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

[delph]

43) One question from me: What is "Weapon damage dice (shortened WDD)"? Great sword and Maul (don't know why just this 2, I welcome few others) have 2d6 dmg. Is WDD then 1d6 or 2d6? Some things make "add 1 WDD" and i don't know if it's only 1d6 (weak ability) or 2d6 (strong ability)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's 1d6. This is why half orcs like great axes.

 

[messy]

44. is there a way to create a permanent portal between planes? going outside phb for this is ok.

45. a fighter's action surge grants an extra action. does this mean that bob the 20th level fighter can make four attacks on his turn and then use action surge to make four more attacks on that same turn?

46. are there ability score minimums for spellcasting? it seems possible that fred the 20th level wizard can have an intelligence of 10 and still cast 9th level spells.

 

[MarkB]

44. is there a way to create a permanent portal between planes? going outside phb for this is ok.

As an official, standard method between any two planes? Not really. That would go beyond anything specifically defined, and be something to work out with your DM.

45. a fighter's action surge grants an extra action. does this mean that bob the 20th level fighter can make four attacks on his turn and then use action surge to make four more attacks on that same turn?

Yes. He could even do it again on his next turn.

46. are there ability score minimums for spellcasting? it seems possible that fred the 20th level wizard can have an intelligence of 10 and still cast 9th level spells.

No minimums. You could play a Wizard with 3 Intelligence - but it wouldn't be very practical since the character's spellcasting attack modifier and save DC would be terrible.

 

[Maestrino]

44. is there a way to create a permanent portal between planes? going outside phb for this is ok.

45. a fighter's action surge grants an extra action. does this mean that bob the 20th level fighter can make four attacks on his turn and then use action surge to make four more attacks on that same turn?

46. are there ability score minimums for spellcasting? it seems possible that fred the 20th level wizard can have an intelligence of 10 and still cast 9th level spells.

45. And if bob the fighter was using a scimitar (or other light weapon) and happened to have, say, a dagger in his other hand, he could make a bonus action attack with the dagger each time he takes the attack action with the scimitar, for a total of ten attacks in a single turn.

 

[Beleriphon]

45. And if bob the fighter was using a scimitar (or other light weapon) and happened to have, say, a dagger in his other hand, he could make a bonus action attack with the dagger each time he takes the attack action with the scimitar, for a total of ten attacks in a single turn.

I'll take my balor smoothie extra smooth please.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

45. And if bob the fighter was using a scimitar (or other light weapon) and happened to have, say, a dagger in his other hand, he could make a bonus action attack with the dagger each time he takes the attack action with the scimitar, for a total of ten attacks in a single turn.

Incorrect. Action Surge does not grant you an additional bonus action. He could still only get the one off-hand attack.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

44. is there a way to create a permanent portal between planes? going outside phb for this is ok.

What do you mean? Can dungeon masters and powerful NPCs do it? Sure. Under Planescape Rules permanent portals usually require a "key" to use. The key can be pretty much anything, including abstract concepts. Can players do it? Not within existing rules.

45. a fighter's action surge grants an extra action. does this mean that bob the 20th level fighter can make four attacks on his turn and then use action surge to make four more attacks on that same turn?

Yes, action surge grants an extra action, that you can use to do anything you can do with an action, including make multiple attacks (note- Haste+Action Surge synergy) or even cast two spells with a casting time of one action if you happen to know them.

What it doesn't do is give you any extra bonus actions. You still cannot have more than one. This is why duel wielding is considered sub-par for fighters (something I have no problem with personally).

46. are there ability score minimums for spellcasting? it seems possible that fred the 20th level wizard can have an intelligence of 10 and still cast 9th level spells.

No, not in 5e. That was a 3rd edition rule.

 

[Maestrino]

Incorrect. Action Surge does not grant you an additional bonus action. He could still only get the one off-hand attack.

Ah, I see they Sage Adviced this one. However, their wording still isn't airtight:

Two-Weapon Fighting (under melee attacks, not the fighting style, not the feat) says "When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand."

It says when you take the attack action you can use a bonus action. It doesn't say you can use a bonus action if you have not already used one on your turn. I'd even read it to mean that if you have spells and want to cast healing word as a bonus action, then attack with your action, you'd still get the off-hand attack, because it's automatically granted. I'd argue that the specific rule for two-weapon fighting trumps the general cap on bonus actions.

If they really want to eliminate the controversy they need to add a sentence in the PHB like "NOTE: Action Surge does not grant a second bonus action off-hand attack for two-weapon fighting."

 

[ad_hoc]

It says when you take the attack action you can use a bonus action. It doesn't say you can use a bonus action if you have not already used one on your turn.

You are permitted to use a bonus action to do the thing.

You cannot use a bonus action if you have no bonus action. Just like you are permitted to use an action to take the Attack action. However, you cannot do so if you have no action to use.

They can't bloat the rules to explain all the things you can't do as the rule books would be endless.