|
ImpactVector posted:Christ that's a lot of words for a belly slam move. Has there ever been a D&D where "burrowing" wasn't a huge clusterfuck though?
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 03:24 |
|
|
Even the monsters are the work of wizards. That has to be a specific bullet point. Why can't a fantasy setting just have land sharks and owlbears as natural animals? Are pineapples the result of wizards crossbreeding pine cones and apples? They should have hired skeletons to make D&D NEXT. I hear they do good work.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:17
|
|
|
I never quite got why NPCs and especially giant monsters needed ability scores. What does a land sharks charisma score even mean? What possible situation would you ever be in where need to know what its charisma mod is?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:21
|
|
|
Vorpal Cat posted:I never quite got why NPCs and especially giant monsters needed ability scores. What does a land sharks charisma score even mean? What possible situation would you ever be in where need to know what its charisma mod is? If you and your skeletons want to put on a Dating Landsharks game show.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:23
|
|
|
Vorpal Cat posted:I never quite got why NPCs and especially giant monsters needed ability scores. What does a land sharks charisma score even mean? What possible situation would you ever be in where need to know what its charisma mod is? What if a land shark knocks on your door and tries to convince you he is the mailman and not a land shark?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:24
|
|
|
Vorpal Cat posted:I never quite got why NPCs and especially giant monsters needed ability scores. What does a land sharks charisma score even mean? What possible situation would you ever be in where need to know what its charisma mod is?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:29
|
|
|
also monsters with class levels Bulette Necromancer
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:35
|
|
|
dwarf74 posted:Yeah, but it's precise at least.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:36
|
|
|
Are humans going to be able to look at two bulettes and decide which is the cute one?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:36
|
|
|
 Thanks Deviantart, I knew I could count on you for a sexy bulette
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:41
|
|
|
Chernobyl Peace Prize posted:In The Edition That Dare Not Speak Its Name, bulettes could make an "Earth Furrow" move action in combat where they made an attack to knock down anyone they passed under and created difficult terrain out of the area surrounding where they emerge. Which was something, at least. But the remainder of the burrowing is just kind of lovely in play, since PCs generally must rely on readied actions. In 5e even moreso, since you can split movement. Emerge - high damage bite - burrow TPK seems really easy with these fuckers.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:51
|
|
|
kingcom posted:Right on, what did you find were the best/worst parts? Regarding starter set discussion from last page, yeah they are going for the mapless combat approach with grid combat as optional rules. I kind of like it since opportunity attacks got simplified, but 13A style abstracted distances are still much better. The beginner box rulebook actually has detailed maps for the DM so at least one person at the table won't be confused I guess. What's actually cool about it is the structure of the adventures, probably the best I've seen in early release content let alone a beginner's box. After the first mandatory cave goblin roundup, players go to a hub town, and the game becomes non-linear as gently caress. You pretty quickly hear about the end game lvl 4 dungeon as the goal, but what players do to find it is largely up to them. The adventure book expects its middle content to be played in any order. There are leads to follow, bad guys associated with the BBEG in various ways, lots of good stuff. The game emphasizes roleplaying with npcs in town. The pre-gen characters have the requisite personality trait, ideal, flaw, bond, and background as well as an added personal goal. Wizards actually did a good job making the characters engaged in the setting. Some have family in the region. Some came to actually liven up the town and its prosperity. Some are from a nearby town destroyed years ago. Some have beef with some local factions. It's great for new players because if you actually read the flavor stuff, the roleplaying falls into your lap. And before I get railed for liking it too much, I too hate the 5e rules, casters, monster spells, cr, etc. It's terrible. Somehow the good decisions floating around at Wizards HQ got disproportionately delegated to the beginner's box. SmellOfPetroleum fucked around with this message at 19:41 on Aug 14, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 19:24
|
|
|
If everyone's shackled together into an area as big as a large creature like they're in Legend of Grimrock and doesn't notice the Bugs Bunny moving dirt mound approaching them, the party deserves to die. Also they probably still won't, Level 5 is the level of Extra Attack and 3rd level spells. Bulette Babe would have to do really well to KO one out of four. Yeah, napkin math says 22.4 DPR in an area could two shot the casters. Martials would be taking 20.3 DPR, giving them an extra round of consciousness. Everyone'd be getting opp attacks if it spams the butt slam. That reminds me, if you want to be really bullshit tanky at early levels, start a human with heavy armor and "go HAM," ie take Heavy Armor Master for 3 damage reduction from nonmagical weapon damage (BPS). That'd drop Bulette Babe's DPR to 14.3, much more manageable. A raging Barbarian will also only have to deal with 10.15 DPR. They could solo this thing even after it two shot the rest of the party even without reckless attack.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 19:42
|
|
|
Does anyone write new settings for the DnD rule set these days or has it fallen out of favour?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 19:55
|
|
|
Monster w21 Faces posted:Does anyone write new settings for the DnD rule set these days or has it fallen out of favour? I'm considering writing a setting book based around the skeleton talk, where excess necromancy has caused humanity to be isolated to either holy sanctuaries or Wizard run skeleton metropolises as the land is corrupted and flooded with varying, uncontrollable undead.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:03
|
|
|
Trollhawke posted:I'm considering writing a setting book based around the skeleton talk, where excess necromancy has caused humanity to be isolated to either holy sanctuaries or Wizard run skeleton metropolises as the land is corrupted and flooded with varying, uncontrollable undead. So a zombie apocalypse. Only less meaty. I'd play that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:05
|
|
|
dwarf74 posted:It's stupid, but it has a point in 5e since they went with "every stat is a save." Which was dumb itself, but basically forces monsters to have the 6 ability scores I'm curious as to why you think it's dumb. I don't have strong opinions on it either way yet. I sort of liked 4e's model where fort, reflex, and will were each "best of these two stat modifiers", but I am not hugely opposed to the 5e one either. I don't really object to monsters all having stats. I think it gives the game some mechanical consistency, and that's usually nice.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:07
|
|
|
Trollhawke posted:I'm considering writing a setting book based around the skeleton talk, where excess necromancy has caused humanity to be isolated to either holy sanctuaries or Wizard run skeleton metropolises as the land is corrupted and flooded with varying, uncontrollable undead. Seriously, skeleton talk has made me want to add a necromancer-run state into every one of my campaigns from now on. I've been guilty of running D&D games in boring settings that have been pretty much whitebread "Not-really medieval Europe with elves and wizards and dwarves and poo poo," and a setting where a city state has an entire infrastructure run by the animated dead would really make it more fantastic.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:07
|
|
|
And the only thing capable of holding back the tides of the undead are the very necromancers who created them in the first place. "In order to fight skeletons in our closets we created more skeletons".
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:08
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:Seriously, skeleton talk has made me want to add a necromancer-run state into every one of my campaigns from now on. I've been guilty of running D&D games in boring settings that have been pretty much whitebread "Not-really medieval Europe with elves and wizards and dwarves and poo poo," and a setting where a city state has an entire infrastructure run by the animated dead would really make it more fantastic. Or play Eberron, where it's done halfway for you.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:14
|
|
|
seebs posted:I'm curious as to why you think it's dumb. I don't have strong opinions on it either way yet. I sort of liked 4e's model where fort, reflex, and will were each "best of these two stat modifiers", but I am not hugely opposed to the 5e one either. Having that many different defenses is dumb. Stupid pointless complexity. And guess who gets to cherry pick defenses to target, and who doesn't? And sneaking in that three of them are "these are actually 3E saves", while the others are almost never used, is even dumber. quote:I don't really object to monsters all having stats. I think it gives the game some mechanical consistency, and that's usually nice. Aside from the dumbness outlined above, it's otherwise meaningless. If monster stats matter outside combat (or a spell), it's because the DM fiated it to be so. The "mechanics" of having them listed are illusory, and produce delusions of "simulationist" meaning. What matters is the DM fiat that calls for them, that would be better off just saying "yeah, the Bulette is really bad at diplomacy, but could be intimidating in certain ways".
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:16
|
|
|
homullus posted:Or play Eberron, where it's done halfway for you. I was about to say that drat you!  But yes, necro-cities are really cool, and I liked how Eberron made them not always chaotic evil. But then again I hate monster entries that say "These beings are always and forever nothing but degenerate filth. Kill on sight." No RP nuance just intelligent loot pinatas, and that's ignoring the blaring racism carried over from the Lord of the Fantasy Settings.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:24
|
|
|
seebs posted:I'm curious as to why you think it's dumb. I don't have strong opinions on it either way yet. I sort of liked 4e's model where fort, reflex, and will were each "best of these two stat modifiers", but I am not hugely opposed to the 5e one either. It also necessitates Bulettes having a Charisma score, which is dumb. Finally, monsters with stats either muddy the waters for ingame stats, or add an extra unnecessary step.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:25
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:Seriously, skeleton talk has made me want to add a necromancer-run state into every one of my campaigns from now on. I've been guilty of running D&D games in boring settings that have been pretty much whitebread "Not-really medieval Europe with elves and wizards and dwarves and poo poo," and a setting where a city state has an entire infrastructure run by the animated dead would really make it more fantastic. One failure of traditional D&D settings is the general lack of republics. Republics are loving awesome for intrigue. Every D&D setting needs at least one Venice.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:34
|
|
|
Just get to Monk 14 and gain proficiency to every save and be able to reroll them with 1 ki point, of which you'll have 14 every short rest. Call yourself Jesus.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:42
|
|
|
dwarf74 posted:It's because 7 defenses, including AC, is just too much for any character to keep up with. The gap between proficient and non proficient saves makes it worse. It also raises the question, what does the word charisma even mean when used to describe a non sentient ambush predictor with no language or social structure?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:46
|
|
|
homullus posted:Or play Eberron, where it's done halfway for you. Ratoslov posted:One failure of traditional D&D settings is the general lack of republics. Republics are loving awesome for intrigue. Every D&D setting needs at least one Venice. This, definitely. Come to think of it, what would a merchant republic look like in a setting rich with magic look like?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:48
|
|
|
Vorpal Cat posted:It also raises the question, what does the word charisma even mean when used to describe a non sentient ambush predictor with no language or social structure? What, you've never heard of charismatic megafauna?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:54
|
|
|
Ratpick posted:This, definitely. Come to think of it, what would a merchant republic look like in a setting rich with magic look like? Star Trek, minus the spacefaring.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:58
|
|
|
Gabriel Pope posted:What, you've never heard of charismatic megafauna? So your saying kittens and corgis should have a charisma score of like 18-20.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:59
|
|
|
Vorpal Cat posted:So your saying kittens and corgis should have a charisma score of like 18-20. Only if they have conspicuous mammaries.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:17
|
|
|
All this talk about settings where swarms of skeletons are an accepted fact of life is warming the cockles of my heart. It's 1000% more interesting than Tolkien-esque Setting #7612, that's for sure. Also, I did the numbers on the Rogue. Turns out it's pretty bad: 
Jack the Lad fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Aug 14, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:23
|
|
|
Skelebob and Skelejim are quite good friends. Could even say they were carpals.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:32
|
|
|
eth0.n posted:Aside from the dumbness outlined above, it's otherwise meaningless. If monster stats matter outside combat (or a spell), it's because the DM fiated it to be so. The "mechanics" of having them listed are illusory, and produce delusions of "simulationist" meaning. What matters is the DM fiat that calls for them, that would be better off just saying "yeah, the Bulette is really bad at diplomacy, but could be intimidating in certain ways". You seem to use the concept of "DM fiat" very differently than I'm used to; sufficiently broadly that I am not sure I could find an example of any event in a game scenario that wasn't at some level DM fiat. It seems to me that the stats other than con all have associated skills, and I could at least sometimes imagine monsters wanting to make ability checks on those skills. At which point, the stat mod would be relevant.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:36
|
|
|
seebs posted:You seem to use the concept of "DM fiat" very differently than I'm used to; sufficiently broadly that I am not sure I could find an example of any event in a game scenario that wasn't at some level DM fiat. DM fiat is central to most RPGs. But DM fiat can set up situations, wherein interesting gameplay happens that isn't DM fiat. This is almost always combat, in D&D. That's part of why "DM decides" on combat rules is so bad; it's the one place where DM fiat isn't everything. Skill rolls are sufficiently loose, that having exact numbers on a page doesn't really mean much of anything. When the roll happens, why the roll happens, what meaningfully happens on success or failure, all matter a lot more than what arbitrary value got put in the stat block. Nothing is really gained by having it there, but it creates the illusion that if you use it, it isn't fiat. But it still is. Most of the time, skill rolls will be vs. arbitrary DM-set DCs. This is clearly pure fiat. But there isn't really a meaningful difference between that and rolling an opposed check against some values listed in a monster stat block. In contrast, the better way to wield fiat is to consciously make choices that better the story, or set up interesting scenarios. Just rolling a die and saying "hey, it's what's on the page" is rarely the best course of action, and is more often than not, an excuse for dull outcomes. quote:It seems to me that the stats other than con all have associated skills, and I could at least sometimes imagine monsters wanting to make ability checks on those skills. At which point, the stat mod would be relevant. Which of the listed uses of Charisma apply to a Bulette? And does a -3 modifier make sense for those uses? eth0.n fucked around with this message at 21:50 on Aug 14, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:46
|
|
|
Polymorph someone in the party into another Bulette. The monster tries to flirt with them.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:49
|
|
|
Bulette encounters five skeletons, recognizes that its only hope is to beg for mercy
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:57
|
|
|
slydingdoor posted:Polymorph someone in the party into another Bulette. The monster tries to flirt with them. Dungeon World game: the group comes across a dragon sleeping on its hoard. The party decides to try a more unorthodox method: the Druid shapeshifts into a sexy female lizard to charm the dragon. I'm like "Jesus Christ, that's your plan? Okay, whatever, roll+Cha." She rolls a 6. I look at my list of moves and decide upon "Reveal an uncomfortable truth." "Sorry, I have a boyfriend," says the dragon.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:59
|
|
|
So is anybody else actually playing 5e or about to start a campaign, since the PHB can now be found in the wild? The first session in my group's campaign is thiscoming tuesday, and I'm getting to play instead of DM this time so I'm pretty excited. I've been reading the PHB and chipping away at my character concept for a couple days now, it seems interesting? Ability score-based saves instead of derived defense values are a lot easier to explain to newbies, and I dig backgrounds and their attendant roleplay aids. I'm playing cleric (most of the other players are guys in their late teens and very early twenties; there's no way I'd talk any of them into playing a healer) and I'm not super excited about having to deal with Vancian casting, but I like that the available pantheons are pretty open-ended; there's even a bunch of figures from real-life mythology in the book and I'm all over that poo poo. I'm concerned that the MM is still a month away, and the DMG two months. Our DM is worried he's going to run out of adventure to run before the DMG comes out because we don't really know how encounter-building works from the DM side of things. Has WOTC done anything to assuage these concerns? Are they giving us anything else to run aside from what's in the starter box before November?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 22:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 03:24 |
|
|
Sade posted:So is anybody else actually playing 5e or about to start a campaign, since the PHB can now be found in the wild? The first session in my group's campaign is thiscoming tuesday, and I'm getting to play instead of DM this time so I'm pretty excited. I've been reading the PHB and chipping away at my character concept for a couple days now, it seems interesting? Ability score-based saves instead of derived defense values are a lot easier to explain to newbies, and I dig backgrounds and their attendant roleplay aids. I'm playing cleric (most of the other players are guys in their late teens and very early twenties; there's no way I'd talk any of them into playing a healer) and I'm not super excited about having to deal with Vancian casting, but I like that the available pantheons are pretty open-ended; there's even a bunch of figures from real-life mythology in the book and I'm all over that poo poo. If I could find someone to run the game I'd definitely give it a shot. In spite of the fact that it's not 100% to my tastes, I'd play it given the chance, mainly because I'd like to give the mountain dwarf hammerwizard a try. As for monsters, are the last playtest packages still available online? If so, you could probably use the monsters from those for the time being.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 22:38
|
|