Hello, I would like to allow a character to defeat an opponent without fighting.
A example : Lava Child
Lava children eat meat, bones, paper, plants, and just about anything else not made of metal or stone. Cooked meat is their favorite.
Does a PC know that lava child like cooked meat ? Arcana check ?
Can a character with Chef feat defeat a lava child with a cooked meat ?
As part of a short rest, you can cook special food, provided you have ingredients and cook's utensils on hand. You can prepare enough of this food for a number of creatures equal to 4 + your proficiency bonus. At the end of the short rest, any creature who eats the food and spends one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points regains an extra 1d8 hit points. • With one hour of work or when you finish a long rest, you can cook a number of treats equal to your proficiency bonus. These special treats last 8 hours after being made. A creature can use a bonus action to eat one of those treats to gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
Can one consider that the character can obtain 700 XP as if he defeated the lava child in a fight ?
Sure, it should be possible to bypass (I would not use defeat) monsters using clever tricks, or making a deal with them. This is no different than sneaking past them. This is mostly up to the DM to judge (and decide the XP reward as well, but generally you get/give XP for solving the encounter and not killing the monsters (so I believe most would award the XP).
Meeting a monster doesn’t have to spark a fight. An offering, like food, can calm some hostile monsters, and sapient creatures often prefer to talk than to draw weapons. If the adventurers try to parley with a monster, you may improvise the encounter or use the social interaction rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Consider granting the characters advantage on any ability check they make to communicate with a creature if they offer something it wants. The “Monsters’ Desires” section below suggest things that a creature might like, depending on its type.
You absolutely should allow characters to overcome challenges without fighting, and then grant them full xp for doing so. The example you gave above is a good one. If they have the correct skills, and use them cleverly, they should be rewarded. Actually, I wouldn't even limit it to the chef feat. I'd allow anyone with a tool proficiency in cooking utensils to attempt to make something good enough to district the lava child. Or, since it's intelligent, they may be able to strike a bargain with it. Things like this help the world feel more real, and let players start to think of monsters as challenges to be overcome instead of just bags of xp that need to be broken open. They also give characters a chance to shine in atypical ways.
The XP isn’t just a reward for killing things, it is earned by overcoming the challenges posed by those creatures. As long as the challenge has been overcome, the XP is earned.
I award experience primarily for resolving situations. If sneaking past resolves the situation, then full xps for doing so. However, sneaking past the big bad may well still leave the town/wolrd/whatever in danger. So there is not necessarily always experience for successful combat avoidance.
It could be argued that sneaking past the BBEG isn't resolving the situation if the town in still in danger.
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Does a PC know that lava child like cooked meat ? Arcana check ?
Someone ?
That’s entirely up to the DM. It could require a successful Arcana Check, the DC would also be entirely up to the DM. There is no hard and fast rule any stuff like that.
Sure, it should be possible to bypass (I would not use defeat) monsters using clever tricks, or making a deal with them. This is no different than sneaking past them. This is mostly up to the DM to judge (and decide the XP reward as well, but generally you get/give XP for solving the encounter and not killing the monsters (so I believe most would award the XP).
Meeting a monster doesn’t have to spark a fight. An offering, like food, can calm some hostile monsters, and sapient creatures often prefer to talk than to draw weapons. If the adventurers try to parley with a monster, you may improvise the encounter or use the social interaction rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Consider granting the characters advantage on any ability check they make to communicate with a creature if they offer something it wants. The “Monsters’ Desires” section below suggest things that a creature might like, depending on its type.
There isn't really a better answer than this first answer. It covers all the bases. "Up to DM." "Here are some printed rules about this exact situation."
Give the players opportunities to find clues earlier.
Perhaps they takr the time to befriend an old soldier at court, who tells them all about lava children. When they encounter the children, they can use that knowledge to bypass overcome the encounter without violence. Avoiding the combat (and not risking damage and death and spending resources) is a reward for taking the time to talk to the NPC.
Or, to put it another way, an easier COMBAT pillar is a reward for engaging with the INTERACTION and/or EXPLORATION pillars.
With chef feat and expert, did the bonus proficiency double for the effects of the feat ?
You can prepare enough of this food for a number of creatures equal to 4 + your proficiency bonus : 4 + (2x2)= 8 [level 4] ? • With one hour of work or when you finish a long rest, you can cook a number of treats equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2=4 ?
A creature can use a bonus action to eat one of those treats to gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2= 4 pv ?
With chef feat and expert, did the bonus proficiency double for the effects of the feat ?
You can prepare enough of this food for a number of creatures equal to 4 + your proficiency bonus : 4 + (2x2)= 8 [level 4] ? • With one hour of work or when you finish a long rest, you can cook a number of treats equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2=4 ?
A creature can use a bonus action to eat one of those treats to gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2= 4 pv ?
I'm guessing you are talking about the feat Skill Expert. If that's the case, then no, this does not work. The feat applies only to skills, and this is a feat ability, not a skill check.
So using your above math, you would make for for up to 6 creatures at level 4 (4+ proficiency bonus 2) for the extra d8 healing.
For the short rest "treats" you would make 2 and each would be for 2 hp. When you hit level 5, and your proficiency bonus goes up to 3, you would make 3, and each one would be for 3 hp.
Hello, I would like to allow a character to defeat an opponent without fighting.
A example :
Lava Child
Does a PC know that lava child like cooked meat ? Arcana check ?
Can a character with Chef feat defeat a lava child with a cooked meat ?
Can one consider that the character can obtain 700 XP as if he defeated the lava child in a fight ?
Sure, it should be possible to bypass (I would not use defeat) monsters using clever tricks, or making a deal with them. This is no different than sneaking past them. This is mostly up to the DM to judge (and decide the XP reward as well, but generally you get/give XP for solving the encounter and not killing the monsters (so I believe most would award the XP).
Tasha's sourcebook even has a chapter on this: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/tcoe/dungeon-masters-tools#ParleyingwithMonsters
You absolutely should allow characters to overcome challenges without fighting, and then grant them full xp for doing so. The example you gave above is a good one. If they have the correct skills, and use them cleverly, they should be rewarded. Actually, I wouldn't even limit it to the chef feat. I'd allow anyone with a tool proficiency in cooking utensils to attempt to make something good enough to district the lava child. Or, since it's intelligent, they may be able to strike a bargain with it. Things like this help the world feel more real, and let players start to think of monsters as challenges to be overcome instead of just bags of xp that need to be broken open. They also give characters a chance to shine in atypical ways.
I agree with the others. Not fighting should always be an option (though certain situations may make it harder to avoid).
The XP isn’t just a reward for killing things, it is earned by overcoming the challenges posed by those creatures. As long as the challenge has been overcome, the XP is earned.
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It could be argued that sneaking past the BBEG isn't resolving the situation if the town in still in danger.
"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
Someone ?
That’s entirely up to the DM. It could require a successful Arcana Check, the DC would also be entirely up to the DM. There is no hard and fast rule any stuff like that.
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Uh... This? VVVV
There isn't really a better answer than this first answer. It covers all the bases. "Up to DM." "Here are some printed rules about this exact situation."
What more do you want exactly?
My apologizes, I didn't see this the first time that I read the answers. Thanks.
Give the players opportunities to find clues earlier.
Perhaps they takr the time to befriend an old soldier at court, who tells them all about lava children. When they encounter the children, they can use that knowledge to bypass overcome the encounter without violence. Avoiding the combat (and not risking damage and death and spending resources) is a reward for taking the time to talk to the NPC.
Or, to put it another way, an easier COMBAT pillar is a reward for engaging with the INTERACTION and/or EXPLORATION pillars.
With chef feat and expert, did the bonus proficiency double for the effects of the feat ?
You can prepare enough of this food for a number of creatures equal to 4 + your proficiency bonus : 4 + (2x2)= 8 [level 4] ?
• With one hour of work or when you finish a long rest, you can cook a number of treats equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2=4 ?
A creature can use a bonus action to eat one of those treats to gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. 2x2= 4 pv ?
I'm guessing you are talking about the feat Skill Expert. If that's the case, then no, this does not work. The feat applies only to skills, and this is a feat ability, not a skill check.
So using your above math, you would make for for up to 6 creatures at level 4 (4+ proficiency bonus 2) for the extra d8 healing.
For the short rest "treats" you would make 2 and each would be for 2 hp. When you hit level 5, and your proficiency bonus goes up to 3, you would make 3, and each one would be for 3 hp.
That said
Negotiate with them. Intimidate them. Charm them with a spell. Get someone else to fight them for you....take your pick