D&D (2024) Expert Classes - Rules Glossary

[rules.mechanic]

Is "surprised" gone? Seems to have been replaced by advantage/disadvantage on initiative rolls

 

[billd91]

Allies now count as difficult terrain when moving through them - Can be an important note in tight spaces.

I don't believe that's actually a change.

 

[Stalker0]

A lot of interesting changes in here. The one that immediately caught my eye was Exhaustion. Now with 10 levels before death, with each level resulting in a -1 to all d20 tests. I wonder if being knocked unconscious and failing death saving throws will now come with exhaustion levels.

Also interesting that there is now a set DC to hide as an action, with specific conditions about when you can hide.

They may also buff certain survival conditions. For example, not getting proper food and water might give you 3 exhaustion or something, to give it proper sting. Its also easy to dial up or down for a given game. Super heroic game, its 1 exhaustion. Super survival game, its 5, etc.

 

[overgeeked]

I wonder if being knocked unconscious and failing death saving throws will now come with exhaustion levels.

That's how I was starting to run things before my game stopped. It makes sense that there's some actual, lasting consequence of nearly dying. If exhaustion is going to be expanded and less punishing (no movement penalties, etc), then it seems like a natural use of the subsystem.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Appreciate what they are trying to do with the Attitude and Influence section, but those DCs seem WAY low. Like all the DCs listed need to be upped by 10 to make them reasonable. It should be nearly impossible (DC30) to get a hostile creature do help you in any way or an indifferent creature to accept any kind of sacrifice or risk.

I'd agree if it was mind control, and/or the DM had to absolutely do it no matter what, but I strongly disagree given the extensive language around how that works. If it would be that hard, the DM could already rule it out.

Influence Action - This has potential but needs cleanup. For example, the hostile sections notes you need to make several hard checks to work a hostile creature....except with a simple DC 10 I can get a hostile monster to stop actively trying to kill me. Also the notes about shifting attitude one way or another needs some work.

I don't think you can do that. If you're already in combat unless the DM thinks it's in the monster's interest to stop, the text is very clear that they should simply disallow it. A hostile animal makes complete sense, frankly. DC10 is about right for convincing an animal to not attack with animal handling. This assumes it's merely "hostile", which let's be real, is different to "in combat". Like with a bear or a mountain lion, if you spot it before it attacks, it's often fairly easy to drive it away. But if it's snuck up on you and is trying to kill you by the time you notice it, it's going to be a hell of a lot harder.

They do kind of need some Skill Challenge-type rules though.

 

[rules.mechanic]

Why does Magic Action say 1 minute - are we going back to the 1 minute rounds of earlier D&D versions?
"If you cast a Spell that has a casting time of 1
minute or longer, you must take the Magic
Action on each turn of that casting, and you must
maintain Concentration while you do so."

 

[rooneg]

Why does Magic Action say 1 minute - are we going back to the 1 minute rounds of earlier D&D versions?
"If you cast a Spell that has a casting time of 1
minute or longer, you must take the Magic
Action on each turn of that casting, and you must
maintain Concentration while you do so."

No, that's just how things should work for spells that take longer than a round to cast.

 

[rules.mechanic]

No, that's just how things should work for spells that take longer than a round to cast.

Ah, because it's the next casting duration step up from 1 round. Good

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Is "surprised" gone? Seems to have been replaced by advantage/disadvantage on initiative rolls

Yep. That's what it looks like. About time if so, because getting a free round to do whatever made things a bit ridiculous.

I think there was something in playtest1 that implied this... At least my reaction was 'ah, confirmed' when I saw that in the glossary.

 

[OB1]

Yeah its important to look at the specific text. A DC 20 on a hostile creature only gets them to things that involve no risk or sacrifice. You aren't getting them to hand over the keys kind of thing. The only one that really sticks out to me is the DC 10 letting you shut down attack mode, that seems a bit too easy.

And its not just about npcs, think about monsters. For example, classic animal hunting for food and wants to attack the party. DC 10 animal handling.... encounter over. Sure a DM can override that, but you quickly get into eyebrow raising territory, "wait so this murderous person I can talk down with a crazy easy check, but that murderous person I can't get to back down even on a 30?"

Yeah, thinking about it a bit more, I think the Hostile DC10 response needs a bit of a tweak "The creature offers no help but does no harm as long as no risks or sacrifices are involved." So if you stumble into a Bullet nest or the mess hall of an enemy pixie encampment, the creatures might be hostile to you on sight. If you just want to go back the way you came a DC10 check might keep them from attacking, but if you want to pass through the area unharmed you would need a DC20. But if the Bullet is starving or the pixies have your description and are under orders to kill you on sight, not attacking would require a sacrifice (food for the Bullet, the ire of their bosses for the pixies) and thus no check would work.