D&D 5E Does higher ground grant advantage?

[Olaf the Stout]

So the concern is you're getting into unintentional-house-rule territory, and the players may be getting used to getting advantage easily, in that specific way? Valid. If "we've been playing it wrong," gets you past that, by all means, go there.

More subtly (I'm assuming you're the DM here), you could set some fights on more gently sloping terrain, and when they move to the 'slightly' higher ground for advantage say 'no, it's not as much of a height difference this time,' a few variations on that, and they'll get the idea they can't count on it every time they stand on a soap box.

...apologies if you weren't looking for advice, just rules confirmation, which, clearly you've gotten at this point...

Nope, I'm a player (although I'm usually the DM of the group). It's our first time playing 5E (4 sessions in) and I'm playing a Rogue, so I'm obviously interested in getting advantage wherever possible.

So I was looking at different ways to get advantage, which is when I couldn't find where it stated about higher ground.

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but we've been playing that higher ground grants advantage for prett much all 4 sessions (I could have possibly been the one that incorrectly stated to the group it was a rule and they just trusted I was right).

Given that my PC benefits the most from the rule (although the DM has definitely also used it to get advantage), I figure it's best to let the DM know about it so we can change how we rule on it going forward (maybe only granting advantage on melee attacks or for specific situations where it seems merited).

 

[Mouseferatu]

It's not a rule in 5E, no.

It is, however, a special class ability of Jedi.

 

[Illithidbix]

No.

Unless you're running a Star Wars inspired game.

Edit: DAMNIT Mouseferatu, I was going to be SO witty... but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Mouseferatu]

Good... Good! Let the hate flow through you!

 

[Savage Wombat]

I was getting worried, after a full page with no SW reference.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Jedi powers aside, higher ground should have in-game benefit. Historically, military commanders have sought advantages such as higher ground and there is a reason for that.

Just a blanket advantage is too simplistic. Difficult terrain for the lower elevation force is a good start. I would grant normal melee troops perhaps a +1 to hit. Reach weapons, such as polearms I would grant full advantage on attacks. Missile fire would also benefit. Archers could fire into the rear ranks without a cover penalty.

Seeking higher ground should be worthwhile.

 

[S'mon]

If you're firing down from arrow slits I can see that granting Advantage - per RAW an unseen attacker has Advantage.
If you are positioned atop a muddy slope the defenders have to slog up to get to you (historically very common in NW Europe) then I can see that granting Advantage to melee attacks down on the slip-footing attackers, likewise.

For regular higher elevation, it shouldn't grant Advantage I think unless it's something significant like a 3' vertical rise and the attackers on top have spears to thrust down - I had this in 4e 'Heathen' where the PCs were attacking up a defended giant staircase, worked well there.

 

[Morrus]

It's not a rule in 5E, no.

It is, however, a special class ability of Jedi.

Mild slopes are a Jedi's Kryptonite.

 

[sim-h]

Since you don't get advantage, or any kind of bonus, for being significantly taller than an opponent (e.g. a human gets no advantage when attacking a halfling, nor vice versa with disadvantage) I would say no. The difficult terrain slowing down an opponent, and the increased visibility granted by higher elevations, would be the only bonuses.

There's no speed boost for moving downhill is there? I might allow advantage to attackers charging their full speed downhill into defenders.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Jedi powers aside, higher ground should have in-game benefit. Historically, military commanders have sought advantages such as higher ground and there is a reason for that.

Just a blanket advantage is too simplistic. Difficult terrain for the lower elevation force is a good start. I would grant normal melee troops perhaps a +1 to hit. Reach weapons, such as polearms I would grant full advantage on attacks. Missile fire would also benefit. Archers could fire into the rear ranks without a cover penalty.

Seeking higher ground should be worthwhile.

Yeah, although 5E seeks to avoid lots of modifiers, I think something like a +1 to hit is a good compromise for higher ground, with the potential for it to grant advantage in circumstances where it is merited.

I think I'll put that to my group's DM and see what he thinks. I've already emailed him to tell him I inadvertantly led the group up the garden path (so to speak) by incorrectly telling them that higher ground granted advantage.