D&D 5E Pedantic pet peeves

[Sunseeker]

People mixing up terms in the action economy. Basically "bonus action" as a term causing all sorts of problems, either players thinking they can just make a second action as a bonus action, not knowing what sorts of things they have that actually qualify as bonus actions, or thinking simple free object interactions or shouting a word or phrase while running count as bonus actions. More of a pedantic pet peeve about the RAW not really doing a very good job with nomenclature or specifying which sorts of things are which.

I blame this more on DMs who "do things different" for no particular reason other than they Feel Like It*TM. I think a lot of people get confused for the simple matter that Some People like to declare the game wrong and position their opinion as fact. I've played at more than one table where simple interactions, short statements and so on count as bonus actions, or even full actions! For no more reason this time over the last time than DM whimsy.

 

[MNblockhead]

I thought that was a British English thing... (for example, Games Workshop does this in their rulebooks). Drives me nuts too.

So does Mongoose Publishing in their new Paranoia Rulebook. Grating to read.

 

[MNblockhead]

Correct, they do.

And the US pronunciation of Satyr makes my ears bleed.

It's where the word 'satire' comes from.

Hmmm...I'm an American (great-lakes region) and I've always pronounced Satyr as Sat-ear, but I do pronounce Minitaur as "Minn-uh-tARR".

 

[cbwjm]

So does Mongoose Publishing in their new Paranoia Rulebook. Grating to read.

Turns out that after a bit of research (I looked it up in the online version of the Oxford dictionary), modern standard English does actually use dice as singular. This doesn't mean that using die is wrong but it does mean that saying "I picked up a dice" isn't wrong either.

 

[Mouseferatu]

HOWEVER, the Oxford English Dictionary did change their 'ruling' on this one a few years ago. Apparently, it ok now to say One Dice.

I am prepared to accept the possibility that, in this case, I would be wrong...

...to trust the OED.

I will die (or dice) on this hill!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I am prepared to accept the possibility that, in this case, I would be wrong...

...to trust the OED.

I will die (or dice) on this hill!

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I am prepared to accept the possibility that, in this case, I would be wrong...

...to trust the OED.

I will die (or dice) on this hill!

Luckily, the OED is not the Accademia francese.

 

[Morrus]

HOWEVER, the Oxford English Dictionary did change their 'ruling' on this one a few years ago. Apparently, it ok now to say One Dice.

I am prepared to accept the possibility that, in this case, I would be wrong...

...to trust the OED.

I will die (or dice) on this hill!

Luckily, the OED is not the Accademia francese.

The OED reports on language use; it doesn't define it. It definitely doesn't make rulings!

 

[robus]

The OED reports on language use; it doesn't define it. It definitely doesn't make rulings!

It will once the 5th edition comes out!

 

[Satyrn]

It will once the 5th edition comes out!

About 100 years from now, unless they too try emulating WoW* with their 4th edition and need to skip ahead quickly.


*Websters or Whatever.