D&D 5E (2024) Effects that kill you at 0 hp

[Nikosandros]

Anyone played when drow weapons and armor lost their power after leaving the underdark?

I think they disintegrated...

This is the text from Vaul of the Drow, which was carried forward in the Fiend Folio.

Special Note Regarding Drow Cloaks, Armor and Weapons:

All of these items have special properties, although none of them radiates any magic. The items are made under the conditions particular to the strange homeland of the Drow, for this place has unknown radiations which impart special properties to these cloaks, armor and weapons. When such items are exposed to direct sunlight a rotting process sets in. The process is absolutely irreversible, and within 2 weeks the cloaks will fall to shreds, while armor and weapons become pitted and unusable. If items are not exposed to sunlight, they will retain their magical properties for 31-50 days before losing them, and if they are exposed to the radiation of the Drow homeland 30 or so days, they will remain potent. Items not spoiled by sunlight will eventually lose their special properties if not exposed to the special radiation, but they will remain serviceable as normal cloaks, armor, shields, swords, maces, etc.

Drow sleep poison decays instantly in sunlight. Its power is lost after about 60 days in any event, and the coating on the small
bolts and javelins must be periodically renewed with fresh applications of the fungoid substance. The Dark Elves will often have small barrels filled with several packets of this poison, each sealed to insure the poisonous substance remains fresh for about 1 year.

 

[Andvari]

I think this is a case where you can just tell the players he has this ability.

 

[Steampunkette]

Guyboy is the greatest player you can have at your table:

A player who fully buys into the narrative and threats. It's fantastic.

 

[tetrasodium]

I think this is a case where you can just tell the players he has this ability.

I've more than once seen 5e players derail the session about monster stat blocks and such for a bit demanding how it was capable of doing things it did then sometimes it later turns into a huge drama storm between the players when they later quit because "monsters are cheating" while trying to spike the campaign itself. One example was a giant of some sort with sentinel added making opportunity attacks from 10 feet away.

Sometimes in 3.x days players got it in their head to argue strict RAW only then it was generally accepted on some level that the GM had wiggle room and leeway when they needed it... But now I think the way AL chains GMs in the ALDMG with what amounts to THOUMUSTHALLRUNMODULEANDRULESABSOLUTEASWRITTEN while failing to provide gms with written options of note encourages many players coming in through AL to carry that expectation through to nonAL games with any deviation being immediate badwrongfun if the deviation is not a tyranny of fun benefit to them.

 

[Stalker0]

That block has another pet peeve of mine, though. In this case, magical blades that do incredible damage but have a specific clause that means they can’t be used by the players.

I find the particularly cheesy.

You mean those soelljammer academy weapons?

I think they’re great. Not only does it make sense in world (an organization provides its soldiers weapons that can’t fall too much into the wrong hands). But it gives the players the chance to enjoy an over the top weapon while in the adventure, but then the weapon doesn’t permanently imbalance future encounters.

That’s way more interesting than never having such weapons in game because they are too good in PC hands

 

[Stalker0]

In terms of death at 0, I think it’s one of those things that when well telegraphed is a great ability at mid levels. And at high levels no telegraph needed, at that point anything goes.

5e death rules are very very forgiving, no issue with shaking it up every now and then

 

[TiQuinn]

You mean those soelljammer academy weapons?

I think they’re great. Not only does it make sense in world (an organization provides its soldiers weapons that can’t fall too much into the wrong hands). But it gives the players the chance to enjoy an over the top weapon while in the adventure, but then the weapon doesn’t permanently imbalance future encounters.

That’s way more interesting than never having such weapons in game because they are too good in PC hands

To me, that fails to meet my criteria that a power to nearly perma-kill a character should be an exception, not a rule, i.e. used sparingly. Having multiple soldiers possessing similar weapons with that power and limiting access to them, no matter the justification, rubs me the wrong way.

 

[James Gasik]

I've more than once seen 5e players derail the session about monster stat blocks and such for a bit demanding how it was capable of doing things it did then sometimes it later turns into a huge drama storm between the players when they later quit because "monsters are cheating" while trying to spike the campaign itself. One example was a giant of some sort with sentinel added making opportunity attacks from 10 feet away.

Sometimes in 3.x days players got it in their head to argue strict RAW but it was generally accepted that the GM had some leeway but I think the way AL chains GMs in the ALDMG with what amounts to THOUMUSTHALLRUNMODULEANDRULESABSOLUTEASWRITTEN while failing to provide gms with written options of note encourages many players coming in through AL to carry that expectation through to nonAL games with any deviation being immediate badwrongfun if the deviation is not a tyranny of fun benefit to them.

I had that problem today. They were fighting a noble who they had learned was a blue dragon sorcerer (intended to warn them about his damage type of choice). He had the ability to use all his spells with lightning, and the sorcerer in my group, who has to use a sorcery point to do the same (I think that's what he said) was put out by it, wondering why he couldn't just have cold everything if he wanted.

 

[Stormonu]

If you don't like your character having the chance of dying, don't get into combats. D&D is very full of combats.

One hit kills? I mean, I'm not fond of them as a player*, but if they weren't possible it wouldn't feel very "realistic". There's just some things - banshees, dragons and the like that just seem like they should be able to put a person down. And whether it was done by a crit, a special ability or just overwhelming force, it can happen. More than anything, I've gotten a bit fed up with 5E's nerf bat approach to fighting and the fact that it's very hard to one-shot anything on either side of the board, and combats sometimes just feel like they drag - until all of a sudden one side or the other just starts falling over like flies or dominos.

* Mostly, it takes too long anymore to put together a character to watch them drop in a single hit. The more investment sunk into developing the character, the more annoying when it gets killed and you have to draft yet another one.