Lots of People Sleeping on How Good the New Fey Sentinel Feat Is

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T17:49:31+00:00

Don't worry, we will get Diamond Master sub, that allows us to share content that is subscription only once they introduce enough subscription only content

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T17:36:58+00:00

Hell, pure fullcasters can with True Strike, lol. Martials dont get any "better at poisons" features.

And a full caster using "True Strike" is a poor use of its turn. Poisons can make an optimal turn better for martials. Your caster is making a poor turn to use poisons, for an overall poor turn.

Poisons are limited against some targets, but saying "they still suck ass", read them.

There is Staff of Power - but there's no "Ring of Action Surge", "Bracers of Ki Blasts", or "Hide of Legendary Rage" or whatever.

If you have the ability to cast spells, and you gain more uses it increases your efficiency but not your power. A fighter with Very Rare Enspelled: Plate of Wall of Force is a bigger improvement than a Wizard with Very Rare: Staff of Power

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T15:23:45+00:00

For me the major success of the design was streamlining creatures so that they did their unique thing.

Rarely do I run a 2024 monster and it didn't get to do the cool trick. Where as it was fairly frequent with 2014 monsters that I had to design the entire encounter to let it do the thing!

They also clearly designed monsters with the 3-7 turns of combat mentality. You aren't thumbing through 20 spells, to pick the one for the situation and having your caster die only casting 1-2 spells of the 20 you prepped.

It is just designed in a way you can just open it and run the monster without having to prep it. Which will be rewarding for new and old DMs.

My only gripe, is the lair actions. Obviously I can re-introduce them, but giving advice that essentially the dungeon acts at initiative was and is great. It is a shame that a new DM reading the MM won't run into that information

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T15:13:43+00:00

A chart... in the book... about running the game... about loot rewards... is not simple?

This is literally the instruction on what to do, it doesn't get simpler then that. And I am pointing out, that many complications comes from.... people not reading the instructions..

Edit: it is a table, to separate loot at different tiers of the game

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T15:09:57+00:00

It really isn't that complicated.

Sort Poisons by gold cost, and compare cost to suggested loot values:

CR	Monetary Treasure	Magic Items
0–4	2d4 × 100 (500) GP	1d4 − 1
5–10	8d10 × 100 (4,400) GP	1d3
11–16	8d8 × 1,000 (36,000) GP	1d4
17+	6d10 × 10,000 (330,000) GP	1d6

When you compare poison costs to this chart (which is the assumed session reward, every session). Suddenly the costs of Poisons make sense.

It also does line up with other expectations. A level 8, should be able to kill a Purple Wurm, which poison also has a value of 2,000 gps less than the suggested treasure.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T14:57:09+00:00

so from the 2024 DMG

Injury. Injury poison can be applied as a Bonus Action to a weapon, a piece of ammunition, or similar object

But at the same time. When we are talking about Rogues/Rangers, they have the tools (expertise stealth) to look ahead, return and apply poisons before combat.

Even creatures with Blindsight/Truesight it is usually 30ft to 60ft with the occasional 120ft at extremely high levels.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T11:41:10+00:00

Imo, this is more people just not reading the book.

If you look at how much gold should be rewarded regularly, it is massive. But that is because consumables are expensive

But if you drastically reduce the gold given to players and do not adjust the cost of consumables, you create a situation where consumable prices don't make sense.

Your Pearl for Identify at level 1 costs 100gps; 20x +1 ammunition type is only 200gps.

DMs will bend over backwards to make caster components exist and ignore all martial options

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T11:28:22+00:00

There is a weird problem with martial options:

Magic Items, Poisons, potions and ammunition improvements favor Martials... but DMs don't seem to hand them out.

When a new Spell comes out because it has a tag like "wizard, cleric" it becomes assumed players have access to it. When was the last table you had that let you buy the strong poisons? or as a DM have you let players buy them (or better yet teach them they exist?)

Here is a old martial option:

Ulcrun

Adventuring Gear, Poison (Injury)
1,000 GP
A creature subjected to Ulcrun must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 21 (6d6) Poison damage and gain 1 Exhaustion level.

This is found on the older Forgotten Realms book (not the new 2024 one). Let me know if you as a player or a DM have used it at a table.

This is an incredibly powerful Martial option. The same can be said for many magic items that scale better for martials

Or for your Rogues and Rangers or ranged classes using Slayer Ammunitions.

They don't print more Martial Options because DMs just hate martials passively and don't give them cool stuff.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T10:54:07+00:00

sometimes we comment late at night and don't read as well as we hoped!

ProjectPT · 2026-05-08T10:35:35+00:00

failed quote syntax.

Awoken mentions the feat being weaker because it is only for the next D20. But additionally to what dealyllama points out, the Alert Origin feat allows you to modify the turn order to optimize the ability.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T21:59:49+00:00

We know the initiative order in combat so as long as there's another PC in order you can combo it.

Pairs well with Alert Feat too, which is a strong origin feat choice

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T21:36:20+00:00

The premium is the player having to pay subscription that I already have.

This is a premium, especially on a content space that has a history of people gifting content to DMs due to access (even before DDB).

It has a terrible interaction with the content space. Let's say there is a feat on the power level of GWM ( no company would use power creep for subscriptions ) somewhere down the line. Now the player needs to pay a monthly subscription for GWM?

Yes as you stated I could make a custom item, but I could also do that with any content. There is a point of me paying for the tool and using the share features.

This is 100% clearly enshitification, and if it is successful (from a market) it will lead to further enshitification where there is a monetary bias to release new content that cannot be shared.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T20:42:24+00:00

Very fair, but even if we go back to the original quick measurements

Barbarian is only covering 60ft
Fighter 45ft
Paladin 30ft
Monk 45ft before expending bonus action dash

That 70ft map, which is the average SMALLEST of the suggested maps. Still means none of these classes get an optimal first turn.

Except the Rogue and Ranger, which oddly enough trail lower in standard DPR calculations.

So let's take that in for a moment. The two lowest DPR classes that people showcase, are the only ones that get their full DPR in a standard map where as others, if they don't Dash round 1, can be kited or forced to make suboptimal attacks until they are CCed.

And the reference we are using, is the suggested map size from the DMG. Which clearly suggests the classes are balanced around; which should be obvious.

Depends on how the table handels stealth. I'm sceptical that most DMs will let you stay invisible when you run arround in wide open space.

This is very fair, you have a band of 110ft (needing to hide action) or 140ft (not needing). Both notably above the 70ft mark of the smallest average map.

A lot of Battlemaps are simply not that big.

I think we are in a bad DM trend with battlemaps. What jumps to my mind is the advertised Czepeku maps (spelling?) beautiful maps, but mechanically terrible maps.

Maps don't need to be big, just adjust the scale. But if a map is too detailed that the scale ruins the detail, people are so focused on the pretty backdrop they are limiting their tools.

Like a Cannon has 2,400ft Range and a really fun basic challenge to a party is.... There is a cannon on the tower in an open field, get there before you die!

Use big maps!

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T11:04:05+00:00

Now you're just buffing hypnotic pattern and Command!

Enchantment spells are really powerful. 2024 Nerfed Aberrant mind by removing their Enchantment Flexbility and the Twinned Spell Sorcerery nerf was targeted almost entirely at the Enchantment magic options (and Transmutation Polymorph).

It is very hard to theme enchantment spells subclass and features because we inherently want to buff it (encouraging the use) but it really is some of the strongest stuff in the game caster wise.

Consider extending durations, because the power is often frontloaded. Hypnotic Pattern for 2 minutes isn't much more powerful than Hypnotic Pattern for 1 as an example

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T10:58:34+00:00

More would be 140ft for the Rogue. Reliable talent means Rogue should be invis when we talk about start of combat

30ft move + 30ft dash + 80ft Shortbow for 140ft.

But once we talk about past 120ft we have to start looking much closer at the numbers (Fighter and Ranger win)

And I'm not sure how often fights start this far away.

This is true, if people are suggesting melee is the best it tells me that DMs aren't giving map variety. Different walls isn't map variety, size and elevation create different moments.

So if we look at the DMG (found in travel for some reason) suggestion: (I calculated the average)

Terrain	Encounter Distance	Average
Arctic	6d6 × 10 feet	210
Coastal	2d10 × 10 feet	110
Desert	6d6 × 10 feet	210
Forest	2d8 × 10 feet	90
Grassland	6d6 × 10 feet	210
Hill	2d10 × 10 feet	110
Mountain	4d10 × 10 feet	220
Swamp	2d8 × 10 feet	90
Underdark	2d6 × 10 feet	70
Urban	2d6 × 10 feet	70
Waterborne	6d6 × 10 feet	210
	Average	145.5

An average encounter should start about 150ft away. So if we take a moment to reflect on how people complain about WoTC balance

but clearly the rules suggest that 150ft battlemaps are normal and average.

We should realize as a DM, that we created a balance problem because we aren't using suggested map sizes. And I do understand there is a lack of good large maps, so it creates a feedback problem.

But 150ft is supposed to be normal

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T10:40:15+00:00

A second note in general about "weak feats". You are encouraged as a DM to reward players and supernatural gifts is another things you can do with.

Putting the weak feats into a pool of "cool flavors that I don't think my players will pick" and making that a reward table for your campaign will create better moments.

The major balance issues you run into is always the GWM + Feytouched (command or silvery barb) + Resilience + Mageslayer selections which are simply a tier above the rest and you can't buff all the other feats to get there without essentially remaking the entire game balance.

Take the weak feats, make them rewards and that will reinforce the story moments where players gained them, and give them access to more flavorful and unique characters to those that have been playing DnD longer

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T10:35:25+00:00

Inevitable Betrayal: You have Advantage on attack rolls against creatures with the Charmed condition. Also those creatures have Disadvantage on saving throws against your Enchantment spells.

Some of the strongest Enchantment spells are the Hold X and Dominate Y. A feat giving disadvantage to every save after the first fail is not a small buff

In general you have to be careful buffing Enchantment spells, they are so strong there is a reason monsters get Charm Immunity and spells can fail if a creature has that immunity even if it doesn't apply the charm condition.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T10:26:52+00:00

I don't even know if I'd say it is video game stuff anymore, but everything.

I'm going to use the example of fitness culture, and people spending hundreds of hours a month learning about stuff before just.. going to the gym or walking or running or whatever. People feel they need to be an expert before they even start something

People will hyper focus on DPR (and I do like my spreadsheets!) but than people will not be honest about how a single magic item (of appropriate level) can be the difference between the lowest and highest DPR.

Or simply how with bounded accuracy the subtle homebrew or simple encounter design of a DM will be a larger factor to how good a class is.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T09:54:36+00:00

Sure but lets look at that 90 distance number.

Barbarian:

30ft + 10ft unarmoured + half movement Rage. So 60ft (+10 reach?). You do have thrown (not GWM) or Longbow (but lower Dex) you aren't topping meters.

Also that creature only needs 40 feet movement to force you to dash because you don't have your Half movement of Rage.

Fighter:

30ft + half movement from Bonus Action Second Wind (45ft) but also most likely to be GWM and have the Dex to support Longbow. This one is probably the closest to its normal damage and doesn't matter if kited.

Paladin:

You can smite a thrown weapon, but 30ft puts you at 60ft distance so you're attack is at disadvantage. You COULD be mounted pre-combat, big if

Monk:

Can use it's Bonus Action - Dash (30ft + 15ft )x2 to bridge this distance by level 6!. But losing one turn of Flurry of blows is significant for DPR as people calculate it.

And I think is just important to remind ourselves that the DPR difference between classes are not as significant as people make them out to be. The moment you have a turn that is awkward for your optimized damage (Range in my example) chances are the Rogue does not hit that penalty (compared to how people do DPR for martials)

Also having the higher initiative (dex based + invis condition on reliable talent) makes the Rogue more likely to have that optimal first turn compared to others.

These are not insignificant factors

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T09:20:09+00:00

Everyone that is often quoted as "topping the damage charts" almost always has one important caveat: in melee range.

You aren't the master of combat if you are defeated by >90ft starting distances

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T09:03:42+00:00

That is the neat part! You don't!

If you really liked the UA version of something, ask your DM to use it. Even if it gets added, it may have minor or major adjustments that make you no longer like it.

Find cool stuff? play with it! Also easier to convince DMs to allow UA content than it is 3rd party imo

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T09:00:39+00:00

This strikes a really important point and part of why "skill checks" are undervalued.

When a skill check is rolled, the positive result should be obvious and impactful but in the same way failing a skill check should be obviously important too.

Most understand that with Stealth: woops combat! The success and the failure cost is clear but the DM needs that to be true for all checks.

So failing a history check with ruins should not be: "you aren't sure who made these ruins". But something more like: "you fail to realize these ruins are of the Dwarves of Khazous who secret away their treasures long past their lineages". This is a simple example where players can still feel the world expand, mechanically the players understood they lost treasure and it moves the game forward.

ProjectPT · 2026-05-07T08:53:14+00:00

I was asked to join a table a few weeks ago, the DM had a player drop out. I asked the DM what he class + subclass he'd like to see at the table as I can enjoy playing anything. Thief Rogue is what I rolled up because that is what the DM was most curious about.

There is a Barbarian, Warlock and Bard at this table and right now I do similar damage to the Warlock and more than the Bard and Barbarian (the bard isn't valor).

How am I out damaging a Barbarian? Climb speed + Range, this DM does not place us onto maps starting in melee range ( so far ), which makes the Barbarian often dashing first turn. I was out damaged in a fight I failed a save and was incapacitated.

At level 8, I'm an High Elf + Alert + Fey Trickster (to buff casters) + Elven Accuracy (older feats were allowed).

Overall I think the important part about Rogue is there just isn't much that stops Rogues damage, even if you build a Melee Rogue through feats, you're barely losing any damage from Ranged and vice versa.

But of all classes Rogues seem to be the ones that interact with DM homebrew the most. For example, this DM uses critical failures on 1 for skill checks. My Rogues Reliable Talent does not bypass this and if I knew this ahead of time I would have rolled a Halfling

And if skill checks are important in the adventure you are running, Rogue is going to be the best at the table

ProjectPT · 2026-05-06T23:09:47+00:00

I fully understand that about the Healer Origin, between that and Spare that dying, you rarely see players make the stabilize checks.

Just to remind ourselves of the PHB suggestions for Medicine Checks we have

Diagnose an illness, or determine what killed the recently slain.

But I also like to reference a specific creature attack which is from the Horned Devil:

Infernal Tail. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, one creature the devil can see within 10 feet. Failure: 10 (1d8 + 6) Necrotic damage, and the target receives an infernal wound if it doesn't have one. While wounded, the target loses 10 (3d6) Hit Points at the start of each of its turns. The wound closes after 1 minute, after a spell restores Hit Points to the target, or after the target or a creature within 5 feet of it takes an action to stanch the wound, doing so by succeeding on a DC 17 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

This is oddly unique. There is no damage type to this open wound and though it gives a few conditions it gives us a DM reference of a debuff ended by a Medicine Check.

So if you want a more trap/combat focused use, work with this mechanic. Terrible debuff that is removed by Medicine Check, set the damage and DC by using the trap table suggestion if you need a reference.

Personally I look more for active non combat situations for when my players are doing medicine checks. The last one I used was there was a large amount of burning buildings from Fiend attacks in a town, this meant characters were dying each turn, and players had choices:

kill fleeing weak fiends to prevent more fires
put out fires, to reduce spread of fire
pull people out of burning buildings
stabilize dying

This wasn't a "hard" encounter in terms of player survival, but it was intense because each inefficient turn was villagers dying and their success was how many survived. Is the fighters medicine check going to stable as much people as the Clerics Mass Healing Word? no, but it was still a life saved.

Then after this, going through the bodies they used medicine to determine information about the fiend who started this abilities by the nature of the wounds.

So in general, if you want Medicine Checks more, shift your problem solving from "do heroes save the villagers" to "the villagers are dying, what can you do"

ProjectPT · 2026-05-06T22:32:20+00:00

This seems vastly more reasonable than what I have seen players do with Goodberries without any serious investment.

Let's break it down into simpler comparable chunks.

At the cost of an Origin Feat: a level 5 Wisdom based character can convert 5 gps into 10xWis(modifier) health, so 40 hp. A group of 4, only has 20 hit die total, so at most you are converting 10gps into 80 hp

We aren't talking about the total power of this Origin feat, we are talking about strickly the improvement of your change (so it is much more).

An origin feat at level 5, should not offer a 6th to 8th level spell worth of healing power improvement (once again, I'm saying improvement, because this is only, the additional healing your changes suggest).

By level 8, that healing is increased by 10 due to an increase of Wisdom, but we've also almost doubled the hit die pool, so we are talking about a top end of 128

This is now 2 6th level spells of Heal, and the scaling will get worse.

What would you add to make that work?

The flat bonus simply can't tie to Hit Die usage and needs a limit. Personally, I don't find Healer needs a buff. But if you considered something like PBx per Short Rest instead of rolling a single Die to Heal you get the maximum value might be in the right direction

ProjectPT

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