D&D 5E Using Inspiration to Perform Stunts!

[Ashkelon]

One problem I have long had with D&D is how it handles improvised actions. Actually let me clear tht up. how it doesn't handle improvised actions. There is very little in the way of DM guidelines for improvised actions, which often leads to improvised actions never being all that useful. Since every DM resolves them in a different manner, players never really get a good sense of how likely their awesome idea is to pull off in game. So, what if you could use inspiration to automatically succeed at the awesome stunts you imagine your PC performing?

The Inspirational-Stunt System

You may spend your inspiration to perform a daring stunt the likes of which others could scarcely conceive. You perform this stunt as a bonus action. A stunt does not involve an attack, though you may use your action to attack before, after, or during a stunt. A successful stunt can be used to achieve a variety of effects such as:

-Tumble, leap, or squeeze through an enemies’ spaces without provoking opportunity attacks.
-Distract or taunt a creature causing it to suffer disadvantage on all rolls it makes next turn.
-Double your speed and jumping distance by swinging from a chandelier, sliding down a banister, using your spear to pole vault, etc.
-Feint, trick, or fight dirty to gain advantage on all attacks you make this turn.
-Find a target's weak spot to ignore its damage reduction or resistance.
-Slam into an enemy to knock it prone and/or push it up to 10 feet away from you.
-Other comparable effects.

To perform the stunt, you must provide an in-game situation that explains your benefit. Especially difficult stunts may require a successful ability check or contest to succeed at. If the situation is highly favorable, even greater benefits can be achieved with the DM’s discretion.

Now remember, anyone may attempt something like the stunts described above as an improvised action. Spending your inspiration simply allows you to automatically succeed at the awesome stunt your were attempting.

 

[gyor]

I like this idea.

 

[Agamon]

Very nice. I like.

 

[samursus]

Seems like a well thought out and balanced idea. I might use that.

 

[MortalPlague]

I only have one quibble; some classes rely on bonus actions much more heavily than others. I agree that there ought to be an action cost of some kind, but I'm not sure bonus action is the best fit.

I'm not sure what to recommend otherwise.

I like the idea that inspiration can have a combat benefit, however.

 

[Wrathamon]

I only have one quibble; some classes rely on bonus actions much more heavily than others. I agree that there ought to be an action cost of some kind, but I'm not sure bonus action is the best fit.

I'm not sure what to recommend otherwise.

I like the idea that inspiration can have a combat benefit, however.

I am on the fence on this idea. I think it has some merit.

But, I feel most player's will use it as another resource for combat.

Most of the things described are either an extension of the ability check system, skills or probably feats/class abilities, or will be part of the tactical module.

I think if a player wants to do some of this stuff, let them make an appropriate ability check and how well they succeed determines the outcome.

 

[mips42]

One problem I have long had with D&D is how it handles improvised actions. Actually let me clear that up. how it doesn't handle improvised actions. There is very little in the way of DM guidelines for improvised actions, which often leads to improvised actions never being all that useful. Since every DM resolves them in a different manner, players never really get a good sense of how likely their awesome idea is to pull off in game. So, what if you could use inspiration to automatically succeed at the awesome stunts you imagine your PC performing?

The Inspirational-Stunt System

You may spend your inspiration to perform a daring stunt the likes of which others could scarcely conceive. You perform this stunt as a bonus action. A stunt does not involve an attack, though you may use your action to attack before, after, or during a stunt. A successful stunt can be used to achieve a variety of effects such as:

-Tumble, leap, or squeeze through an enemies’ spaces without provoking opportunity attacks.
-Distract or taunt a creature causing it to suffer disadvantage on all rolls it makes next turn.
-Double your speed and jumping distance by swinging from a chandelier, sliding down a banister, using your spear to pole vault, etc.
-Feint, trick, or fight dirty to gain advantage on all attacks you make this turn.
-Find a target's weak spot to ignore its damage reduction or resistance.
-Slam into an enemy to knock it prone and/or push it up to 10 feet away from you.
-Other comparable effects.

To perform the stunt, you must provide an in-game situation that explains your benefit. Especially difficult stunts may require a successful ability check or contest to succeed at. If the situation is highly favorable, even greater benefits can be achieved with the DM’s discretion.

One of a GM's primary duties in running the game is to find ways to say 'yes' when a player tries to do a thing. If the rules don't explicitly cover what the player is trying to do, extrapolate from what you know. I've run 2e to 4e and don't remember ever having a situation that I couldn't figure out from 'RAW'. Sometimes it take some creativity, but that's okay.

Here is my take on the listed scenarios:
- Tumble, leap, or squeeze through an enemies’ spaces without provoking opportunity attacks. This could be dealt with with Athletics, Acrobatics or Dex.
-Distract or taunt a creature causing it to suffer disadvantage on all rolls it makes next turn. Diplomacy, Intimidate or Cha would seem to cover this.
-Double your speed and jumping distance by swinging from a chandelier, sliding down a banister, using your spear to pole vault, etc. Athletics, Acrobatics or Dex again.
-Find a target's weak spot to ignore its damage reduction or resistance. Knowledge or Wis seem appropriate.
-Slam into an enemy to knock it prone and/or push it up to 10 feet away from you. Strength or Athletics.

If you want to give Advantage (or inspiration) because it's cool? Go for it. Want to give Disadvantage because conditions seem to warrant it? Do it. If you want to add a pool of luck points that the characters (and monsters) can use to shape things to their advantage, do it.
The 'rules' are a starting point, not the ending point. If you want to allow players to use inspiration to 'auto-succeed' on a stunt, do it. Just make sure your players understand what you're doing, how to use it and, if it gets abused, you'll take it away and find other ways to say 'yes' when they try to do things.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what the rules are, as long as all the participants agree to them and have fun.

 

[bolo__]

...snip...

This pretty much outlined my thoughts on this as well.

 

[Gradine]

...

If you want to give Advantage (or inspiration) because it's cool? Go for it. Want to give Disadvantage because conditions seem to warrant it? Do it. If you want to add a pool of luck points that the characters (and monsters) can use to shape things to their advantage, do it.
The 'rules' are a starting point, not the ending point. If you want to allow players to use inspiration to 'auto-succeed' on a stunt, do it. Just make sure your players understand what you're doing, how to use it and, if it gets abused, you'll take it away and find other ways to say 'yes' when they try to do things.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what the rules are, as long as all the participants agree to them and have fun.

I think this whole post is an example of why this wouldn't be a great rule for the PHB but makes an excellent houserule. Some tables don't really need a mechanic to demonstrate to players that they can creatively bend (or flat out break) the rules. Some tables and some players definitely do. I've DMed for two very different groups of players and I wouldn't find this houserule necessary for one group, but I will definitely be using this rule with the other.

 

[Ashkelon]

One of a GM's primary duties in running the game is to find ways to say 'yes' when a player tries to do a thing. If the rules don't explicitly cover what the player is trying to do, extrapolate from what you know. I've run 2e to 4e and don't remember ever having a situation that I couldn't figure out from 'RAW'. Sometimes it take some creativity, but that's okay.

Here is my take on the listed scenarios:
- Tumble, leap, or squeeze through an enemies’ spaces without provoking opportunity attacks. This could be dealt with with Athletics, Acrobatics or Dex.
-Distract or taunt a creature causing it to suffer disadvantage on all rolls it makes next turn. Diplomacy, Intimidate or Cha would seem to cover this.
-Double your speed and jumping distance by swinging from a chandelier, sliding down a banister, using your spear to pole vault, etc. Athletics, Acrobatics or Dex again.
-Find a target's weak spot to ignore its damage reduction or resistance. Knowledge or Wis seem appropriate.
-Slam into an enemy to knock it prone and/or push it up to 10 feet away from you. Strength or Athletics.

If you want to give Advantage (or inspiration) because it's cool? Go for it. Want to give Disadvantage because conditions seem to warrant it? Do it. If you want to add a pool of luck points that the characters (and monsters) can use to shape things to their advantage, do it.
The 'rules' are a starting point, not the ending point. If you want to allow players to use inspiration to 'auto-succeed' on a stunt, do it. Just make sure your players understand what you're doing, how to use it and, if it gets abused, you'll take it away and find other ways to say 'yes' when they try to do things.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what the rules are, as long as all the participants agree to them and have fun.

Here is the thing, yes the examples I gave can all be accomplished using improvised actions. That is all well and good. The issue however with improvised actions is that they usually require your action to perform them. This means that you normally cannot also make an attack in the same round as you attempt one.

This stunt system allows you to perform these awesome stunts as a bonus action. This means you can perform the stunt and still get your bonus action. These stunts also should be more likely to succeed if not automatically succeed. These stunts are limited by your inspiration points meaning you probably won't even get one every encounter.

So yes, you can perform lots of these stunts by improvising. That isn't the point here. The point is that when you spend an inspiration point to perform a stunt, your stunt should just work and still give you an opportunity to take your action.