I doubt most people know that variant exists, much less use it, but I may point it out to my group and see what everyone thinks
I find some of the variant rules quite interesting and more supporting towards RP. In my small group, the Barbarian is very often doing Intimidate (Strength) checks, if he properly roleplays it. The size bonuses to initiative did not come into play, as I only have medium PCs and they are kind of a newbie group, so I kept it ooff for the enemies.
Halflings are maybe in the top tier of races, but if so they are toward the bottom of that tier. Rerolling 1s isn't OP, it's just strong. They have to take the second roll, no matter what. It's a mild statistical advantage.
I don't know how you define a mild statistical advantage, but I do know that that changes the chance of rolling a 1 from 1/20 to 1/400.
The difference between a 1 and a 2-7 or so, only matters in attacks and death saving throws. It makes 1 dramatically less likely, and makes failure very slightly less likely.
Thats a mild statistical advantage.
Why very slightly? Because the ability only activates on ~5% of rolls. ~5% of the time, you'll reroll a fail, with no guarantee that the second roll won't also be a failure.
It's a good ability, but it is hardly "OP".
I realize you said this in 2017... but you do know what "reliable talent" is... 1s are the only roll that that doesn't cancel out. hence why 1/400 vs 1/20 is seriously OP.
and then, something no one's mentioned. but if you have a particularly strong character... like a Firbolg, or Goliath, or someone with the Brawny feat...
It doesn't take much to custom make a coffin/chest/something into a portable carrying device with arrow slits in it, for your small race companion to be inside shooting arrows out of.
Halflings are maybe in the top tier of races, but if so they are toward the bottom of that tier. Rerolling 1s isn't OP, it's just strong. They have to take the second roll, no matter what. It's a mild statistical advantage.
I don't know how you define a mild statistical advantage, but I do know that that changes the chance of rolling a 1 from 1/20 to 1/400.
The difference between a 1 and a 2-7 or so, only matters in attacks and death saving throws. It makes 1 dramatically less likely, and makes failure very slightly less likely.
Thats a mild statistical advantage.
Why very slightly? Because the ability only activates on ~5% of rolls. ~5% of the time, you'll reroll a fail, with no guarantee that the second roll won't also be a failure.
It's a good ability, but it is hardly "OP".
I realize you said this in 2017... but you do know what "reliable talent" is... 1s are the only roll that that doesn't cancel out. hence why 1/400 vs 1/20 is seriously OP.
and then, something no one's mentioned. but if you have a particularly strong character... like a Firbolg, or Goliath, or someone with the Brawny feat...
It doesn't take much to custom make a coffin/chest/something into a portable carrying device with arrow slits in it, for your small race companion to be inside shooting arrows out of.
Um...Reliable Talent is a specific class feature at a fairly high level. Right at the end of the level band that most campaigns actually see.
And Halfling rogues aren’t ahead of human rogues by much due to their luck trait. Much less that the difference an extra feat can make.
Halflings rarely get 1s on any check. Rogues don’t get low rolls on proficient ability checks. Those two traits don’t combine into something crazy. It just means the halfling rogue rerolls on a 1 instead of counting it as a 10.
You can't crit fail on an ability check. A lot of people seem to get this wrong or houserule otherwise. A 1 on an ability check or saving throw isn't an auto fail and reliable talent turns any roll of 9 or lower into a 10
Something to consider as well, the idea of a small ranged character is not only the damage die for the bow. The range is also cut in half. So while a medium creature with a longbow has a theoretical range of 600ft, a shortbow is only half that at max range. making a "sniper" that is small size outranged by an identical character that is medium size.
- Able to walk through Large or larger opponents as difficult terrain.
- Lucky improves chance of Critical Hits (5% increase), and works on ALL skill checks, attack rolls, saves, and death saves. That’s a flat advantage to a ton of rolls.
Being small may have disadvantages on big and heavy weapons, (Okay, maybe a huge disadvantage!) but they can crouch into small spaces and can dodge things quite easier. Sometimes, they have advantages on speed. (Speedy little guys)
There'd be real-world pros and cons of small size.
Reach, in 5e you can attack as early in the turn order and as well with a dagger as with a spear or as well with a dwarf as with a bugbear.
Speed, the main way around the second part of this is to say that bigger creatures are slow.
Strength, but they're also a lot stronger and can use their weight.
I'd appreciate thought on how real-world mechanics might work but here's my understanding of the fundamentals.
When the dimensions (such as height) of a creature are doubled, muscle strength is quadrupled, limb length is doubled (decreasing power at that distance while increasing potentials for swing speeds) and weight goes up by a factor of eight.
What would the real-world effects be on a half-sized (halfling type) character or a character at double size?
There are lots of builds that are very powerful but are about small races.
A classic example of this is a small character riding on a centaur and then being able to use a lance and with some other rules magic make a practically invincible gnome riding on a centaur disengaging before they can attack.
Also small spaces and squeezing rules are in their favour whenever you have that come up.
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[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
There are lots of builds that are very powerful but are about small races.
A classic example of this is a small character riding on a centaur and then being able to use a lance and with some other rules magic make a practically invincible gnome riding on a centaur disengaging before they can attack.
Also small spaces and squeezing rules are in their favour whenever you have that come up.
Ah right! Artificer Battlesmiths and Ranger Beastmasters have this advantage 🙂
All small creatures can take Squat Nimbleness feat, which mostly gets rid of the disadvantages of being small (+5 speed, bonuses to grapple and athletic/acro, and +21 str)
But the real benefit is in fights against large creatures and in areas designed for small creatures.
If you want to really piss off the medium sized characters, have them invade a building built by and for small creatures. Every single room being 5 ft tall, anyone above that height has to squeeze.
when you roll multiple times for the same goal and ur odds increase based on that alone. So if u roll a 1 its amazing because statistical probability means ur odds are even higher than 52.5% on the second roll. That's why elven accuracy rolling 3d20 w advantage on a lv 20 fighter that crits on an 18, has almost a 50% crit chance every roll.
If u could b a halfling with elven accuracy and reroll ur 1s that would be epic. As a DM I will allow it. Just have to make the fights harder. I allow alot. Like starting of ur lv1 PC with ur beggung class' subclass features.so lv1 barb already has totem of the bear etc.. Its fantasy. Give my guys more stuff and just add more mobs. It makes fights much more thrilling and I'm the Dm. I can always find a way to balance on the fly. More enemies more exhaustion higher DCs blah blah. And if they brake something b4 the end just have a God appear and spank them telling them they are stretching the fabric of reality and thus the gods have collected the fates to reverse time and reset their PCs 2-5 or more levels. Done it a couple times. Makes them think long and hard about spamming stuff.
Sorry. For the Segway
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I may re-introduce the '+1 to hit, +1 to AC' rule for Small (and smaller) characters. With Bounded Accuracy, that's a pretty big deal, I suspect.
I played them like the troops of monkeys I've seen on nature documentaries. Fearless, cunning, and vicious.
That will definitely have an impact! I’d consider restricting it to +1 AC and Stealth against large or larger creatures.
We do bones, motherf***ker!
Reading through all the wonderful replies, and you forgot about one thing Small creatures might get.
+2 to Initiative rolls with variant initative rules (https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dmg/dungeon-masters-workshop#InitiativeVariants)
I doubt most people know that variant exists, much less use it, but I may point it out to my group and see what everyone thinks
We do bones, motherf***ker!
I find some of the variant rules quite interesting and more supporting towards RP. In my small group, the Barbarian is very often doing Intimidate (Strength) checks, if he properly roleplays it. The size bonuses to initiative did not come into play, as I only have medium PCs and they are kind of a newbie group, so I kept it ooff for the enemies.
I realize you said this in 2017... but you do know what "reliable talent" is...
1s are the only roll that that doesn't cancel out.
hence why 1/400 vs 1/20 is seriously OP.
and then, something no one's mentioned. but if you have a particularly strong character... like a Firbolg, or Goliath, or someone with the Brawny feat...
It doesn't take much to custom make a coffin/chest/something into a portable carrying device with arrow slits in it, for your small race companion to be inside shooting arrows out of.
Blank
Um...Reliable Talent is a specific class feature at a fairly high level. Right at the end of the level band that most campaigns actually see.
And Halfling rogues aren’t ahead of human rogues by much due to their luck trait. Much less that the difference an extra feat can make.
Halflings rarely get 1s on any check. Rogues don’t get low rolls on proficient ability checks. Those two traits don’t combine into something crazy. It just means the halfling rogue rerolls on a 1 instead of counting it as a 10.
Its not more powerful than what other races get.
We do bones, motherf***ker!
What kind of campaign is your DM doing where a crit fail, is being changed to a 10 from a crit fail?
Blank
You can't crit fail on an ability check. A lot of people seem to get this wrong or houserule otherwise. A 1 on an ability check or saving throw isn't an auto fail and reliable talent turns any roll of 9 or lower into a 10
Something to consider as well, the idea of a small ranged character is not only the damage die for the bow. The range is also cut in half. So while a medium creature with a longbow has a theoretical range of 600ft, a shortbow is only half that at max range. making a "sniper" that is small size outranged by an identical character that is medium size.
Benefits for Halfling:
- Able to walk through Large or larger opponents as difficult terrain.
- Lucky improves chance of Critical Hits (5% increase), and works on ALL skill checks, attack rolls, saves, and death saves. That’s a flat advantage to a ton of rolls.
And when it rains, they get wet last.
"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
There'd be real-world pros and cons of small size.
Reach, in 5e you can attack as early in the turn order and as well with a dagger as with a spear or as well with a dwarf as with a bugbear.
Speed, the main way around the second part of this is to say that bigger creatures are slow.
Strength, but they're also a lot stronger and can use their weight.
I'd appreciate thought on how real-world mechanics might work but here's my understanding of the fundamentals.
When the dimensions (such as height) of a creature are doubled, muscle strength is quadrupled, limb length is doubled (decreasing power at that distance while increasing potentials for swing speeds) and weight goes up by a factor of eight.
What would the real-world effects be on a half-sized (halfling type) character or a character at double size?
There are lots of builds that are very powerful but are about small races.
A classic example of this is a small character riding on a centaur and then being able to use a lance and with some other rules magic make a practically invincible gnome riding on a centaur disengaging before they can attack.
Also small spaces and squeezing rules are in their favour whenever you have that come up.
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
Drummer Generated Title
After having been invited to include both here, I now combine the "PM me CHEESE 🧀 and tomato into PM me "PIZZA🍕"
Ah right! Artificer Battlesmiths and Ranger Beastmasters have this advantage 🙂
Pigs and boars are medium size so you could have a hog rider.
You could ride giant wasps, weasels, snakes and other giant versions of creatures.
Goat man and the thematic element of a feral halfling wolf rider. Are there any rules that stop you from using swarms as a mount because if not...
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
Drummer Generated Title
After having been invited to include both here, I now combine the "PM me CHEESE 🧀 and tomato into PM me "PIZZA🍕"
Small characters can use the environment better to hide and for cover than medium or larger characters can.
All small creatures can take Squat Nimbleness feat, which mostly gets rid of the disadvantages of being small (+5 speed, bonuses to grapple and athletic/acro, and +21 str)
But the real benefit is in fights against large creatures and in areas designed for small creatures.
If you want to really piss off the medium sized characters, have them invade a building built by and for small creatures. Every single room being 5 ft tall, anyone above that height has to squeeze.
when you roll multiple times for the same goal and ur odds increase based on that alone. So if u roll a 1 its amazing because statistical probability means ur odds are even higher than 52.5% on the second roll. That's why elven accuracy rolling 3d20 w advantage on a lv 20 fighter that crits on an 18, has almost a 50% crit chance every roll.
If u could b a halfling with elven accuracy and reroll ur 1s that would be epic. As a DM I will allow it. Just have to make the fights harder. I allow alot. Like starting of ur lv1 PC with ur beggung class' subclass features.so lv1 barb already has totem of the bear etc.. Its fantasy. Give my guys more stuff and just add more mobs. It makes fights much more thrilling and I'm the Dm. I can always find a way to balance on the fly. More enemies more exhaustion higher DCs blah blah. And if they brake something b4 the end just have a God appear and spank them telling them they are stretching the fabric of reality and thus the gods have collected the fates to reverse time and reset their PCs 2-5 or more levels. Done it a couple times. Makes them think long and hard about spamming stuff.
Sorry. For the Segway