I'm doing a mini-series on D&D Debates and I was curious if there are any rules that you and your game master or players often argue about? Is there some rule that you both interpret way differently? I know the parameters of DIMENSION DOOR spell always turns into at least a five minute discussion at our table. How about you?
p.s. I'm 5e all the way but I'm down to hear anything.
My players do what I say, when I say, and exactly to my specifications or else they immediately lose their characters and have to start from 0th-level. I brook no argument or dissent amongst the ranks of my devout worshipers. Such insolence must be stamped out and all rebellious desires crushed beneath the bootheel of my benevolent dominance.
Unless it comes to what we're getting for dinner, then I'm always outvoted :(
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
My discussions usually revolve around hey i don't think it works that way, all right we will roll with it until the end of the evening and then we can look it up. We like to keep things rolling and if it makes things fun lets go for it. It is about 50/50 who is right in any event so far. I make my share of mistakes and they interpret things differently than I would. We also have known each other for 15+ years so we have a pretty solid relationship.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
In my group of friends we just yell at each other and we all think we're right until we check the books and it turns out either only one of us were right or we were all wrong. Besides that, we usually just run with what I (the DM) think is the best course of action until we know what the rule is.
Thanks to StackExchange, a desire to know/follow the rules, and a "rules discussions can be replaced with a quick die roll (low=bad for player, high=good for player) until it can be researched later" houserule, my groups almost never have rule debates.
That said, two issues that I see a lot in 5e:
Players never seem to get a surprise round (because they all make separate stealth rolls), but DM's often do (usually because they make one stealth roll)
Does your Passive Perception apply if you roll lower than it on a Perception Roll?
Oh man that passive perception thing... yeah. I mean, on one hand, if you can perceive without even trying at a certain level shouldnt it count? But on the other hand, does an active perception roll mean that you make a more concerted effort and therefor can get in your own way?
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by surprise round
Surprise Round is something from earlier editions where one side got to act and the other just got pounded. 5e has the surprised condition which is much simpler in its effects.
Players never seem to get a surprise round (because they all make separate stealth rolls), but DM's often do (usually because they make one stealth roll)
Group skill checks are described in the PHB:
To make a group ability check, everyone in the group makes the ability check. If at least half the group succeeds, the whole group succeeds. Otherwise, the group fails.
So if half the group succeeds, surprised enemies ahoy. :)
Surprise Round is something from earlier editions where one side got to act and the other just got pounded. 5e has the surprised condition which is much simpler in its effects.
Right. Still, isn't "surprise round" (not "Surprise Round") semantically valid to indicate the initial round in which some combatants are surprised (i.e. have the surprised condition)? Not sure what else I would call it.
I give surprise to individuals, it is less swingy that way. So if the enemies are hiding in an ambush and A+B spot them before they attack but C+D don't, then only C+D are surpised.
Surprise Round is something from earlier editions where one side got to act and the other just got pounded. 5e has the surprised condition which is much simpler in its effects.
Right. Still, isn't "surprise round" (not "Surprise Round") semantically valid to indicate the initial round in which some combatants are surprised (i.e. have the surprised condition)? Not sure what else I would call it.
True, but the surprised condition ends as soon as a player would have acted. Plus, all characters roll Initiative, so a surprised character could roll high, win initiative, and later in the round still get his reactions/Bonus actions. This would also mean that he could not be sneak attacked/Assassinated. There is a Sage Advice about it somewhere.
Players never seem to get a surprise round (because they all make separate stealth rolls), but DM's often do (usually because they make one stealth roll)
Does your Passive Perception apply if you roll lower than it on a Perception Roll?
1. I started using group checks more to switch things up. Also, there are situations where one player gets the jump in an encounter, but others don’t.
2. This was settled in Sage Advice on the 4/27/17 episode of Dragon Talk titled “James Haeck ok D&D Writing”. The whole segment is about Stealth and Crawford says Passive Perception is a floor - you can’t go below that with a check. Whether or not you agree or implement that is up to you, and there are cases for and against it.
I would recommend DMs and players listen to it if you get a chance because it really delves into Stealth, which is one of the most nebulous areas of 5e, in my opinion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm doing a mini-series on D&D Debates and I was curious if there are any rules that you and your game master or players often argue about? Is there some rule that you both interpret way differently? I know the parameters of DIMENSION DOOR spell always turns into at least a five minute discussion at our table. How about you?
p.s. I'm 5e all the way but I'm down to hear anything.
Go forth and quest! GARAGE QUEST: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYIIzXhbLpxNWK52x4wUWUw
My players do what I say, when I say, and exactly to my specifications or else they immediately lose their characters and have to start from 0th-level. I brook no argument or dissent amongst the ranks of my devout worshipers. Such insolence must be stamped out and all rebellious desires crushed beneath the bootheel of my benevolent dominance.
Unless it comes to what we're getting for dinner, then I'm always outvoted :(
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
Had a "discussion" with my DM regarding RAW and RAIBDM.
Resulted in:
"But that's cheating!"
"SO?!"
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
My discussions usually revolve around hey i don't think it works that way, all right we will roll with it until the end of the evening and then we can look it up. We like to keep things rolling and if it makes things fun lets go for it. It is about 50/50 who is right in any event so far. I make my share of mistakes and they interpret things differently than I would. We also have known each other for 15+ years so we have a pretty solid relationship.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
In my group of friends we just yell at each other and we all think we're right until we check the books and it turns out either only one of us were right or we were all wrong. Besides that, we usually just run with what I (the DM) think is the best course of action until we know what the rule is.
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Thanks to StackExchange, a desire to know/follow the rules, and a "rules discussions can be replaced with a quick die roll (low=bad for player, high=good for player) until it can be researched later" houserule, my groups almost never have rule debates.
That said, two issues that I see a lot in 5e:
Oh man that passive perception thing... yeah. I mean, on one hand, if you can perceive without even trying at a certain level shouldnt it count? But on the other hand, does an active perception roll mean that you make a more concerted effort and therefor can get in your own way?
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by surprise round
Go forth and quest! GARAGE QUEST: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYIIzXhbLpxNWK52x4wUWUw
Surprise Round is something from earlier editions where one side got to act and the other just got pounded. 5e has the surprised condition which is much simpler in its effects.
I give surprise to individuals, it is less swingy that way. So if the enemies are hiding in an ambush and A+B spot them before they attack but C+D don't, then only C+D are surpised.
Southampton Guild of Roleplayers
My YouTube (C&C Welcome!)
Some debates my group has had:
What kind of projectile can or can't a monk deflect? This came about because of the monk getting hit by a ballista bolt.
Less of argument/ debate, but we all have very different views on the encumbrance rule.
Occasionally one of us will mix up 3.5 and 5e rules, but that's usually not a problem to resolve.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?