Recent content by Cap'n Kobold

Never assume that a low-level PC will make any save. Never assume that a PC will be at full health. Anything able to deal 10 or more points of damage in a single go can outright kill a PC, and there are no options to bring them back at this level. Creatures that rely on multiple attacks are...

I think that the reason that modern D&D doesn't tend to get into the above example is less about combat-as-war being less popular (although it is), and more about gaming-as-war being less popular. People are playing more heroic characters, and adventures have become more about achieving a...

Cinematic combat isn't just Marvel cinematic universe-like depictions. There are other styles of combat: cinematic often just means narrative and dynamic: people are fighting for a reason, in a challenging and changing scenario. Maybe, but one example I quoted had someone changing their action...

Sounds like the DM is too caught up in the rules to think about what is actually happening. The party sees "blazing orbs of fire plummeting to the ground". That sounds like something people could react to. Firstly, there is only a need to roll if there is uncertainty in the resolution of an...

Arrows are not firearms or lasers. A bow makes an audible sound and requires shifting position, and even after it is fired, there is often a significant amount of travel time. Weapons take time to draw and swing. Even a spell with an instantaneous effect will require components that can be...

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...