Little Known Rules of D&D

[KarinsDad]

Since we are on the subject, when is the last time that you have seen uneven flagstone, hewn stone floor, a sloped or angled floor, or a narrow surface in a game that you have played or DM'd? C'mon. Throw some in the next game you run. Especially in front of the big nasty monster that is 40"+ away from the players.

I mostly run purchased modules due to lack of time to be creative, but I sometimes throw in difficult terrain even if the module doesn't call for it. However, it never occurred to me to throw in sloped floors.

Way cool!

Sucks to be my players from now on.

 

[Tonguez]

Abjurations in close proximity for a day or more glow, becoming easier to find.
PHB p. 81 (in the Search skill description)

This is something I didn't know (and suspect lots of people didn't know it either)

1) Detect evil can detect non-evil undead (like lawful good ghosts).

Detect Evil also detects the non-evil clerics of evil gods (so maybe the cleric is neutral ok)

Since we are on the subject, when is the last time that you have seen uneven flagstone, hewn stone floor, a sloped or angled floor, or a narrow surface in a game that you have played or DM'd? C'mon. Throw some in the next game you run. Especially in front of the big nasty monster that is 40"+ away from the players.

Since my current campaign has used a philosophy of 'natural dungeons only' I tend to always throw in some uneven ground, narrow ledges and funny angles to challenge the PCs.

 

[RefinedBean]

All gnomes giggle when you kiss them. Even if they're undead, charmed, dominated, dazed, stunned, nauseated, shaken, completely paralyzed, or were reincarnated from a different race originally. The giggle will be sincere and melodic.

This comes in handy with doppleganger issues. Go nuts.

 

[UltimaGabe]

If you are running or charging across uneven flagstone, hewn stone floor, a sloped or angled floor, or a narrow surface (12" or less), you must make a Balance check of DC 10. (SRD citation)

Mr. Tank: "But my Balance score is -8"
Mr. DM: "Sucks to be you. Roll it!"

Additionally, any time you're forced to make a balance check (such as from uneven flagstone, a narrow surface, a slippery surface, so on), you automatically lose your Dexterity bonus to AC unless you've got 5 ranks in Balance.

Who actually puts ranks in Balance these days? Come on. Too easy.

So be sure to put in lots of uneven flagstone, sloped floors, ice, whatever, and make sure there's plenty of well-balanced rogues to spread around.

 

[Belbarid]

3) Bulette's refuse to eat elves

Which is why I will only play elves. Can't be too careful, you know...

 

[Drowbane]

Which is why I will only play elves. Can't be too careful, you know...

Thri-kreen, on the other hand, consider elves a delicacy!

 

[cheshire_grin]

Additionally, any time you're forced to make a balance check (such as from uneven flagstone, a narrow surface, a slippery surface, so on), you automatically lose your Dexterity bonus to AC unless you've got 5 ranks in Balance.

Who actually puts ranks in Balance these days? Come on. Too easy.

Warblades? Rogues who might spend a fair amount of time on rooftops?

 

[Thikket]

Ride skill, spurring: THE way to monster annihilation!
odd...

I have to give props to Chu Li, because I don't think anyone else on this thread has yet! The concept of breaking the Ride skill to cheat out a kill on a monster is hilarious, but almost in keeping with what we might expect in a fantasy game... Imagine someone (an elf!) "riding down" a bulette.

Spur Mount (DC 15)

You can spur your mount to greater speed with a move action. A successful Ride check increases the mount’s speed by 10 feet for 1 round but deals 1 point of damage to the creature. You can use this ability every round, but each consecutive round of additional speed deals twice as much damage to the mount as the previous round (2 points, 4 points, 8 points, and so on).

Is there a way you could attempt to ride a (mindless?) monster and designate it as your mount, then deal stupid metagame damage to it using this easy ability? All that I see on this topic is a quote from the same page: "If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill-suited as a mount, you take a -5 penalty on your Ride checks."

Has anyone ever tried this before?

 

[Vegepygmy]

Wizards don't need a spellbook to prepare read magic. PHB, page 178.

 

[Tonguez]

Talking about Detect Evil
- The Detect Evil spell makes absolutely no mention of evil alignmnet, the only reference to alignment is to 'creatures of good alignment' (okay maybe not a rule per se)

Is there a way you could attempt to ride a (mindless?) monster and designate it as your mount, then deal stupid metagame damage to it using this easy ability? All that I see on this topic is a quote from the same page: "If you attempt to ride a creature that is ill-suited as a mount, you take a -5 penalty on your Ride checks."

Has anyone ever tried this before?

I've tried to ride a monster before (I jumped onto a shark) but unfortunately we were'nt aware of this rule and so never tried to kill it (damn!)
Also doesn't a creature have to be trained before it can be considered a mount?