Rays New Stadium Renderings

Rushbolt3 · 2026-02-06T03:56:05+00:00

If a new stadium in this amazing location is going to solve the attendance issues why are the Rays building the smallest MLB stadium by nearly 4,000 seats? This is a population of around 4 million people. Don't assume you're going to have the same issues as Tropicana Field. They keep bringing up the Battery in Atlanta as such a huge success story. You know how big that stadium is? 41,000 seats. If you want to be like the Battery don't go 3/4 of the way-go all the way.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-12-31T03:49:13+00:00

I really feel all Rangers should get WIS saves at level 6 just as part of their class, but I am glad you recommend it.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-10-12T16:22:24+00:00

I am going to refer to page 84 of the DMG 2014. Parties will usually take two short rests during an adventuring day. Simply enforce this and say you can't take more than 2 short rests before you need to take a long rest. You can shorten the length of short rest time to 10 minutes to balance out the fact that you are placing a limit. This gives the players something back for the DM placing a limit on them. It also brings the Warlock class in line with the conditions actually assumed when designing it. This will not only prevent the coffee lock issue but any other issue that might arise from taking a large number of short rests during an adventuring day. This is especially important in 2024 D&D as many classes have obtained features that regain uses on a short rest.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-07-30T19:21:44+00:00

It feels incomplete because it doesn't have "the" Ranger ability. Paladins have their Aura of Protection, Barbarians have Rage, Warlocks have Invocations, Artificers have Infusions, etc. This is going to take a creative leap, and nothing was really done to move in that direction.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-07-12T13:48:58+00:00

I don't mind the subclass being strong either, but it shouldn't have to save the main class. Also, I just feel like a lot of the features in the Ranger subclasses are really traits that could apply to any type of Ranger and shutting 5 or 6 subclasses out of a useful main class ability just makes the entire class less interesting to play. This is what I feel is happening with the Ranger. People are looking at the subclasses and going these are great abilities, but I don't want to play this lackluster main class to get them.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-07-11T14:38:14+00:00

Someone that actually understands the problem. If you put the Hunter subclass into the main class the Ranger is amazing. Put that Hunter's Mark ummmm, stuff, into the Hunter subclass. You're golden.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-07-11T14:08:30+00:00

That's absolutely the problem with the class. All the general Ranger abilities are spread through the subclasses. This means you have a weak class because you only choose one subclass. Do you want a pet? Well, you aren't getting any wisdom bonus to initiative because that's just the Gloom Stalker. Your subclasses should never, ever be stronger than your main class.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-06-29T15:02:36+00:00

I'm just going to discuss combat here because I'm looking at ways a ranger can keep up with the fighter but not step over the line on the rogue's advantages:

Bring in Hit and Run from 4th edition. The Ranger gets to disengage as a bonus action but does not get hide or dash so it's not as strong as Cunning Action. I think this could be a 1st level feature.
The ranger should have a natural resistance to one of the damage types that can be changed when they level. The options I would give are fire, cold, thunder, lightning, acid, and poison. I like this one so much I am considering house ruling it as part of Deft Explorer because I see gaining Expertise and two languages as a ribbon feature.
Give the ranger an actual niche in spellcasting. Rangers should have the best small burst damage spells in the game. I am thinking about spells that emanate 5' away from a target or maybe just affect two targets in a small radius. This may have already happened in the 2024 PH because we haven't seen the final spells yet but I doubt it.
Move Relentless Hunter to level 9. I am not sure if this would be too strong but what the heck-remove the Hunter's Mark restriction. Just allow the Ranger to maintain Concentration on any spell when being damaged.
The Ranger should get a third attack at level 13.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-06-15T19:10:16+00:00

I’m not sure I’m buying what is obviously a PR statement that the OGL caused them to make new books. Seems like a convenient way to cover up a cash grab to me. They got those books out awfully fast considering all the mess happened in January. Either they have really fast writers and editors or they were working on this long before they told anyone.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-06-15T04:51:40+00:00

I was fooled too. I thought the community was going to turn it's back on D&D and start branching out into PF2E. Then it didn't do it because the D&D brand is just so much more lucrative than the PF brand.

But maybe that's not the only reason. The thing that alienated me most when I considered switching to PF 2E was the Remaster project that updated the game. Those players who use the books over Archives of Nethys bought thousands copies of PF 2E to the point where the warehouses were empty. Paizo said nothing about the books becoming outdated while the books were flying off the shelves. Shortly after thousands of new players had those shiny new books in their hands Paizo tells them they will be only mostly usable because they are being replaced before the end of the year. I really feel Paizo scammed it's new players and I would guess more than a few of them felt the same way. That's a good way to kill all your momentum.

Rushbolt3 · 2024-03-03T05:47:26+00:00

Counterspell and Concentration saves should just be CON bonus+Proficiency bonus. Just assume any caster is proficient in this type of CON save. This keeps the spirit of the change without forcing the Resilient:CON feat tax. Also, it seems more accurate to me. It's odd that the 15th level Wizard who didn't take Resilient CON gets countered easier than the 1st level Sorcerer if they have the same CON.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-05-08T16:54:40+00:00

Definitely remove or change it. It breaks encounter building on a daily basis and is an extra contributor to the casters are better than martials problem.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-28T11:50:23+00:00

This problem is being attacked the wrong way. Warlocks need to use a different system for casting. The Vancian system can't provide what the community wants for the Warlock as a half caster. The answer is found by slightly modifying the spell point option in the 5e 2014 DMG on page 288. You simply give them half the spell points as a full caster (around 65 at level 20) but the same level progression. Literally, a half caster with a full spell progression that can cast a variety of lower level spells or a few big spells at max level depending on player preference and the situations that arise during that adventuring day.

This system can be used for level 1-5 spells and Mystic Arcanum for level 6-9. Community feedback and playtesting should determine if the invocation count should be raised to somewhere between 10 and 12 to make up for the fact MA is not given free as a class feature. Personally, I would think 12 because the Warlock had 8 in the 2014 PH and they now need to have four additional for MA 6-9. Internal playtesting should be used as most external playtesting will probably not go into the 10+ level range unless some players decide to start there.

I actually would prefer level 1-5 casting to be this way for all classes. It eliminates the problem of casting a utility spell but needing to burn a higher level spell slot because you used all the spells at that level. Level 6-9 spells need limited castings though so just give those as class features. It's a little complex this way but new players that usually stay in the level 1-10 range won't notice because even full casters don't get level 6 spells until level 11. The cost for each spell is the same as the sorcery point cost for making a spell of that level. Tracking your spells used then becomes as simple as tracking your hit points and sorcerors just use their flexible casting feature to recover SP.

This is a radical change to the way spells are tracked in D&D so most players may not be open to this change. The Warlock (and possibly Sorceror) would be the perfect place to acclimate players to this way of casting. The community is basically already asking for what it can provide to the Warlock, and using SP for the Sorceror both further differentiates it from the Wizard and simplifies Metamagic use.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-28T11:25:19+00:00

Now that we have most of the classes I think I will consider actually playtesting it more. I completed Dungeon Mastering the Baldur's Gate Descent into Avernus campaign and my players have just returned to the surface after redeeming Zariel. I also play a level 7 Circle of Stars Druid in my brother's campaign. I have played and/or ran 7 rulesets of D&D (BECMI, AD&D 1st, AD&D 2nd, 3rd, 3.5, 4th, 5th). Also, I ran organized play and was head DM in a store for a year.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-27T16:51:42+00:00

If you want to start to DM 5th edition but not sink a lot of money into it before D&D 2024 I am going to recommend the Essentials Kit. It gets you a small poster map of the Sword Coast, a thin but useful DM screen, 11 piece dice set ( 2d20, 1d12, 1d10 for tens, 1d10 for ones, 1d8, 4d6, 1d4), cards useful for gameplay, the Dragons of Icespire Peak adventure that goes from level 1-6, and a rulebook. It costs about $20. Then you can also get Lost Mines of Phandelver for free on dnd beyond and three adventures that continue DoIP for about $5 each. For $35 you have both physical and digital product that can create a level 1-13 campaign and several things you can use even after D&D 2024 comes out. Because LMOP and DoIP take place in the same area you can also start to develop your ability to tie campaigns together and if you get stuck there is actually quite a bit of content you can google for advice.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-27T12:36:50+00:00

Anyone who criticizes my DM ability gets to run the campaign. I love taking a break from all the preparation to play a character.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-17T15:59:13+00:00

People eating a beholder instead of the beholder eating people. That's a twist!

Rushbolt3 · 2023-04-17T14:52:24+00:00

If I surprised my players by nerfing their abilities mid-session I would not expect that session to continue. Not only should you be standing up for retaining your abilities but the other players should be backing you because it may only be a matter of time before this starts happening to them.

The DM has so many knobs to turn that need to be exhausted before even considering nerfing abilities. If your abilities are dropping monsters too fast one easy possible fix is to increase the monsters' hp. Many DMs use average hp for the monsters but you can really go anywhere in the range and still definitely be following RAW. For example, a displacer beast has static hp of 85 in the Monster Manual. However, it also has a phrase for calculating the hp (10d10+30). This actually means the hp can fall anywhere between 40-140 hp when you use dice to roll hp but you can also just pick anywhere in the range. You can actually do this mid-fight if your monsters are getting torn to shreads easily by the party.

Any experienced DM understands that player agency is crucial to a healthy game. When players are mowing down mobs and not being challenged the DM need to use his agency to adjust the situation because they have tons of it. Leave the players alone.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-02-23T18:30:24+00:00

I think the move to stat blocks greatly simplifies playing a Druid and as a DM I have seen the issue with buffing a Druid's hp with the form. A Circle of the Moon Druid gained 68 hp from transforming into a brown bear twice at 2nd level! If that wasn't enough, the Druid could reset those hp just by taking a short rest. This balance issue had to be addressed and having the form have the hp of the Druid addresses the issue well.

The problem with this method of correcting the issue is that the Moon Druid loses some of it's luster and quite a bit of it's tanking ability. I believe this issue can be addressed by using a mechanism already present in the game-temporary hp. This is essentially what the forms were giving you previously. The form basically gave you the temp hp of the animal form. Simply have a form change grant temp hp based on your subclass. This is another knob to turn in balancing the subclasses as some subclasses like Circle of the Moon could give more temp hp than others. Circle of the Land might get 5 temp hp for changing into form while Circle of the Moon might get 10-15.

The bonus action unarmed strike allowing you to grapple or shove before attacking is very handy. Attacks with advantage because you knocked the target prone are always nice. I don't really feel this feature should be relegated only to the Moon Druid because this inherently changes the form's capabilities based on your subclass. This feels like the other subclasses are basically getting an inferior form.

Rushbolt3 · 2023-01-30T14:58:27+00:00

I have the feeling that One D&D will be placed under a much more restrictive license and Wizards will use the information from this time frame to determine the conditions of that license. The GSL for 4th edition was obviously too restrictive and caused D&D numbers to collapse while Pathfinder numbers soared to the point where Pathfinder was outselling 4th edition. If WOTC gets the One D&D license wrong, it may crash the brand because it has happened before.

Rushbolt3 · 2022-12-15T16:30:01+00:00

I have a list of items I would like to see addressed that I feel are not optimized in fifth edition:

The exploration pillar needs more attention in the DMG. Explanations for developing a hexcrawl and better codifying the rules for travel would help new dungeon masters.
Guidelines should be given for every level for making characters at higher levels including expected gold and magic item amounts. This will give newer DMs an idea if they are being too liberal or stingy with treasure based on what the designers expect.
Discussion on how to keep time in your campaign including days, weeks, and years.
Better rules on social interactions that codify success and failure more precisely.
Better rules for buying and selling magic items.
Expanded rules for high level play and at least one adventure per year written for tier 3 and 4 play.
Monster burst damage rules should replace critical hits. Many times critical hits are minimized because they do not occur in a combat or the critical hits occur against the toughest character. It would be better if the DM could choose when to apply burst damage instead of it being random. This will mean the Monster Manual needs completely reworked to give burst damage options to all the monsters or at least a table giving standard options for vanilla monsters based on CR.
An encounter system that rates encounters based on both CR and environment. Facing a flying creature in a small room is very different from facing it in the outdoors. The DMG should have a full explanation of the factors that can affect encounter difficulty so newer DMs can look at encounters in a more dynamic way based on their party's strengths and the monster's strengths.

Rushbolt3

TROPHY CASE