D&D 5E (+)What Ubiquitous DnD Tropes Get It Totally Wrong?

[FrozenNorth]

As noted in another thread: elves being proficient with the longbow and longsword, even though they live in forests where both weapons would be inconvenient at best, and largely useless at worst.

Similarly, non-drow having darkvision, because reasons?

 

[S'mon]

The mechanics of the spell are pretty straight forward so if the wizard gets the spell off and out of range of the party its going to hit any creatures in its area of effect. If you are talking about novels then that's another story all together.

It's an artifact of the grid system used in 3e/4e and optionally 5e.

 

[R_J_K75]

It's an artifact of the grid system used in 3e/4e and optionally 5e.

I don't understand what you are trying to say. I'm pretty sure the parameters of the spell were clear as far as casting time, range and area of effect. Now if the spell was interrupted before its intended target then it detonated regardless of who gets caught in the blast radius.

 

[Dioltach]

Similarly, non-drow having darkvision, because reasons?

That's a holdover from Tolkien, I think, where the Elves were created under the light of the stars, before the sun and moon were created.

 

[Horwath]

Similarly, non-drow having darkvision, because reasons?

I dont mind that elves have darkvision, but maybe reduce it to 30-40ft.

30ft is enough to walk around but not to useful for scouting

I.E:

humans: nothing,(lantern 30ft normal + 30ft shadowy illumination), shadow illumination under full moon

half elves/gnomes: 20ft+ lowlight vision ×2(lantern 60ft normal + 60ft shadowy illumination), full vision under full moon, shadow illumination under half moon

Elves: 40ft + lowlight vision ×3 (lantern 90ft normal + 90ft shadowy illumination), full vision under full moon and halfmoon, shadow illumination under crescent moon/starlight.

dwarves/half orcs: 60ft

drow: 120ft full color, no penalties on perception. but disadvantage on attack and perception in daylight/bright light.

 

[Charlaquin]

Wasn’t there a fighting style with two rapiers? Estoc? If that’s how you spell it.

There was, but they were really for show more than practical use.

Never minding the old trident and net.

An interesting case because it was one of the first gladiatorial classes not based on a people Rome conquered, but it proved so effective against the existing classes they had to keep making up more new classes to try and counter it, eventually even having one Retiarus fight two or even three opponents at once.

Nets INBA, director please nerf.

Then again shields are a lot more versatile than dnd gives them credit for.

Shields are incredibly useful, though heavy and difficult to carry around, which is why most fighting styles that don’t involve a shield were either developed in a civilian context, or meant for heavily armored combatants.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah that special martial arts style is the exception which confirms the rule, also I think you can pretty good fight effectively with two daggers, but all weapons which are longer and heavier might get in the way of each other or slow you down while repositioning when you insist on attacking with both.

It’s all about context. Two daggers is fairly effective when you’re fighting other people armed with daggers. It would be much less effective when fighting someone with a rapier, and basically useless against someone with a spear. Two one-handed weapons may be preferable to only one one-handed weapon when you don’t have access to a shield, as its at least something to block with. But yeah, there are very few contexts where two weapons would be preferable over a weapon and a shield.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

What about slings?

I've never tried to use one, but they never seemed to me to be truly "simple" weapons, other than in the sense that they're easy to make. But as far as actually using them in combat, could a bookish wizard avoid strangling and/or braining himself* with it, much less actually drop a kobold with it?

I'd love to hear what knowledgeable people here could say about slings.

* Given wizards' feeble HP count at first level, my contention is that most 1e apprentices actually kill themselves not by tussling with housecats, but by practicing sling.

 

[Oofta]

What about slings?

I've never tried to use one, but they never seemed to me to be truly "simple" weapons, other than in the sense that they're easy to make. But as far as actually using them in combat, could a bookish wizard avoid strangling and/or braining himself* with it, much less actually drop a kobold with it?

I'd love to hear what knowledgeable people here could say about slings.

* Given wizards' feeble HP count at first level, my contention is that most 1e apprentices actually kill themselves not by tussling with housecats, but by practicing sling.

While I've never used a sling as a weapon, I did use improvised slings during my misspent youth. I got pretty decent at it with very little practice, and many a can felt my wrath.

Which means next to nothing of course.

 

[billd91]

Actually, I seem to recall Mr. Gygax saying that they (drow) got their coloring because they are the negative picture of a wood elf. Wood elf = Dark Hair, Light Skin. Drow = Light Hair, Dark Skin.

I don't think he was thinking anything other than that at the time. It wasn't an overt sorta thing. But then I've never been a fan of Drow so...

Unless you can find a reference, I kind of doubt it. I'd be more likely to believe he snagged it from Norse legends about the dark elves which lived underground and were dark skinned.

Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar - Wikipedia

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