D&D (2024) Is anyone at WOTC paying attention to what they print any more?

[Nikosandros]

If they didn't, why would they allow success rather than just tell us that it lasts for 1 minute with no further saves? It seems unlikely to me that they wanted to tell us that, "Here, you get a save that you automatically fail, but if you succeed it ends the effect."

I think that it is actutally an oversight or an errata. Naturally, if instead the text reflects correctly the intent of the designers, that I agree with you.

 

[Demetrios1453]

RAI and RAW are not the same thing. RAW it is not possible to make the save unless you have some thing that makes you immune to being Paralyzed or removes the Paralyzed condition from you.

RAW is also "The specific overrides the general"

 

[Demetrios1453]

No only for one minute or earlier if someone ends the poisoned or paralyzed condition. But even if it was permanent, that would hardly be the end of the game (unless the entire party got paralyzed).



It is not the correct interpretation and there is an entire reddit thread on this. What is in question is if it is intentional. I think it is not and in that repect I think the game designers did a poor job with this (and many other things in 2024).

"Specific beats general" has its own sidebar on page 8 of the 2024 PHB.

 

[Maxperson]

"Specific beats general" has its own sidebar on page 8 of the 2024 PHB.

Is it worded any differently than 5e?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

So in your mind the designer was like, "There's no way to make a dex save, but just for kicks and confusion I'm going not only put one in, but I'm going to include language about what happens when you succeed. Muahahahahahaha!"?

Most likely the designer had simply forgotten that being paralyzed makes you auto-fail DEX saves. I know I often forget precisely what the 5e conditions do, especially rare ones like Paralyzed. Perhaps we should expect more from someone writing rules for a living, but this is what we get.

It's also a bit weird that the designer chose to make the repeat save another DEX save (how does being agile help you shrug off a poison coursing through your body?) but I suppose they wanted to keep the rules simple and not have to specify a different saving throw.

If this situation ever comes up at my table I'll houserule it as a CON save to cure the ongoing Poison.

 

[Maxperson]

Most likely the designer had simply forgotten that being paralyzed makes you auto-fail DEX saves. I know I often forget precisely what the 5e conditions do, especially rare ones like Paralyzed. Perhaps we should expect more from someone writing rules for a living, but this is what we get.

It's also a bit weird that the designer chose to make the repeat save another DEX save (how does being agile help you shrug off a poison coursing through your body?) but I suppose they wanted to keep the rules simple and not have to specify a different saving throw.

If this situation ever comes up at my table I'll houserule it as a CON save to cure the ongoing Poison.

Yeah. I suspect that most of us here will make it a con save to overcome.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think we should stop rationalizing it as specific beat general and accept that the second save and further should be constitution based.

It probably was just an oversight.

I faintly remember to have seen the same kind of error anywhere else in an older book. But I am not sure where... maybe I am just misremembering.

 

[Maxperson]

I think we should stop rationalizing it as specific beat general and accept that the second save and further should be constitution based.

It probably was just an oversight.

I faintly remember to have seen the same kind of error anywhere else in an older book. But I am not sure where... maybe I am just misremembering.

I think it's up to the individual DM to make that call. Some don't like to mess with what is written, in which case the specific beats general rule still allows the ability to function properly.

 

[Autumnal]

Typos happen guys, even in billion dollar companies.

Yup. Talk with anyone in mainstream publishing, or for that matter textbook and technical reference publishing, and you’ll hear amazing stories. The upper tiers of rpg publishing are actually about as good as it gets. People who doubt this are likely not reading enough in unrelated fields.

 

[ECMO3]

Except for the wording that says that they can succeed.

It doesn't say they can succeed even if a condition prevents them from succeeding. Those words are not in there. If they are Paralyzed, Stunned, Petrified or unconscious when they make the dexterity save, then they automatically fail it in accordance with the rules.