So, I decided to massively over achieve and start my experience with DnD by jumping directly behind the DM screen. Not only that, I've opted to home brew. Yikes.
I have a handful of random questions that I've come across through my first few sessions with my players, and was hoping that y'all could help me out in answering them.
- When a player casts a spell with an affect radius, and there are multiple targets within that area, do all targets take damage (either full or half depending on failed/passed saving throw)? Or does my player have to specify who within the range they want to damage?
- If I have someone sneaking around my players and the sneak-er rolls a 10 for a stealth check, but my player has a passive perception of 12, do my players automatically see them?
- Along the same lines, is a Stealth check the only thing to use when trying to be sneaky, and you have to use it? Like, there's passive perception, but is there/can there be a version of passive stealth? 10+DEX Modifier and any proficiency bonuses? With that, would you use that passive stealth against passive perception to see if they're noticed?
That's what I've got for now. I'll probably update this as we go through our sessions and I (hopefully) remember to write down any weird circumstances I come across.
So, I decided to massively over achieve and start my experience with DnD by jumping directly behind the DM screen. Not only that, I've opted to home brew. Yikes.
I have a handful of random questions that I've come across through my first few sessions with my players, and was hoping that y'all could help me out in answering them.
- When a player casts a spell with an affect radius, and there are multiple targets within that area, do all targets take damage (either full or half depending on failed/passed saving throw)? Or does my player have to specify who within the range they want to damage?
- If I have someone sneaking around my players and the sneak-er rolls a 10 for a stealth check, but my player has a passive perception of 12, do my players automatically see them?
- Along the same lines, is a Stealth check the only thing to use when trying to be sneaky, and you have to use it? Like, there's passive perception, but is there/can there be a version of passive stealth? 10+DEX Modifier and any proficiency bonuses? With that, would you use that passive stealth against passive perception to see if they're noticed?
That's what I've got for now. I'll probably update this as we go through our sessions and I (hopefully) remember to write down any weird circumstances I come across.
They would know something was trying to sneak around them, whether or not they would specifically see the sneaker depends on the circumstances.
Typically a passive score is used to set the DC for an Ability check. If you use the sneaker’s passive stealth, that would set the DC for the party’s Wisdom (Perception) checks. But you cold pit passive scores against passive scores if you want to.
So, I decided to massively over achieve and start my experience with DnD by jumping directly behind the DM screen. Not only that, I've opted to home brew. Yikes.
Welcome to the game and the DM's chair!
I have a handful of random questions that I've come across through my first few sessions with my players, and was hoping that y'all could help me out in answering them.
- When a player casts a spell with an affect radius, and there are multiple targets within that area, do all targets take damage (either full or half depending on failed/passed saving throw)? Or does my player have to specify who within the range they want to damage?
Spells do what they say they do. They don't do things that aren't described in the spell text. If we look at Fireball as an example, it states that the caster must choose a point to center the spell on. Then each creature in the spell's radius must make a Dexterity saving throw. Then it gives us the if/then result for passing/failing and damage taken. Unless the caster has some ability that allows for exceptions to this general rule, that's how it works.
- If I have someone sneaking around my players and the sneak-er rolls a 10 for a stealth check, but my player has a passive perception of 12, do my players automatically see them?
This is up to you and your determination at the table. I might suggest that you give the player (via a sense that the PC has) enough information to understand that the PC *might* have perceived *something*. If your sneak-er were to absolutely botch that stealth roll, yeah, they're definitely noticed by the PC.
- Along the same lines, is a Stealth check the only thing to use when trying to be sneaky, and you have to use it? Like, there's passive perception, but is there/can there be a version of passive stealth? 10+DEX Modifier and any proficiency bonuses? With that, would you use that passive stealth against passive perception to see if they're noticed?
There will be some debate here with this one, but it's ultimately up to you, as the DM, how you want to run this at your table. Everyone is not going to run this the *exact* same way. You can use passive scores as a baseline for what the PCs are able to do/detect/act like and if they want to try something specific, you can ask for a roll. I might suggest that if you ask for a roll, that you and the player are agreeing to abide by the outcome, even though it may be worse than their passive score. But you are completely within your wheelhouse to run passive scores for a majority of things in your game.
That's what I've got for now. I'll probably update this as we go through our sessions and I (hopefully) remember to write down any weird circumstances I come across.
Thank you for any help/insight you can give!
Good luck! Stick to the Golden Rule: Have Fun!
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Everyone in the radius takes the damage. Some subclasses have ways around that, though.
It’s up to you. If you want you can make the players roll Perception checks and use that instead. I usually use checks instead of passive- it does tip off the players that something is up, but that only adds to the suspense. I sometimes even ask for checks when nothing is there, just to make my players nervous.
Any skill can be passive, and passive stealth versus passive perception sounds fine. It really depends on how much consistency you want to have versus randomness from the dice. Random can be fun, though.
- When a player casts a spell with an affect radius, and there are multiple targets within that area, do all targets take damage (either full or half depending on failed/passed saving throw)? Or does my player have to specify who within the range they want to damage?
If a spell allows you to carve out exceptions within its area of effect, it'll say so. Otherwise, it's everyone. slow is a good example:
You alter time around up to six creatures of your choice in a 40-foot cube within range. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by this spell for the duration.
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
So, I decided to massively over achieve and start my experience with DnD by jumping directly behind the DM screen. Not only that, I've opted to home brew. Yikes.
I have a handful of random questions that I've come across through my first few sessions with my players, and was hoping that y'all could help me out in answering them.
- When a player casts a spell with an affect radius, and there are multiple targets within that area, do all targets take damage (either full or half depending on failed/passed saving throw)? Or does my player have to specify who within the range they want to damage?
- If I have someone sneaking around my players and the sneak-er rolls a 10 for a stealth check, but my player has a passive perception of 12, do my players automatically see them?
- Along the same lines, is a Stealth check the only thing to use when trying to be sneaky, and you have to use it? Like, there's passive perception, but is there/can there be a version of passive stealth? 10+DEX Modifier and any proficiency bonuses? With that, would you use that passive stealth against passive perception to see if they're noticed?
That's what I've got for now. I'll probably update this as we go through our sessions and I (hopefully) remember to write down any weird circumstances I come across.
Thank you for any help/insight you can give!
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Welcome to the game and the DM's chair!
Spells do what they say they do. They don't do things that aren't described in the spell text. If we look at Fireball as an example, it states that the caster must choose a point to center the spell on. Then each creature in the spell's radius must make a Dexterity saving throw. Then it gives us the if/then result for passing/failing and damage taken. Unless the caster has some ability that allows for exceptions to this general rule, that's how it works.
This is up to you and your determination at the table. I might suggest that you give the player (via a sense that the PC has) enough information to understand that the PC *might* have perceived *something*. If your sneak-er were to absolutely botch that stealth roll, yeah, they're definitely noticed by the PC.
There will be some debate here with this one, but it's ultimately up to you, as the DM, how you want to run this at your table. Everyone is not going to run this the *exact* same way. You can use passive scores as a baseline for what the PCs are able to do/detect/act like and if they want to try something specific, you can ask for a roll. I might suggest that if you ask for a roll, that you and the player are agreeing to abide by the outcome, even though it may be worse than their passive score. But you are completely within your wheelhouse to run passive scores for a majority of things in your game.
Good luck! Stick to the Golden Rule: Have Fun!
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Edit: Wow! 3 simultaneous posts.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
If a spell allows you to carve out exceptions within its area of effect, it'll say so. Otherwise, it's everyone. slow is a good example:
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I won't add to the above answers, but as someone who was also a first-time player, first-time DM, good luck & have a blast!
“And what would humans be without love?"
RARE, said Death.
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery