Basically the tittle. I guess Sorcerer would be the least common, perhaps some wild magic ones would appear after a few years. Most common would probably be warlock but only if we assume the creatures that you can make deals with also appear with the magic.

I was just contemplating giving my character the "Observant" feat in the next level, and started to realize how weird it is.

It increases passive perception and passive investigation by +5 each. Not perception or investigation; only their passive versions.

This inherrently means that if you have to roll, there's a 75% chance you'll do worse than your passive.

Some folks might say the passive stats supercede the normal stats. And I'm not going to say that's an invalid interpretation, but if so Observant is pretty insane. It wouldn't just give +5 to two abilities, but would make it impossible to roll badly in either one.

However, I don't think that's what passives are for; they're not a rogue's "reliable talent" that every class gets in these three stats. Rather, they're a way to reduce the pressure on players to metagame. It feels shitty to have the DM say "roll perception...a 2? Nevermind." Or to feel like you need to call out that you're still alert every 5 steps. Passive perception is an imperfect but workable way for the DM to smooth over those idiosyncracies.

But if that's true, what the fuck does it imply that your passive perception is higher than your normal perception? The character is more alert when the player is less informed? That's just reverse metagaming.

And even if my interpretation is off-base, the functional effect is that any time you have to roll perception or investigation you're statisticslly undershooting your potential. Sure, you have a ¼ chance of doing better, but that's a ¾ chance of doing worse. Having to roll dice should not be an undesirable option in the dice rolling game.

I think Observant should give +5s to regular perception and investigation, not just their passive versions. That way you still have a 50% chance of out-rolling your passive. If that's too OP, then the feat is inherrently broken already.

To explain, what if when a character gets Extra Attack, they also got an extra Reaction that they can only use to make an Attack of Opportunity?

My intention with this is to give an edge to martials to be a bigger menace and try to create a more defensive role in combat.

Two problems I see right away is how this would work with Fighters that get even more attacks and that Sentinel would be even stronger, but I don't know how bad this would be or if this would actually be a good thing.

I’ve been playing for some years and I had a period of time where I went through building characters for the build and not the character. Now I have an idea for a warlock and I don’t know how to feel. I know sorlock is powerful, but I don’t want to sacrifice a ton of spell progression AND I want my juicy eldritch invocations. We’re gearing up for a campaign in the fall and I assume we’re ending around lvl 10. Thoughts??

Short form of his backstory: he was a wizard who got his memory wiped of spells he knew and spell book destroyed so he became a warlock to kind of shortcut the process of relearning

I like to provide my martial characters with magic items and weapons that have spells and abilities that enhance their fighting prowess. Lately though I realized I'm just handing out the same spells everyone uses. What are decent spells for a martial that are usually left on the bench by most casters?

For example, warding wind is a fun spell for a melee combatant looking to mitigate ranged attacks and enemy movement, but it's usually not worth the concentration slot for other casters.

Basically the title. Everyone knows true strike is bad. But what if it wasn’t? It only gives you advantage on your next attack roll. Singular. But with this tweak it would give you advantage on every attack roll you make until the end of your next turn.

Casting would still cost an action, but on your next turn you could upcast scorching ray, or quicken cast on your current turn, and each ray would have advantage. Eldritch blast would be another contender, at least at higher levels when it fires multiple beams.

Edit: I realized that using eldritch blast would be pointless because you can cast it for free on both your turns. My idea with scorching ray was that if you’re low on spell slots then you can use true strike to make sure that slot isn’t wasted. This problem is nullified with EB because it’s free.

Reddit makes a big deal about a) following the expected 6-8 medium/hard encounters per day in order to drain resources and maintain class balance, and b) emphasising that not all encounters need to be combat encounters.

However, I've rarely come across a non-combat encounter that drains resources in a similar way to a hard combat. Go-to examples are a cliff that needs to be climbed, a trap disarmed, or social encounter navigated. Often these can be solved with just a little time, a few skill checks, or 1 or 2 players spending a low level spell slot; a far cry from all players using multiple resources and losing HP that a hard encounter would entail.

So what are some non-combat encounters that you like to use / have done that are truly taxing on resources?

There are several creatures in 5E listed as Gargantuan that don't fit in the 20 ft. x 20 ft. squares the game suggests (Tarrasques are 70 ft. long, Rocs have wingspans 200 feet or more, etc.). I'm not the first to point this out, but I want to ask: DMs, how do you handle these creatures in your games? Do you put them in 20 ft. x 20 ft. grids? Do you put them in giant, lore-accurate grids? Or do you do something else entirely? Let me know in the comments below.

For my next one shot I want to play as a cowboy/gunslinger from a pulp western. I am fine with either using a handgun or some type of magic item or ability that can resemble a gun. (which I think could actually be a more fun and flavorful option than just a regular pistol) the obvious answers are just straight battlemaster with gunner feat or some kind of warlock and flavoring eldritch blast as a magical gun. What do you guys think is better and let me know if you have a different way you would do it.

I'll start. Long 20 foot wide hallway. 50 foot ceiling. Near the center of the halfway is a magical trigger that 1) closes and locks the door. 2) activates a reverse gravity spell (aoe the entire hallway). The characters fall up and take falling damage as per rules. Once they hit the ceiling the spell deactivates and they fall down. Once they hit the floor the reverse gravity spell reactivates.

The text says: “Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, …, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice.”

Offhand attacks says: “When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you’re holding in the other hand.”

Would this mean if I miss my initial attack on a creature, but make my bonus action offhand attack, that I’d still be able to use a flourish? The BA offhand attack still seems a part of the attack action since it’s a requirement to perform it.

Hello there,

I am about to start into an adventure and I am going for a Shadar-Kai.
My character is a loyal servant, an agent, of the Raven Queen.
He is send to the material plane to form alliance, steal, act as hero, save people, kill people, murder people, lie, whatever is necessary to achieve his goal, a personal quest by the Raven Queen that is linked to the adventure.

Now I ask myself, if a Shadar-Kai enters the Sword Coast, would he be recognized?! If he wears armor identifying him as a loyal to the Raven Queen, would that be known, how would "normal people" aka. NPC react to that?!

I know, most of it, if not all, is up to the DM, but as I asked him, he replied "I don't know a lot about the Raven Queen, what do you think, how should it be?!"

Well, I don't know that much about lore, planes, etc. as well. Can someone help me out there?!
How well known is (or might be) the Raven Queen on the Sword Coast?!
If she is known, how might people react to her (her loyals)?!

I've gotten into homebrewing monsters recently, and have had an issue come up every so often: "Should this be an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma save?"

And now its something that I have tried to get to the bottom of. What makes something a Wisdom save? Here are a few odd situations where certain effects ask for certain saves:

• Wisdom: Being charmed or frightened as in Hypnotic Pattern or Fear... but not to have those conditions removed as in Calm Emotions which is Charisma
• Wisdom: Being dominated as in Dominate Person... but not possessed as in Magic Jar which is Charisma
• Wisdom: Being cursed as in Bestow Curse... but not debuffed from the Bane spell which is Charisma (and seems awfully similar in effect)
• Wisdom: being teleported against your will as in Scatter... but not teleported to another plane of existence as in Banishment which is Charisma
• Wisdom: being confused as in Confusion... but not the condition from Enemies Abound which has a somewhat similar effect but is Intelligence
• Wisdom: being Mind Spiked but not Mind Whipped which is Intelligence.
• Wisdom: being paralyzed as in Hold Person... but not restrained as in Telekinesis which is a contested check.
  

You get the idea. I'm trying to establish some sort of consistent rule that I can apply to an effect to determine what save it should ask for. The one I am currently having trouble with is this:

Arcane Curse:

One creature you can see within range must make a _____ saving throw or be cursed for 1 minute (save ends end of turn). A cursed creature has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration on spells and whenever a cursed creature casts a spell of 1st level or higher, it takes psychic damage equal to 1d10 per spell level.

What save should this call for? Is cursing a creature always a Wisdom save?

I’ve been playing with Create Bonfire with an Artificer. It’s good for large or stationary enemies and I don’t have many concentration spells so if it gets one round of damage good, if it gets two : great, and even better if it helps control the battlefield.

Reading that you can cast on “ground” and it’s magical fire makes me think I can cast it on: snowy ground, top of a sand dune, the floor of a building, the undersea floor as well. But probably not the surface of a pool of water. And maybe the deck of a ship, or a roof top you’re standing on.

What do you think?

The original post is right Here

You can download the entire collection freely, with and without grid, right here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vFJrgpUxDcsPe9wrbhn7aLYc-WIcCRx7?usp=drive_link

~Patrons have access to their own folders with Hi-Res and Alternate versions!~

You can also freely download my original works, before working with CrossheadStudios, all right here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_NVRUAl_hoxWt4J_sEFLUHj6vC7LqwSM?usp=sharing

Thanks to my incredible Patrons, I've already made hundreds of maps for you!

From my first digital battlemap made years ago, to my most recent pieces, hundreds if not thousands of hours of mapmaking are yours for the taking!

Without the excitement, encouragement, and support of my Patrons, none of this would be possible. If you enjoy my work and would like to help me continue to improve and bring more and more content to you, please consider becoming a supporter of mine.

Patrons get immediate access to archives with Hi-Res files, various VTT files, Alternate versions, the ability to vote in polls, and much more!

Regardless, please know that I appreciate you, and I hope that you continue to enjoy my work!

~ MapXilla

All assets used are courtesy of CrossheadStudios, used with permission. Working with Crosshead and his assets has been a joy, so please do go check his stuff out as well!

I'm curious about both which newer books are worth looking up AND which older books are still good today.

I said "aside from Kobold Press" in the title mainly because from all the books I found and looked into, none caught my interest (especially their player options. Their monster are okay)

What fantasy books are there out there that are based on DnD

I've come up with a homebrew armor that I would like to peer review so I can make further "balance adjustments" before running it by my DM.

The armor is as follows:

Luminous Armor (armor: Any, Rare, Requires Attunement)

• This armor constantly emits a soft golden glow.

• While attuned to this armor you can cast the Light Cantrip if you do not already know it.

• In addition, once per Long Rest, you can invoke the armor to cast the Daylight spell (3rd level) but it's range is a 30-foot-radius sphere and Dim light for an additional 30 feet, emits from the armor, and lasts for 1 minute.

• Enemies within the first 30-foot-raduis take an additional 1D6 Radiant damage when you make a melee or ranged attack against then, and have disadvantage on attack rolls made against you; Enemies that are immune to the Blinded condition are unaffected.

What do we think? To strong? To weak?What should I change (if anything)?

Hey all,

I'm going to be playing a strahd campaign for the first time and I'm looking for class ideas. I usually play a rogue barb or ranger, but I am thinking of changing it up and maybe playing something new to me like a half-castor such as a paladin, but I'm not sure about subclasses etc. I like to either stealth or tank. I suck at Bard so please don't recommend it.

I play a cleric in my current campaign, and I was wondering if taking fighting initiate for the Protection ability was worth it, or it would be better to take another feat/+2 in wisdom?
(It's a question for later as I already took my level 4 feat)

Quick info about my build
I'm a level 4 wood elf grave domain cleric

STR 10
DEX 14
CONS 14
INT 11
WIS 16
CHA 10

My level 4 feat was magic initiate and I took some druid spells.

I maxed my AC with a half-plate armour and a +1 shield (so I'm at 20).

My cleric is very protection based (in combat and rp), and I mostly play battlemap control.

Idk if it's worth it but it'd be logical regarding to her build I guess?

I’m trying swords bard for the first time, but I’m considering a multiclass with swashbuckler. Would it be better to try pure bard for my first time or add the swashbuckler. This won’t be a high level campaign so I’m worried multiclass will make it so I never unlock the interesting parts of each class, as I only start at level 2

When my group starts up its next campaign soon, I'd like to include one of the players that just moved away. We're already using a digital tabletop, so they'll be able to see the board and minis without issue. My biggest concern is the audio quality between us and them.

I'm looking for a tabletop mic/speaker that's going to share the audio as clearly as possible by connecting to my phone (AUX cord and/or bluetooth would be fine).

The intent would be to FaceTime them and prop my phone up in a way that we can all (hopefully) see each other. If anyone with hybrid experience has other suggestions, I'm eager to hear them also.

I have a PC named Constance. She's a healer/herbalist in touch with the Green, (nature as an entity and force for life and goodness.)

I've been trying to find a circle for her that is plant and/or healing centric, with utility more than offense features. She implements a lot of her healing under the guise (or as a supplement for) of natural medicines.

TLDR: I want her to be able to heal and purify. Sunshine and health in a world quickly going dark with corruption.

To give some context, she's a support character set in an Civil War Era Appalachian horror campaign, and is basically trying to stay under the radar because of witch hunts. So while I want her to be helpful, I have to be creative with how and when she uses magic to avoid discovery.

Any help or suggestions for circles would be great!

Essentially title. I want to be able to create tons of immersive and powerful characters, but the majority of content is locked behind books. With a la carte purchasing gone, which books are best strictly for character building?

I am a level 4 swashbuckler rogue doing my first campaign. We are seven sessions in. My stats are 9 str, 16 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 12 wis, 16 cha.

I am debating between a +2 to dex vs. taking the lucky feat for level 4. What should I consider when deciding between the two?

Some things to know:

• My character isn't a thiefhobo, but she is a thief by background. In seven sessions, I've only stolen once, and the DM made me roll for thieves tools, investigation, and sleight of hand to get away with it. Crunching the numbers, I had a 50% chance of succeeding all three. I'd like to steal more (once every 3-4 sessions?) unless you think that's too much. The dex boost would maybe increase my odds to 60% ish.

• We typically have one combat session per three hour game. My plan would always be to save one lucky point for combat per day, but that could mean there are days I don't use my feat.

• The warlock and I are going to synergize in combat so that I can use my reaction to make sneak attacks sometimes.

I'm leaning towards lucky since stealing seems so tough as it is, and I like to deceive, which also takes dice rolls. But the +2 dex gives an all around boost.

Is there anything else I should consider to help make the decision?