D&D Beyond’s November Drop: Champions of Ysgard

If we’re adding new weapons, it’d be nice to see a few new masteries to go along with them. A few new feats to pair with those weapons/masteries too. 

I think Mastery properties are the kind of thing that should be reserved for proper books. They're like weapon properties, or damage types, or conditions, or actions: a type of game rule and game mechanic. But, hey, that's just my opinion, and I do agree with the inclusion of more weapon feats. Heck, I'd like to see some feats that are associated with and interact with specific Mastery properties.

I'm such an advocate for allowing players to play as other creature types, so this brightened my day a bit! idk if this will ever happen, but I do wish we could get some kind of Giant Species that is Large, but I understand the balance/dungeon design favors and is made for medium creatures. Maybe there could be a Large Giant Species that can temporarily become Medium?

I predicted that this month's drops would have a celestial vibe, and overall I love it, but I am disappointed that we are moving away from specific creature feats. I was quite excited by the idea of a mini celestial pact.

I imagine it's because it serves the fantasy of throwing a Bola at someone and tripping them up. Killing someone by yeeting a Bola at them isn't the point. It's also not Light, so it doesn't get boosted by Martial Arts, though you could Sneak Attack with it, so that could be funny.

Personally I don't see a problem with it being boosted to 1d4 at my table, but Blowguns would also get boosted by default as well in that case.

I mean, technically it's a weapon with the Heavy and Reach properties, so I suppose it does!

Still stupid you all retconned Eladrin into Super Fey Elves and lost the lore of the original Eladrin as the Arborean-native celestial agents of Chaotic Good. The Firre is one type of those Eladrins. Knowledge check for those of you enamored with 5E and failing to see the breadth and greater wonders of the first three editions 

Because despite how simplistically dumb 5E is, they still can’t manage balancing things correctly. 

You can still do a STR based Rogue, sneak attack doesn't need DEX, just that the weapon had Finesse or Ranged Weapon.

Serious question, but I have trouble making encounters that use any Good-alligned monsters. If they are NPCs, I have simpler stat blocks, but if the party is (somewhat) Good-alligned, I never need a full stat block, right? I think the Firre is dope, but I don't see when I would need their stat block (except when they ''turn evil'' or violent because of mind control etc.)

Unrelated to anything but does anyone have class ideas for a campestri sidekick I love these singing toad from Mario's or should I do a swarm keeper with a  campestri swarm rather than bugs(I hate bugs, mind you I hate mushrooms too)

I personally think that the Pitchfork should have the Versatile trait.

Quote from Felgrand4123 >>

Will we get more Planes of Existence later

 Hopefully

You can still use strength for a finesse weapon, you know.

Quote from Brian2020 >>

Serious question, but I have trouble making encounters that use any Good-alligned monsters. If they are NPCs, I have simpler stat blocks, but if the party is (somewhat) Good-alligned, I never need a full stat block, right? I think the Firre is dope, but I don't see when I would need their stat block (except when they ''turn evil'' or violent because of mind control etc.)

 A celestial can become opposed to the party simply because they are profoundly inflexible in their thinking.

I like to put it like this: mortals have lower case alignments, Celestials and Fiends and other denizens of the Outer Planes have Upper Case alignments because they come from realms that both represent and are defined by that alignment. A PC can be "lawful good", a solar must be "Lawful Good".

What I call a lower case alignment is ultimately a matter of choice: a chaotic good PC has shown a tendency to act that way, but is always capable of making a different choice in any given moment. The player can use the alignment as a helpful roleplaying reference but following it is not forced. The denizens of the Outer Planes lack that freedom, their alignment is the diamond core of who and what they are: even if a Good-aligned outsider somehow does becomes Evil-aligned, in critical ways it is no longer the same type of creature, and it cannot continue to exist in the Outer Plane where it used to dwell. 

In the specific case of a Firre, which is Chaotic Good: Obviously it will still oppose Evil: and this is an easy way to have it fight your PCs, because even if they don't think they are acting in service of evil, the Firre might disagree with their line of thinking. Two different definitions of good can and will clash! Also remember that a celestial can take a much longer view than the PCs do: even if their act accomplishes something good today or tomorrow, the Firre might have gamed the outcomes out for years, decades, centuries and be trying to prevent future harm. The other reason a Firre might become an opponent to your Good-aligned PCs is because its nature compels it to act in service to Chaos, which means opposition to Law is also encoded into its being. Such a creature is more likely to become an opponent to any kind of organisation, even one that does good, the more rigid and hierarchical that organisation is; it views the organisation's rules and strictures as a form of tyranny. 

If you're interested, I wrote an article some years back which goes into a bit more detail about how I personally view the mindset of a celestial. Just search for "The Why and How of a Celestial Warlock". 

Oh I know you can. I was just pointing out that you’d need str 13 if you wanted to go the usual dex route which isn’t a big deal

Goats and sheep are quite closely related. They're both caprines, after all.

Quote from spilledale >>

Quote from Brian2020 >>

Serious question, but I have trouble making encounters that use any Good-alligned monsters. If they are NPCs, I have simpler stat blocks, but if the party is (somewhat) Good-alligned, I never need a full stat block, right? I think the Firre is dope, but I don't see when I would need their stat block (except when they ''turn evil'' or violent because of mind control etc.)

 A celestial can become opposed to the party simply because they are profoundly inflexible in their thinking.

I like to put it like this: mortals have lower case alignments, Celestials and Fiends and other denizens of the Outer Planes have Upper Case alignments because they come from realms that both represent and are defined by that alignment. A PC can be "lawful good", a solar must be "Lawful Good".

What I call a lower case alignment is ultimately a matter of choice: a chaotic good PC has shown a tendency to act that way, but is always capable of making a different choice in any given moment. The player can use the alignment as a helpful roleplaying reference but following it is not forced. The denizens of the Outer Planes lack that freedom, their alignment is the diamond core of who and what they are: even if a Good-aligned outsider somehow does becomes Evil-aligned, in critical ways it is no longer the same type of creature, and it cannot continue to exist in the Outer Plane where it used to dwell. 

In the specific case of a Firre, which is Chaotic Good: Obviously it will still oppose Evil: and this is an easy way to have it fight your PCs, because even if they don't think they are acting in service of evil, the Firre might disagree with their line of thinking. Two different definitions of good can and will clash! Also remember that a celestial can take a much longer view than the PCs do: even if their act accomplishes something good today or tomorrow, the Firre might have gamed the outcomes out for years, decades, centuries and be trying to prevent future harm. The other reason a Firre might become an opponent to your Good-aligned PCs is because its nature compels it to act in service to Chaos, which means opposition to Law is also encoded into its being. Such a creature is more likely to become an opponent to any kind of organisation, even one that does good, the more rigid and hierarchical that organisation is; it views the organisation's rules and strictures as a form of tyranny. 

If you're interested, I wrote an article some years back which goes into a bit more detail about how I personally view the mindset of a celestial. Just search for "The Why and How of a Celestial Warlock". 

This is that article, right? It was an interesting read.

Quote from Razzelmire >>

Still stupid you all retconned Eladrin into Super Fey Elves and lost the lore of the original Eladrin as the Arborean-native celestial agents of Chaotic Good. The Firre is one type of those Eladrins. Knowledge check for those of you enamored with 5E and failing to see the breadth and greater wonders of the first three editions 

 I got into D&D in the 2020s, and I'm fully aware of what the original eladrin were. Despite having never played any edition earlier than 5th, I'm salty about it. The firre's return is what made me happiest, followed by the return of the valkyrie and bariaurs becoming officially playable again.

Quote from Razzelmire >>

Because despite how simplistically dumb 5E is, they still can’t manage balancing things correctly. 

 I see simpler rules as a benefit. Simpler rules make the game run more quickly and smoothly, and they provide less of a barrier to entry for new players. Plus, 5e and 5.5e aren't perfect at balancing stuff, but I'd say they're certainly better than 3e and 3.5e, with their adherence to Monte Cook's Ivory Tower design philosophy and exacerbation of the martial/caster divide.

Now, I am going to leave this here, hit "Ignore User" so that I don't have to see any more of your comments, and stop engaging with you before this escalates into the edition war I think you might be trying to provoke.