Level Up (A5E) Vampersan's Rules Inquiry Thread
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So, I was able to use Arcane Appropriation last night during our session. I'm pleased to say that it, so far, doesn't feel overpowered at all to allow a Warlock access to all spells via scrolls. In fact, it's actually quite helpful for the entire group. Having revivify or beacon of hope in my back pocket allowed our cleric a little more leeway with the spells she prepared, and kind of granted a small insurance policy in case she fell in combat.
We were able to do a little shopping before our adventure, and I found that rather than dropping all of my gold on scrolls of fireball or other high-damage (or SoS) spells, I ended up buying scrolls that buffed or healed the party; things that filled in gaps in our group's weak points. So, I think the utility aspect of Arcane Appropriation is far more useful than what kind of damage combos it opens up. I highly recommend the invocation for the utility alone. ^.^
We were able to do a little shopping before our adventure, and I found that rather than dropping all of my gold on scrolls of fireball or other high-damage (or SoS) spells, I ended up buying scrolls that buffed or healed the party; things that filled in gaps in our group's weak points. So, I think the utility aspect of Arcane Appropriation is far more useful than what kind of damage combos it opens up. I highly recommend the invocation for the utility alone. ^.^
Combat Traditions: There seems to be a discrepency between what is written in the Adventurer's Guide and the A5E Online Tool.
Specifically, under Combat Traditions, the A5E Online Tool has this extra text:
"When you gain access to combat maneuvers, you become proficient with a number of combat traditions equal to your proficiency bonus."
As far as I can tell, the Adventurer's Guide makes no mention of this. Is this just a typo in the A5E Tool, or do you actually gain access to more Combat Traditions as your proficiency bonus improves?
Specifically, under Combat Traditions, the A5E Online Tool has this extra text:
"When you gain access to combat maneuvers, you become proficient with a number of combat traditions equal to your proficiency bonus."
As far as I can tell, the Adventurer's Guide makes no mention of this. Is this just a typo in the A5E Tool, or do you actually gain access to more Combat Traditions as your proficiency bonus improves?
edit: Looks like playtest wording
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So, if it does scale, that would mean a 17th level A5E Fighter would have access to 7 out of 11 Combat Traditions (6 from proficiency bonus, and 1 if they selected an A5E fighter subclass). If they also selected the Martial Scholar feat as one of their ASI's, then they would have access to 9 out of 11 of the combat traditions.
Not saying any of that is wrong, mind you. On the contrary, thematically-speaking it makes sense that a martial character (especially a fighter) would grow their bag of martial tricks as they grow in experience. And taking Martial Scholar does eat up a precious resource (ASI's), so there is a significant cost there. I just wasn't sure if the italicized text in my previous post was accidentally omitted from the Adventurer's Guide, or if it was accidentally added to the A5E Online Tool early on in A5E's development (like maybe that's how Combat Traditions were supposed to work in a previous build of A5E, and the text was just never removed from the Online Tool).
It looks like this might be the offending online tools entry. That line is not in the AG457 section covering combat traditions, but I did find it in that section on page7 of the fighter playtest packet.
I think you came across an entry that needs to be updated.
Sorry, I have a lot of questions lately lol
Instinctive Counterattack (Razor's Edge Maneuver): "When your exertion pool is not empty, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack."
Does this maneuver allow you to make an extra attack on your turn at the expense of your reaction? Or do you still spend your reaction on another creature's turn and make the extra attack then?
So, for example, would it allow a 7th level fighter to make 3 attacks on their turn (2 from Extra Attack and 1 from Instinctive Counterattack)? Or would that fighter simply make their two attacks as normal, then make a 3rd extra attack at any point before their next turn?
Instinctive Counterattack (Razor's Edge Maneuver): "When your exertion pool is not empty, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack."
Does this maneuver allow you to make an extra attack on your turn at the expense of your reaction? Or do you still spend your reaction on another creature's turn and make the extra attack then?
So, for example, would it allow a 7th level fighter to make 3 attacks on their turn (2 from Extra Attack and 1 from Instinctive Counterattack)? Or would that fighter simply make their two attacks as normal, then make a 3rd extra attack at any point before their next turn?
Faolyn
(she/her)
Since you can use your reaction whenever you want (at least in o5e... I can't find the exact rule in LU), I would say yes to both. Especially since the maneuver's description doesn't specify when you can take it, just that your pool can't be empty.
...Is there a place in the AG that actually describes actions, bonus actions, and reactions?
Sword of Spirit
Legend
I’ve really wondered about the intended meaning of the wording of that maneuver, but I think your question actually makes the answer more apparent.
Reactions can be taken at any time, as long as the trigger is met. Therefore, all reactions have to state their trigger. For this reaction-activated combat maneuver, the trigger that allows you to take it is: “When your exertion pool is not empty”. Which essentially means whenever you want, as long as you have the exertion for it.
So yes, you can take it on your own turn to grant yourself an extra attack if you so choose. And for one of the most optimized combos, check out pairing it with Heightened Reflexes. If you’re a fighter, use your specialization, and at 20th level select Heightened Reflexes as your free maneuver. Now you can spend 4 exertion and get 4 additional attacks in a round. And you can do that 4 times per short rest (of course, that‘s all you’ll be doing if you do).
Reactions can be taken at any time, as long as the trigger is met. Therefore, all reactions have to state their trigger. For this reaction-activated combat maneuver, the trigger that allows you to take it is: “When your exertion pool is not empty”. Which essentially means whenever you want, as long as you have the exertion for it.
So yes, you can take it on your own turn to grant yourself an extra attack if you so choose. And for one of the most optimized combos, check out pairing it with Heightened Reflexes. If you’re a fighter, use your specialization, and at 20th level select Heightened Reflexes as your free maneuver. Now you can spend 4 exertion and get 4 additional attacks in a round. And you can do that 4 times per short rest (of course, that‘s all you’ll be doing if you do).
Whirlwind Strike (Rapid Current)
In the Adventurer's Guide, this 3rd degree combat maneuver is listed as an Action. However, in the A5E Online Tool, it's listed as a Bonus Action. I assume that the Adventurer's Guide is the correct printing?
EDIT: It looks like there's a conflict with the Back to Back (Sanguine Knot) 2nd degree combat maneuver as well. The Adventurer's Guide has it listed as a Bonus Action, whereas the A5E Online Tool has it listed as an Action.
In the Adventurer's Guide, this 3rd degree combat maneuver is listed as an Action. However, in the A5E Online Tool, it's listed as a Bonus Action. I assume that the Adventurer's Guide is the correct printing?
EDIT: It looks like there's a conflict with the Back to Back (Sanguine Knot) 2nd degree combat maneuver as well. The Adventurer's Guide has it listed as a Bonus Action, whereas the A5E Online Tool has it listed as an Action.
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Blessed Prowess (Exalted Athlete 3rd, Adept Class): Starting at 3rd level, when you make a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check, you can add your martial arts die. When you fail a Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw you can use your reaction to spend 2 exertion and reroll.
Subtly Skilled (Adept/Rogue Synergy Feat): A nightstalker’s true strength isn’t brute force — you are an infiltrator, deceiver, a voice in the right ear or a knife to the right neck, and you turn your physical and mental discipline into the subtlest of manipulations and subterfuge. You may add your martial arts die as a bonus to Acrobatics, Culture, Deception, Engineering, Intimidation, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Perception, Performance, and Persuasion checks.
So, if you're an Adept (Exalted Athlete subclass)/Rogue with the Subtly Skilled Synergy Feat, would you be able to add your Martial Arts die twice to your Dexterity (Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth) checks? Or would this be akin to a case of receiving something like Extra Attack or Unarmored Defense from two different sources, where they don't stack under most circumstances?
Subtly Skilled (Adept/Rogue Synergy Feat): A nightstalker’s true strength isn’t brute force — you are an infiltrator, deceiver, a voice in the right ear or a knife to the right neck, and you turn your physical and mental discipline into the subtlest of manipulations and subterfuge. You may add your martial arts die as a bonus to Acrobatics, Culture, Deception, Engineering, Intimidation, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Perception, Performance, and Persuasion checks.
So, if you're an Adept (Exalted Athlete subclass)/Rogue with the Subtly Skilled Synergy Feat, would you be able to add your Martial Arts die twice to your Dexterity (Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth) checks? Or would this be akin to a case of receiving something like Extra Attack or Unarmored Defense from two different sources, where they don't stack under most circumstances?
I'm inclined to agree, as that would seemingly be in line with the idea that most stuff doesn't stack if it has the same name or is basically the same feature.
lichmaster
Adventurer
And there we have action surge again!
lichmaster
Adventurer
The rules talk about expertise dice stacking, not martial arts die stacking, so I'd say no until we have an official reply from the designers.
As a home rule, I may consider martial arts die to stack like expertise dice do, i.e. rolling a higher die but not rolling twice the same die.
Huh, I guess that could indeed be seen as a new iteration of Action Surge lolAnd there we have action surge again!
Although, at least in A5e you need to do more than just dip into Fighter for a couple of levels to gain access to it. ^.^
Sounds like a reasonable house rule. Martial arts dice not stacking by no means invalidates an Exalted Athlete/Rogue multiclass build; it's still really, really good. But in comparison to a Warrior Monk/Rogue or Brawler/Rogue build, the Exalted Athlete does seem to lose out just a little bit since there's some overlap between the subclass feature and what the 2nd synergy feat offers.
Then again, 1d20+2d6+1d4+10 on an Acrobatics check does seem a little on the absurd side
(assuming a 10th level character, 16's in both Dex and Wis, two martial arts dice, and an Expertise die). That's an average roll of 32 if my math is correct.Of course, even without stacking the martial arts dice, it's still an average roll of 28, with a minimum non-fumble roll of 14 and a maximum non-critical roll of 39.
Battle Hymns
So, this Bard feature is a little unclear to me.
Just to be clear, and correct me if I'm wrong:
1. It takes no action to activate a Battle Hymn on your turn, but it does consume 1 Bardic Inspiration die.
2. You don't have to choose a target upon activating it, and if you don't, you can continue to maintain in round-after-round without spending an additional Bardic Inspiration die.
3. If you do choose a target (which can occur on any creature's turn), then you must spend another Bardic Inspiration die at the start of your next turn if you want to extend the effect for another round.
4. And lastly, if you take the Battle Hymn Focus feature that lets you ignore the concentration requirement of Battle Hymns, you can maintain concentration on both a Battle Hymn and a spell at the same time.
If all of that is correct, then are Battle Hymns, mechanically-speaking, just different ways of spending Bardic Inspiration dice beyond the usual "an ally adds your Bardic Inspiration die to one of its ability, attack, or saving rolls in the next 10 mins"?
So, this Bard feature is a little unclear to me.
Just to be clear, and correct me if I'm wrong:
1. It takes no action to activate a Battle Hymn on your turn, but it does consume 1 Bardic Inspiration die.
2. You don't have to choose a target upon activating it, and if you don't, you can continue to maintain in round-after-round without spending an additional Bardic Inspiration die.
3. If you do choose a target (which can occur on any creature's turn), then you must spend another Bardic Inspiration die at the start of your next turn if you want to extend the effect for another round.
4. And lastly, if you take the Battle Hymn Focus feature that lets you ignore the concentration requirement of Battle Hymns, you can maintain concentration on both a Battle Hymn and a spell at the same time.
If all of that is correct, then are Battle Hymns, mechanically-speaking, just different ways of spending Bardic Inspiration dice beyond the usual "an ally adds your Bardic Inspiration die to one of its ability, attack, or saving rolls in the next 10 mins"?
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