Recent content by Cap'n Kobold

If you have 4 or 5 hp then sure, you're probably feeling afraid for your character. - But if the DM had just rolled a little better on that last hit you took, you wouldn't be feeling afraid for your character, you'd probably be feeling frustrated and annoyed as you start generating a new one. If...

I think that the main reason that the "down-and-making-death-saves" system was added to the game wasn't to remove fear, but to add it, as well as increase player engagement and increase tactical complexity. Options to "just don't take damage" are limited in 5e, particularly for the types of...

Is it the level of tactical synergy that the party are using? Utilising forced movement so much?

Legends of Greyhawk has been introduced, which is a little like AL, if AL was run by some of the grognards who hate D&D5.5 who post here. :-p However AL is still going strong and there are no plans to change that as far as I'm aware. I can't see why AL doesn't funnel into sales: it seems to be...

Any advice for an Alchemist Artificer?

The system seems to be mostly balanced around 6-8 reasonable encounters per day, with 3 or so short rests. Ish. This playstyle fits with the dungeon-crawl style of adventure quite well. However polls and conversations seem to show that more people are using a more plot-driven style where they...

I'd say it is better, but it still has the same main issue that the previous iteration had. You're primarily a casting playstyle, but you're still mostly a half-caster. You have a massive versatility, and can cast more lower-level spells but at the end of the day, you get to cast a 6th level...

Generally I would compare Battle Smith to Paladin or Ranger, and Maverick to Bard, since the Artificer subclasses have a much greater impact on the role of a character than those of other classes. In this situation, it looks like its just the not-quite-ribbon ability covering the categories of...

I think that you should use the statistics of the animal form rather than your own, other than hit points, and your equipment will meld with the form and become nonfunctional. With these changes, it doesn't seem too powerful: it seems broadly equivalent to having access to Find Familiar. DC for...

The Skilled feat is never a bad idea for a rogue, and only gets better at higher levels. Sentinel is good, but at 5th level, I think you get Uncanny Dodge, which will fight for your single reaction if you're in melee and the target of attacks. Skulker is fine: - I don't tend to need it for...

I'm not thinking from the perspective of martial/caster balance. I'm thinking from the perspective of the balance between the various levels of spell slots.

While they are little more complex, I think that the spell point expenditure per level of Font of Magic Sorcery points matches the power of spells slots. Using this will make your casters less powerful at higher levels than your proposed expenditure, but it does better match the power of spells...

DPR is a used as a comparison tool when comparing potential effectiveness rather than personal effectiveness. For example when comparing Martials and Casters. - DPR is not the most effective use of caster resources, but it is the one that can be directly compared across classes, subclasses...

The issue is that D&D (most editions) doesn't generally allow that level of tradeoff. If the maths that you suggest worked, then defence would indeed be a viable alternative to nova. However, particularly for martial-type characters, there aren't any options that let them reduce incoming damage...