Healing Potion Consumption- We set a standard value for potions (instead of rolling 2d4+2 you just get 10 hp). 3rd potion in an hour requires a DC 14 constitution save or you vomit up the last potion and receive no healing from it
Gross, but hilarious XD As you've seen in our game though, healing potions may be drank OR splashed onto the wound (which makes a little more sense to me) so I don't think that one can apply.
Also, it reminds me of one of my favourite Youtube shorts:
The existing flanking rules are adequate enough, I think. At least on average, gaining advantage would do more for you than +2.
I'm totally stealing the exhaustion/spell slot tradeoff though. It's so dramatic.
I do like morale rules, because it's kind if ridiculous to think that EVERY enemy will fight to the last man like a video game. Once even low-level intelligence enemies realize they're getting picked off, they're going to cut and run or surrender.
https://www.themonstersknow.com/ is a great site for figuring out monster behavior- I check it out before I run things sometimes (Volos Guide is also great). It makes plain sense that most things have a drive for self preservation- what I've found is it is MUCH harder to get my PC's to run if they're over their heads.
I have a few questions though about character development/advancement. When we do earn enough class points- do we get the proficiencies that class provides? or is the prologue the only way to do that? Are you allowing inherent racial proficiencies? for example, Satyrs begin with a performance proficiency (i am pretty sure) but I removed it after realizing we should be making straight d20 roles. Also, will you be allowing multiclassing? Obviously I am aiming towards bard (which I have never played, so looking forward to that!) but a dip into another class might be fun.
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Fleabag Fleabane-Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
You'll get the full class proficiencies after the time skip, even if you didn't build them beforehand, and if you already have proficiency for a skill in the class you want, you'll START with an additional +1 to that proficiency at level 1.
Multiclassing will be a thing, yes, but should you want to split class when you level up, you're going to need to in-world find someone to train you, and it will take a full month and cost quite a lot of money.
Also, I lied, sorry, there will be TWO time skips. One a year from now, and another a year after THAT. There's potentially going to be some 'unfinished business' that the characters will need to take care of before they're fully fledged level 1's.
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DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Requirement: 14 DEX, martial weapons OR available offensive cantrips
As long as a character with a ranged weapon has sufficient ammunition for it, they may work together with another party member to move without being shot at. In order for a character to give covering fire to their teammate, they must have their action come before the one they're covering (so in terms of initiative, the one being covered must delay their turn until after the one covering them can act) and announce they're giving covering fire to an individual. A ranged character can only cover one teammate at a time, so if 2 need to be covered, 2 characters will need to give covering fire.
While giving covering fire, a ranged character rolls to attack, but doesn't actually pick a target. Any ranged attackers must make a WIS check against the covering fire roll. If they fail, then their attacks have automatic disadvantage if they attempt to shoot at the one being covered. The one providing covering fire isn't really trying to hit any attackers, just harass them enough with rapid-fire shots to keep them from being able to properly aim. The ammunition used is 2 shots per attacking ranged opponent, so 4 enemies with ranged weapons will eat up 8 shots to provide covering fire. Short bows, long bows and thrown weapons can provide covering fire, but crossbows and muskets are too slow. A magic user may also provide covering fire in this way, though due to the rapid-fire nature, they will suffer 1 point of exhaustion afterwards.
No slots, this can only be done with cantrips or other unlimited spell usages, if they're available. The exhaustion element is an offset to them not needing to have any ammunition (which I do keep track of, as I do rations and water.)
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DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
I've read through the homebrew rules. While I wouldn't necessarily disagree with adding them to the game, I wouldn't really support them either. I'd prefer homebrew rules that add a completely different dimension/tone to the game, opposed to some minor shifts in combat rules that have to be remembered and over-complicate the simple and elegant combat rules we already have in D&D 5e. I can see the benefits of having a Boromir rule, but again it's a bit over-complicated. Of course, you are the DM and have the final say on the rules we use, so either way is fine with me.
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DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
We'll see how you guys handle things when you get to level 1. If you all are having trouble staying on your feet due to crappy dice rolls, we'll enact some of the rules.
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DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
This probably is WAY early but- I was wondering how flexible you are about reskinning weapons? It looks like I'm going to be using finesse weapons (or ranged)- but the rapier just doesn't do it for me.
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Fleabag Fleabane-Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
Pretty flexible. Like, as I said to Wolf in regards to the 'exotic' weapons, I count whips as being 'exotic' because those require a very specific set of skills to use effectively in combat. I mean seriously, whips as a martial weapon? As if soldiers are taught how to use a bullwhip as part of their standard training.
Similarly, I would say it's highly debatable if a short sword would be reliant purely on strength. A lot of it depends on how it's weighted and the angle of the blade, and 'short sword' is a pretty vague description. Sliding into a similar position are sickles. I would personally put them in the 'exotic' category due to the specific way you have to strike with them for them to be effective in combat, but also, I would change them to be finesse and light oriented, as being a big brute would not make it any easier to do damage with them.
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DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
The rapier seems to be the 'heavy hitter' of finesse weapons doing 1d8 piercing dmg. (I'm making a LOT of assumptions about what we can afford/buy and is available!) If I reskin the rapier to something like an estoc- would that fly? It looks so much cooler than a rapier. Anything with a basket hilt makes me sad.
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Fleabag Fleabane-Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
I think as a DM, I would prefer to judge swords explicitly on blade type. It makes for more work for me, but I feel it's more immersive if an actual blade type is provided instead of just a vague description of 'it's a common long sword'. Certainly there are some long blades that require more finesse than strength; the only difference after all, is the ability to apply DEX as a hit modifier rather than STR. The long swords featured in the Hellish Quart game (Seen here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni_mSNO77Y8&t=28s is clearly a duelist's blade, and therefore more of a finesse weapon. The blade is very thin, there's a robust counterweight on the hilt; it's an agile blade, meant for fighting only lightly armoured opponents, whereas more military long blades were thicker and meant to be hardy enough to survive an hours-long siege fighting fully dressed footmen.
Certainly too, there are some long blades that I would consider to be 'exotic' because of the amount of training that would be required to use them efficiently that could conceivably combine STR AND DEX bonuses due to the techniques that would be employed, such as this type of heavy falchion:
Because of how such a weapon would be balanced, you couldn't just put this in the hands of an average soldier and expect them to know how to fight with it, that sort of blade would require specific practice to make it effective, but would be utterly devastating because of the sheer force and speed it could achieve in the right hands.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
I was wondering... can I focus on parrying attacks aimed at someone else? Would work the same way the self-parry does, only while the target of your parry is within range. If the attacker is also within range, you can then return an attack. Otherwise, you at least had a chance of increasing their AC. If not, would standing in front of someone grant them half-cover?
Lemme doublecheck to see if that would be stepping on the toes of another class's perks. I want my quality-of-life homebrew to amplify existing defensive options, not replace them.
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DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Well, I can't say for sure about all classes because surely I might miss something, but here are the closest things:
Interception When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
These two fighting styles work to protect others but only require your reaction to use. They are also guaranteed to work, as opposed to rolling low for parrying.
Parry
When another creature damages you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one superiority die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your superiority die + your Dexterity modifier.
The Parry manoeuvre from the Battle Master fighter. Its relationship with the self-parry is similar to the two above and the other-parry.
Healing Potion Consumption- We set a standard value for potions (instead of rolling 2d4+2 you just get 10 hp). 3rd potion in an hour requires a DC 14 constitution save or you vomit up the last potion and receive no healing from it
Gross, but hilarious XD
As you've seen in our game though, healing potions may be drank OR splashed onto the wound (which makes a little more sense to me) so I don't think that one can apply.
Also, it reminds me of one of my favourite Youtube shorts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Gx8hYi0hQ
The existing flanking rules are adequate enough, I think. At least on average, gaining advantage would do more for you than +2.
I'm totally stealing the exhaustion/spell slot tradeoff though. It's so dramatic.
I do like morale rules, because it's kind if ridiculous to think that EVERY enemy will fight to the last man like a video game. Once even low-level intelligence enemies realize they're getting picked off, they're going to cut and run or surrender.
.... right, inspiration.......
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Yeah, moral is good. Most of my DMs have the enemies break off and flee. We just chased a couple of sea hags off our ship in one game. That was fun!
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
https://www.themonstersknow.com/ is a great site for figuring out monster behavior- I check it out before I run things sometimes (Volos Guide is also great). It makes plain sense that most things have a drive for self preservation- what I've found is it is MUCH harder to get my PC's to run if they're over their heads.
I have a few questions though about character development/advancement. When we do earn enough class points- do we get the proficiencies that class provides? or is the prologue the only way to do that? Are you allowing inherent racial proficiencies? for example, Satyrs begin with a performance proficiency (i am pretty sure) but I removed it after realizing we should be making straight d20 roles. Also, will you be allowing multiclassing? Obviously I am aiming towards bard (which I have never played, so looking forward to that!) but a dip into another class might be fun.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
You'll get the full class proficiencies after the time skip, even if you didn't build them beforehand, and if you already have proficiency for a skill in the class you want, you'll START with an additional +1 to that proficiency at level 1.
Multiclassing will be a thing, yes, but should you want to split class when you level up, you're going to need to in-world find someone to train you, and it will take a full month and cost quite a lot of money.
Also, I lied, sorry, there will be TWO time skips. One a year from now, and another a year after THAT. There's potentially going to be some 'unfinished business' that the characters will need to take care of before they're fully fledged level 1's.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
New defensive option
Covering fire
Requirement: 14 DEX, martial weapons OR available offensive cantrips
As long as a character with a ranged weapon has sufficient ammunition for it, they may work together with another party member to move without being shot at. In order for a character to give covering fire to their teammate, they must have their action come before the one they're covering (so in terms of initiative, the one being covered must delay their turn until after the one covering them can act) and announce they're giving covering fire to an individual. A ranged character can only cover one teammate at a time, so if 2 need to be covered, 2 characters will need to give covering fire.
While giving covering fire, a ranged character rolls to attack, but doesn't actually pick a target. Any ranged attackers must make a WIS check against the covering fire roll. If they fail, then their attacks have automatic disadvantage if they attempt to shoot at the one being covered. The one providing covering fire isn't really trying to hit any attackers, just harass them enough with rapid-fire shots to keep them from being able to properly aim. The ammunition used is 2 shots per attacking ranged opponent, so 4 enemies with ranged weapons will eat up 8 shots to provide covering fire.
Short bows, long bows and thrown weapons can provide covering fire, but crossbows and muskets are too slow. A magic user may also provide covering fire in this way, though due to the rapid-fire nature, they will suffer 1 point of exhaustion afterwards.
Inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDfJLB8jTk
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
That's interesting and I like it but how many slots will a magic-user expend in this effort?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
Maybe More suited for a cantrip. Eldritch blast it.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
No slots, this can only be done with cantrips or other unlimited spell usages, if they're available. The exhaustion element is an offset to them not needing to have any ammunition (which I do keep track of, as I do rations and water.)
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
I've read through the homebrew rules. While I wouldn't necessarily disagree with adding them to the game, I wouldn't really support them either. I'd prefer homebrew rules that add a completely different dimension/tone to the game, opposed to some minor shifts in combat rules that have to be remembered and over-complicate the simple and elegant combat rules we already have in D&D 5e. I can see the benefits of having a Boromir rule, but again it's a bit over-complicated. Of course, you are the DM and have the final say on the rules we use, so either way is fine with me.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
We'll see how you guys handle things when you get to level 1. If you all are having trouble staying on your feet due to crappy dice rolls, we'll enact some of the rules.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
This probably is WAY early but- I was wondering how flexible you are about reskinning weapons? It looks like I'm going to be using finesse weapons (or ranged)- but the rapier just doesn't do it for me.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
Pretty flexible. Like, as I said to Wolf in regards to the 'exotic' weapons, I count whips as being 'exotic' because those require a very specific set of skills to use effectively in combat. I mean seriously, whips as a martial weapon? As if soldiers are taught how to use a bullwhip as part of their standard training.
Similarly, I would say it's highly debatable if a short sword would be reliant purely on strength. A lot of it depends on how it's weighted and the angle of the blade, and 'short sword' is a pretty vague description.
Sliding into a similar position are sickles. I would personally put them in the 'exotic' category due to the specific way you have to strike with them for them to be effective in combat, but also, I would change them to be finesse and light oriented, as being a big brute would not make it any easier to do damage with them.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
The rapier seems to be the 'heavy hitter' of finesse weapons doing 1d8 piercing dmg. (I'm making a LOT of assumptions about what we can afford/buy and is available!) If I reskin the rapier to something like an estoc- would that fly? It looks so much cooler than a rapier. Anything with a basket hilt makes me sad.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
I would count most single-handed blades as 'finesse' based unless they're boad edged like a Roman gladius.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
What about a long sword?
Tandor the White, Human Life Cleric
I think as a DM, I would prefer to judge swords explicitly on blade type. It makes for more work for me, but I feel it's more immersive if an actual blade type is provided instead of just a vague description of 'it's a common long sword'. Certainly there are some long blades that require more finesse than strength; the only difference after all, is the ability to apply DEX as a hit modifier rather than STR. The long swords featured in the Hellish Quart game (Seen here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni_mSNO77Y8&t=28s is clearly a duelist's blade, and therefore more of a finesse weapon. The blade is very thin, there's a robust counterweight on the hilt; it's an agile blade, meant for fighting only lightly armoured opponents, whereas more military long blades were thicker and meant to be hardy enough to survive an hours-long siege fighting fully dressed footmen.
Certainly too, there are some long blades that I would consider to be 'exotic' because of the amount of training that would be required to use them efficiently that could conceivably combine STR AND DEX bonuses due to the techniques that would be employed, such as this type of heavy falchion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIlM2jIWt58
Because of how such a weapon would be balanced, you couldn't just put this in the hands of an average soldier and expect them to know how to fight with it, that sort of blade would require specific practice to make it effective, but would be utterly devastating because of the sheer force and speed it could achieve in the right hands.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Thanks! That makes sense.
Fleabag Fleabane -Tabaxi Ranger | Lenny Coggins- Halfling Barbarian | Sid Shatterbuckle- Dwarf Fighter/Rogue| Lazlo - Satyr Bard in Training
I was wondering... can I focus on parrying attacks aimed at someone else? Would work the same way the self-parry does, only while the target of your parry is within range. If the attacker is also within range, you can then return an attack. Otherwise, you at least had a chance of increasing their AC. If not, would standing in front of someone grant them half-cover?
Varielky
Lemme doublecheck to see if that would be stepping on the toes of another class's perks. I want my quality-of-life homebrew to amplify existing defensive options, not replace them.
DM, professional illustrator and comic artist, suffering from severe spinal stenosis, married, middle aged, and nerdy.
Well, I can't say for sure about all classes because surely I might miss something, but here are the closest things:
These two fighting styles work to protect others but only require your reaction to use. They are also guaranteed to work, as opposed to rolling low for parrying.
The Parry manoeuvre from the Battle Master fighter. Its relationship with the self-parry is similar to the two above and the other-parry.
These are the closest things I can think of.
Varielky