D&D 5E (2014) Does higher ground grant advantage?

[Olaf the Stout]

I swear when I read the Basic Rules from the Starter Set that it stated that higher ground granted advantage in combat. I've just had a read through it again now and I cannot find any mention of it.

Did I just make it up, or am I remembering it from somewhere else like the PHB maybe?

I have a feeling we've been playing it wrong in our game since we started a couple of months ago.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

You might be mixing up your editions. I know that there were earlier editions where high ground gave +1 to hit, but I'm fairly confident that it's never been in any iteration of 5E, since advantage is supposed to be a huge deal.

 

[pukunui]

High ground does not automatically grant advantage in 5e. However, a DM is free to rule otherwise.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I swear when I read the Basic Rules from the Starter Set that it stated that higher ground granted advantage in combat. I've just had a read through it again now and I cannot find any mention of it.

Did I just make it up, or am I remembering it from somewhere else like the PHB maybe?

I have a feeling we've been playing it wrong in our game since we started a couple of months ago.

In 5E, higher ground does not grant advantage. However, a DM would be justified in treating a steep slope as difficult terrain when moving uphill, which has its own advantages for the defenders: you get to inflict twice as much missile damage from behind cover before the enemy reaches you. Think Gettysburg.

 

[Tony Vargas]

High ground doesn't grant Advantage per any 5e rule (nor did it grant CA in 4e, though it did give a +1 in 3e, and, I think I vaguely remember, did something in 1e).

But, in 5e, the DM can grant Advantage any time it seems appropriate (in 3e or 4e, he could always toss out the generic +2 modifier). In some circumstances, 'high ground' could seem appropriate.

Rulings over rules.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

You might be mixing up your editions. I know that there were earlier editions where high ground gave +1 to hit, but I'm fairly confident that it's never been in any iteration of 5E, since advantage is supposed to be a huge deal.

Yeah, I remember the +1 to hit from 3.5E. I swear I remember seeing a list of things somewhere in the Basic Rules or PHB of things that granted advantage (obviously not an exhaustive list as it is generally left up to DM discretion).

Did I imagine said list or does it exist? (whether or not higher ground is listed on there as a factor which grants advantage is another matter).

 

[Psikerlord#]

I usually give +1 for high ground if anything.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

High ground doesn't grant Advantage per any 5e rule (nor did it grant CA in 4e, though it did give a +1 in 3e, and, I think I vaguely remember, did something in 1e).

But, in 5e, the DM can grant Advantage any time it seems appropriate (in 3e or 4e, he could always toss out the generic +2 modifier). In some circumstances, 'high ground' could seem appropriate.

Rulings over rules.

Yeah, I'm totally on board with the "guidelines, not rules" mantra of 5E, and there are definitely times when higher ground would make sense to grant advantage.

However, so far (4 sessions in) we've played that higher ground always grants advantage. My Rogue PC has probably taken most advantage of that rule, but it seems like we have been playing it "wrong" (not that you can really do that in 5E, but you get what I mean).

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Did I imagine said list or does it exist? (whether or not higher ground is listed on there as a factor which grants advantage is another matter).

I know that someone on these forums listed out all of the ways to gain advantage, including spells and class features, but I'm pretty sure that there's no generic list in the PHB or Basic Rules document. As far as I know, the only generic conditions that grant advantage to attack rolls are blind/invisible, prone, and paralyzed/petrified/stunned/restrained.

There's definitely an official option in the DMG that lets you grant advantage while flanking, similar to 3E and 4E, so maybe there's something more in that area.

 

[Tony Vargas]

However, so far (4 sessions in) we've played that higher ground always grants advantage. My Rogue PC has probably taken most advantage of that rule, but it seems like we have been playing it "wrong" (not that you can really do that in 5E, but you get what I mean).

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...