D&D 5E messy's 5e newbie questions thread

[Paul Farquhar]

but when you can use -5/+10 it get new dimension of use. And perfectly match with idea brutal power warrior. With one swing get down 2 enemies (ok like goblins, or wolfs)... 1d10+10 is dmg you cant ignore. And if you take green flame blade You are 2 target destroyer but it's really situational.

Well yes, if you choose to ignore what the text says it's quite easy to make abilities horribly overpowered. I'll see your GFB and raise you double sneak attack. You only get one sneak attack per turn, but this is only one sneak attack - it just happens to hit two targets....

 

[delph]

Well yes, if you choose to ignore what the text says it's quite easy to make abilities horribly overpowered. I'll see your GFB and raise you double sneak attack. You only get one sneak attack per turn, but this is only one sneak attack - it just happens to hit two targets....

nothing about double use sneak attack, or smites... As @Harzel said you hit second target with "same attack" as first. So when you choose lower attack to get bigger dmg, you should use it for a second target too, because you didn't change this sweep in middle back to "0/0"

 

[Telvin]

50. If a spell is cast as a ready action, what happens to the spell if the trigger does not occur and the caster does not get to expend it?

 

[BluejayJunior]

50. If a spell is cast as a ready action, what happens to the spell if the trigger does not occur and the caster does not get to expend it?

I believe this is answered in the section on readied actions.
But the spell fizzles and the spell slot is lost. The spell has already been cast at that point and is just being held.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

It's not RAW, but it's fairly reasonable to allow a character to continue concentrating and taking the Ready action action to keep the spell readied for additional turns until it comes up.

 

[MarkB]

It's not RAW, but it's fairly reasonable to allow a character to continue concentrating and taking the Ready action action to keep the spell readied for additional turns until it comes up.

Or to use their next action to cast it.

 

[messy]

51. bonus types and stacking seems to not be an issue in 5e (thank goodness). does this mean that one character can benefit from simultaneously holding a shield, casting shield of faith, and casting shield?

52. i'm having some confusion on when to use a skill and when to use a tool. the medicine skill vs the herbalism kit seems pretty straightforward (medicine can be used to stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness, whereas an herbalism kit can be used to identify or apply herbs and create antitoxin and potions of healing). but what about performance vs a musical instrument? if a character wants to perform with a musical instrument, does the skill or instrument apply?

53. how many ki points does elemental attunement use? since it doesn't say i'm assuming none, but you know what they say about assuming...

54. why does the srd only contain some of the phb? for example, the section on the barbarian has the path of the berserker but not the path of the totem warrior.

 

[ad_hoc]

51. bonus types and stacking seems to not be an issue in 5e (thank goodness). does this mean that one character can benefit from simultaneously holding a shield, casting shield of faith, and casting shield?

Those are all different things, so yes.

52. i'm having some confusion on when to use a skill and when to use a tool. the medicine skill vs the herbalism kit seems pretty straightforward (medicine can be used to stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness, whereas an herbalism kit can be used to identify or apply herbs and create antitoxin and potions of healing). but what about performance vs a musical instrument? if a character wants to perform with a musical instrument, does the skill or instrument apply?

As far as Medicine, it's easier to just use a healer's kit for automatic stabilization (a healing potion is better still).

For performance with an instrument proficiency with the instrument is required. General performance doesn't need a tool though.

53. how many ki points does elemental attunement use? since it doesn't say i'm assuming none, but you know what they say about assuming...

None, it's the 4E Monk's version of a cantrip.

54. why does the srd only contain some of the phb? for example, the section on the barbarian has the path of the berserker but not the path of the totem warrior.

Free vs Paid and Simple vs Complicated

 

[Paul Farquhar]

54. why does the srd only contain some of the phb?

So WotC can make some money. Even game designers have to eat.

if a character wants to perform with a musical instrument, does the skill or instrument apply?

I believe most people rule that in order to use your Perform skill with an instrument you must be proficient with that instrument. I might rule that a bard or character with a music related background could attempt to perform with an unfamiliar instrument with disadvantage.

There are, of course, many types of performance that do not require an instrument: acting, dancing, singing etc.

 

[BluejayJunior]

I believe most people rule that in order to use your Perform skill with an instrument you must be proficient with that instrument. I might rule that a bard or character with a music related background could attempt to perform with an unfamiliar instrument with disadvantage.

There are, of course, many types of performance that do not require an instrument: acting, dancing, singing etc.

There are some rules about this in Xanathar's Guide. For doing things that could fall into two skills/tools that you are proficient in. I believe it's things like getting advantage or improving the reward of a successful check or other bonuses like that.

 

[seusomon]

12. what's the math behind advantage/disadvantage? does it correspond to a simple +2/-2? or is it way more complicated than that?

 

[messy]

55. with casting times mostly of one minute, it would seem that most conjure spells are intended to be cast out of combat. this strikes me as odd. am i missing something?

56. it would seem that caster power has been reduced through the concentration mechanic, less spell slots, and less save-or-die spells. are there any other ways in which casters have been scaled back?

57. elemental weapon says that its bonuses to attacks and damage increase when cast with a 7th level spell slot. but this is a paladin-only spell, and paladins can only cast spells up to 5th level. am i missing something?

59. since a spell like flame blade requires a melee spell attack to hit, which uses the wielder's casting ability for the attack roll, does this mean that strength/dexterity is not added to damage?

 

[Salthorae]

55. with casting times mostly of one minute, it would seem that most conjure spells are intended to be cast out of combat. this strikes me as odd. am i missing something?

Nope. They are mostly designed to not be cast in the heat of battle. There are some that allow for that though.

56. it would seem that caster power has been reduced through the concentration mechanic, less spell slots, and less save-or-die spells. are there any other ways in which casters have been scaled back?

Depends on your POV. For the Save-or-Suck spells that are still in the game, targets mostly get to make saves every round either at the start of their turn or end of their turn to shake off the effects.

57. elemental weapon says that its bonuses to attacks and damage increase when cast with a 7th level spell slot. but this is a paladin-only spell, and paladins can only cast spells up to 5th level. am i missing something?

It's not Paladin only anymore. It's on the Hexblade supplemental list, it's the Forge Domain spell list, and now the Artificer has it on their list as well.

Also a Bard could always grab it (if they wanted) from Magical Secrets, and they are a full caster so could potentiall up cast it all the way to 7th for max spell benefit. If they wanted.

59. since a spell like flame blade requires a melee spell attack to hit, which uses the wielder's casting ability for the attack roll, does this mean that strength/dexterity is not added to damage?

Correct.

The target takes the damage listed in the spell, casting ability doesn't add unless your PC has some other ability like a Draconic Sorcerer could add their Charisma to the damage if you were multiclassed.

Each spell is pretty specific in what adds to attack and damage.

Shadow Blade creates a Light Finesse weapon of shadow, so you'd use your Str/Dex to attack. Green-flame Blade or Booming blade uses your normal weapon attack (str/dex) for attack/damage as well. Spiritual Weapon and Flame blade and other spells like them use Casting stat for attack and listed damage only unless you have another ability from class or something else to add to it.

 

[billd91]

I believe most people rule that in order to use your Perform skill with an instrument you must be proficient with that instrument. I might rule that a bard or character with a music related background could attempt to perform with an unfamiliar instrument with disadvantage.

One nitpick - if someone isn't proficient with a tool or instrument, I wouldn't penalize them with disadvantage. Their lack of proficiency is already covered by not being able to use their proficiency bonus on the stat check. I would only apply disadvantage under fairly extreme circumstances like an instrument that isn't merely unfamiliar but completely alien in design or made for something with a radically different body structure. I might also impose disadvantage on finding beneficial chords to strike or tunes to play on a super complex musical artifact like Heward's Mystical Organ.

 

[Beleriphon]

One nitpick - if someone isn't proficient with a tool or instrument, I wouldn't penalize them with disadvantage. Their lack of proficiency is already covered by not being able to use their proficiency bonus on the stat check. I would only apply disadvantage under fairly extreme circumstances like an instrument that isn't merely unfamiliar but completely alien in design or made for something with a radically different body structure. I might also impose disadvantage on finding beneficial chords to strike or tunes to play on a super complex musical artifact like Heward's Mystical Organ.

I agree. Being non-proficient already covers not knowing now to play, disadvantage really should cover something that goes beyond not know how to play an instrument into being in some way hindered in actively playing the instrument. An pipe organ sized for a giant could have disadvantage for example, regardless of proficiency.

 

[Salthorae]

An pipe organ sized for a giant could have disadvantage for example, regardless of proficiency.

i agree though with large sized instruments you start getting into physical impossibility at size. Like I don’t care how good a horn player you are, the mouthpiece on a giant sized horn is just going to be too big for a medium or smaller creature to use effectively And make noise at all.

 

[Beleriphon]

i agree though with large sized instruments you start getting into physical impossibility at size. Like I don’t care how good a horn player you are, the mouthpiece on a giant sized horn is just going to be too big for a medium or smaller creature to use effectively And make noise at all.

Of course, but I just imagine this halfing bard literally leaping about a the keys of a massive pipe organ to play it. If you prefer a lute sized for a fire giant is going to be difficult for a human sized creature to play, it would probably work out more like a very strange sort of harp.

 

[messy]

some questions about spells and a few other random topics:

60. can call lightning be cast indoors?

61. is studded leather considered metal armor for the purposes of use by druids and for giving advantage to shocking grasp?

62. if two wizards hit a creature with ray of frost in the same round, is the creature's speed reduced by 20 feet?

63. can the target of a bless spell benefit from it more than once during its duration?

64. is there a way to heal undead and constructs?

65. how exactly does barkskin work? it seems to make the target's minimum armor class 16, but can it be increased from there? if the target has a 14 dexterity, is his/her armor class then 18?

66. does produce flame ignite combustables?

67. does a target of faerie fire continue to be affected even if he/she leaves the spell's area of effect?

68. do fighting style bonuses apply to spells? for example, if an eldritch knight has chosen archery for his/her fighting style, does the +2 apply to attack rolls with fire bolt?

69. are all "spell slots per spell level" tables in the phb identical? if so, it seems like they could've saved quite a bit of space by printing the table just once...

70. a druid will not wear metal armor, but will wear armor made of the skin of an animal. does that strike anyone as unusual?

71. a druid will not wear metal armor, but a cleric of nature not only can wear metal armor, but also gains the extra ability to wear the heaviest, metalist armor in existence. does that strike anyone as unusual?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

some questions about spells and a few other random topics:

60. can call lightning be cast indoors?

Yes, if the ceiling is at least 60 feet high.

61. is studded leather considered metal armor for the purposes of use by druids and for giving advantage to shocking grasp?

Usually not, but the rules don't specify. I usually allow druids to obtain non-metallic armour (e.g. Ankheg) for additional cost/effort.

62. if two wizards hit a creature with ray of frost in the same round, is the creature's speed reduced by 20 feet?

Yes.

63. can the target of a bless spell benefit from it more than once during its duration?

Yes.

64. is there a way to heal undead and constructs?

It varies, check the creature's description and stat block.

65. how exactly does barkskin work?

It doesn't, it's garbage.

it seems to make the target's minimum armor class 16, but can it be increased from there?

No, it's garbage.

66. does produce flame ignite combustables?

Not RAW.

67. does a target of faerie fire continue to be affected even if he/she leaves the spell's area of effect?

Yes.

68. do fighting style bonuses apply to spells? for example, if an eldritch knight has chosen archery for his/her fighting style, does the +2 apply to attack rolls with fire bolt?

No.

 

[Maestrino]

Yes, if the ceiling is at least 60 feet high.

I get confused about this spell too. Call Lightning actually says the cloud formed is 10 feet high, but has a 60-foot radius. So the room needs to be at least 10 feet high (more like 15 or 20 if you want to avoid arguments about the lightning strikes "a point you can see under the cloud"), but the room also needs to be minimum 120 feet across. Otherwise the spell fails.