel the flanking rule minimizes the impact of those abilities since moving within an enemies reach doesn't even incur an attack. As for the point of it making combat less static, I feel like rather than a more dynamic combat all you'll end up with is PC's and enemies tediously trying to shift around each other rather than something that would actually be enjoyable.

However all of that's just my opinion. If it works at your table because you and everyone else likes it then do it. I myself don't like it and my players are happy without it.

 

[Curmudjinn]

"What flanking does" is already a topic drift from what this thread was originally about. Don't you think it a bit, well, weird to demand we stay on the topic of the first topic drift so that we don't engage in topic drift?

How in the world is the OP question a "topic drift"? Does flanking grant advantage, was the question, verbatim. What does flanking do, is merely a reproduction of the question without the term Advantage.
That's not topic drift. I'm pretty sure this is all about disagreeing and arguing just for the heck of it, now, since the OP was answered pages and pages before the nitpicking opinions began.

Ciao thread.

 

[Awesome Adam]

If I could have, I would have killed this thread 12 pages back