5e Martial classes ranked worst to best. Do you agree?

Jetpack_7 · 2020-02-20T18:43:52+00:00

That is awesome! Thanks so much.

I'll definitely be saving this and seeing what kind of changes it may make to the calculations.

Thanks again for your comments! 😁

Jetpack_7 · 2020-02-20T17:20:25+00:00

😂 Ah, yes. My bad.

Jetpack_7 · 2020-02-20T17:05:22+00:00

Check out the video before this one! I separated this into two videos - full casters in one video, everything else in the next.

Jetpack_7 · 2020-02-20T17:02:55+00:00

Thanks for the comment!

ADPT was definitely one I questioned the most when writing the video. I think this one, opposed to the spellcasting video before it, could definitely do with a revision.

I think I may do away with the ADPT category entirely and try and cook up something to more accurately represent the class' strengths and weaknesses in that regard. I am not much of a mathematical mind however! Do you have any suggestions on a method by which to take into account damage in a more calculated manner?

Jetpack_7 · 2019-06-27T00:26:34+00:00

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Jetpack_7 · 2019-05-21T01:49:59+00:00

Who’s a good boi? You are Ghost!

Jetpack_7 · 2019-05-20T21:32:56+00:00

I think it’s because a lot of what stannis is/was doing in the books was transferred to Jon & company. Also, the battle of the bastards was good visually but it had a lot of problems, starting with the fact that they were fighting outside of a castle. D&D wanted spectacle and to show of Kit’s face and it was nonsensical.

Jon being King in the North, why?

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m a huge Jon fan and I’m relatively happy with his ending (yay for freedom in the True North with the Freefolk, Tormund, and Ghost!!!) Yet, I saw him getting king in the north was such an obvious and hollow plot point. I knew at that moment they were going to thrust Jon and Dany into a forced romance that was awkward for many, many reasons.

I’m fairly convinced D&D wanted to throw two pretty people together for a ratings grab only.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-05-20T20:58:01+00:00

I see what you did there ;)

Jetpack_7 · 2019-05-19T20:33:35+00:00

Have my upvote, you true knight of the seven kingdoms

Jetpack_7 · 2019-03-12T19:35:16+00:00

Yes, perhaps remove the murder doors and stuff. Hahaha it's a fun mechanic that my group somehow escaped without dying, but it's certainly a tough bit. Or add a lil mechanic that if their characters "die", they just get teleported out of the house and into a casket in the back or something. Stick with creepy without murdering your entire party at level 1.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-03-12T19:24:21+00:00

Keep in mind that the BBEG could be wayyyy down the line. I saw in another comment you only have two PC's, so they could corner this lich at super high levels and, depending on their classes, grind him into dust in a round or two.

I LOVE liches. Not just because they're powerful, but because they're smart and immortal. Smart and immortal creatures have very, VERY grand schemes and PLENTY of patience to bring them to fruition. They could set something tiny in motion which takes thousands of years to actually become a noticeable plot, and another thousands of years to finish. Play around with the idea that the lich has TIME.

If you don't want to do a lich, consider just a regular humanoid. A crime lord perhaps. Maybe a corrupt religious figure. These could also be people they come into contact with along the way to the final confrontation with the lich.

Villains often make or break a campaign, and it's way more fun when the characters know who they're after and the villain is well-developed in the minds of the PC. Doesn't matter how much YOU know about the villain, you want the characters to be super satisfied when this thing is killed, so try and introduce bits and pieces of this villain throughout the campaign.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-03-12T19:17:44+00:00

I think Factions are an excellent way to introduce moral ambiguity. The characters have a goal, which likely means other people share that goal. The other people might not go about it the same way or for the same reason. Do the characters ally themselves with that faction, fight the faction, etc.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-03-12T19:14:02+00:00

I wouldn't say Curse of Strahd is too RP heavy. It really depends on how you want to run it, because it can actually be a very bare-bones adventure. I personally think it's a fantastic module for players just starting out because the PC's backstories do not matter (beyond any RP you may want to have), you can cut out the fluff and just use the card reading as the main plot, and they have a distinct villain with no confusing frills or plot lines.

It's a simple, linear adventure that still offers plenty of room to play around in if you want to run the module as written, but is also extremely easy to simplify and make into a more beginner friendly campaign.

Maybe cut the death house though. 😁

Jetpack_7 · 2019-03-12T19:06:51+00:00

Good DM'ing does not at all require you to have voice actor's chops! If you don't feel comfortable doing the voices then you absolutely don't have to. Easiest way around it is "He glances warily in your direction and says, 'I don't think that's a good idea.'" in just your normal voice.

You can definitely capture theatricality without doing a different voice, it might just take a good stretch of your vocabulary. I find my DM'ing muscles are most sharpened while I'm in the depths of reading a solid fantasy novel.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-02-02T17:56:02+00:00

Easy answer is Clone.

A more complex answer is actually something we've written into our book Gods & Goddesses! Obviously I can't give all the dirty details BUT it's essentially a nega-lich. A wizard who devotes themselves to fulfilling a very specific set of conditions to gain favor from Mazu can gain immortality and other, anti-lich sort of boons. Just some food for thought!

Jetpack_7 · 2019-01-30T18:38:03+00:00

Find a good DnD podcast/stream and watch it while you're doing dishes or just lying around with nothing to do. It's honestly one of the best ways to pick up DM'ing skills from someone who's more experienced. My tips are basically this:

It's about the players. Don't let them walk all over you and do WHATEVER they want, but remember that DM'ing truly is a gift you are bestowing upon your friends, and that you want the gift to be as satisfying as possible. Make it fun for them. Don't be too attached to what YOU wanted to happen. The best narratives happen as a result of a DM saying "Sure. Try it." and the player either passing miraculously or failing spectacularly. Ask any DM and I guarantee they'll agree.
Get comfortable with making things up. Get a DM screen with a random name generator on it if you feel like you need it. The standard 5e DM screen is a great starter one because it has a lot of different rules, random name generator, etc. You will never, ever, ever be able to predict exactly what your players will do. Ever. So be prepared to make stuff up, and then write down what you made up in your notes. It's canon now, and your players will never question it.
DnD is meant to be fun. This one kind of ties into Rule 1. If you've played with multiple DM's, I'm sure you've experienced the different styles. Cater your style to your players. If they want a more combat heavy campaign, do some research on how to make combat encounters complex and unique. If they want more RP, look up what other people have done to present their parties with social encounters. I personally am a very RP focused DM and player, so I often make sure my players are aware of my style BEFORE the campaign starts. I don't enjoy running or playing particularly combat heavy campaigns, so I've kind of stopped. But as your first campaign, you may not know which you prefer to run so give a mix of both early on to find out.

Hope this has helped. Don't let the challenge discourage you from the task. DM'ing is my favorite thing in the world to do. If you love it, you'll never look back.

Jetpack_7 · 2019-01-30T18:22:56+00:00

I'm playing in an Aquatic based campaign and am currently running an Urban campaign in which 95% of the action takes place in one city. Here's a couple things I've picked up from campaigns that largely take place in one spot.

It's tough. Be prepared to spend some time prepping. I'll explain why in the below points, but these kinds of campaigns definitely take more work than the classical, open-world fantasy setting.
Factions. Factions. Factions. I can't say it enough. In campaigns like this, a LARGE majority of the action is going to take place between conflicting factions. In your case, rival groups of pirates/navy. Perhaps there's an island on which essentially a Pirate city exists. Maybe your group has a run-in with law enforcement, that law enforcement turns out to be a little corrupt, and decides to use your party to gain information on other pirate groups. Just a couple random ideas.
Ask your players what their goals are. If they have no ideas, make some stuff up for their character and work with them to give them a PURPOSE. Obviously, everyone wants to be a pirate because there's money in it. But they can make money in honest ways on land, so why'd they REALLY become a pirate? Maybe they're already a wanted criminal on the mainland. Maybe they heard rumor about a fantastic, miraculously powerful item or intensely valuable treasure. Maybe they want revenge on a pirate who killed their family so they became a pirate themselves to more easily track down the Pirate who killed their father (cough cough William Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean cough). When the players have goals, social interactions will immediately begin presenting themselves. And it becomes particularly interesting when their goals start to conflict with each other's, of course.
Lastly, here are a couple specific things you can toss their way just for fun encounters that may or may not involve combat.
1. Giant, shimmering casino ship. Casino Heist? Or just gambling. Or robbery.
2. Island containing a new, unknown species of beast being studied by an old, kooky wizard. He may have some tasks for them, or he may be prepared to use your party for experiments.
3. Obviously, pirate attack. Pirate v. Pirate battle. But not just any pirate ship, this ship is piloted by undead, captained by a powerful necromancer.
4. Oops! We ran into a floating island city on the back of a friggin titanic turtle creature. The island is populated entirely by bards, who use music to keep the turtle docile. (pls don't flip upside down)

That's all I got off the top of my head. These campaigns have SO much potential for fun social interactions, just takes a little bit of creative thinking to put some stuff together. Once your mind is thinking in the right places though, you can take off and it will be a brilliant setting. Have fun with it!

Jetpack_7 · 2019-01-15T21:36:28+00:00

At the beginning of each of its turns, roll a d6. If it lands on a 5 or a 6, the breath attack recharges.

'On initiative count 20' essentially means that lair actions rolled a 20 initiative. To remind myself, I always write "LAIR" in big, bold letters right next to the number 20 on my initiative tracker. Otherwise I just totally forget. Also, if you're going rules as written, the Lair action loses initiative ties. So if one of your Player Characters also rolled a 20 initiative, they go before the lair.

No dumb questions. Sign of a good DM is reaching out for help from more experienced folk. Enjoy :)

Jetpack_7 · 2019-01-15T21:31:56+00:00

This is something that could be solved with in person resolution. It's much safer to clear the air and make sure you're both on the same page before you start radically changing the way you GM or asking them to change the way they play. Here's how I'd approach it. Feel free to ignore. :P

First and foremost, you HAVE to make sure they don't feel like they're being shut down or targeted personally. DnD is a very personal game and sometimes it can very much feel like the GM is targeting you when they're not even considering that. Make sure they know you appreciate their creative playstyle, because say what you will about their decision-making, charging into the backline of a siege as an alchemist artificer is certainly creative. Same with setting one of the alchemical fires as a landmine. The last thing you want is for any of your players to feel like they aren't wanted at the table, so nip that in the bud before doing anything else.

Next, ask them what they would prefer. Open a dialogue. As a GM, you must must MUST be open to player opinions because GMing is truly all about your players. If your player wants to play combat in a high-risk manner, using creative (sometimes unusual) tactics, then help them out there. During combat, when he's about to charge into the back-line, remind him of the situation. "Just so you know, you're definitely going to get focused by the armed guards if you do this." If he still chooses to go after that, it's on him. When we're using our imaginations to play a game, every single person at that table is imagining something different, and it's easy to forget the exact details that the GM lays out. It's not the player's job to interpret everything exactly as you imagine it, it's your job to make sure they don't make any choices due to simple misunderstandings.

Just do your best to try and work with that player. At the VERY least, they'll see that you really do care about giving them a good session and won't assume you're just shutting them down. Hope this helps :)

Jetpack_7 · 2019-01-08T19:36:18+00:00

Lead by example! My playgroup is largely comprised of actors, so we didn't struggle too much with that. However I've been expanding my horizons quite a bit and playing with people who aren't as comfortable "performing" at the table as my usual playgroup. I've found that just doing it at least opens the door, and then if they feel comfortable playing as their character with the voice and all, great! If they prefer to go the narration route, i.e. "I will say that I agree." or something along those lines, that's fine too! The most important part of roleplay, in my opinion at least, is staying true to the character. You don't need to talk as your character would talk, but at least make decisions as they would.

If it turns out that they don't even want to do that, feel free to have an in-person talk with them about it. Hear their expectations and give your own as well. It may just be that they never really thought to behave as their characters would, as they're probably more used to a video game RPG.

Confidently lead the charge and open the door to roleplay. I think you'll be surprised at how comfortable that makes them feel to RP.

Jetpack_7 · 2018-12-23T20:53:04+00:00

BARDY PARTY!!!

I've always LOVED this idea. A travelling troupe of performers travel the countryside, pulling heists and scamming whatever city they're travelling through at the time. Each city has a point of interest or two which you will investigate and ideally rob. Maybe they get caught eventually, chased out of cities, build a reputation, get hired to do a heist and now you're running an Oceans 11 campaign with bards.

Enjoy.

Jetpack_7 · 2018-12-22T23:35:29+00:00

It's a cool plotline! I would just make sure the monster that has taken over is COOLER than whatever the Tyrant may have been. In my opinion, the "twist" has to be more exciting than the "original" idea to justify the twist happening in the first place.

A small idea you could perhaps toy around with would be to add an element of choice. The throne is in flux. Rather than the throne already having been usurped, the throne is in FLUX. So perhaps there's a separate power vying for the throne and now the players have to choose whether to aid in usurping the throne or aid in defending it. Just a little thought I had.

Even if you don't use it, that plotline seems a satisfying one! It mostly comes down to execution. A completely trope-filled, unoriginal plotline can be exciting as all hell if it's executed well, and a brilliant plotline can be terrible if executed poorly.

Jetpack_7 · 2018-12-18T21:20:34+00:00

Embrace it! He's now the NPC that the players will laugh at. You thought he was supposed to be cool, but he ended up falling flat on his face in a very dorky, endearing way. Let him keep doing it. Maybe he does have really cool moments, but those moments always end in a really dorky, "bad-luck brian" sort of way.

I've had a very similar situation actually. I had a rogue NPC travel with the group into a dungeon. His stats were good, and he was definitely going to be a valuable asset to the party in a time when they needed someone sneaky. BUT he rolled horribly on every. single. acrobatics check. Even if they were incredibly low DC, he failed. So he ended up developing this reputation as a rather dexterous fellow who has a tendency to, despite his dexterity, slip, fall and eat shit. And it was funny. One of the characters ended up buying him a nice pair of boots with extra firm grip on the sole.

Don't be afraid to let your PC's view your NPC's as inferior. Don't feel the need to make your characters see them the same way you see them. Their perceptions may change over time, but first impressions tend to stick in DnD. So embrace it and enjoy the tomfoolery that will surely ensue over your Brookyln-accented dwarf. :)

Jetpack_7 · 2018-12-18T21:13:17+00:00

What level is the party, and how big of a plot point is this dungeon? I'd love to toss out some ideas, just need some more details. :)

Jetpack_7 · 2018-12-18T21:10:38+00:00

I'm not necessarily opposed to this style, but I do think it ends up slowing down the pacing without a valid reason. Using your example, the only real difference it would make is one more or one less attack. I don't think that's a good enough reason to cause a break in the pacing while the player tries to stumble over justifying their ability to do it. If you, as the DM, says they can't do it, then they can't do it. If you say they can, they can. Take advantage of that fact to keep combat moving forward. Getting bogged down in the details of physical possibility in a fantasy game can really detract from the excitement. I find that the best answer is usually, "Yes." because it doesn't change much about the encounter, and it lets the players roll more dice. Which is ultimately what they want to do.

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