D&D 5E (2024) Inspiration on a 20 Test: Still the forgotten mechanic

[aco175]

The new campaign we started a few months ago we have a hero point handed out at the start of each game night. It is basically a reroll on anything from your attack to the bad guy's save and even handed to another PC to use. It seems to be going fine and everyone is using it since you only get one each game night. We never really got into inspiration and I'm not sure how the new rules would work.

There is a few threads going around on this and it being a reroll or gaining advantage so thieves can backstab and such. I find it kind of sucks to have it and not be able to use it because you forgot or even waste it when you use it and roll two high numbers. I can see where it would be more powerful with a reroll or the way I'm doing it now with the hero point. Not sure how I will change things.

 

[HammerMan]

I think the designers miss action points as a way to let players have an ability to "turn the awesome on" when they need to. But since reintroducing them would cause even more of a stir, they want to make sure everyone is able to get Inspiration without needing the DM to hand it out.

I loved 4e action pts. If they brought those back I promise we would remember to use them

 

[OB1]

This is great to hear! I’m still skeptical about inspiration being tied to a random event (natutal XX on the d20) instead of character actions, but it’s helpful to know from someone’s actual play experience that it has been working well.

Or do both! I still will hand out inspiration for a great character moment that didn't have a roll with it, but I do like the idea that when you have a 'perfect' success on the die that you (or your ally) are inspired to do better on something else later. Success begetting success.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

How OP would it be if Inspiration worked like the chronurgist feature, working only on your own roll:
''When you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your Inspiration to ignore the die roll and decide the number rolled is the minimum needed to succeed.''

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I loved 4e action pts. If they brought those back I promise we would remember to use them

I think my group remember to use action points once in the 4 years we played 4e.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think my group remember to use action points once in the 4 years we played 4e.

My group used them all the time. It helped that there were lots of features that gave you new things you could spend them to do. That’s space they could experiment with in 1D&D as well.

 

[Charlaquin]

Or do both! I still will hand out inspiration for a great character moment that didn't have a roll with it, but I do like the idea that when you have a 'perfect' success on the die that you (or your ally) are inspired to do better on something else later. Success begetting success.

True. Though I don’t really like handing them out as a DM. I hate feeling like I’m in a position of judging the players’ roleplaying. Instead, I say the players can award themselves Inspiration once per background trait per session. Not sure how well that would mesh with the Inspiration on 20s.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

My group used them all the time. It helped that there were lots of features that gave you new things you could spend them to do. That’s space they could experiment with in 1D&D as well.

Yup. Give me options to spend Inspiration on, be it very basic like Advantage on a roll, Full Defense (4 AC + Saves for a turn) or +15 movement.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yup. Give me options to spend Inspiration on, be it very basic like Advantage on a roll, Full Defense (4 AC + Saves for a turn) or +15 movement.

I mean, heck, if characters gained Inspiration whenever they finished a short or long rest (as per 4e Action Points being gained at milestones which were after every other encounter), you could have anything that used to be a short rest recharge ability instead be an ability you can spend inspiration to do.

 

[pnewman]

I mean, heck, if characters gained Inspiration whenever they finished a short or long rest (as per 4e Action Points being gained at milestones which were after every other encounter), you could have anything that used to be a short rest recharge ability instead be an ability you can spend inspiration to do.

Then what else would humans gain to make up for their Inspiration every morning no longer being special? Maybe every other race has to spend before rolling but humans can spend whenever they want?