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Finster Dexter
Oct 20, 2014

Beyond is Finster's mad vision of Earth transformed.

clusterfuck posted:

I think the rules are meant to disqualify that use:

"If the point you choose is on an object you are holding or one that isn't being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it."

The bow of the enemy archer is being carried, so the darkness would remain where the bow was at the moment of casting.

Arbitrarily disallowing Darkness on somebody else's weapon seems silly. Imagine two longbows. One on the ground next to an orc holding another longbow. You can cast Darkness on the grounded longbow but not the one in the hands of the orc? Seems dumb. After reading the spell description a few times I think your interpretation is the correct one but I hate arbitrary garbage like that. It stifles creativity, imo, and is just lovely design in the vein of CCG errata.

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Nehru the Damaja
May 20, 2005

So a heretofore urban kenku joins a cult and becomes a druid. What's he take for a name? The sound of rain on a tin roof? How would non-kenku pick an onomatopoeia for it?

P.d0t
Dec 27, 2007
I released my finger from the trigger, and then it was over...
On the topic of Warlock chat, I just recently joined a game and am playing one for the first time.

(ignoring the DM's ludicrously OP stat-rolling house rules) here're my thoughts/first impressions:

If you're planning to build a swordman, you probably want your AC and weapon stat to be good.
Hexblade letting you use charisma for your weapon stat only achieves half of that; you're still gonna need to stick a 14 in DEX, and what you're getting for it is... your spellcasting ability is usable. Just not at the same time as swinging your sword, because #actioneconomy


Honestly, my take is just go for max DEX. Hexblade gives you all the weapon profs, so you can use all the finesse weapons right off the bat; Pact of the Blade lets your pact weapon just be whatever and you're proficient with it, so just go for whatever DEX weapon (and if you don't want to wait til level 3, go for Elf so you get some better weapon profs that you can use right away.)

And then for spellcasting, just take the utility stuff/anything that doesn't rely on spell attack or saves; you're a goddamn Warlock, so you don't get enough slots to be slinging big, flashy spells around all the time anyway, particularly because you picked the goddamn swordman version, so presumably you want to swing swords.


Am I crazy? Or does that mostly make sense?

Like I think it's supposed to play as like, an EK or AT, just without their signature class stuff (Action Surge/2nd Wind, Sneak Attack) with the trade-off being you get spellcasting right out of the gate, instead of at 3rd level.

P.d0t fucked around with this message at 16:08 on Aug 21, 2018

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

P.d0t posted:

On the topic of Warlock chat, I just recently joined a game and am playing one for the first time.

(ignoring the DM's ludicrously OP stat-rolling house rules) here're my thoughts/first impressions:

If you're planning to build a swordman, you probably want your AC and weapon stat to be good.
Hexblade letting you use charisma for your weapon stat only achieves half of that; you're still gonna need to stick a 14 in DEX, and what you're getting for it is... your spellcasting ability is usable. Just not at the same time as swinging your sword, because #actioneconomy


Honestly, my take is just go for max DEX. Hexblade gives you all the weapon profs, so you can use all the finesse weapons right off the bat; Pact of the Blade lets your pact weapon just be whatever and you're proficient with it, so just go for whatever DEX weapon (and if you don't want to wait til level 3, go for Elf so you get some better weapon profs that you can use right away.)

And then for spellcasting, just take the utility stuff/anything that doesn't rely on spell attack or saves; you're a goddamn Warlock, so you don't get enough slots to be slinging big, flashy spells around all the time anyway, particularly because you picked the goddamn swordman version, so presumably you want to swing swords.


Am I crazy? Or does that mostly make sense?

Hexblade gives you martial weapon proficiency at level 1.
DEX focus limits you to rapiers and shortswords/scimitars only, while Hexwarrior allows you to wield any 1h and later 2h weapon without issue. This is very important if loot drops are randomized or module-based, or if you want to use any of the highly effective weapon master feats (Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master).
DEX 14 for max armor is easy to satisfy with either PB or arrays, letting you invest in your other key stats. A 10 14 16 8 10 16 array is optimal and easy to pull off for most CHA-bonused races.
The Bonus Action damage invocations key off CHA.
Your ranged attack option keys off CHA.
Your capstone on-hit damage adder (Lifedrinker) keys off CHA.
All of your save/check DC options, be them utility or otherwise, key off CHA.

By comparison, DEX gives you slightly better initiative, slightly better DEX saves, and slightly better acrobatics/stealth checks.

If you want to give up all your useful spellcasting and breath of effective options granted by the stat synergy, just play a DEX Paladin.

ED for the ED: EK and AT play very different from Bladelock. EK is a beefy AC tank thanks to Shield, Blur, and Absorb Elements, while Arcane Trickster is Rogue+ thanks to Find Familiar, Booming Blade, and Shadow Blade alongside the utility spells.

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Aug 21, 2018

hangedman1984
Jul 25, 2012

Question about Summon Greater Demon from XGtE, if the demon you summon has magic resistance then that applies to the save to break free from the summoner's control as well, correct?

The Missing Link
Aug 13, 2008

Should do fine against cats.

Nehru the Damaja posted:

So a heretofore urban kenku joins a cult and becomes a druid. What's he take for a name? The sound of rain on a tin roof? How would non-kenku pick an onomatopoeia for it?

Tinkle?

DalaranJ
Apr 15, 2008

Yosuke will now die for you.

:eyepop:

The DM is an improvised weapon. Now I understand.

Splicer
Oct 16, 2006

from hell's heart I cast at thee
🧙🐀🧹🌙🪄🐸

Finster Dexter posted:

Arbitrarily disallowing Darkness on somebody else's weapon seems silly. Imagine two longbows. One on the ground next to an orc holding another longbow. You can cast Darkness on the grounded longbow but not the one in the hands of the orc? Seems dumb. After reading the spell description a few times I think your interpretation is the correct one but I hate arbitrary garbage like that. It stifles creativity, imo, and is just lovely design in the vein of CCG errata.
It's been a standard of D&D (and a lot of RPGs) for a while that stuff you're holding or wearing is "special", for the very good reason that being able to cast darkness on myself is very different to being able to cast darkness on you. One is a neat tool, the other is No Save Blindness But Way Better. There's a whole bunch of things that get infinitely better if you can cast them on, say, someone's armour, and it's only creative the first time. After that it's the new normal. You either need some systematic way for the "creative" use to only work sometimes, or you bump it to a higher minimum spell slot (making it too costly for the "intended" use), or you disallow the extremely busted option and force people to get actually creative ("I hold my action to cast darkness on the arrow after it's fired at the bugbear")

Splicer fucked around with this message at 18:41 on Aug 21, 2018

Toebone
Jul 1, 2002

Start remembering what you hear.

Nehru the Damaja posted:

So a heretofore urban kenku joins a cult and becomes a druid. What's he take for a name? The sound of rain on a tin roof? How would non-kenku pick an onomatopoeia for it?

Plink

Dr. Gargunza
May 19, 2011

He damned me for a eunuch,
and my mother for a whore.



Fun Shoe

Nehru the Damaja posted:

So a heretofore urban kenku joins a cult and becomes a druid. What's he take for a name? The sound of rain on a tin roof? How would non-kenku pick an onomatopoeia for it?

Sploosh.

P.d0t
Dec 27, 2007
I released my finger from the trigger, and then it was over...

Conspiratiorist posted:

Hexwarrior allows you to wield any 1h and later 2h weapon without issue.

I can't find a feature that lets you use two-handers for this. What's the source for that?
The bonus action attack for PAM is alright, but I think the OA is overvalued. Also, if you're doing the PAM attack routine, you aren't utilizing:

Conspiratiorist posted:

The Bonus Action damage invocations key off CHA.

Conspiratiorist posted:

DEX 14 for max armor is easy to satisfy with either PB or arrays, letting you invest in your other key stats. A 10 14 16 8 10 16 array is optimal and easy to pull off for most CHA-bonused races.
[…]
By comparison, DEX gives you slightly better initiative, slightly better DEX saves, and slightly better acrobatics/stealth checks.
The thing that everyone seems to discount with medium armor is that you're not just trading lower DEX requirement for better AC, you're also giving away the ability to effectively use Stealth; otherwise the AC is just "comparable." Granted "using stealth" might not be part of everyone's build (for some reason :confused:) but I basically always want to have the ability to use stealth without disadvantage, unless I'm straight dumping DEX (and in which case, I'm usually going for a heavy armor build.)

Conspiratiorist posted:

Your ranged attack option keys off CHA.
Your capstone on-hit damage adder (Lifedrinker) keys off CHA.
I think this is where Warlock hits a snag: EB is always the best for this, short of going Improved Pact Weapon and using a bow all the time. And even that still requires you to have Thirsting Blade for a ranged weapon to be competitive with EB at 5th level (and it clearly would fall off, at higher levels.)
Taking that into account, I think Improved Pact Weapon is there to make it easier to play a low-CHA weapon-user build; it's kinda something you'd take instead of Lifedrinker. IME +1 to hit and damage would be pretty comparable to +CHA to damage.

I feel like if you're going in with the intention of being a primarily melee weapon character, you have to just kinda put blinders on and ignore how good EB is, because otherwise I think you're gonna find yourself using it all the time. Like, the melee build is comparatively under-supported, but if you're gonna polish that turd, you can't really go half-rear end.

Conspiratiorist posted:

All of your save/check DC options, be them utility or otherwise, key off CHA.
If you want to give up all your useful spellcasting and breath of effective options granted by the stat synergy, just play a DEX Paladin.

Like I said, I can't really see trying to be flashy with spells, given the limited number of slots you have. I have a bladelock in one of the other games I play in, and (particularly at lower levels, when you have 2 slots) you end up burning through slots quickly, between Hex and [doing a cool thing and hoping the monster doesn't save out of it.] This particular character went for more of a "balanced" build, and ends up either a) getting knocked out, because their AC/HP isn't good, or; b) just being a standard EB warlock because they like being alive.
Point being, I think even a CHA-build bladelock would just skew even further towards the latter, at which point, why not just build for EB instead of melee? Like I said, I think that's the whole catch-22 with melee warlock.


Admittedly, my opinions are based largely on anecdotal stuff. The game I'll be using the character in is advertised as "Story over stats" so I think focusing on the warlock options that Just Work™ (without using spell mod) are gonna make for a fun character :)

Infinite Karma
Oct 23, 2004
Good as dead





Splicer posted:

It's been a standard of D&D (and a lot of RPGs) for a while that stuff you're holding or wearing is "special", for the very good reason that being able to cast darkness on myself is very different to being able to cast darkness on you. One is a neat tool, the other is No Save Blindness But Way Better. There's a whole bunch of things that get infinitely better if you can cast them on, say, someone's armour, and it's only creative the first time. After that it's the new normal.
It's basically the same as using Shape Water to move/freeze water in someone's lungs so they suffocate. Magic can't always obey common sense, or it trivially trumps everything else.

Infinite Karma
Oct 23, 2004
Good as dead





P.d0t posted:

Like I said, I can't really see trying to be flashy with spells, given the limited number of slots you have. I have a bladelock in one of the other games I play in, and (particularly at lower levels, when you have 2 slots) you end up burning through slots quickly, between Hex and [doing a cool thing and hoping the monster doesn't save out of it.] This particular character went for more of a "balanced" build, and ends up either a) getting knocked out, because their AC/HP isn't good, or; b) just being a standard EB warlock because they like being alive.
Point being, I think even a CHA-build bladelock would just skew even further towards the latter, at which point, why not just build for EB instead of melee? Like I said, I think that's the whole catch-22 with melee warlock.


Admittedly, my opinions are based largely on anecdotal stuff. The game I'll be using the character in is advertised as "Story over stats" so I think focusing on the warlock options that Just Work™ (without using spell mod) are gonna make for a fun character :)
Even with Eldritch Blast existing, Bladelocks have some perks just as a backup. Enemies getting into melee or going prone (where your EB has disadvantage) can make a sword an attractive plan B. Antimagic or V/S component restrictions can make spells unusable. There are situations where a you just need a melee weapon, and being competent with one (plus having a magic one) is a big plus for utility.

edit: Especially compared to Familiars and Book of Secrets (especially without the Invocation to get rituals). They are all minor bonuses anyway.

Toshimo
Aug 23, 2012

He's outta line...

But he's right!

P.d0t posted:

The thing that everyone seems to discount with medium armor is that you're not just trading lower DEX requirement for better AC, you're also giving away the ability to effectively use Stealth; otherwise the AC is just "comparable." Granted "using stealth" might not be part of everyone's build (for some reason :confused:) but I basically always want to have the ability to use stealth without disadvantage, unless I'm straight dumping DEX (and in which case, I'm usually going for a heavy armor build.)

You are only ever trading 1 AC for Stealth with medium armor. If it's that important to you, you can just step down 1 AC.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

P.d0t posted:

I can't find a feature that lets you use two-handers for this. What's the source for that?
The bonus action attack for PAM is alright, but I think the OA is overvalued. Also, if you're doing the PAM attack routine, you aren't utilizing:


The thing that everyone seems to discount with medium armor is that you're not just trading lower DEX requirement for better AC, you're also giving away the ability to effectively use Stealth; otherwise the AC is just "comparable." Granted "using stealth" might not be part of everyone's build (for some reason :confused:) but I basically always want to have the ability to use stealth without disadvantage, unless I'm straight dumping DEX (and in which case, I'm usually going for a heavy armor build.)

I think this is where Warlock hits a snag: EB is always the best for this, short of going Improved Pact Weapon and using a bow all the time. And even that still requires you to have Thirsting Blade for a ranged weapon to be competitive with EB at 5th level (and it clearly would fall off, at higher levels.)
Taking that into account, I think Improved Pact Weapon is there to make it easier to play a low-CHA weapon-user build; it's kinda something you'd take instead of Lifedrinker. IME +1 to hit and damage would be pretty comparable to +CHA to damage.

I feel like if you're going in with the intention of being a primarily melee weapon character, you have to just kinda put blinders on and ignore how good EB is, because otherwise I think you're gonna find yourself using it all the time. Like, the melee build is comparatively under-supported, but if you're gonna polish that turd, you can't really go half-rear end.


Like I said, I can't really see trying to be flashy with spells, given the limited number of slots you have. I have a bladelock in one of the other games I play in, and (particularly at lower levels, when you have 2 slots) you end up burning through slots quickly, between Hex and [doing a cool thing and hoping the monster doesn't save out of it.] This particular character went for more of a "balanced" build, and ends up either a) getting knocked out, because their AC/HP isn't good, or; b) just being a standard EB warlock because they like being alive.
Point being, I think even a CHA-build bladelock would just skew even further towards the latter, at which point, why not just build for EB instead of melee? Like I said, I think that's the whole catch-22 with melee warlock.


Admittedly, my opinions are based largely on anecdotal stuff. The game I'll be using the character in is advertised as "Story over stats" so I think focusing on the warlock options that Just Work™ (without using spell mod) are gonna make for a fun character :)

Hex Warrior: At 1st level, you acquire the training necessary to effectively arm yourself for battle. You gain proficiency with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.

The influence of your patron also allows you to mystically channel your will through a particular weapon. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one weapon that you are proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. This benefit lasts until you finish a long rest. If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon's type.


Going PAM maximizes your damage relative to your use of resources. CHA damage invocations are the alternative when you do not go PAM. GWM is likewise a highly potent feat on bladelock given their abilities (Darkness + Devil's Sight, Shadow of Moil). A DEX bladelock gives up all these options that push the melee warlock into being passable. PHB Warlock was and is garbage precisely because they didn't have these.

You can wear a breastplate if Stealth is important to you. On that note, you aren't as good at Persuasion/Deception when going DEX.

You're misunderstanding: if you're a melee warlock with a magical weapon as your Pact Weapon, EB is your ranged attack option. You don't get Extra Attack on a backup bow, so EB - even without Agonizing Blast - will be better. If you're using Improved Pact Weapon it is irrelevant, but a real weapon is something you'll want to upgrade to.

I don't see how your 'balanced' Warlock is relevant. An optimized, melee-focused Hexblade takes advantage of their CHA-keyed abilities, so with this you're just complaining that having various good options at little to no opportunity cost is bad because it tempts you to try and do things you're personally bad at :confused:

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Aug 21, 2018

clusterfuck
Feb 6, 2004


Splicer posted:

("I hold my action to cast darkness on the arrow after it's fired at the bugbear")

Wouldn't the casting time of darkness be longer than the flight of the arrow? Does an action have a set duration or is it just up to the DM?

Splicer posted:

it's only creative the first time. After that it's the new normal. You either need some systematic way for the "creative" use to only work sometimes,

Makes good sense. So in the case of the spring loaded chamber holding the darkness pebble, a DM could disallow the spring and add a sleight of hand check maybe. Or better yet allow the spring but make it known to be fragile and limited use in combat conditions.

To be clear I'm talking about casting darkness on a pebble and placing the pebble in a chamber with a spring loaded lid. That chamber could be mounted on a poison ring or perhaps on a bracelet or amulet. The idea is to pull back the lid at the moment one withdraws from melee to deny an attack of opportunity to the opponent. As the lid is spring loaded one there is no object interaction required to seal the darkness so the maneuver is a free object interaction.

Given it costs an action to cast darkness and resources to make the item in the first place, just for the purpose of denying opportunity attacks now and then - it should be allowed but as an expensive and fragile item that needs maintenance.

clusterfuck fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Aug 21, 2018

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

clusterfuck posted:

Wouldn't the casting time of darkness be longer than the flight of the arrow? Does an action have a set duration or is it just up to the DM?

The way Ready action with spells in 5e works is: it takes your action and the relevant spell slot (plus any components) are consumed, and you need to maintain concentration (even if it's not inherently a concentration spell) or it's lost. The actual effect taking place is delayed until you meet the Ready condition and use your Reaction to activate it.

clusterfuck
Feb 6, 2004


Ah right I wasn't clear on that thanks.

Section Z
Oct 1, 2008

Wait, this is the Moon.
How did I even get here?

Pillbug
Darkness on the arrow chat reminds me that I'm sad early playtest "This gimmick just straight up loads your real spells into arrows because loving :lol: longbow ranged fireballs are fair, right?" (Or at least, I coulda sworn that was a thing in the early stuff).

Because the prospect of what I started referring to as the 'Elvish Molotov' amused me.

Everyone talks up casting grease then lightning the radius on fire. But a burning arrow loaded up with the grease spell would bring bargain bin wizard AoE to new heights.

Honestly whenever you are unsure what to do with your wizard. Just remember the final lesson of your teacher. "Wizards are ASSHOLES." Everything will fall into place.

Just remember to always read the fine print. I once had a stupid idea of "Hey, what if you gave pursuers a false sense of hope dropping ball bearings down the stairs. Then cast enlarge on the last one just to be a dick?" But then remembered 'doubles in size' is not very impressive for a ball bearing or caltrop etc.

Man Enlarge/Reduce can do so much mundane bullshit too.

"We only brought 50 feet of rope!"
"you mean 100 feet of rope"

"How are we going to get this couch into ye olde apartment?"
"I got you covered."

Section Z fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Aug 21, 2018

DKWildz
Jan 7, 2002

Toshimo posted:

I know 5e isn't this game, but I'd really like a game where all the stuff that isn't Mage Armor/Magic Missiles/Shield/Sleep gets a chance to shine. I mean, Featherfall would be a great trick to have in your pocket. Or Absorb Elements. Maybe Grease, or Jump, or Longstrider. But, it feels like you can't even prep them because you've already got 2-3 must-haves prepped and god drat I'm not gonna waste preps I could be using on level 4 spells to prep a Featherfall.

If you can figure out what you're getting into beforehand, that's where I've been able to make use of that situational prepared list, although I'll admit most of the time it has to stay 'general.' Absorb Elements saved my rear end from Round 1 & 2 Fire Breath's from an Adult Red Dragon a couple weeks ago.

As far as the other spells you've listed, I've been preparing more things like Grease .... stuff with non concentration semi-permanent durations that you can toss down and then go onto other casts. Also, 'Jump', 'Longstrider' etc, this is where I've been needing more and more money and downtime. I've been turning those spells into scrolls for myself. (Using the Xanathar's creation table)



It gets really time consuming and costly really fast, especially since I already burned all of my gold and some of my friends to learn all the spells I've found so far already, but I figure having some scrolls of 'Knock', 'Disguise Self', 'Dispel Magic', and even 'Find Familiar' (to shorten the 1 hour recast) can be handy.

P.d0t
Dec 27, 2007
I released my finger from the trigger, and then it was over...

Conspiratiorist posted:

An optimized, melee-focused Hexblade takes advantage of their CHA-keyed abilities, so with this you're just complaining that having various good options at little to no opportunity cost is bad because it tempts you to try and do things you're personally bad at :confused:

Nah, I just wasn't considering the part where you can use two-handed stuff as a Hexblade (because I somehow skimmed past that in my read.)
I think it kinda sucks that "BladeBlade" is the only way to go, really. Particularly if it boils down to "is yet another PAM build, but this time with Eldritch Blast."

also:

Conspiratiorist posted:

(Darkness + Devil's Sight, Shadow of Moil)

I've seen this in action, and it was basically enough for the rest of the players to tell the guy to cut that poo poo out and/or reroll his character.

P.d0t fucked around with this message at 06:09 on Aug 22, 2018

Quidthulhu
Dec 17, 2003

Stand down, men! It's only smooching!

What’s it do, now I’m real curious :v:

koreban
Apr 4, 2008

I guess we all learned that trying to get along is way better than p. . .player hatin'.
Fun Shoe

Quidthulhu posted:

What’s it do, now I’m real curious :v:

Magical darkness that light can’t penetrate + the ability to see in magical darkness + flaming darkness spirits circling around in your darkness orb doing 2d8 damage to everything that’s not you in it.

It has two concentration spells in the setup, so you need to initiate Darkness by magical item. But darkness has a concentration requirement, so your DM needs to not require people using magical items that cast concentration spells to concentrate to upkeep the spell.

Furthermore, darkness is a 10m duration spell, so even if you put it into a pebble in an enclosed ring, you’d have to break mechanics by having the spell effect be on a delayed, mechanical trigger.

It’s nasty on paper, but it breaks the game mechanics.

clusterfuck
Feb 6, 2004


koreban posted:

Magical darkness that light can’t penetrate + the ability to see in magical darkness + flaming darkness spirits circling around in your darkness orb doing 2d8 damage to everything that’s not you in it.

Yeah... I'm feeling a lot more inadequate and comfortable about my shadow monk ignoring the odd attack of opportunity with a fancy ring. How the hell does shadow monk not gain the ability to see through magical darkness...

bewilderment
Nov 22, 2007
man what



You don't need to combine Darkness with Shadow of Moil; Shadow of Moil makes you "heavily obscured to others" which means everyone else is effectively blinded with respect to you anyway.

Darkness + Devil's Sight is just how you do the same thing at earlier levels.

Either way it means you have advantage to hit baddies and baddies have disadvantage to hit you.

Shadow Of Moil is also not a free damage aura; it's just a retaliation aura.

tote up a bags
Jun 8, 2006

die stoats die

In an unexpected twist the tiefling sorcerer managed to charm the Bugbear at the end of Goblin Arrows and talk to him, and I panicked because I didnt have a voice for him ready, so Klarg the hulking bugbeard ended up with the high-pitched kermit voice I use to mock Jordan Peterson.

I was so horrified at myself but every one of my players loved it and left Klarg alone and made it very clear they want to visit him again.

Admiral Joeslop
Jul 8, 2010




tote up a bags posted:

In an unexpected twist the tiefling sorcerer managed to charm the Bugbear at the end of Goblin Arrows and talk to him, and I panicked because I didnt have a voice for him ready, so Klarg the hulking bugbeard ended up with the high-pitched kermit voice I use to mock Jordan Peterson.

I was so horrified at myself but every one of my players loved it and left Klarg alone and made it very clear they want to visit him again.

Is your group composed of members of the MacElray family?

koreban
Apr 4, 2008

I guess we all learned that trying to get along is way better than p. . .player hatin'.
Fun Shoe

bewilderment posted:

You don't need to combine Darkness with Shadow of Moil; Shadow of Moil makes you "heavily obscured to others" which means everyone else is effectively blinded with respect to you anyway.

Darkness + Devil's Sight is just how you do the same thing at earlier levels.

Shadow of Moil isn’t magical darkness. It will turn bright light into dim light which doesn’t impose disadvantage. Also I wasn’t able to find a definition for what Obscured translates to, mechanically.

quote:

Either way it means you have advantage to hit baddies and baddies have disadvantage to hit you.

Shadow Of Moil is also not a free damage aura; it's just a retaliation aura.

I stand corrected about the retaliation aura. That said, the question was about the three spells in combination, and that’s what it would do. I just pointed out some issues with them.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

bewilderment posted:

You don't need to combine Darkness with Shadow of Moil; Shadow of Moil makes you "heavily obscured to others" which means everyone else is effectively blinded with respect to you anyway.

Darkness + Devil's Sight is just how you do the same thing at earlier levels.

Either way it means you have advantage to hit baddies and baddies have disadvantage to hit you.

Shadow Of Moil is also not a free damage aura; it's just a retaliation aura.

Correct.

koreban posted:

Shadow of Moil isn’t magical darkness. It will turn bright light into dim light which doesn’t impose disadvantage. Also I wasn’t able to find a definition for what Obscured translates to, mechanically.

PHB, Ch. 8: Adventuring, The Environment, Vision and Light

A given area might be lightly or heavily obscured. In a lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog, or moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

A heavily obscured area—such as darkness, opaque fog, or dense foliage—blocks vision entirely. A creature in a heavily obscured area effectively suffers from the blinded condition (see the appendix). A heavily obscured area doesn't blind you, but you are effectively blinded when you try to see something obscured by it.


clusterfuck posted:

Yeah... I'm feeling a lot more inadequate and comfortable about my shadow monk ignoring the odd attack of opportunity with a fancy ring. How the hell does shadow monk not gain the ability to see through magical darkness...

2 level Warlock dip for Devil's Sight, or 3 level Gloom Stalker dip for Umbral Sight, is mandatory on Shadow Monk IMO.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

tote up a bags posted:

In an unexpected twist the tiefling sorcerer managed to charm the Bugbear at the end of Goblin Arrows and talk to him, and I panicked because I didnt have a voice for him ready, so Klarg the hulking bugbeard ended up with the high-pitched kermit voice I use to mock Jordan Peterson.

I was so horrified at myself but every one of my players loved it and left Klarg alone and made it very clear they want to visit him again.

Did they throw his wolf in the fire?

Oh someone already made a McElroy joke but oh well.

tote up a bags
Jun 8, 2006

die stoats die

Rosalind posted:

Did they throw his wolf in the fire?

Oh someone already made a McElroy joke but oh well.

No he was so taken with the Tiefling when the wolf snapped at him he kicked it across the room.
It was actually a really good experience for the players, as we are half new players and they got to see someone complete a challenge without combat.
I gave the tiefling a blink dagger as a reward too for being so cute :3:

Bad Seafood
Dec 10, 2010


If you must blink, do it now.
I know two people have already made the McElroys comparison but I remember thinking Charm was basically magical mind control when I first played (and using it accordingly) so I could definitely see another new player coming up with that strategy on their own.

ChaseSP
Mar 25, 2013



Charm used to be more powerful/horrific. I don't mind the current use out of combat even if it isn't great to use unless you know you're not going into combat.

Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Dec 22, 2005

GET LOSE, YOU CAN'T COMPARE WITH MY POWERS
Congrats on turning your players on to jordan peterson :twisted:

Firstborn
Oct 14, 2012

i'm the heckin best
yeah
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frig all the rest
NSFW dont click this please
dont go to 4chan

Section Z
Oct 1, 2008

Wait, this is the Moon.
How did I even get here?

Pillbug

clusterfuck posted:

Yeah... I'm feeling a lot more inadequate and comfortable about my shadow monk ignoring the odd attack of opportunity with a fancy ring. How the hell does shadow monk not gain the ability to see through magical darkness...
Because proper vision is often guarded as much, or MORE than casual flight for players depending on how things are being run.

On paper, if you pay attention to lightning mechanics the average party is going to have problems with the fact 90% of the world has darkvision so haha your rogue can't sneak because the fighter needs a torch which means he can't use a shield and no you are not allowed to hang a lantern on your belt- and it's a whole thing for the average party to slog through lightning mechanics in a world full of enemies that ignore anything but magical darkness.

In practice. A lot of GMs just ignore a lot of the lighting shuffle until the GM suddenly needs it for something. Or some player is trying to abuse the lightning system every five minutes.

For some jokes at 4th edition's expense, before supplement creep spat out a half dozen more races with Dark Vision instead of Low Light vision. The player version of kobold had NORMAL vision. It was declared not a typo, because "Darkvision is just that important". Everyone ignored this. Years later they officially gave player race version Kobolds Darkvision, alongside gutting shifty. Everyone ignored this too.

So, yeah. Vision types often make content writers go a bit loving crazy in the head for some reason.

Section Z fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Aug 22, 2018

ChaseSP
Mar 25, 2013



Lightning is in fact cool if it weren't for 5e making a pain to deal with by working by numbers. Or darkvision giving no penalties in sunlight. I know kobolds as a race get this as disadvantage but it's cancelled out by flanking in almost all situations combat wise.

Bad Seafood
Dec 10, 2010


If you must blink, do it now.
Artificial Womb
Wondrous item, legendary

Section Z
Oct 1, 2008

Wait, this is the Moon.
How did I even get here?

Pillbug

ChaseSP posted:

Lightning is in fact cool if it weren't for 5e making a pain to deal with by working by numbers. Or darkvision giving no penalties in sunlight. I know kobolds as a race get this as disadvantage but it's cancelled out by flanking in almost all situations combat wise.
Unless you're 5th ed Drow that is.

I kinda rolled my eyes at them making player drow hate sunlight again for faux oldschool reasons. Particularly because half the time I've ever seen enemy Drow the GMs ignore that problem so make up your loving mind universe.

"Well I was told if I play a Drow I'd have problems in sunlight. So at least these drow attacking us in the middle of the day for some reason will-oh they are perfectly fine."

I admit I'm kinda down on perception mechanics nitty gritty as a whole because of how comically poor my edge cases are in any given system. Even without going into how modules keep letting stuff like Minotaurs get free ambushes or whatever to ignore stealth mechanics entirely.

"Hello I'm an alien commando super hero making a perc check. oops it's a 1"
"You go BLIND!"
"....Whyyyy?"
"Uh, um.... I don't know, you had a stroke or something?"

loving jesus christ I wish this was a made up example.

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ChaseSP
Mar 25, 2013



That's why passive perception is a thing now at least (I know its from 4e) but that doesn't stop a lovely gm from making it every perception check is above your highest perception. The lesson is rules don't prevent assholes from ruining stuff in the end as usual.

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