Hi all. I have asked a few questions already in here and I much appreciate the help.
I have a few more based on last nights adventure and any advice/info is appreciated. We tried not to let anything bog us down and decided we would try clarify after we played.
1- Fighter. Action Surge Gained Level 2. Action Surge- From the PH it says (One Use) in the Fighters Table Level. In the Action Surge Description is says 'On your turn you can push yourself to one additional action on top of your regular Action and a possible bonus action' I see the Fighter gets a 2nd attack proper at L5.
2- Rogue Level 2, Cunning Action.
Party is in melee. Rogue is hidden in shadows prior to combat. Shoots his bow getting 'Sneak Attack'. He then uses Cunning Action to hide(Stealth) again. Next turn can he Shoot again using Sneak Attack and then re use Cunning Action to stealth again? Is it just a case of keep using the Stealth Roll v Perception until he is spotted?
3- Level 2 Rogue in Combat.
I realise they are not a Fighter, but a Rogue was in melee with a Goblin. They had an approx 50% chance to miss the goblin in melee...they missed twice and the goblin hit twice. It felt like they were kinda lacking options and were outmatched by the Goblin. Is that just a Rogue in Combat or am I missing something?
4- A DMing query. I found myself a little stuck on how to introduce each room? Each kinda felt the same, players mega hesitant and peeking round corner and goblins...I was struggling to explain and come up with unique answers....and it just came to a roll off between perception each time (I realise thats lack of Dming experience in motion but want to improve)
5- Recovering/using arrows. A player asked if they can recover arrows. I wasnt sure so said for now lets argue 50% are recoverable. Any right way to play this?
I know there are vids on how to improve the next phase (Village of Phandolin) but im still kind of dreading setting it up and playing a Village and guiding the players to the Manor or wherever else...
Hi all. I have asked a few questions already in here and I much appreciate the help.
I have a few more based on last nights adventure and any advice/info is appreciated. We tried not to let anything bog us down and decided we would try clarify after we played.
1- Fighter. Action Surge Gained Level 2. Action Surge- From the PH it says (One Use) in the Fighters Table Level. In the Action Surge Description is says 'On your turn you can push yourself to one additional action on top of your regular Action and a possible bonus action' I see the Fighter gets a 2nd attack proper at L5.
So, Action Surge gives you a second Action. Extra Attack gives you a second attack when you take the Attack Action. So, normally, you can only attack them once with your sword. At L5, everyone you decide to attack with your sword, you can actually them twice with your sword. Action Surge would allow you to take a second Action, so if you used Action Surge and attacked your opponent with your sword with both your Actions, you'd actually attack them four times.
2- Rogue Level 2, Cunning Action.
Party is in melee. Rogue is hidden in shadows prior to combat. Shoots his bow getting 'Sneak Attack'. He then uses Cunning Action to hide(Stealth) again. Next turn can he Shoot again using Sneak Attack and then re use Cunning Action to stealth again? Is it just a case of keep using the Stealth Roll v Perception until he is spotted?
Yes. So long as he's hiding after shooting each turn and succeeding on the check, then he's fine to repeat next turn.
3- Level 2 Rogue in Combat.
I realise they are not a Fighter, but a Rogue was in melee with a Goblin. They had an approx 50% chance to miss the goblin in melee...they missed twice and the goblin hit twice. It felt like they were kinda lacking options and were outmatched by the Goblin. Is that just a Rogue in Combat or am I missing something?
Just rolls of the dice. Rogues aren't intended to go toe-to-toe with enemies, and so the numbers don't favour this choice. But it's all about the rolls of dice added to those bonuses. Rogue's should be avoiding protract combat and will not do very well if they get caught up in it. You have to realise that if the dice don't favour you...you'll still lose. We had a Rogue keep critting (rolled something like 5 nat20s in six sets of rolls with Advantage, while the Ranger sat next to him rolled 8 nat1s in 15 rolls...plus a double nat1 Advantage) and kicked butt. Just how the dice roll at times.
4- A DMing query. I found myself a little stuck on how to introduce each room? Each kinda felt the same, players mega hesitant and peeking round corner and goblins...I was struggling to explain and come up with unique answers....and it just came to a roll off between perception each time (I realise thats lack of Dming experience in motion but want to improve)
I wouldn't roll perception every time. Just important rooms, interesting ones (Eg several enemies inside, etc) and ones that could have interesting results. It just slows things down and makes everything mundane if you do every room.
I'd add bits of personal touch. Rather than just a room, describe a room that has had something happen in it. For example, if you enter a goblin dining room (even if there are no goblins there at that moment in time), describe the aftermath of a food fight. Or perhaps only one half of the table because the goblin boss had had an intimate dinner with only one or two others. In short, imagine a scene that happened earlier, then describe what the room would look like when the characters come across it. It provides some variation, interest and a lived in world.
5- Recovering/using arrows. A player asked if they can recover arrows. I wasnt sure so said for now lets argue 50% are recoverable. Any right way to play this?
Yes. That's the rule, but you can change it if you want. Many tables don't bother tracking ammo. The standard rule is 50% after a minute of searching.
I know there are vids on how to improve the next phase (Village of Phandolin) but im still kind of dreading setting it up and playing a Village and guiding the players to the Manor or wherever else...
If there are specific questions, please ask. What exactly is it that you're dreading? I'm not asking that because I don't understand, I do, it's normal, but if you can answer what's giving you anxiety, we can give you tips on how to make things easier.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
3. What weapon was the rogue using? Typically, a rogue will have high dexterity and use a finesse weapon (which then uses dex as the attack stat in place of str), which should put them on par with everyone else in terms of how often they hit.
4. Describing things takes practice. One thing to watch out for, or use to your advantage, is that players will want their characters to interact with thing you describe. If you describe a desk in an office with the bookshelves, they’ll want to search the desk and the shelves. If you describe a couple specific items on the desk, they’ll become very interested in those items, and may ignore everything else. So, be careful what you draw their attention to.
He was using a short sword (so Dex I believe) Still needed a 11+ if I recall to hit...so odds were he would miss. It might just be me not used to it, but against a lowly Goblin, it felt tough on the Rogue.
1- Thanks, thats quite a brain twister for me as a new DM hehe.
2- Thanks, thought that was how it worked.
3- Got it.
4- Thanks, worth noting.
5- Ill have to have a read through and then check the adjustment suggestions vid and go from there. Guess my head was full of Cragmaw Hideout for last night....and read some of the Phandalin part in case they did head there.
So a Goblin has an AC of 15. Since Rogues are proficient with shorts words, they'll need to roll (plus bonuses) a 13 at level 1 to hit. Since you're saying that they need to roll an 11 to hit, that implies they have a Dex Modifier of +2 (so a Dex of 14 or 15), which is slightly low for the primary stat of a Rogue, I'd expect a +3 (a 16 or a 17). I'd perhaps look into that, since it would also affect their AC and Initiative, all really important things for a Rogue. Either they've rolled low or they've built the Rogue in a less than optimal way for combat.
However, that wouldn't make a massive difference to hit rate. About 10% less often. Note, he should be aiming for Advantage on almost every attack - which, mathematically, should mean they're hitting on roughly 65% of attacks, rather than 50% as implied by your estimations.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So a Goblin has an AC of 15. Since Rogues are proficient with shorts words, they'll need to roll (plus bonuses) a 13 at level 1 to hit. Since you're saying that they need to roll an 11 to hit, that implies they have a Dex Modifier of +2 (so a Dex of 14 or 15), which is slightly low for the primary stat of a Rogue, I'd expect a +3 (a 16 or a 17). I'd perhaps look into that, since it would also affect their AC and Initiative, all really important things for a Rogue. Either they've rolled low or they've built the Rogue in a less than optimal way for combat.
However, that wouldn't make a massive difference to hit rate. About 10% less often. Note, he should be aiming for Advantage on almost every attack - which, mathematically, should mean they're hitting on roughly 65% of attacks, rather than 50% as implied by your estimations.
Again, thanks for the input and help, appreciated.
How are ways he can look for advantage each attack? I know he can hide in shadows and fire a bow for example.
Oh and do every group of players approach every room and door with the caution and dread that a dragon is behind it? Every room, peering round the corner, or just opening the door a slight crack?
Most of your questions seem to have been answered so I won't dally too much on actual replies to them. The Rogue, as stated, seems to be a bit behind in primary stat (Dex) to need a relatively "high" roll to hit a Goblin. Similarly, his/her AC sounds like it may be low as well, allowing the goblin to hit him rather easily. This, sadly, is common for Rogues (Monks and Bards too) at lower levels. A relatively low hit die (for their HP) coupled with a relatively low AC means these classes want to hit and run as skirmishers, not face off toe to toe with their enemy. It happens (as with your case) and at that point, the dice gods determine how well the encounter might go for your Rogue. To gain advantage, they can try flanking (if you use that optional rule) or stealthing, as they seemed to.
Fighters, while pretty basic on the face, can sometimes do some impressive stuff in a round, using their Action Surge. As mentioned, after 5th, they can, potentially get 4 solid swipes with their huge 2 handed weapon, dishing out a huge burst of damage comparatively in a single round. Experienced Fighters tend to save their surge for clutch moments like a boss type fight or some such, but at times, a Fighter can appear as a whirlwind of death. In our group, we are level 13, so when our Fighter uses his Action Surge, we see him swinging his enchanted Greatsword a total of 6 times, and it isn't uncommon to see him dish out over 80 damage in that round, due to a high to-hit modifier (+12 I believe he is at)
Room descriptions, if you want or need to offer them, you should prep them before the session. Sketch the room out on paper if you want, describe what's going on in the room and so on. A party carefully opening doors is a symptom of new players, OR more seasoned players, who have been surprised a time or 2 by just flinging open doors. Again, to reference our own group, at level 13, with a few years playing behind us, we tend to listen at the door before opening it. When I DM for our group, I have every room they can encounter listed in my notes, with a description included. I do a fair bit of pre-work for my sessions, trying to NOT end up with dead spots and getting taken by surprise by something the group does. Naturally, the group stomps on my planning at times, and strolls off into an area or situation I haven't yet fleshed out, which requires some ad-libbing to get through. Lucky for me, I can create on the fly and make notes of what i am creating mid-session and still keep it flowing. Not a lot of people can just ad-lib stuff, so between a natural ability to be creative and practice, you will find it easier as time passes.
Most important thing is to have fun and make sure the players are having fun, too. I rule for ammo recovery, any miss is a lost piece of ammo for sure. On heavily armored opponents, some hits also damage ammo. Essentially, if our Ranger fires 6 arrows in an encounter with, say goblins, and hits on 5 of them, he will recover 5 of the 6 arrows he shot. If they were armored guards, I will usually go with 1/3 are damaged on hits, so he'd only get 4 back, as one was cracked or something. I also sometimes have arrows in the enemy break, if the fight goes on for any length, just to mix it up. My suggestion, as things stand, would be to stick with the 50% recovery, which is a rule somewhere and if you are finding your party is running out of ammo and you don't want them to, have them recover more, so they don't run out.
The most important thing to always remember is as DM, you are GOD here. What YOU say happens, happens. If you want or need the goblin to miss, he misses, simple as that. If you need him to hit, he hits. If the party desperately needs healing potions, ammo, food, or anything else, there is a hidden door someone notices, with a cache of (OMG!!) exactly what the party needs at that point. You control the story as required, and can intervene and add or remove bits as you see fit. Sometimes a hidden cache can be the difference between the party surviving the area (which you want) and suffering a TPK or even a PC death (which you may NOT want at a certain point) I try to limit "hand waving" things to just BE what I need, but at times, it's the best answer.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Talk to your Players.Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
So a Goblin has an AC of 15. Since Rogues are proficient with shorts words, they'll need to roll (plus bonuses) a 13 at level 1 to hit. Since you're saying that they need to roll an 11 to hit, that implies they have a Dex Modifier of +2 (so a Dex of 14 or 15), which is slightly low for the primary stat of a Rogue, I'd expect a +3 (a 16 or a 17). I'd perhaps look into that, since it would also affect their AC and Initiative, all really important things for a Rogue. Either they've rolled low or they've built the Rogue in a less than optimal way for combat.
However, that wouldn't make a massive difference to hit rate. About 10% less often. Note, he should be aiming for Advantage on almost every attack - which, mathematically, should mean they're hitting on roughly 65% of attacks, rather than 50% as implied by your estimations.
Again, thanks for the input and help, appreciated.
How are ways he can look for advantage each attack? I know he can hide in shadows and fire a bow for example.
So it depends on how you play. The obvious one is that at L3, he'll get Steady Aim, where if he hasn't moved that turn (and won't move(, he can use his Bonus Action to get Advantage. If you play the optional flanking rule (if the target has another enemy on the other side of him, so forming a line with the Rogue with the target in the middle), he gets advantage then. Obviously, if he's hidden or invisible, he gets it. If he chooses Assassin as his subclass (I'venever played it but people don't recommend it, and it does look...bad), he can get it by hitting someone who hasn't taken their turn yet. If someone casts Faerie Fire then attacks against those affected have Advantage. Foresight grants it. The Help by another character grants it. If the target is Blinded or Prone or Stunned.
There are tons of ways to do it, but it does take work to set it up, which is the tricky part of playing a Rogue.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So a Goblin has an AC of 15. Since Rogues are proficient with shorts words, they'll need to roll (plus bonuses) a 13 at level 1 to hit. Since you're saying that they need to roll an 11 to hit, that implies they have a Dex Modifier of +2 (so a Dex of 14 or 15), which is slightly low for the primary stat of a Rogue, I'd expect a +3 (a 16 or a 17). I'd perhaps look into that, since it would also affect their AC and Initiative, all really important things for a Rogue. Either they've rolled low or they've built the Rogue in a less than optimal way for combat.
However, that wouldn't make a massive difference to hit rate. About 10% less often. Note, he should be aiming for Advantage on almost every attack - which, mathematically, should mean they're hitting on roughly 65% of attacks, rather than 50% as implied by your estimations.
Again, thanks for the input and help, appreciated.
How are ways he can look for advantage each attack? I know he can hide in shadows and fire a bow for example.
So it depends on how you play. The obvious one is that at L3, he'll get Steady Aim, where if he hasn't moved that turn (and won't move(, he can use his Bonus Action to get Advantage. If you play the optional flanking rule (if the target has another enemy on the other side of him, so forming a line with the Rogue with the target in the middle), he gets advantage then. Obviously, if he's hidden or invisible, he gets it. If he chooses Assassin as his subclass (I'venever played it but people don't recommend it, and it does look...bad), he can get it by hitting someone who hasn't taken their turn yet. If someone casts Faerie Fire then attacks against those affected have Advantage. Foresight grants it. The Help by another character grants it. If the target is Blinded or Prone or Stunned.
There are tons of ways to do it, but it does take work to set it up, which is the tricky part of playing a Rogue.
Steady Aim at third level? Looking in the Players Handbook atm but I cant see that?
Apologies, I deal with my kids a lot and don't have the time to sit down with books, so I didn't realise it was from Tasha's. But yeah, if he hasn't moved yet, he can use his Bonus Action to Steady Aim to give himself Advantage on his attack. His speed drops to 0 though, so he can't move afterwards.
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Hi all. I have asked a few questions already in here and I much appreciate the help.
I have a few more based on last nights adventure and any advice/info is appreciated. We tried not to let anything bog us down and decided we would try clarify after we played.
1- Fighter. Action Surge Gained Level 2. Action Surge- From the PH it says (One Use) in the Fighters Table Level. In the Action Surge Description is says 'On your turn you can push yourself to one additional action on top of your regular Action and a possible bonus action' I see the Fighter gets a 2nd attack proper at L5.
2- Rogue Level 2, Cunning Action.
Party is in melee. Rogue is hidden in shadows prior to combat. Shoots his bow getting 'Sneak Attack'. He then uses Cunning Action to hide(Stealth) again. Next turn can he Shoot again using Sneak Attack and then re use Cunning Action to stealth again? Is it just a case of keep using the Stealth Roll v Perception until he is spotted?
3- Level 2 Rogue in Combat.
I realise they are not a Fighter, but a Rogue was in melee with a Goblin. They had an approx 50% chance to miss the goblin in melee...they missed twice and the goblin hit twice. It felt like they were kinda lacking options and were outmatched by the Goblin. Is that just a Rogue in Combat or am I missing something?
4- A DMing query. I found myself a little stuck on how to introduce each room? Each kinda felt the same, players mega hesitant and peeking round corner and goblins...I was struggling to explain and come up with unique answers....and it just came to a roll off between perception each time (I realise thats lack of Dming experience in motion but want to improve)
5- Recovering/using arrows. A player asked if they can recover arrows. I wasnt sure so said for now lets argue 50% are recoverable. Any right way to play this?
I know there are vids on how to improve the next phase (Village of Phandolin) but im still kind of dreading setting it up and playing a Village and guiding the players to the Manor or wherever else...
So, Action Surge gives you a second Action. Extra Attack gives you a second attack when you take the Attack Action. So, normally, you can only attack them once with your sword. At L5, everyone you decide to attack with your sword, you can actually them twice with your sword. Action Surge would allow you to take a second Action, so if you used Action Surge and attacked your opponent with your sword with both your Actions, you'd actually attack them four times.
Yes. So long as he's hiding after shooting each turn and succeeding on the check, then he's fine to repeat next turn.
Just rolls of the dice. Rogues aren't intended to go toe-to-toe with enemies, and so the numbers don't favour this choice. But it's all about the rolls of dice added to those bonuses. Rogue's should be avoiding protract combat and will not do very well if they get caught up in it. You have to realise that if the dice don't favour you...you'll still lose. We had a Rogue keep critting (rolled something like 5 nat20s in six sets of rolls with Advantage, while the Ranger sat next to him rolled 8 nat1s in 15 rolls...plus a double nat1 Advantage) and kicked butt. Just how the dice roll at times.
I wouldn't roll perception every time. Just important rooms, interesting ones (Eg several enemies inside, etc) and ones that could have interesting results. It just slows things down and makes everything mundane if you do every room.
I'd add bits of personal touch. Rather than just a room, describe a room that has had something happen in it. For example, if you enter a goblin dining room (even if there are no goblins there at that moment in time), describe the aftermath of a food fight. Or perhaps only one half of the table because the goblin boss had had an intimate dinner with only one or two others. In short, imagine a scene that happened earlier, then describe what the room would look like when the characters come across it. It provides some variation, interest and a lived in world.
Yes. That's the rule, but you can change it if you want. Many tables don't bother tracking ammo. The standard rule is 50% after a minute of searching.
If there are specific questions, please ask. What exactly is it that you're dreading? I'm not asking that because I don't understand, I do, it's normal, but if you can answer what's giving you anxiety, we can give you tips on how to make things easier.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
3. What weapon was the rogue using? Typically, a rogue will have high dexterity and use a finesse weapon (which then uses dex as the attack stat in place of str), which should put them on par with everyone else in terms of how often they hit.
4. Describing things takes practice. One thing to watch out for, or use to your advantage, is that players will want their characters to interact with thing you describe. If you describe a desk in an office with the bookshelves, they’ll want to search the desk and the shelves. If you describe a couple specific items on the desk, they’ll become very interested in those items, and may ignore everything else. So, be careful what you draw their attention to.
He was using a short sword (so Dex I believe) Still needed a 11+ if I recall to hit...so odds were he would miss. It might just be me not used to it, but against a lowly Goblin, it felt tough on the Rogue.
Thanks, worth noting.
1- Thanks, thats quite a brain twister for me as a new DM hehe.
2- Thanks, thought that was how it worked.
3- Got it.
4- Thanks, worth noting.
5- Ill have to have a read through and then check the adjustment suggestions vid and go from there. Guess my head was full of Cragmaw Hideout for last night....and read some of the Phandalin part in case they did head there.
So a Goblin has an AC of 15. Since Rogues are proficient with shorts words, they'll need to roll (plus bonuses) a 13 at level 1 to hit. Since you're saying that they need to roll an 11 to hit, that implies they have a Dex Modifier of +2 (so a Dex of 14 or 15), which is slightly low for the primary stat of a Rogue, I'd expect a +3 (a 16 or a 17). I'd perhaps look into that, since it would also affect their AC and Initiative, all really important things for a Rogue. Either they've rolled low or they've built the Rogue in a less than optimal way for combat.
However, that wouldn't make a massive difference to hit rate. About 10% less often. Note, he should be aiming for Advantage on almost every attack - which, mathematically, should mean they're hitting on roughly 65% of attacks, rather than 50% as implied by your estimations.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Again, thanks for the input and help, appreciated.
How are ways he can look for advantage each attack? I know he can hide in shadows and fire a bow for example.
Oh and do every group of players approach every room and door with the caution and dread that a dragon is behind it? Every room, peering round the corner, or just opening the door a slight crack?
Most of your questions seem to have been answered so I won't dally too much on actual replies to them. The Rogue, as stated, seems to be a bit behind in primary stat (Dex) to need a relatively "high" roll to hit a Goblin. Similarly, his/her AC sounds like it may be low as well, allowing the goblin to hit him rather easily. This, sadly, is common for Rogues (Monks and Bards too) at lower levels. A relatively low hit die (for their HP) coupled with a relatively low AC means these classes want to hit and run as skirmishers, not face off toe to toe with their enemy. It happens (as with your case) and at that point, the dice gods determine how well the encounter might go for your Rogue. To gain advantage, they can try flanking (if you use that optional rule) or stealthing, as they seemed to.
Fighters, while pretty basic on the face, can sometimes do some impressive stuff in a round, using their Action Surge. As mentioned, after 5th, they can, potentially get 4 solid swipes with their huge 2 handed weapon, dishing out a huge burst of damage comparatively in a single round. Experienced Fighters tend to save their surge for clutch moments like a boss type fight or some such, but at times, a Fighter can appear as a whirlwind of death. In our group, we are level 13, so when our Fighter uses his Action Surge, we see him swinging his enchanted Greatsword a total of 6 times, and it isn't uncommon to see him dish out over 80 damage in that round, due to a high to-hit modifier (+12 I believe he is at)
Room descriptions, if you want or need to offer them, you should prep them before the session. Sketch the room out on paper if you want, describe what's going on in the room and so on. A party carefully opening doors is a symptom of new players, OR more seasoned players, who have been surprised a time or 2 by just flinging open doors. Again, to reference our own group, at level 13, with a few years playing behind us, we tend to listen at the door before opening it. When I DM for our group, I have every room they can encounter listed in my notes, with a description included. I do a fair bit of pre-work for my sessions, trying to NOT end up with dead spots and getting taken by surprise by something the group does. Naturally, the group stomps on my planning at times, and strolls off into an area or situation I haven't yet fleshed out, which requires some ad-libbing to get through. Lucky for me, I can create on the fly and make notes of what i am creating mid-session and still keep it flowing. Not a lot of people can just ad-lib stuff, so between a natural ability to be creative and practice, you will find it easier as time passes.
Most important thing is to have fun and make sure the players are having fun, too. I rule for ammo recovery, any miss is a lost piece of ammo for sure. On heavily armored opponents, some hits also damage ammo. Essentially, if our Ranger fires 6 arrows in an encounter with, say goblins, and hits on 5 of them, he will recover 5 of the 6 arrows he shot. If they were armored guards, I will usually go with 1/3 are damaged on hits, so he'd only get 4 back, as one was cracked or something. I also sometimes have arrows in the enemy break, if the fight goes on for any length, just to mix it up. My suggestion, as things stand, would be to stick with the 50% recovery, which is a rule somewhere and if you are finding your party is running out of ammo and you don't want them to, have them recover more, so they don't run out.
The most important thing to always remember is as DM, you are GOD here. What YOU say happens, happens. If you want or need the goblin to miss, he misses, simple as that. If you need him to hit, he hits. If the party desperately needs healing potions, ammo, food, or anything else, there is a hidden door someone notices, with a cache of (OMG!!) exactly what the party needs at that point. You control the story as required, and can intervene and add or remove bits as you see fit. Sometimes a hidden cache can be the difference between the party surviving the area (which you want) and suffering a TPK or even a PC death (which you may NOT want at a certain point) I try to limit "hand waving" things to just BE what I need, but at times, it's the best answer.
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
So it depends on how you play. The obvious one is that at L3, he'll get Steady Aim, where if he hasn't moved that turn (and won't move(, he can use his Bonus Action to get Advantage. If you play the optional flanking rule (if the target has another enemy on the other side of him, so forming a line with the Rogue with the target in the middle), he gets advantage then. Obviously, if he's hidden or invisible, he gets it. If he chooses Assassin as his subclass (I'venever played it but people don't recommend it, and it does look...bad), he can get it by hitting someone who hasn't taken their turn yet. If someone casts Faerie Fire then attacks against those affected have Advantage. Foresight grants it. The Help by another character grants it. If the target is Blinded or Prone or Stunned.
There are tons of ways to do it, but it does take work to set it up, which is the tricky part of playing a Rogue.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Steady Aim at third level? Looking in the Players Handbook atm but I cant see that?
Thanks
It's an optional rule in Tasha's. Are you only using the PHB??
Ah thanks.
Yes only bought the LMOP starter set and had used an online PDF of the PHB to check a few things (Will buy it though)
Apologies, I deal with my kids a lot and don't have the time to sit down with books, so I didn't realise it was from Tasha's. But yeah, if he hasn't moved yet, he can use his Bonus Action to Steady Aim to give himself Advantage on his attack. His speed drops to 0 though, so he can't move afterwards.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.