During our game play we have had some instances where double advantage would be very appropriate. Is there such a thing as double advantage/disadvantage?
If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don't roll more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one additional d20.
In what situations are "double advantage" appropriate?
The closest thing is the Eleven accuracy racial feat from XGtE.
No, in 5e you don't need to (or get to) count advantages or disadvantages. You either have advantage, or you don't; multiple advantages don't stack. You either have disadvantage, or you don't; multiple instances don't stack. If you have advantage, roll two dice and take the better; if you have disadvantage, roll two dice and take the worst; if you have both advantage AND disadvantage, roll one die.
RAW: Advantage doesn't stack. Disadvantage doesn't stack. One or more instances of advantage cancels out one or more instances of disadvantage resulting in a flat roll.
All of that being said, double advantage or double disadvantage can be a fun house rule when you want to REALLY skew the odds or something happening. Also, you may want to count advantage and disadvantage so that they could incrementally cancel each other out. The game left this out in the interest of simplicity and balance, but nothing says you can't bring it back if it suits your needs.
Okay, just to double check... RAW if you have two things giving your character advantage, and only one thing giving disadvantage, it's still considered a flat roll? Like... let's say an opponent is prone, and someone is performing the Help action to give the next attacker advantage, and a rogue comes out of stealth with a ranged attack against the prone target... two sources are giving advantage, but the one case of disadvantage (attacking a prone target with a ranged attack) results in a regular d20 roll, is that correct?
4x disadvantage right there. But if the target is also blinded, it's a flat roll. I'm not saying it's rational. I'm just saying it's the rule. And I'm gonna house rule that one every time :)
EDIT for citing sources: (PHB p173)
"If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don’t roll more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one additional d20.
If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor disadvantage."
Legit DM response on that one were someone to try it on me. "Okay. You fire the arrow, hearing the bowstring twang and the arrow whip through the air. Roll percentile dice." "Percentile...what? I'm attacking the guy!" "You're blind, prone with a longbow, firing at extended range against an invisible target. This is not an attack, it's a Hail Mary I'm only allowing a roll on because sometimes God says yes. Roll. Percentile."
The way the rules are - Advantage and Disadvantage are true or false values - not counters. If you have multiple sources of disadvantage and you go through them - the first will set Disadvantage to true - and all the others will do nothing - Disadvantage is already true.
When you've determined if you have Disadvantage and/or Advantage you decide how you need to roll. If you have both or neither - straight roll. One or the other - roll 2d20 and pick the highest/lowest as necessary.
Ultimately it's up to the DM, but if you want to go by RAW, you either have Advantage, or you don't. You either have Disadvantage, or you don't. If you have both, then you have neither, which matters for Rogues because if they somehow gain Advantage on an attack where they would normally have Disadvantage, the two cancel each other out and Sneak Attack is potentially back in play if the other conditions are met(according to Crawford's twitter).
4x disadvantage right there. But if the target is also blinded, it's a flat roll. I'm not saying it's rational. I'm just saying it's the rule. And I'm gonna house rule that one every time :)
For the attack roll, yes it would be a flat roll. But keep in mind also that for making the attack in the first place against an unseen target (either because target is invisible or because attacker is blind/can't perceive them), the DM may make you pick a square that you are guessing the target is in in the first place. See Basic Rules Chapter 9, Unseen Targets. If you pick the wrong square, you'll just miss, or if you pick the right square, make an attack with disadvantage. If you factor that in, a houseruled extra-disadvantage might be overkill.
Well, D&D is a game of epic heroism: one-inna-million shots should probably be successful 9 times outta 10. (or at least: don't penalize for both blindness and invisible target).
The main example given illustrates perfectly why DMs tell the players what to roll, not the other way around. In most circumstances I wouldn't even allow the long-range prone blinded invisible shot in the first place. I don't care if The Rules say that the blinded defender means it's a straight roll. That makes no bloody sense whatsoever and everybody knows it.
Yeah, that goes under the general umbrella of "you make a roll only when there's a chance of failure and a chance of success." If there's no way for the action to succeed, you don't get a roll - you only roll if it's something fundamentally possible, and that's up to the DM.
But this stuff is also examples of why advantage/disadvantage aren't designed to stack. It's so players don't have to go bonus-hunting. You either have advantage or you don't; you either have disadvantage or you don't. No need to count up all the different things that might give you a benefit or for the DM to count up all the different things that might give you a penalty. Simplifies things - especially when you have buffs and debuffs going around, in combination with effects and terrain etc etc etc.
During our game play we have had some instances where double advantage would be very appropriate. Is there such a thing as double advantage/disadvantage?
Well there is is this rule from advantage and disadvantage:
In what situations are "double advantage" appropriate?
The closest thing is the Eleven accuracy racial feat from XGtE.
None come to mind right now, but thanks very much for your clarification!
No, in 5e you don't need to (or get to) count advantages or disadvantages. You either have advantage, or you don't; multiple advantages don't stack. You either have disadvantage, or you don't; multiple instances don't stack. If you have advantage, roll two dice and take the better; if you have disadvantage, roll two dice and take the worst; if you have both advantage AND disadvantage, roll one die.
RAW: Advantage doesn't stack. Disadvantage doesn't stack. One or more instances of advantage cancels out one or more instances of disadvantage resulting in a flat roll.
All of that being said, double advantage or double disadvantage can be a fun house rule when you want to REALLY skew the odds or something happening. Also, you may want to count advantage and disadvantage so that they could incrementally cancel each other out. The game left this out in the interest of simplicity and balance, but nothing says you can't bring it back if it suits your needs.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Okay, just to double check... RAW if you have two things giving your character advantage, and only one thing giving disadvantage, it's still considered a flat roll? Like... let's say an opponent is prone, and someone is performing the Help action to give the next attacker advantage, and a rogue comes out of stealth with a ranged attack against the prone target... two sources are giving advantage, but the one case of disadvantage (attacking a prone target with a ranged attack) results in a regular d20 roll, is that correct?
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Yep. Here's an example.
4x disadvantage right there. But if the target is also blinded, it's a flat roll. I'm not saying it's rational. I'm just saying it's the rule. And I'm gonna house rule that one every time :)
EDIT for citing sources: (PHB p173)
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Legit DM response on that one were someone to try it on me.
"Okay. You fire the arrow, hearing the bowstring twang and the arrow whip through the air. Roll percentile dice."
"Percentile...what? I'm attacking the guy!"
"You're blind, prone with a longbow, firing at extended range against an invisible target. This is not an attack, it's a Hail Mary I'm only allowing a roll on because sometimes God says yes. Roll. Percentile."
Please do not contact or message me.
The way the rules are - Advantage and Disadvantage are true or false values - not counters. If you have multiple sources of disadvantage and you go through them - the first will set Disadvantage to true - and all the others will do nothing - Disadvantage is already true.
When you've determined if you have Disadvantage and/or Advantage you decide how you need to roll. If you have both or neither - straight roll. One or the other - roll 2d20 and pick the highest/lowest as necessary.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Ultimately it's up to the DM, but if you want to go by RAW, you either have Advantage, or you don't. You either have Disadvantage, or you don't. If you have both, then you have neither, which matters for Rogues because if they somehow gain Advantage on an attack where they would normally have Disadvantage, the two cancel each other out and Sneak Attack is potentially back in play if the other conditions are met(according to Crawford's twitter).
For the attack roll, yes it would be a flat roll. But keep in mind also that for making the attack in the first place against an unseen target (either because target is invisible or because attacker is blind/can't perceive them), the DM may make you pick a square that you are guessing the target is in in the first place. See Basic Rules Chapter 9, Unseen Targets. If you pick the wrong square, you'll just miss, or if you pick the right square, make an attack with disadvantage. If you factor that in, a houseruled extra-disadvantage might be overkill.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Yeah it's pretty ridiculous. I should have just quoted the rule and left it at that.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Well, D&D is a game of epic heroism: one-inna-million shots should probably be successful 9 times outta 10. (or at least: don't penalize for both blindness and invisible target).
Some of the examples given illustrate perfectly why they decided to streamline the rule so that Advantage/Disadvantage isn't additive.
The main example given illustrates perfectly why DMs tell the players what to roll, not the other way around. In most circumstances I wouldn't even allow the long-range prone blinded invisible shot in the first place. I don't care if The Rules say that the blinded defender means it's a straight roll. That makes no bloody sense whatsoever and everybody knows it.
Please do not contact or message me.
Yeah, that goes under the general umbrella of "you make a roll only when there's a chance of failure and a chance of success." If there's no way for the action to succeed, you don't get a roll - you only roll if it's something fundamentally possible, and that's up to the DM.
But this stuff is also examples of why advantage/disadvantage aren't designed to stack. It's so players don't have to go bonus-hunting. You either have advantage or you don't; you either have disadvantage or you don't. No need to count up all the different things that might give you a benefit or for the DM to count up all the different things that might give you a penalty. Simplifies things - especially when you have buffs and debuffs going around, in combination with effects and terrain etc etc etc.
Thank you fti.
Right on, thanks TexasDevin!
Hahaha ya know, I like it! There are those rare circumstances where ya have to give your PC's a chance to stretch thier abilities.
Thanks!