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

[Lanefan]

The issue is not the parameters of the spell: it is that wizards are assumed to be able to cast the spell with pinpoint accuracy in such a way that enemies get hit but friendlies in melee with them don’t.

Let me put it slightly differently. Go out to your backyard or other open space. Imagine that somewhere ahead of you your friend is swordfighting an orc. A little way to the left of the orc and your friend, but some ways further back, a second orc is fighting your second friend.

How confident are you that without moving or the benefit of reference points, you can identify a spot that the two orcs are exactly within 20’ of, but your friends in melee with them are not? Bear in mind that you have to do this within 6 seconds, and your friends lives are at stake.

This is exactly why I've had casters roll to aim AoE spells since almost forever. Roll really well and maybe you do get the sort of pinpoint accuracy referred to above, or at least give your friends bonuses on their saves. Roll average and you probably hit friend and foe alike. Roll really poorly and - particularly if you were trying to err on the side of caution - you might not hit anything of relevance at all, or (for fireball) the bead wrecks on some obstacle en route and the fireball goes off there.

And, because they're rolling to aim it means they can also fumble*, just like you can with anything else done under duress.

* - like the MU in an old game of mine, wearing a fireproof cloak and who fumbled with a fireball such that it went off inside said cloak. He pretty much melted on the spot while the cloak, naturally, protected all those around him...

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

* - like the MU in an old game of mine, wearing a fireproof cloak and who fumbled with a fireball such that it went off inside said cloak. He pretty much melted on the spot while the cloak, naturally, protected all those around him...

Hmmm. I guess that's asbestos could be expected, all things considered.

 

[Azzy]

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

en.wikipedia.org

It's probably derived from the 1e MM entry for elves:

"Drow: The “Black Elves,” or drow, are only legend. They purportedly dwell deep beneath the surface in a strange subterranean realm. The drow are said to be as dark as faeries are bright and as evil as the latter are good. Tales picture them as weak fighters but strong magic-users."

 

[Eltab]

Hmmm. I guess that's asbestos could be expected, all things considered.

That ... is awful.

 

[Lanefan]

That ... is awful.

What's awful - the cloak itself or that the MU put his own fireball inside it with him?

It did lead to a legendary quote, however, as the party telepathically updated the MU's wife (another PC not on the current adventure).

"It's OK - we've got Jack - he's in our dustbuster!"

 

[Eltab]

What's awful - the cloak itself or that the MU put his own fireball inside it with him?

Neither. (The fireball may be too hot to handle, come to think of it.)
The pun is awful.

 

[Bupp]

I wrote about the drow problem on my blog. I've reskinned them as Darthomirians from Star Wars.

Eska: “The Drow Problem” Solved! Dathomirians

Like, Follow, Share, Support! For those of you that don’t know, the drow of D&D have at times had an image problem. I’ll leave others to define it: The Problem With Drow by Jared Ra…

jonbupp.wordpress.com

For those of you that don’t know, the drow of D&D have at times had an image problem. I’ll leave others to define it:

The Problem With Drow by Jared Rascher

Race: The Original Sin of the Fantasy Genre by Paul B. Sturtevant

This has never been a issue at any of my tables. It’s been mentioned, but has not caused a problem. Still it’s one of those things that has always been at the back of my mind.

I’m also a believer that Great DM’s Steal Relentlessly. A good world should be a great slurry of this world and that. A sampling of the things that resonate with the DM and players.

In Eska, I already set my dark elves of Eska apart from the cannon D&D drow. On Eska, all the elfish races have equal capacity of good and evil, just like humans. They are enemies of other elves, dwarves and hobgoblins.

So now, I’m adding a layer of Star Wars’ Dathomorians into the slurry of the dark elves of Eska. The imaging is on point. Upon closer review, the Dathomirians are already reskinned drow.

A matriarchal society ruled by the Nightsisters? Pale skinned witches that manipulate foggy green magical auras that can look vaguely web-like? Mother Talzin is now the leader of the dark elves of Eska.

Hit squads of red clad female ninjas and assassins. To match the art, I would have to drop the hand crossbows and replace them with short bows, but I feel that is not a big deal, but the crossbows can easily be kept as well.

Let’s not forget the Nightbrothers. Subservient males that are kept around for muscle and breeding. On Dathomir they are all kept in a village on the other side of the planet!

It’s easy to keep around all the drider lore as well, thanks to spider-legged Darth Maul!

The wealth of art, both official and fan made is out there as well.

Remember, as a great DM, you need to steal relentlessly! Much more than D&D and other RPG lore is out there for you to use.

 

[Krachek]

I will push as trope the concept of experience xp gain trough adventuring mostly.
In fact improvement come much more by training, training, training, then go live, and then train and train again.

 

[Don Durito]

This thread confuses me. I thought it was supposed to be about what D&D tropes 5E got wrong.

Not the ways in which D&D is unrealistic. Most of the things people complaining about are not new or specific to 5E.

 

[Azzy]

This thread confuses me. I thought it was supposed to be about what D&D tropes 5E got wrong.

No, it's not specifically about 5e,