I'm venturing into playing 5th edition and I'm certain to have some questions so I'm starting this thread. I will be converting 3.5 characters (11th level) over to the 5th edition rules. My first questions pertain to character creation.
Question #1: On page 31 of the Players Guide it indicates that humans receive a ability score improvement of +1 for each statistic at character creation. This seems overly generous. Also it states in the footnote bar that:
If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from Chapter 6, your Dungeon Master might allow these variants traits, all of which replace the human's Ability Score Increase Trait.
I don't fully understand this statement. Does this mean that the player can select a feat in replace of each ability score they do not want to increase at character creation? If so this would range from 1-6 feats at character creation.
It goes on to say:
Ability Score Increase: Two different ability scores of your choice is increased by +1. This means that when you achieve a ability score increase at levels 4,8, 12, etc. that you get a +1 to the score of your choice, same as 3.5 edition.
Skills: You gain 1 skill of your choice. This means at character creation you start with 1 skill correct?
Feat: You gain one feat of your choice. This means at character creation you start with 1 skill correct? This is in addition to any feats acquired by not selecting an ability improvement at character creation as well as at levels 4, 8, 12, etc.
So if a human didn't improve any of their ability scores at character creation, they would acquire 6 feat for not taking any, plus 1 additional feat at character creation. Correct?
Am I correct on all of these issues or am I interpreting something wrong.
No. Those are two alternate packages of racial traits.
You pick either:
(a) +1 to all ability scores.
(b) +1 to two ability scores, 1 feat, 1 skill.
No. Those are two alternate packages of racial traits.
You pick either:
(a) +1 to all ability scores.
(b) +1 to two ability scores, 1 feat, 1 skill.
Could you clarify more please?
Question #1: On page 31 of the Players Guide it indicates that humans receive a ability score improvement of +1 for each statistic at character creation.
As a human are you required to improve each of your stats by +1 at character creation or do you take 1 feat in exchange for all 6 ability score improvements? Do you take 6 feats instead of improving your ability scores or can you NOT take feats in replace of the human ability score improvements at character creation?
Variant human gives one extra skill, so that's 1 plus the 2 from your background and the 2-4 from your class at character creation.
Variant human gives one extra skill, so that's 1 plus the 2 from your background and the 2-4 from your class at character creation.
Ok, I'm recreating an 11th level human cleric. So I have 1 feat as a human, 2 from my background and 2 for being a cleric. Thank you.
No. Those are two alternate packages of racial traits.
You pick either:
(a) +1 to all ability scores.
(b) +1 to two ability scores, 1 feat, 1 skill.
This really confuses me.
Question #1: On page 31 of the Players Guide it indicates that humans receive a ability score improvement of +1 for each statistic at character creation.
As a human are you required to improve each of your stats by +1 at character creation or do you take 1 feat in exchange for all 6 ability score improvements? Do you take 6 feats instead of improving your ability scores or can you NOT take feats in replace of the human ability score improvements at character creation?
Or are you saying that you can:
1. At character creation improve each ability score by +1 OR
2. Increase 1 ability by 2 points at character creation, in addition to selecting a extra feat and extra skill?
Or are you saying that you can:
1. At character creation improve each ability score by +1 OR
2. Increase 1 ability by 2 points at character creation, in addition to selecting a extra feat and extra skill?
Exactly this.
Exactly this.2. Increase 1 ability by 2 points at character creation, in addition to selecting a extra feat and extra skill?
2. Increase 1 ability by 2 points at character creation, in addition to selecting a extra feat and extra skill?
Can you tell me where I can read this? Thanks for helping me out.
At character creation humans get a +1 bonus to each ability score. Can these be exchanged for feats? If so, how many?
The sidebar describing the variant human traits is on page 19 of the player's Basic rules and page 31 of the Players Handbook.
The only ability score increases that can be exchanged for feats are those gained through class advancement.
At character creation humans get a +1 bonus to each ability score. Can these be exchanged for feats? If so, how many?
In D&D 5th ed. humans get +1 to ALL ability scores at creation
OR
IF your GM allows the optional rules about feats YOU CAN choose to get a single +2 to one ability score, plus a feat of your choice and bonus skill. You can't exchange these ability points for feats.
Feats are OPTIONAL in 5th ed, if allowed you can get 1 in exchange for an ability increase (a 4th level fighter, instead of picking up the extra ability points can get a feat of his choice for example, not that this applies toi all races not only to humans. Humans can get an extra feat if they choose to and the GM allows feats, but they can also decide to simply keep their +1 to all abilities scores).
P.S.
In 5th ed Humans get +6 ability points while other races get +3 or +4, but I like how this helps making humans more well rounded but not really more powerful than other races.
It's an EITHER OR package, as Drejk outlines. You're probably approaching it as a Alternate Racial Traits in Pathfinder. The standard human's +1 to all ability scores is one thing, not six things.
If you want the feat, you also get a bonus skill proficiency, and you get +1 to two different ability scores of your choice.
Ok thank you I understand that now. Next question..
Page 59 of the Players Handbook says under Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12, 16, and 19th level you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by +1. As normal you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
I understand the ruling, but I'm puzzled as to why they would give someone a +2 increase in one ability score. That's seems way to generous. If a character did that each time they reached 4th, 8th, 12, 16, and 19th levels, they could improve one ability score by +10 assuming they picked the same one each time.
In exchange for giving up either 2 points in one ability score or 1 point in two different ability scores they can select 1 feat.
Right?
Ok thank you I understand that now. Next question..
(...)
In exchange for giving up either 2 points in one ability score or 1 point in two different ability scores they can select 1 feat.
Right?
Correct
Can you only select a skill once or can you take it multiple times to increase your bonus?
Ok thank you I understand that now. Next question..
Page 59 of the Players Handbook says under Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12, 16, and 19th level you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by +1. As normal you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
I understand the ruling, but I'm puzzled as to why they would give someone a +2 increase in one ability score. That's seems way to generous. If a character did that each time they reached 4th, 8th, 12, 16, and 19th levels, they could improve one ability score by +10 assuming they picked the same one each time.
In exchange for giving up either 2 points in one ability score or 1 point in two different ability scores they can select 1 feat.
Right?
What you're missing in that equation is that, barring certain legendary magical items, ALL ability scores in 5E are capped at 20.
So let's say I have a fighter with 16 STR to start the game - for my 4th and 6th level ability score improvement I could do the +2, but come 8th level I'd either need to take a feat or put the improvement somewhere else. And if that feat offered a +1 to STR, my character simply wouldn't gain that benefit.
Also, in contrast to 3.PF, most items that change ability scores will simply overwrite them rather than offer a flat bonus. (eg 5E Gauntlets of Ogre Strength set your STR score to 19 instead of giving you +2. If your Str is already 19 or over there is no effect.)
The +1 to all stats isn't really that good when you actually break it down and I've never bothered playing a human in a game that didn't offer the human variant - which is ironically too good by giving you +1 to two stats which is what most classes are typically interested in, AND a feat which are wayyy more powerful in this edition, and a Skill. (We basically house rule the variant to be a Feat only, or +1 to two ability scores and an additional skill.
So far character creation has gone well. Trying to re-create a 11th level Cleric of Istus from 3.5 edition has been interesting. Not everything translates over and there are new abilities she possesses, but I think it will still feel like the same character.
We are also creating a 11th level Ranger and together they are going to walk the steps of the original Castle Greyhawk....picking up the quest I started several years back. Now I just need two more players...so hard to find.
Another thing to consider is to really read over the spells. A lot of them sound familiar but do different things in 5E. For example, you can cast banishment on a non-extraplanar creature and it disappears for a little while! Lesser restoration does a lot more, like remove poison and diseases and I think blindness. Stuff like that.
What domain does your cleric have? Did you select any feats, or just choose to increase your ability scores?
Another thing to consider is to really read over the spells. A lot of them sound familiar but do different things in 5E. For example, you can cast banishment on a non-extraplanar creature and it disappears for a little while! Lesser restoration does a lot more, like remove poison and diseases and I think blindness. Stuff like that.
What domain does your cleric have? Did you select any feats, or just choose to increase your ability scores?
I went with the Knowledge Domain as it was really the only one in the PH that fit Istus.
I changed 2 ability scores at character creation rather than boosting all 6 by one point. I selected the skill and feat. I also selected feats at levels 4 and 8. I took Mounted Combat, Skilled Feat and Dungeon Delver Feat. The feats I had in 3.5 were not really represented at all. In 3.5 I was very good at mounted combat and in 5th edition I thought the Mounted Combatant Feat wasn't very good. I still took it because I was trying to recreate the old character. The skills translated over somewhat ok, the bonus are much lower and they appear to be far more broad than they were in 3.5.
I lost out on using my net and the XP system was an issue but all in all its more than playable.
I was rather impressed with the Ranger we put together for my friend though.
So far WOTC has marketed the game very slowly which is fine, I'm not interested in a bunch of character oriented books such as those for races and classes. I would much rather see books put out for monsters and other DM oriented materials. I realize they make more money on the player oriented books though. Also I really hope they choose to give Greyhawk some serious attention as well. Right now I'm using Anna's Greyhawk maps and am able to add my own features to the maps in order to include hamlets, trails, and all sorts of other things.
Luckily for that there is Monster a Day
Interesting. We've found the variant human to be nice, but not overly powerful. Not being able to see in the dark when the rest of the party can is a huge drawback, depending on the campaign. Likewise different races get additional defenses or other tweaks that humans don't get. While the free feat is definitely a good bonus, it doesn't overshadow the various perks the demi-humans get, IMO. (I do agree that the base human is weak in comparison to the other races, though.)
The +1 to all stats isn't really that good when you actually break it down and I've never bothered playing a human in a game that didn't offer the human variant - which is ironically too good by giving you +1 to two stats which is what most classes are typically interested in, AND a feat which are wayyy more powerful in this edition, and a Skill. (We basically house rule the variant to be a Feat only, or +1 to two ability scores and an...
Well getting the equivalent of DR3 against anything non magical at level 1 is pretty good I'd say
Edit: Btw I must say I find races to be better ballanced in 5th edition than in PF.
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I would much rather see books put out for monsters ...
If you are looking for new 5E monsters (as in more than 400 new 5E monsers! :), be sure to check out the Tome of Beasts, coming soon!
Oh, I agree, Heavy Armor Master is insanely powerful at 1st level (...)
true, but that's what this human has while other races have nice things too at 1st level. Considering that level 1 and 2 fly by rather quickly, I'm not too concerned about that particular feat.
Interesting. We've found the variant human to be nice, but not overly powerful. Not being able to see in the dark when the rest of the party can is a huge drawback, depending on the campaign. Likewise different races get additional defenses or other tweaks that humans don't get. While the free feat is definitely a good bonus, it doesn't overshadow the various perks the demi-humans get, IMO. (I do agree that the base human is weak in comparison to the other races, though.)
The +1 to all stats isn't really that good when you actually break it down and I've never bothered playing a human in a game that didn't offer the human variant - which is ironically too good by giving you +1 to two stats which is what most classes are typically interested in, AND a feat which are wayyy more powerful in this edition, and a Skill. (We basically house rule the variant to be a Feat only, or +1 to two ability scores and an...
It is not just the free feat though - it's the free feat, and free skill, and two floating +1's. (6 +1's is an ENORMOUS waste when everything caps at 20 anyway.) Darkvision is typically the big thing other races get, but the biggest benefit can be had with a feat that will also give a human other goodies too.
Plus since you get to choose the feat it synergizes way better than other racial goodies. A 1st level human Paladin with "Bless" up and a great sword can get a LOT of mileage out of Great Weapon Master. (Ditto a human archery style fighter with Sharpshooter.) And they'll always be 1 Feat ahead of the general power curve.
Most of the humans in my party took the Lucky Feat at 1st level.
Since this is a 5e questions thread, I have one:
What are all the different ways to get more than one bonus action per round or per turn? I have found one, and that's it.
The rogue (thief) can get two turns in one round. With the standard rule of one bonus action per turn, they get two in a round.
However, I haven't found a single thing that gives more than one bonus action per turn. Anyone find anything like this?
Since this is a 5e questions thread, I have one:
What are all the different ways to get more than one bonus action per round or per turn? I have found one, and that's it.
The rogue (thief) can get two turns in one round. With the standard rule of one bonus action per turn, they get two in a round.
However, I haven't found a single thing that gives more than one bonus action per turn. Anyone find anything like this?
Unless you get a way to take multiple turn in a single round as the thief archetype 17th ability does, you just can't have more than one bonus action.
The UA Ranger have an ability called Ambuscade quite similar to Thief's Reflex
5e is quite simple, in a round you get to take an action (Attack, Dodge, Dash, Help, Disengage, Hide, or Cast a Spell), if allowed, you get a Bonus Action as well. You can move as much as your total movement score allows it, and you can break you movement to happen anyhow you want. Then if triggered you can have a Reaction.
So I'm redoing random encounter tables for 5th edition and I see there is no treasure type allocated for monsters. After reading in the DMG I got the feeling it is strictly up to the DM to determine which monsters have treasure and whether or not they are found in their lair.
Is this pretty much the case?
So I'm redoing random encounter tables for 5th edition and I see there is no treasure type allocated for monsters. After reading in the DMG I got the feeling it is strictly up to the DM to determine which monsters have treasure and whether or not they are found in their lair.
Is this pretty much the case?
Yes and no.
They took the treasure listings out of the monster manual and put them in the DMG. The DMG has an entire chapter dedicated to treasure and includes recommendations and randomized tables for determining what kind of treasure various monsters of different CR may be carrying. It's up for you to decide.
Also, don't forget that Lairs are now a thing, and there may be ample opportunity for treasure there.
When I make my random encounter tables I add information for the chance of discovering a lair and other pertinent notes necessary for the encounter and location. I read through much of what you mentioned. It was interesting reading.
I still haven't caught up on how lairs work (haven't read that part of the book yet).
Any advice?
Lairs add mysticism to legendary creatures with some non-offense effects (ex. in a Unicorn's lair, good creatures that cast healing spells on good creatures get the effect maximized for free), and sometimes some oomph to the creature, especially if it's to be used as a solo combatant against the party. In those cases, the lair has its own turn in initiative, and the legendary monster can choose one out of several effects (and generally has to use all of them before being able to repeat one).
I've only experienced them in one fight (against a green dragon, its lair created a wall of vegetation to split the party at the start of the fight) and it certainly added some oomph to the dragon as a solo encounter, since we couldn't mass against it from the beginning.
We're doing a 5E conversion of Rise of the Rune Lords, we're in Part 6, we're 12th level, and we've fought in maybe a dozen lairs.
Both Lair Actions and Legendary Actions really add a lot of oomph to encounters. Probably most importantly, they help with BBEG action economy. Now a single bad guy can challenge a group of 5 or 6.
For example, Legendary Actions only occur after another creature's turn, so a BBEG can only use all of its Legendary Actions each turn if it is fighting at least 3 PCs.
Lair Actions can be so powerful that they increase the CR of the monster by 1 or 2. They're usually powerful in a way that makes the fight more interesting, too, and not just a drain on PC resources, like hit points or actions.
Both are really good design spaces. I really like them, even if it makes life difficult and/or short for my PC...
Attunement, interesting rules, just for the record, I like it. However I have some questions pertaining to it. The rules read pretty straight forward so I probably understand it correctly but since its pretty different I still want to ask some questions for feedback.
After reading it I understand how attunement is completed and that a character may only be attuned to 3 magical items at a time. Now not all magic items require attunement but the better things like more powerful misc. magic items, special suits of armor, non-standard weapons (not just a +1 to +3 often have attunement. And yes they got rid of +4 and +5 items, this edition is defiantly different.
Question #1: Why do some items have attunement and others of a similar nature do not?
Question #2: With attunement rules the needs for Identify spell are limited. Does one learn the exact same information for Attunement vs. Identify spell?
Question #3: This seems to put some restrictions as to how many magical items a character ultimately will possess or at least use at a given time. Was this WOTC intention?
Question #4: Is "CLASS" the only prerequisite for an item requiring attunement or are there other prerequisites I have overlooked?
Question #5: If an item may be attuned to only one person at a time another fellow party member cannot use it in a pinch. How do you feel about this?
Question#6: If a character intentionally (or otherwise) discontinues an attunement can they re-attune with it later? If so, does the magical command words or anything like that change with the item or is it simply POOF gone from the character's recollection?
Question#7: If a character is no longer in attunement with a magical item they previously were, do they automatically forget what the item does? For example: A character has attunement with Gauntlets of Ogre Power. The attunement comes to an end for some reason and the character looks down and sees the gloves on their hands, in their chamber, saddle bag, etc. do they have no clue what it even is or do they still realize they are Gauntlets of Ogre power which they used many times in battle? If they POOF forgot its seems really hokey to me. Your thoughts?
Spells: I'm recreating my 11th level cleric and I see she has some scroll and I cannot find a couple of the spells in 5th edition. They may have been renamed and I was unable to locate them. Anybody know what happened to:
Cure Moderate Wounds
Invisibility Purge
Summon Monster Summoning V (I cannot find any kind of Monster Summoning spells for any of the classes, its hard to believe they would have removed this from the core game rules)
Cure Wounds replaces Cure Light, Moderate, Serious, Critical, etc.
Cure Wounds cast with a 1st level slot cures 1d8 points of damage (+ your Wisdom bonus).
Cure Wounds cast with a 2nd level slot cures 2d8 + your Wis mod.
Cure Wounds cast with a 3rd level slot cures 3d8 + your Wis mod.
Cure Wounds cast with a 6th level slot cure 6d8 + your Wis mod...but you might want to cast Heal instead since it cures 70 points.
They DID remove all the Summon Monster spells. One of 5E's design philosophies appears to be limiting the action economy of the characters. For example, the Beastmaster Ranger's animal companion uses the ranger's Attack action (or part of the ranger's Attack action at 5th level and beyond).
There ARE higher level, more specific spells that summon monsters, like Summon Woodland Creatures, Summon Elemental, Summon Celestial, etc. There is also Planar Binding, Planar Ally, and the like.
I think they got rid of (or haven't gotten around to publishing) Invisibility Purge.
Attunement, interesting rules, just for the record, I like it. However I have some questions pertaining to it. The rules read pretty straight forward so I probably understand it correctly but since its pretty different I still want to ask some questions for feedback.
After reading it I understand how attunement is completed and that a character may only be attuned to 3 magical items at a time. Now not all magic items require attunement but the better things like more powerful misc. magic items, special suits of armor, non-standard weapons (not just a +1 to +3 often have attunement. And yes they got rid of +4 and +5 items, this edition is defiantly different.
Question #1: Why do some items have attunement and others of a similar nature do not?
Question #2: With attunement rules the needs for Identify spell are limited. Does one learn the exact same information for Attunement vs. Identify spell?
Question #3: This seems to put some restrictions as to how many magical items a character ultimately will possess or at least use at a given time. Was this WOTC intention?
Question #4: Is "CLASS" the only prerequisite for an item requiring attunement or are there other prerequisites I have overlooked?
Question #5: If an item may be attuned to only one person at a time another fellow party member cannot use it in a pinch. How do you feel about this?
Question#6: If a character intentionally (or otherwise) discontinues an attunement can they re-attune with it later? If so, does the magical command words or anything like that change with the item or is it simply POOF gone from the character's recollection?
Question#7: If a character is no longer in attunement with a magical item they previously were, do they automatically forget what the item does? For example: A character has attunement with Gauntlets of Ogre Power. The attunement comes to an end for some reason and the character looks down and sees the gloves on their hands, in their chamber, saddle bag, etc. do they have no clue what it even is...
1. Presumably for balance reasons. But I don't want to make a pres out of you and me...
2. I believe so. Identify is a ritual spell, so it "only" takes 10 minutes to use it, and it removes the risk of accidentally being attuned to a cursed magic item. It's hard to remove attunement from a cursed item.
3. Yes. 5E wants to remove the "Christmas Tree" effect and the "Big Six" magic items. Encounter and monster design assume PCs have NO magic items. So AC, save DCs, skill check DCs, etc., are all designed with most PCs only applying their proficiency bonus + their relevant ability score modifier to any applicable ability check, attack roll, and saving throw roll.
4. I don't know. Presumably each item lists any prerequisites for its attunement. But see answer 1....
5. It's OK. It's kind of like how no one else can lift Thor's hammer. Magical items are pretty special in 5E, and special magic items (the ones requiring attunement) are even more special. They're so special that they can be a character's calling card.
6. It typically takes a Short Rest to attune a magic item. So during a Short Rest, you can drop 1 attunement for a different one. For example, after the battle with Frost Giants, but before invading the Red Dragon's lair, you might drop your attunement for your Wand of Fireballs and gain attunement for your Cloak of Fire Resistance.
7. Attunement only affects what you can use. It does not affect what you know. A really rich and lucky wizard might have 5 different wands, but can only be attuned to 3 of them at a time. The remaining 2 he keeps in his pockets and swaps in and out during Short Rests as needed.
As a cleric, your "summon spell" is conjure celestial, but that's a 7th level spell so you'll have to wait until 13th level. Druids have the most summons in this edition.
Skills: Ok, I have determined my skills from the character creation rules. Here's how I acquired the skills I have. Is there a way for NEW skills to be acquired after 1st level?
History: Cleric Class, Level 1
Persuasion: Cleric Class, Level 1
Arcana: Domain, Level 1
Religion: Domain, Level 1
Medicine: Background/Acolyte
Perception: Background/Acolyte
Animal Handling: Ability Score Rule Variation
Insight: Skilled Feat
Performance: Skilled Feat (Pan Pipes)
Stealth: Skilled Feat
Lore Bards get more skills at lvl 3 (and half proficiency to non-proficient) but that's probably not worth chasing.
Note that Performance is a skill, and Pan Pipes are a tool proficiency.
Lore Bards get more skills at lvl 3 (and half proficiency to non-proficient) but that's probably not worth chasing.
Note that Performance is a skill, and Pan Pipes are a tool proficiency.
How does Dance work in then? I assumed the Performance skill really only taps into one type of performance such as dancing, acting or singing. Playing an instrument isn't included under Performance?
I don't have my PHB in front of me, but I think Perform covers dance, comedy, song, storytelling, etc.
In some cases I'm not sure why they didn't fold things like instruments into Perform, and disguise into Deception.
Dance is probably a Dex check.
You might want to check your background skills. I think Acolyte gets Insight and Religion.
You can use your class for Medicine and Persuasion, your Domain for History and Arcana, your racial skill for Perception, and your Skilled Feat for Animal Handling, Stealth, Performance OR pan pipe tool proficiency.
It's possible to call for a skill check with the non-standard score attached, I could see a technically complex dance be Dex (Perform) rather than Cha (Perform).
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I think they separated out general skills from skill with an item. Any skill that can be done without equipment would be classified under "Skill Proficiency." Any skill that requires an item is a "Tool Proficiency."
So song, dance, etc would be performance, while guitar, flute, etc would be tool prof.
Just like open locks is now proficiency with lock picks. And brewing is proficiency with Brewers tools.