D&D 5e: Nobody Talks about D&D - Games

[QUOTE=IrishBandit;49143645]I'm trying to come up with magic items for mounts/cavalry in 5e, and need ideas. Here's what I currently have: [t]http://i.imgur.com/AI7s3DJ.png[/t][/QUOTE] Just do fantasy reskins of bond car gadgets

[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;49143774]Yep Nothing like earning barely more than a hundred nuyen a day maintaining krill-processing machines but at the end of it all they stole one of the trawlers and are finally making their way out of Japan, provided they don't find some way to fuck it up again, which I've found is always a possibility with this group[/QUOTE] If the Japs or the Chinese try to kill us as we sail away I'll just mindlink with a krill and leave my mammalian cage behind

[QUOTE=IrishBandit;49143645]I'm trying to come up with magic items for mounts/cavalry in 5e, and need ideas. Here's what I currently have: [t]http://i.imgur.com/AI7s3DJ.png[/t][/QUOTE] horseshoes of water walking are a necessity

[QUOTE=IrishBandit;49143645]I'm trying to come up with magic items for mounts/cavalry in 5e, and need ideas. Here's what I currently have: [t]http://i.imgur.com/AI7s3DJ.png[/t][/QUOTE] Maybe a saddle that makes it more difficult to be knocked off? Assuming that's even a possibility.

[QUOTE=Aperture fan;49145980]Maybe a saddle that makes it more difficult to be knocked off? Assuming that's even a possibility.[/QUOTE] that item already exists

Rolled my first spellcaster character for D&D 5e last night-- a warlock focusing on illusions and deception. It's a lot of fun! Pretty much the apex of "imagination is your weapon," since you can specify any vision you want. I am considering multiclassing into Illusion school wizard too, just to grab the [I]improved minor illusion[/I] ability, but I'm unsure if it's worth it. Once I've reached level five as a Warlock, I'll have the three invocations I really want, (Book of Ancient Secrets, Mask of Many Faces, and Misty Visions). Beyond that, many of the invocations sound useful, but not really central to what I want to do, and the few spellslots of the Warlock are pretty limiting when it comes to my damage-dealing illusions like Phantasmal Force. Side note: Phantasmal Force is friggen cool. I melted a dude's brain by making him think he was being sucked into grinder. What would this style of character benefit most from, you think? Assuming I want to continue melting brains, fucking with peoples' perception of reality, and enchanting them to do what I want by worming into their minds and whatnot? Continue down the Warlock path (Pact of the Tome, Great Old One), or multiclass into something else? Sorcerer and Bard are the other Charisma spellcasters, so both would be an easy transition, but Wizard offers [I]Improved Minor Illusion,[/I] which lets me create both a sound [I]and[/i] an image on using the cantrip-- a big step up in making believable illusions.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49146331]Rolled my first spellcaster character for D&D 5e last night-- a warlock focusing on illusions and deception. It's a lot of fun! Pretty much the apex of "imagination is your weapon," since you can specify any vision you want. I am considering multiclassing into Illusion school wizard too, just to grab the [I]improved minor illusion[/I] ability, but I'm unsure if it's worth it. Once I've reached level five as a Warlock, I'll have the three invocations I really want, (Book of Ancient Secrets, Mask of Many Faces, and Misty Visions). Beyond that, many of the invocations sound useful, but not really central to what I want to do, and the few spellslots of the Warlock are pretty limiting when it comes to my damage-dealing illusions like Phantasmal Force. Side note: Phantasmal Force is friggen cool. I melted a dude's brain by making him think he was being sucked into grinder. What would this style of character benefit most from, you think? Assuming I want to continue melting brains, fucking with peoples' perception of reality, and enchanting them to do what I want by worming into their minds and whatnot? Continue down the Warlock path (Pact of the Tome, Great Old One), or multiclass into something else? Sorcerer and Bard are the other Charisma spellcasters, so both would be an easy transition, but Wizard offers [I]Improved Minor Illusion,[/I] which lets me create both a sound [I]and[/i] an image on using the cantrip-- a big step up in making believable illusions.[/QUOTE] To be honest, you'd have been better off being a full on Illusionist wizard from the getgo, but multiclassing into sorcerer is probably good. Maybe shadow sorcerer if your GM will allow it. Illusionists eventually get to make part of their illusions REAL so that's some sick shit.

Probably! But unlimited uses of [I]Silent Image[/I] sounded really dang cool. That, and telepathy. Though I guess with as many spell slots as a Wizard gets, you probably don't run out very often. I haven't heard of a Shadow Sorcerer. Is that in the Sword Coast Adventure Guide?

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49146387]Probably! But unlimited uses of [I]Silent Image[/I] sounded really dang cool. That, and telepathy. Though I guess with as many spell slots as a Wizard gets, you probably don't run out very often. I haven't heard of a Shadow Sorcerer. Is that in the Sword Coast Adventure Guide?[/QUOTE] It's in one of the latest UAs, along with light warlock. [URL="https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/02_UA_Underdark_Characters.pdf"]Check it out![/URL] It's not illusion focused, but it gives you some neat stuff to do.

[QUOTE=Chronische;49146447]It's in one of the latest UAs, along with light warlock. [URL="https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/02_UA_Underdark_Characters.pdf"]Check it out![/URL] It's not illusion focused, but it gives you some neat stuff to do.[/QUOTE] That's pretty cool, actually! One more quick thing: I'm a bit confused about multiclass spellcaster slots. Do I have this right? Each level of the following classes are worth a 1 point: sorcerer, wizard, bard, cleric, druid. Each level of the following classes are worth 1/2 a point: Paladin and Ranger Each level of the following classes are worth 1/3 of a point: Arcane Trickster, Eldritch Knight I add together the points of the different classes, round down to the nearest whole number, and that represents my total actual Spellcaster level. I compare that level to the table on page 165 of the Player's Handbook, which gives me my total spell slots. I think I got that. It's when mixing in a Warlock that I get a little confused. Is multiclassing a Warlock literally just adding your spell slots from Pact Magic to the spell slots from the other class you've picked (or, I guess, from the given spell slots on the Multiclass table, if you're splitting into three different kinds of spellcaster?) Does that include your known cantrips? So if I know 4 from Wizard and 3 from Warlock, I know 7 total?

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49146555]That's pretty cool, actually! One more quick thing: I'm a bit confused about multiclass spellcaster slots. Do I have this right? Each level of the following classes are worth a 1 point: sorcerer, wizard, bard, cleric, druid. Each level of the following classes are worth 1/2 a point: Paladin and Ranger Each level of the following classes are worth 1/3 of a point: Arcane Trickster, Eldritch Knight I add together the points of the different classes, round down to the nearest whole number, and that represents my total actual Spellcaster level. I compare that level to the table on page 165 of the Player's Handbook, which gives me my total spell slots. I think I got that. It's when mixing in a Warlock that I get a little confused. Is multiclassing a Warlock literally just adding your spell slots from Pact Magic to the spell slots from the other class you've picked (or, I guess, from the given spell slots on the Multiclass table, if you're splitting into three different kinds of spellcaster?) Does that include your known cantrips? So if I know 4 from Wizard and 3 from Warlock, I know 7 total?[/QUOTE] Warlock slots are totally different, and kept separate from normal caster spell slots, but cantrips known I believe remain the same across classes. A cleric/wizard I believe still only knows a couple cantrips, though they have a broader base to choose from. Someone will correct me shortly if that's not true.

So for Cantrips, should I just go with the higher value on whichever class has it? Like, as Warlock 4 I know 3 cantrips. I then multiclass into Warlock 4, Wizard 1. Wizard 1 only knows three cantrips as well, so I can I learn no additional cantrips yet. However, at Wizard 4 I can know four cantrips, so that allows me to then learn one additional cantrip. Ye? That basically right?

[QUOTE=Glent;49146104]that item already exists[/QUOTE] It's called "tie yourself to the horse with rope."

[QUOTE=Moustacheman;49148383]It's called "tie yourself to the horse with rope."[/QUOTE] In my personal experience, tying yourself to something is almost always a bad idea in the long term.

[QUOTE=elowin;49148402]In my personal experience, tying yourself to something is almost always a bad idea in the long term.[/QUOTE] it's okay, just like you can get your dropped sword back in your hand with a free action, now your horse can get a dropped you back in the saddle with a free action after all, a rider is just an improvised weapon, right?

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49147847]So for Cantrips, should I just go with the higher value on whichever class has it? Like, as Warlock 4 I know 3 cantrips. I then multiclass into Warlock 4, Wizard 1. Wizard 1 only knows three cantrips as well, so I can I learn no additional cantrips yet. However, at Wizard 4 I can know four cantrips, so that allows me to then learn one additional cantrip. Ye? That basically right?[/QUOTE] That's how it works, yeah, from what I understand.

Come on guys, Jason Bulmahn has gone over this already. [t]http://i.imgur.com/LsvEIAj.png%3F1[/t]

The worst sin is having his job title as his facebook name.

In 2 or 3 weeks i'm DMing for the first time with a small group. One of the players has played DnD with a serious group for the past year or so, but is pretty casual about it and has been the DM for our past sessions but wants to play as a character, hence why i'm going to DM. The other 2 have only played during our sessions (roughly 9 over the past 4 - 6 months). Any tips or advice you guys can give me? I was planning on doing something where a town has had some of it's people replaced/mind controlled by an ancient spirit as part of a pact with the local lord/baron in exchange for keeping the lord/baron's deathfully ill daughter alive, but without anyone in the town having any knowledge of it. I'm even thinking of going as far as to have one of the players replaced with a clone after being drugged, telling them via a small slip of paper so that no one else would know and telling them that when they think the group is weak, they should attack the rest of the group. Would this sort of thing be too complicated for a first time DM or should I just roll with it? Fifth Edition btw

[QUOTE=Whyt546;49150152]In 2 or 3 weeks i'm DMing for the first time with a small group. One of the players has played DnD with a serious group for the past year or so, but is pretty casual about it and has been the DM for our past sessions but wants to play as a character, hence why i'm going to DM. The other 2 have only played during our sessions (roughly 9 over the past 4 - 6 months). Any tips or advice you guys can give me? I was planning on doing something where a town has had some of it's people replaced/mind controlled by an ancient spirit as part of a pact with the local lord/baron in exchange for keeping the lord/baron's deathfully ill daughter alive, but without anyone in the town having any knowledge of it. I'm even thinking of going as far as to have one of the players replaced with a clone after being drugged, telling them via a small slip of paper so that no one else would know and telling them that when they think the group is weak, they should attack the rest of the group. Would this sort of thing be too complicated for a firs time DM or should I just roll with it? Fifth Edition btw[/QUOTE] I recently did something similar with a Changeling in my group, it's not too tricky so long as the player is fine with it. Don't go taking someone's character out of the story if they're invested in that character is the one tip I'd give you. If they're up for it, then go ahead. Inciting paranoia in players is the one greatest joy a DM can feel. Although, Changelings in my setting are slime-like creatures that eat people and arrange the consumed flesh and bones in the shape of their prey, imitating them. So it's a little more permanent than drugging and cloning. :v:

[QUOTE=kobalt;49150387]I recently did something similar with a Changeling in my group, it's not too tricky so long as the player is fine with it. Don't go taking someone's character out of the story if they're invested in that character is the one tip I'd give you. If they're up for it, then go ahead. Inciting paranoia in players is the one greatest joy a DM can feel. Although, Changelings in my setting are slime-like creatures that eat people and arrange the consumed flesh and bones in the shape of their prey, imitating them. So it's a little more permanent than drugging and cloning. :v:[/QUOTE] I was thinking something like the original has to be alive in order for the clone to be alive and is imprisoned somewhere. If/when the rest of the group kills the clone I was thinking it would dissolve into purple goo or something so that the rest of the group would know it wasn't actually the person and maybe try to find him.

[QUOTE=elowin;49148402]In my personal experience, tying yourself to something is almost always a bad idea in the long term.[/QUOTE] I dunno, that time I super glued myself to the side of a drone and drove down the outside of that archology while it exploded worked out.

[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;49143774]Yep Nothing like earning barely more than a hundred nuyen a day maintaining krill-processing machines but at the end of it all they stole one of the trawlers and are finally making their way out of Japan, provided they don't find some way to fuck it up again, which I've found is always a possibility with this group[/QUOTE] I give us two sessions tops before we fuck it up again

[QUOTE=Rents;49151017]I dunno, that time I super glued myself to the side of a drone and drove down the outside of that archology while it exploded worked out.[/QUOTE] Glue is completely different.

aSoIaF update everything is fucked spy is getting beaten half to death to get him to confess his attempt to murder the crown prince, lady of the house is making enemies and friends half a world away from the rest of us, and my poor steward can no longer be a bride this world does not like us Okay maybe it's not all shit I managed to wrangle a betrothal out of the lord I've been courting, so that a minor gain amidst all the shit this session also the spymaster is abandoning me to suffer our lady's wrath when she finds out her son has been taken by the prince as a hostage

[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;49154317]aSoIaF update everything is fucked spy is getting beaten half to death to get him to confess his attempt to murder the crown prince, lady of the house is making enemies and friends half a world away from the rest of us, and my poor steward can no longer be a bride this world does not like us[/QUOTE] I didn't die but now I have to ride to kings landing, recover two noble hostages and kill a prince whilst completely isolated from any powers that the house granted me and with a face covered in bruises and cuts from being punched so hard.

How far ahead do you plan your campaigns as a DM? I started out just coming up with simple single quest ideas, but they're quickly tying into a larger overall theme and multi-act story-driven adventure. I know I can't get too ahead of myself with the specifics, since player decisions could always have impacts I didn't foresee that would change the outcome of planned events, but I also want to have a good idea of the relative direction of the campaign through each of the three major acts. I mean, I'm a sucker for a great narrative, so my ultimate goal here is just to make sure that I've got a really well thought out and executed story for my players to get invested in. I just want to make sure that I'm not "keeping them on a rail" by planning myself into a hole and realizing that a particular decision they make throws the campaign off track, you know?

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49156150]How far ahead do you plan your campaigns as a DM? I started out just coming up with simple single quest ideas, but they're quickly tying into a larger overall theme and multi-act story-driven adventure. I know I can't get too ahead of myself with the specifics, since player decisions could always have impacts I didn't foresee that would change the outcome of planned events, but I also want to have a good idea of the relative direction of the campaign through each of the three major acts.[/QUOTE] The first campaign I did was 24 front/back pages of thick notes, the very next one was 4 pages and went just fine. I think you'll get into a swing of how far you have to plan ahead.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49156150]How far ahead do you plan your campaigns as a DM? I started out just coming up with simple single quest ideas, but they're quickly tying into a larger overall theme and multi-act story-driven adventure. I know I can't get too ahead of myself with the specifics, since player decisions could always have impacts I didn't foresee that would change the outcome of planned events, but I also want to have a good idea of the relative direction of the campaign through each of the three major acts.[/QUOTE] i usually come up with how i want a game to end before the campaign starts, as in a final story arc or big event. how the party gets to it and what happens in between i come up a week or so before it happens. in general, i plan one session ahead of the upcoming one in advance just in case the party ends up going faster than i expect them to.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;49156150]How far ahead do you plan your campaigns as a DM? I started out just coming up with simple single quest ideas, but they're quickly tying into a larger overall theme and multi-act story-driven adventure. I know I can't get too ahead of myself with the specifics, since player decisions could always have impacts I didn't foresee that would change the outcome of planned events, but I also want to have a good idea of the relative direction of the campaign through each of the three major acts. I mean, I'm a sucker for a great narrative, so my ultimate goal here is just to make sure that I've got a really well thought out and executed story for my players to get invested in. I just want to make sure that I'm not "keeping them on a rail" by planning myself into a hole and realizing that a particular decision they make throws the campaign off track, you know?[/QUOTE] I used to overplan shit to the extreme, to the point that I'd freeze up and do a horrible job of improvising shit to try and fix the hole. I've toned down on the planning, though perhaps a bit too much; the Hunter game I was running for a while, the players apparently didn't have enough shit to go on for a while, so I ended up bullshitting more stuff to try and guide them to a conclusion. Granted, part of the issue with that is I set it up from the beginning to have them looking for a murderer with no idea that he was a vampire, then made it initially look like the killer was one guy only to have it turn out to be another guy. They figured out it was probably the other guy as soon as he was introduced, but the vampire was still maintaining his innocence and holding out as long as he could, since there was almost no evidence pointing at him as the killer.[sp]If we hadn't stopped, the next session would have involved them finally seeing him as a vampire instead of just a charismatic playboy.[/sp] The 3rd Edition Exalted game I'm gonna start running this weekend, on the other hand, will probably work out better; there is no certain plot for them to follow, to start out with, but I've got a good 30 or so NPCs statted out, about a third of which I've got some sort of plan set up for(due to either the city we're starting in or backstory shit). I'll probably end up planning stuff further once the first session ends, and I know how the group works together/how they actually act toward the NPCs and the city in general.