Starting in a new campaign, last one I was in the DM handled most all of the rulings so I didn't have to worry about it to much, but i'm playing a new campaign with some friends that are new to dnd. For lack of a better term, I have wound up as the Rule Lawyer for the group (I have already apologized to her privately and let her know if she wants me to stop I can. She was actually appreciative of me having a grasp on the rules because it made combat and other encounters easier for her as she could focus on what was going on rather then keep track of the math and rules behind it. She is encouraging me to act as a secondary driver when it comes to the rules because it makes it easier for her). Its very often that the DM will ask me for advice on rulings and I try to explain what I know to the best of my knowledge while letting her have the final say, especially if its something where its an "At the discretion of the DM" Sort of ruling. We recently had our first combat and I wanted to check a few things as I feel like we were throwing stats into the wrong areas. Was spending a lot of time looking some of this up online during combat and not all the information made a lot of sense. Wound up being more confusing and I went with what I understood. I'm also not a big fan of having to browse the net during game play as it makes me feel like i'm not truly engaged with what was going on. I want to play the game to, not just keep the boat afloat.
For Magic.
Spell Attack - If I understand it correctly, you roll the D20 for an attack spell and add your spell casting modifier + you Proficiency Bonus. Then you roll the damage dice with no modifiers. Our Druid has +3 to her Wisdom (Which I believe is her spell casting modifier) and a +2 Proficiency Bonus. She went to cast Thorn Whip on a Kobolt. She rolls the D20+5 to see if it beats the creatures armor class. Thorn Whip has a damage dice of D6, so its just the D6 with no modifiers for damage, Right???
Spell Save - The save for the spell is based on... what exactly? I haven't been able to get any clear information on this. Some spells (Through dnd Beyond) have a set save for them, but some of our players are opting for pen and paper doing the math on their own. Is the save set for the spell or is there something in the character's stats that alter what the save is, and what is the base starting save or does it just vary based on spell? Complicated question but I feel like this is the side of magic that I understand the least.
Healing - No dice roll needed to successfully land the heal, right? (Not the first time this has been asked to me and I have seen it ruled both ways) When you roll the Dice for the heal, do any modifiers get added on top of it? Our Druid went for a heal on our Wizard who, not surprising, went down in the first combat encounter. Que Wizard on low hp meme. She went to heal and the spell rolls on a D8, but idk if there are any other modifiers that get added on top of that. Is it just the D8? (I think the spell is Cure wounds)
For Weapons.
Identifying the Modifying Stat - A big thing is how to identify weather a weapon uses Str or Dex as its modifier. We have a Dwarf using a Lance and we were not sure. He is proficient with the Lance, but we couldn't identify which stat he should be using. Sadly the two stats are different so it takes the chance of simplicity out of it. How Do I identify what stat a weapon uses?
Damaging Stat - I'm going to use my fighter and his Long Sword for this one. DnD Beyond already has it calculated but I want to understand the why behind it. The sword damage with one hand is a D8. My Str is a +3. I'm Proficient with the weapon so +2. DDB Shows that I have +5 to my roll to hit (D20+3[Str]+2[Prof]) and the damage is D8+5 = D8+3[Str]+2[Dueling Fighting Style gives +2 to hit when only using one weapon in one hand]). This is the interesting part because it implies that if I decide to use a Knife in my other hand then the stat for the damage should drop from D8+5 down to D8+3. That being said, I threw the Knife at a target at the ground at my feet first (Wizards limp body had the Kobold held down [Centaur Body for the win]) and then used my Long Sword to attack another creature. Based on this and two weapon fighting, do I get the +2 from Dueling Feat back because I disarmed myself with the first strike by throwing the knife or do I still lose it because I had a weapon in my other hand during that round of combat? To expand on that, opportunity attack happens in the same round of combat as a reaction, if a different kobold left my range that round, could I make an opportunity attack on it after having used my action and bonus action and would I keep the +2 from Dueling or would I still have it lost as a result of me having used the knife during combat even though I threw it away?
Skewering a Target - Said Dwarf with the Lance chose to skewer the target he was attacking, or that's how he explained it. Assuming this is allowed, how would you guys rule the "Removing" of the lance from the target? takes damage? how much? any checks to succeed? This one is more for me personally because I expect it to come up when I take my turn to run a campaign, so i'm going to let the current DM rule it how she wants unless she asks again. (I don't want to be the "Rule Lawyer" that you hear about in all the horror stories on Redit) Right now my guess is that it would require a Str check to remove of my setting (As the DM) that would be set based on the type of creature and what your pulling it out of (Leather armor would be easier then plate male or chain mail, just as Flesh would be easier then Scales or stones, ect) and the damage would be reduced as your not creating a new hole, just removing your weapon from the current hole. So a lower Damage dice with... What modifiers???
Sneak Attack - One of our most green players had very little luck that combat session as the dice were not in her favor at all. I probably should just go look up a video on this but i'm going to ask the core question real quick. She has to stealth to become unseen first and "Flank?" the target she wants to attack before attacking? This would imply that she has to take 2 turns to successfully sneak attack a target. To successfully stealth it would also mean she has to beat their passive perception, right? Does that get harder with more targets even if your entire team (6 players total in the party) is currently fighting the pack of enemies? Does she get any additional modifiers to the damaging roll or attack roll or just advantage?
Any and all help you guys can provide is greatly appreciated, thanks.
Spell Attack - If I understand it correctly, you roll the D20 for an attack spell and add your spell casting modifier + you Proficiency Bonus. Then you roll the damage dice with no modifiers. Our Druid has +3 to her Wisdom (Which I believe is her spell casting modifier) and a +2 Proficiency Bonus. She went to cast Thorn Whip on a Kobolt. She rolls the D20+5 to see if it beats the creatures armor class. Thorn Whip has a damage dice of D6, so its just the D6 with no modifiers for damage, Right???
Correct in general. Certain classes/items/abilities/features may allow a modifier on the damage roll for a spell, but they are explicit when/if they come up.
Spell Save - The save for the spell is based on... what exactly? I haven't been able to get any clear information on this. Some spells (Through dnd Beyond) have a set save for them, but some of our players are opting for pen and paper doing the math on their own. Is the save set for the spell or is there something in the character's stats that alter what the save is, and what is the base starting save or does it just vary based on spell? Complicated question but I feel like this is the side of magic that I understand the least.
Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Spellcasting Modifier + any special modifiers. Spell Save is set by the class which the character learned the spell from. It is typically a static value that scales slowly with proficiency, or when the character's ability score modifier increases.
Healing - No dice roll needed to successfully land the heal, right? (Not the first time this has been asked to me and I have seen it ruled both ways) When you roll the Dice for the heal, do any modifiers get added on top of it? Our Druid went for a heal on our Wizard who, not surprising, went down in the first combat encounter. Que Wizard on low hp meme. She went to heal and the spell rolls on a D8, but idk if there are any other modifiers that get added on top of that. Is it just the D8? (I think the spell is Cure wounds)
Correct. The only prerequisite (other than being able to cast the spell at all in context of a scenario) for casting a healing spell on a target is that the target is willing to receive the healing.
Generally, as with all spells, there are no modifiers added to the dice roll. The #1 exception to this is if the character is a Life Domain Cleric. Other instances may allow modifiers, but are explicit when/if they come up. Cure Wounds is based on a d8, yes. [Derp, I forgot that the most commonly used healing spells do add your modifier to the healing roll, but the spells always say whether they do or not]
Identifying the Modifying Stat - A big thing is how to identify weather a weapon uses Str or Dex as its modifier. We have a Dwarf using a Lance and we were not sure. He is proficient with the Lance, but we couldn't identify which stat he should be using. Sadly the two stats are different so it takes the chance of simplicity out of it. How Do I identify what stat a weapon uses?
General rule is Str for melee attacks (including melee attacks with a ranged/improvised weapon), and Dex for ranged attacks.
A melee weapon with the Finesse property (like a Rapier) give the option of using either Str or Dex for melee attacks with the weapon.
A weapon with the Thrown property allows you to make a ranged attack using whichever stat you would normally use to make a melee attack with the weapon. I.e., you can make a ranged attack with a Handaxe using Str instead of Dex. A weapon with both ThrownandFinesse allows you to use either Str or Dex for both melee & ranged attacks.
There are various other oddities that allow for different stats to be used--the main ones being Hexblade Warlock (Charisma) & Druids/Nature Clerics with the Shillelagh spell (Wisdom)--but they are rare.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Spell Attack: You're correct. The attack roll is "Spellcasting ability modifier + Proficiency + the result of a d20 roll." This compares to the target's Armor Class - if it matches or exceeds AC, the spell hits. Most spells do not add modifier damage to their damage dice; if your spell does it will say so in its description, or your character will have a class ability that allows them to do so.
Spell Save: All spell saves are calculated as 8 + your Spellcasting Ability Modifier (so +3, for your Druid), + your Proficiency bonus. Assuming the same 3 mod/2 prof as your Spell Attack, your Spell Save DC as a Druid would be 13. Anyone that rolls 13 or higher resists your spell; anything that rolls 12 or lower suffers the spell's full effects.
Healing: I'm not familiar with any healing effect that requires a to-hit roll or a save. Healing always just happens. The spell indicates whether the heal adds your ability modifier or not. Cure Wounds and healing Word, the two most common healing spells, do. Other spells may or may not as their descriptions state.
Weapon, Controlling Stat: All Melee weapons use Strength. All Ranged weapons use Dexterity. There are two exceptions: "Finesse" and "Thrown". A weapon with the "Finesse" property can choose between Strength or Dexterity when making an attack roll. I.e. an attack with a dagger can use either the attacker's Strength OR Dexterity modifier for both the attack and damage rolls. You have to use the same modifier for both rolls. A weapon with the "Thrown" property uses the weapon's normal melee stat when thrown to make a ranged attack. I.e. a barbarian hucking a handaxe at somebody's faceregion uses Strength for the attack and damage rolls, even though the attack is a ranged attack roll, because handaxes are a melee weapon that uses Strength.
Dueling Fighting Style: Dueling says "when you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons...". If you ditch the knife before making the sword strike, the sword strike gets the +2. Worth noting is that you cannot use Versatile and Dueling at the same time. That said, throwing the knife would count as your one attack for the turn until you gain Extra Attack at level 5 for fighters. So be careful with that. You cannot use Two Weapon Fighting with a dagger and a longsword without the Dual Wielder feat, according to the base rules.
"Skewering" This is pure house rules. Figure out what sounds fun, test it out, and if it doesn't make your table explode, have fun with it!
Sneak Attack Base Sneak Attack has one dealbreaker condition, the presence of which turns off Sneak Attack no matter what, and two activation conditions, either of which is enough to activate Sneak Attack by itself. The dealbreaker is having Disadvantage on the attack roll - if you have disadvantage you cannot Sneak Attack, period.
One of the activation conditions is "you have advantage on the attack roll." The other is "an enemy of your target is in melee range of the target and is not incapacitated", which is often referred to shorthand as 'threatening' the target. If you gain advantage on your attack roll through any means as a rogue, you get Sneak Attack damage. This is often done by Hiding via the Hide action (as a bonus due to Cunning Action), since attacking a target you're hidden from grants advantage. Even more common, however, is the rogue attacking whatever the big frontline bruiser is attacking - if anything is 'threatening' the rogue's target, then she gains Sneak Attack as well.
She does not need to be hidden (though being hidden, as per above, does grant Sneak Attack). She does not need to fulfill ALL conditions, only ONE condition. So long as she does not have disadvantage on the attack, she can gain her Sneak Attack damage in any one way she can connive.
Spell Attack - If I understand it correctly, you roll the D20 for an attack spell and add your spell casting modifier + you Proficiency Bonus.
Correct.
Then you roll the damage dice with no modifiers.
Eh... usually? You read the spell and do what it says. But usually yes.
Our Druid has +3 to her Wisdom (Which I believe is her spell casting modifier) and a +2 Proficiency Bonus. She went to cast Thorn Whip on a Kobolt. She rolls the D20+5 to see if it beats the creatures armor class. Thorn Whip has a damage dice of D6, so its just the D6 with no modifiers for damage, Right???
Correct.
Spell Save - The save for the spell is based on... what exactly? I haven't been able to get any clear information on this.
8+Proficiency bonus + Spellcasting modifier, unless some other text overrides it.
Some spells (Through dnd Beyond) have a set save for them, but some of our players are opting for pen and paper doing the math on their own. Is the save set for the spell or is there something in the character's stats that alter what the save is, and what is the base starting save or does it just vary based on spell? Complicated question but I feel like this is the side of magic that I understand the least.
Read the spell text. Most spells will refer to "your spell save DC" which is 8+spellcasting modifier + proficiency bonus. Other spells or magic items can specify a fixed DC - that's more common for magic items than for spells.
Healing - No dice roll needed to successfully land the heal, right?
Read the spell and do what it says! Usually a healing spell will require a roll to see how many HP are healed but not one "to hit".
(Not the first time this has been asked to me and I have seen it ruled both ways) When you roll the Dice for the heal, do any modifiers get added on top of it?
Not unless the spell says so.
Our Druid went for a heal on our Wizard who, not surprising, went down in the first combat encounter. Que Wizard on low hp meme. She went to heal and the spell rolls on a D8, but idk if there are any other modifiers that get added on top of that. Is it just the D8? (I think the spell is Cure wounds)
No, just what the spell actually says.
For Weapons.
Identifying the Modifying Stat - A big thing is how to identify weather a weapon uses Str or Dex as its modifier. We have a Dwarf using a Lance and we were not sure. He is proficient with the Lance, but we couldn't identify which stat he should be using. Sadly the two stats are different so it takes the chance of simplicity out of it. How Do I identify what stat a weapon uses?
The ability modifier used for a melee weapon is strength, and for a ranged weapon is dexterity. Weapons with the "finesse" property can use either. Weapons with the "thrown" property can be used to make a ranged attack with the same modifier that they would use for a melee attack.
Damaging Stat - I'm going to use my fighter and his Long Sword for this one. DnD Beyond already has it calculated but I want to understand the why behind it. The sword damage with one hand is a D8. My Str is a +3. I'm Proficient with the weapon so +2. DDB Shows that I have +5 to my roll to hit (D20+3[Str]+2[Prof]) and the damage is D8+5 = D8+3[Str]+2[Dueling Fighting Style gives +2 to hit when only using one weapon in one hand]). This is the interesting part because it implies that if I decide to use a Knife in my other hand then the stat for the damage should drop from D8+5 down to D8+3. That being said, I threw the Knife at a target at the ground at my feet first (Wizards limp body had the Kobold held down [Centaur Body for the win]) and then used my Long Sword to attack another creature. Based on this and two weapon fighting, do I get the +2 from Dueling Feat back because I disarmed myself with the first strike by throwing the knife or do I still lose it because I had a weapon in my other hand during that round of combat? To expand on that, opportunity attack happens in the same round of combat as a reaction, if a different kobold left my range that round, could I make an opportunity attack on it after having used my action and bonus action and would I keep the +2 from Dueling or would I still have it lost as a result of me having used the knife during combat even though I threw it away?
The dueling fighting style says "When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other Weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls with that weapon." So if you are not holding a knife in your other hand when you make the attack, whenever that attack is (action, bonus action, reaction) you get the +2.
Skewering a Target - Said Dwarf with the Lance chose to skewer the target he was attacking, or that's how he explained it.
There are no specific rules for "skewering" someone with a lance. The special rules about the lance are:
1) "Lance: You have disadvantage when you use a lance to Attack a target within 5 feet of you. Also, a lance requires two hands to wield when you aren’t mounted."
2) The lance's other property -Reach.
Assuming this is allowed, how would you guys rule the "Removing" of the lance from the target? takes damage? how much? any checks to succeed? This one is more for me personally because I expect it to come up when I take my turn to run a campaign, so i'm going to let the current DM rule it how she wants unless she asks again.
I'd personally just rule it as a regular attack with no further effects, just flavor. It seems like something that could get used literally every round, and I don't want to worry about balancing an entirely new ability for a lance-weilder. Save the improvised actions for things that are clever solutions to specific situations, rather than letting players invent new abilities that are useful literally every turn.
(I don't want to be the "Rule Lawyer" that you hear about in all the horror stories on Redit) Right now my guess is that it would require a Str check to remove of my setting (As the DM) that would be set based on the type of creature and what your pulling it out of (Leather armor would be easier then plate male or chain mail, just as Flesh would be easier then Scales or stones, ect) and the damage would be reduced as your not creating a new hole, just removing your weapon from the current hole. So a lower Damage dice with... What modifiers???
Sneak Attack - One of our most green players had very little luck that combat session as the dice were not in her favor at all. I probably should just go look up a video on this but i'm going to ask the core question real quick. She has to stealth to become unseen first and "Flank?" the target she wants to attack before attacking?
This is described in the Rogue sneak attack rules (assuming you're referring to the rogue's Sneak Attack feature, and not to generic attacking-while-hidden):
"Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Rogue table."
It does not require being hidden, though being hidden is often a convenient way of getting advantage.
This would imply that she has to take 2 turns to successfully sneak attack a target.
At level 2 Rogues get Cunning action, which lets them use their bonus action to hide. "Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action." Until then, other ways of gaining sneak attack are probably better.
To successfully stealth it would also mean she has to beat their passive perception, right?
Yes, unless the DM chooses to make it easier or harder based on the circumstances (e.g. you can't hide in plain sight no matter what you roll.)
Does that get harder with more targets even if your entire team (6 players total in the party) isho currently fighting the pack of enemies?
DM's choice
Does she get any additional modifiers to the damaging roll or attack roll or just advantage?
Getting advantage when hidden is just normal hiding rules and works for everyone, not just rogues that get Sneak Attack. Sneak Attack gets extra dice as described above.
Combat Positioning. As was mentioned, the Lance gets disadvantage when the target is within 5 ft and it has Reach...
Going to start with the Reach, D&D Beyond indicates that the Reach is up to 10 ft. Is that all the Reach implies or is there more to it? I know in Magic the Gathering Reach lets you target flying things, but I doubt that carries over to D&D. So how does the term Reach carry over into a combat scenario?
Disadvantage within 5 ft. How would you keep an opponent at bay when everything needs to be within 5 ft to attack? This seems like its something intended to make the weapon difficult to use in order to balance the large hit dice connected to the weapon (D12). That being said, targeting anything in your combat range seems disadvantageous if there is no way to keep the enemy back. It almost seems like a mele weapon intended to be used over someone's shoulder. You can't use a shield to keep the target back as it takes 2 hands to operate, so how do you use the weapon? Just hold position behind someone with a shield? Just throw it? But then your down a weapon.
Combat Positioning. As was mentioned, the Lance gets disadvantage when the target is within 5 ft and it has Reach...
Going to start with the Reach, D&D Beyond indicates that the Reach is up to 10 ft. Is that all the Reach implies or is there more to it? I know in Magic the Gathering Reach lets you target flying things, but I doubt that carries over to D&D. So how does the term Reach carry over into a combat scenario?
D&D already doesn't give any disadvantage to hit flying creatures in range. Reach just extends that range for melee.
Disadvantage within 5 ft. How would you keep an opponent at bay when everything needs to be within 5 ft to attack? This seems like its something intended to make the weapon difficult to use in order to balance the large hit dice connected to the weapon (D12). That being said, targeting anything in your combat range seems disadvantageous if there is no way to keep the enemy back. It almost seems like a mele weapon intended to be used over someone's shoulder. You can't use a shield to keep the target back as it takes 2 hands to operate, so how do you use the weapon? Just hold position behind someone with a shield? Just throw it? But then your down a weapon.
If you can get advantage from anything that will negate the disadvantage. And if you are mounted you can even use a shield. So take mounted combatant and you will not have disadvantage when attacking any medium or smaller enemies and get to use a shield.
Ok, so he will need to be mounted to use the weapon with one hand and negate the disadvantage of the "within 5 ft range" effect on the weapon.
To get around the penalty it sounds like he has to focus on fighting something that is already preoccupied so he can keep a certain distance, or target something that is being held still.
Raises another interesting question related to mounting. This is related to the race of Centaur. Is a Centaur technically mounted already? Can't really mount a Centaur on a horse. A mounted character, can they technically wield 2 lances?
Our Lance user is a dwarf. Can he mount our Wizard Centaur and ride around the battlefield hacking away at enemies while the Centaur is throwing Fireballs?
Raises another interesting question related to mounting. This is related to the race of Centaur. Is a Centaur technically mounted already?
It is not, but I like to house rule that it is.
Can't really mount a Centaur on a horse. A mounted character, can they technically wield 2 lances?
Yes, but lances aren't light, so they will need the dual wielder feat.
Our Lance user is a dwarf. Can he mount our Wizard Centaur and ride around the battlefield hacking away at enemies while the Centaur is throwing Fireballs?
Not without a house rule. Centaurs and dwarves are both medium. You can only mount a creature of a larger size category (for example a halfling or gnome could mount a centaur).
Raises another interesting question related to mounting. This is related to the race of Centaur. Is a Centaur technically mounted already?
It is not, but I like to house rule that it is.
I think I talked about this in another thread already, but there's a very good reason to not house rule that (NBD, just nerding out): it defeats the principle(s) which make the benefits from being mounted possible.
Mounted combat isn't just about size/shape of a creature, or how many legs it has. The reason any creature (mounted on another creature) can wield a lance one-handed is because they are dedicating the use of their own legs & abdomen on creating a stable platform for their upper body to operate. That kind of stability just cannot be replicated without another creature/vehicle supporting the rider. It's an instance where morphological distinctions in body type/shape don't matter at all. It's all about Dynamics creating a two-force member to mitigate shock.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
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Starting in a new campaign, last one I was in the DM handled most all of the rulings so I didn't have to worry about it to much, but i'm playing a new campaign with some friends that are new to dnd. For lack of a better term, I have wound up as the Rule Lawyer for the group (I have already apologized to her privately and let her know if she wants me to stop I can. She was actually appreciative of me having a grasp on the rules because it made combat and other encounters easier for her as she could focus on what was going on rather then keep track of the math and rules behind it. She is encouraging me to act as a secondary driver when it comes to the rules because it makes it easier for her). Its very often that the DM will ask me for advice on rulings and I try to explain what I know to the best of my knowledge while letting her have the final say, especially if its something where its an "At the discretion of the DM" Sort of ruling. We recently had our first combat and I wanted to check a few things as I feel like we were throwing stats into the wrong areas. Was spending a lot of time looking some of this up online during combat and not all the information made a lot of sense. Wound up being more confusing and I went with what I understood. I'm also not a big fan of having to browse the net during game play as it makes me feel like i'm not truly engaged with what was going on. I want to play the game to, not just keep the boat afloat.
For Magic.
Spell Attack - If I understand it correctly, you roll the D20 for an attack spell and add your spell casting modifier + you Proficiency Bonus. Then you roll the damage dice with no modifiers. Our Druid has +3 to her Wisdom (Which I believe is her spell casting modifier) and a +2 Proficiency Bonus. She went to cast Thorn Whip on a Kobolt. She rolls the D20+5 to see if it beats the creatures armor class. Thorn Whip has a damage dice of D6, so its just the D6 with no modifiers for damage, Right???
Spell Save - The save for the spell is based on... what exactly? I haven't been able to get any clear information on this. Some spells (Through dnd Beyond) have a set save for them, but some of our players are opting for pen and paper doing the math on their own. Is the save set for the spell or is there something in the character's stats that alter what the save is, and what is the base starting save or does it just vary based on spell? Complicated question but I feel like this is the side of magic that I understand the least.
Healing - No dice roll needed to successfully land the heal, right? (Not the first time this has been asked to me and I have seen it ruled both ways) When you roll the Dice for the heal, do any modifiers get added on top of it? Our Druid went for a heal on our Wizard who, not surprising, went down in the first combat encounter. Que Wizard on low hp meme. She went to heal and the spell rolls on a D8, but idk if there are any other modifiers that get added on top of that. Is it just the D8? (I think the spell is Cure wounds)
For Weapons.
Identifying the Modifying Stat - A big thing is how to identify weather a weapon uses Str or Dex as its modifier. We have a Dwarf using a Lance and we were not sure. He is proficient with the Lance, but we couldn't identify which stat he should be using. Sadly the two stats are different so it takes the chance of simplicity out of it. How Do I identify what stat a weapon uses?
Damaging Stat - I'm going to use my fighter and his Long Sword for this one. DnD Beyond already has it calculated but I want to understand the why behind it. The sword damage with one hand is a D8. My Str is a +3. I'm Proficient with the weapon so +2. DDB Shows that I have +5 to my roll to hit (D20+3[Str]+2[Prof]) and the damage is D8+5 = D8+3[Str]+2[Dueling Fighting Style gives +2 to hit when only using one weapon in one hand]). This is the interesting part because it implies that if I decide to use a Knife in my other hand then the stat for the damage should drop from D8+5 down to D8+3. That being said, I threw the Knife at a target at the ground at my feet first (Wizards limp body had the Kobold held down [Centaur Body for the win]) and then used my Long Sword to attack another creature. Based on this and two weapon fighting, do I get the +2 from Dueling Feat back because I disarmed myself with the first strike by throwing the knife or do I still lose it because I had a weapon in my other hand during that round of combat? To expand on that, opportunity attack happens in the same round of combat as a reaction, if a different kobold left my range that round, could I make an opportunity attack on it after having used my action and bonus action and would I keep the +2 from Dueling or would I still have it lost as a result of me having used the knife during combat even though I threw it away?
Skewering a Target - Said Dwarf with the Lance chose to skewer the target he was attacking, or that's how he explained it. Assuming this is allowed, how would you guys rule the "Removing" of the lance from the target? takes damage? how much? any checks to succeed? This one is more for me personally because I expect it to come up when I take my turn to run a campaign, so i'm going to let the current DM rule it how she wants unless she asks again. (I don't want to be the "Rule Lawyer" that you hear about in all the horror stories on Redit) Right now my guess is that it would require a Str check to remove of my setting (As the DM) that would be set based on the type of creature and what your pulling it out of (Leather armor would be easier then plate male or chain mail, just as Flesh would be easier then Scales or stones, ect) and the damage would be reduced as your not creating a new hole, just removing your weapon from the current hole. So a lower Damage dice with... What modifiers???
Sneak Attack - One of our most green players had very little luck that combat session as the dice were not in her favor at all. I probably should just go look up a video on this but i'm going to ask the core question real quick. She has to stealth to become unseen first and "Flank?" the target she wants to attack before attacking? This would imply that she has to take 2 turns to successfully sneak attack a target. To successfully stealth it would also mean she has to beat their passive perception, right? Does that get harder with more targets even if your entire team (6 players total in the party) is currently fighting the pack of enemies? Does she get any additional modifiers to the damaging roll or attack roll or just advantage?
Any and all help you guys can provide is greatly appreciated, thanks.
Correct in general. Certain classes/items/abilities/features may allow a modifier on the damage roll for a spell, but they are explicit when/if they come up.
Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Spellcasting Modifier + any special modifiers. Spell Save is set by the class which the character learned the spell from. It is typically a static value that scales slowly with proficiency, or when the character's ability score modifier increases.
Correct. The only prerequisite (other than being able to cast the spell at all in context of a scenario) for casting a healing spell on a target is that the target is willing to receive the healing.
Generally, as with all spells, there are no modifiers added to the dice roll. The #1 exception to this is if the character is a Life Domain Cleric. Other instances may allow modifiers, but are explicit when/if they come up. Cure Wounds is based on a d8, yes. [Derp, I forgot that the most commonly used healing spells do add your modifier to the healing roll, but the spells always say whether they do or not]
General rule is Str for melee attacks (including melee attacks with a ranged/improvised weapon), and Dex for ranged attacks.
A melee weapon with the Finesse property (like a Rapier) give the option of using either Str or Dex for melee attacks with the weapon.
A weapon with the Thrown property allows you to make a ranged attack using whichever stat you would normally use to make a melee attack with the weapon. I.e., you can make a ranged attack with a Handaxe using Str instead of Dex. A weapon with both Thrown and Finesse allows you to use either Str or Dex for both melee & ranged attacks.
There are various other oddities that allow for different stats to be used--the main ones being Hexblade Warlock (Charisma) & Druids/Nature Clerics with the Shillelagh spell (Wisdom)--but they are rare.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Spell Attack:
You're correct. The attack roll is "Spellcasting ability modifier + Proficiency + the result of a d20 roll." This compares to the target's Armor Class - if it matches or exceeds AC, the spell hits. Most spells do not add modifier damage to their damage dice; if your spell does it will say so in its description, or your character will have a class ability that allows them to do so.
Spell Save:
All spell saves are calculated as 8 + your Spellcasting Ability Modifier (so +3, for your Druid), + your Proficiency bonus. Assuming the same 3 mod/2 prof as your Spell Attack, your Spell Save DC as a Druid would be 13. Anyone that rolls 13 or higher resists your spell; anything that rolls 12 or lower suffers the spell's full effects.
Healing:
I'm not familiar with any healing effect that requires a to-hit roll or a save. Healing always just happens. The spell indicates whether the heal adds your ability modifier or not. Cure Wounds and healing Word, the two most common healing spells, do. Other spells may or may not as their descriptions state.
Weapon, Controlling Stat:
All Melee weapons use Strength. All Ranged weapons use Dexterity. There are two exceptions: "Finesse" and "Thrown".
A weapon with the "Finesse" property can choose between Strength or Dexterity when making an attack roll. I.e. an attack with a dagger can use either the attacker's Strength OR Dexterity modifier for both the attack and damage rolls. You have to use the same modifier for both rolls.
A weapon with the "Thrown" property uses the weapon's normal melee stat when thrown to make a ranged attack. I.e. a barbarian hucking a handaxe at somebody's faceregion uses Strength for the attack and damage rolls, even though the attack is a ranged attack roll, because handaxes are a melee weapon that uses Strength.
Dueling Fighting Style:
Dueling says "when you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons...". If you ditch the knife before making the sword strike, the sword strike gets the +2. Worth noting is that you cannot use Versatile and Dueling at the same time. That said, throwing the knife would count as your one attack for the turn until you gain Extra Attack at level 5 for fighters. So be careful with that. You cannot use Two Weapon Fighting with a dagger and a longsword without the Dual Wielder feat, according to the base rules.
"Skewering"
This is pure house rules. Figure out what sounds fun, test it out, and if it doesn't make your table explode, have fun with it!
Sneak Attack
Base Sneak Attack has one dealbreaker condition, the presence of which turns off Sneak Attack no matter what, and two activation conditions, either of which is enough to activate Sneak Attack by itself. The dealbreaker is having Disadvantage on the attack roll - if you have disadvantage you cannot Sneak Attack, period.
One of the activation conditions is "you have advantage on the attack roll." The other is "an enemy of your target is in melee range of the target and is not incapacitated", which is often referred to shorthand as 'threatening' the target. If you gain advantage on your attack roll through any means as a rogue, you get Sneak Attack damage. This is often done by Hiding via the Hide action (as a bonus due to Cunning Action), since attacking a target you're hidden from grants advantage. Even more common, however, is the rogue attacking whatever the big frontline bruiser is attacking - if anything is 'threatening' the rogue's target, then she gains Sneak Attack as well.
She does not need to be hidden (though being hidden, as per above, does grant Sneak Attack). She does not need to fulfill ALL conditions, only ONE condition. So long as she does not have disadvantage on the attack, she can gain her Sneak Attack damage in any one way she can connive.
Please do not contact or message me.
This has answered all of my questions in a way that makes so much more sense then all the information I found online. During the Campaign.
Thanks guys.
Correct.
Eh... usually? You read the spell and do what it says. But usually yes.
Correct.
8+Proficiency bonus + Spellcasting modifier, unless some other text overrides it.
Read the spell text. Most spells will refer to "your spell save DC" which is 8+spellcasting modifier + proficiency bonus. Other spells or magic items can specify a fixed DC - that's more common for magic items than for spells.
Read the spell and do what it says! Usually a healing spell will require a roll to see how many HP are healed but not one "to hit".
Not unless the spell says so.
No, just what the spell actually says.
The ability modifier used for a melee weapon is strength, and for a ranged weapon is dexterity. Weapons with the "finesse" property can use either. Weapons with the "thrown" property can be used to make a ranged attack with the same modifier that they would use for a melee attack.
The dueling fighting style says "When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other Weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to Damage Rolls with that weapon." So if you are not holding a knife in your other hand when you make the attack, whenever that attack is (action, bonus action, reaction) you get the +2.
There are no specific rules for "skewering" someone with a lance. The special rules about the lance are:
1) "Lance: You have disadvantage when you use a lance to Attack a target within 5 feet of you. Also, a lance requires two hands to wield when you aren’t mounted."
2) The lance's other property -Reach.
I'd personally just rule it as a regular attack with no further effects, just flavor. It seems like something that could get used literally every round, and I don't want to worry about balancing an entirely new ability for a lance-weilder. Save the improvised actions for things that are clever solutions to specific situations, rather than letting players invent new abilities that are useful literally every turn.
This is described in the Rogue sneak attack rules (assuming you're referring to the rogue's Sneak Attack feature, and not to generic attacking-while-hidden):
"Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Rogue table."
It does not require being hidden, though being hidden is often a convenient way of getting advantage.
At level 2 Rogues get Cunning action, which lets them use their bonus action to hide. "Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action." Until then, other ways of gaining sneak attack are probably better.
Yes, unless the DM chooses to make it easier or harder based on the circumstances (e.g. you can't hide in plain sight no matter what you roll.)
DM's choice
Getting advantage when hidden is just normal hiding rules and works for everyone, not just rogues that get Sneak Attack. Sneak Attack gets extra dice as described above.
New question.
Combat Positioning. As was mentioned, the Lance gets disadvantage when the target is within 5 ft and it has Reach...
Going to start with the Reach, D&D Beyond indicates that the Reach is up to 10 ft. Is that all the Reach implies or is there more to it? I know in Magic the Gathering Reach lets you target flying things, but I doubt that carries over to D&D. So how does the term Reach carry over into a combat scenario?
Disadvantage within 5 ft. How would you keep an opponent at bay when everything needs to be within 5 ft to attack? This seems like its something intended to make the weapon difficult to use in order to balance the large hit dice connected to the weapon (D12). That being said, targeting anything in your combat range seems disadvantageous if there is no way to keep the enemy back. It almost seems like a mele weapon intended to be used over someone's shoulder. You can't use a shield to keep the target back as it takes 2 hands to operate, so how do you use the weapon? Just hold position behind someone with a shield? Just throw it? But then your down a weapon.
D&D already doesn't give any disadvantage to hit flying creatures in range. Reach just extends that range for melee.
If you can get advantage from anything that will negate the disadvantage. And if you are mounted you can even use a shield. So take mounted combatant and you will not have disadvantage when attacking any medium or smaller enemies and get to use a shield.
Ok, so he will need to be mounted to use the weapon with one hand and negate the disadvantage of the "within 5 ft range" effect on the weapon.
To get around the penalty it sounds like he has to focus on fighting something that is already preoccupied so he can keep a certain distance, or target something that is being held still.
Raises another interesting question related to mounting. This is related to the race of Centaur. Is a Centaur technically mounted already? Can't really mount a Centaur on a horse. A mounted character, can they technically wield 2 lances?
Our Lance user is a dwarf. Can he mount our Wizard Centaur and ride around the battlefield hacking away at enemies while the Centaur is throwing Fireballs?
It is not, but I like to house rule that it is.
Yes, but lances aren't light, so they will need the dual wielder feat.
Not without a house rule. Centaurs and dwarves are both medium. You can only mount a creature of a larger size category (for example a halfling or gnome could mount a centaur).
I think I talked about this in another thread already, but there's a very good reason to not house rule that (NBD, just nerding out): it defeats the principle(s) which make the benefits from being mounted possible.
Mounted combat isn't just about size/shape of a creature, or how many legs it has. The reason any creature (mounted on another creature) can wield a lance one-handed is because they are dedicating the use of their own legs & abdomen on creating a stable platform for their upper body to operate. That kind of stability just cannot be replicated without another creature/vehicle supporting the rider. It's an instance where morphological distinctions in body type/shape don't matter at all. It's all about Dynamics creating a two-force member to mitigate shock.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.