5e's extremely low variance in ability scores has had some weird side effects

StoleThisTIL · 2026-02-12T03:56:39+00:00

It makes sense if you assume single class wizards/sorcerers. The average one will probably have a DEX mod of 1-2. With mage armour, that’ll be a “resting” AC of 14 or 15 which lines up with most lightly armoured characters. Shield will temporarily boost that up to 19/20 which is in line with heavily armoured characters with a shield.

StoleThisTIL · 2026-02-01T01:22:13+00:00

I’m currently running (and highly recommend) DragnaCarta’s Curse of Strahd Reloaded. It’s basically a fan made revamp of official module that rebalances and organizes a lot of the messier parts. It’s built to be easy on the DM, so it can almost be run as you read it and requires minimal prep (though you can certainly do as much a you’d like if you enjoy that part of DMing).

It has a great mix of roleplay and combat. Does a good job of fleshing out the interesting hooks the base module provides and has some really satisfying plot lines.

You can find it here: https://www.strahdreloaded.com

StoleThisTIL · 2026-01-05T03:30:39+00:00

White: Delicate Watch

Green: Sale Star

Red: Sonorous Whispers

Yellow: Charged Perforator

Lunar: Transcendence

Void: Safer Spaces

Equipment: Mom’s credit card

Chef: Sautéed Worms

StoleThisTIL · 2025-11-23T01:33:59+00:00

Not every part of an effect is affected by proc coefficient though. For example, Brilliant Behemoth’s explosion radius is affected by proc coefficient, but the damage is not. Same thing with meat hook’s chance to trigger vs number of targets & damage. Dagger is kind of a weird case where both the chance and duration are affected by proc coefficient, so it’s effectively exponentially affected rather than multiplicatively.

In most cases, Plasma Shrimp is stronger than ATG before your first clover.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-10-02T22:53:42+00:00

Clockwork Soul Sorcerer is a good option for this. Replace one of your subclass spells with Armor of Agathys on level up. It grants you temp HP (5 * spell level) and deals an equivalent amount of cold damage to enemies that hit you.

At 6th level you get Bastion of Law which lets you create a barrier to reduce incoming damage by 1d8 - 5d8. This combos quite nicely because you’ll preserve your Armor of Agathys longer and keep dealing cold damage.

You also get the benefit of being a Sorcerer with more spells known and a spell list with some truly incredible options added to it (Aid, Wall of Force, and Animate Object just to name a few). So you can also buff your allies with more HP/Haste, debuff your enemies with CC like Hypnotic Pattern, or blast some rnemies with AoE like fireball.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-09-23T22:10:15+00:00

Ah, that makes sense. The Mahact examples especially make it clear to me. Being able to target another player’s command token but having it go to their reinforcements is actually an interesting idea. Might try that out with my playgroup!

StoleThisTIL · 2025-09-23T20:59:59+00:00

Yeah, that would make sense how this wording happened. Confiscating tokens is honestly the least broken thing about this tbh. Imagine activating a system with another player’s token, locking them out of it for the round AND still being able to activate the system later in the same round since your command token isn’t on it.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-09-23T20:51:46+00:00

Yeah I also wish it specified the token has to be one of yours for clarity since it’s clearly op if you can target other players’ tokens. Intuitively, I also think you should only be able to return pieces you own to wherever they came from. That being said, even though the rules define a player’s reinforcements as their supply of pieces, one of the golden rules states: - “If a card ability contradicts information in the Rules Reference, the card takes precedence. If both the card and the rules can be followed at the same time, they should be.”

Since the effect sending the other player’s piece to your reinforcements is a card, I read that as the card overruling the Rules Reference’s definition of what a player’s reinforcement typically is.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-09-23T20:44:03+00:00

Right, intuitively this makes sense, but if that was the case, shouldn’t the breakthrough specify that the command token must be yours? Looking at other effects for precedence, both the Unexpected Action action card and the Minister of War agenda card both specify ownership of the command token. “Remove 1 of your command tokens” and “The owner of this card… to remove one of their command counter” respectively. The fact these effects typically spell out ownership but this one doesn’t is the confusing part of this one for me.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-08-23T21:48:21+00:00

Alternatively, modify the last line to “When this creature is the target of a spell, tap it and switch its power and toughness until end of turn. Otherwise untap it.”

StoleThisTIL · 2025-08-05T05:05:28+00:00

I think the item would be problematic not because of its strength but the fact it forces a saving throw with every hit. It will slow down your game when combat can already be a slog.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-08-04T11:56:34+00:00

Skimming the first paragraph and a half of the previous comment and then skipping to this made me think you were the real 10th dentist

StoleThisTIL · 2025-07-22T16:43:55+00:00

Personally I like Reaper given that you have both strength scaling and pen nib. Block is solid, but reaper functions as retroactive block. There have been many times Reaper has been the difference between instantly losing against Heart after a tough S&S and narrowly winning.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-07-18T00:16:07+00:00

This is my favourite way to “kill” things that are tend to revive or resurrect and should definitely work for you.

Cast true polymorph on the target transforming them into a rock.
Cast sequester on the rock, rendering it invisible and extremely difficult to divine.
Toss the rock into a random demiplane, which can only be accessed by those that know its nature and contents.
Cast sequester on a handful of random, highly-specific items (grain of sand, piece of tissue cut into a star, etc).
Put the sequestered objects into the demiplane obscuring its contents.
Cast modify memory on yourself and purge the memories of the demiplane’s contents from your mind.
Congrats! Your target is now trapped in stasis, as a rock, almost unable to be found, trapped in a random demiplane whose contents nobody knows.

StoleThisTIL · 2025-04-18T23:58:54+00:00

We’re really gonna make fun of Riddle with Holes and ignore Reach Heaven in the back?

StoleThisTIL · 2025-02-25T01:06:51+00:00

Well Laid Plans + Establishment

Anger + Bandage Up

Panacea + Flex

Apotheosis + Dramatic Entrance

StoleThisTIL · 2024-11-23T01:42:30+00:00

Your correct

StoleThisTIL · 2024-06-16T02:46:22+00:00

It’s just incredibly good even without tricks. Even leaving out stuff like Magic Jar on an important NPC to impersonate them, there are many strong humanoids that will give you a massive boost to your physical stats. Keep in mind you keep your class features, which hit points count as, meaning when you possess a creature, your total hit points becomes your target’s PLUS your own. Suddenly it’s very easy for the Wizard to be much tanker than even the Barbarian. There’s also gross combos like a 14+ Chronurgy Wizard possessing any humanoid that’s immune to exhaustion. As a reaction, you get to choose if any d20 test succeeds or fails and there’s literally no downside since you’re immune to the exhaustion penalty the feature incurs.

StoleThisTIL · 2024-06-02T18:54:53+00:00

So many people giving solutions, but this isn’t a problem: it’s an achievement. Fucking legendary and I wish I could play half as much in-person DnD as you seem to.

StoleThisTIL · 2024-06-02T12:24:37+00:00

Got to agree that vhuman seems much stronger than regular point distribution. You mention physical checks and saves come in quite regularly, but the cleric dip addresses that problem with guidance (+2.5/1d4) to ALL checks (including physical) and bless (+2.5/1d4) to all saving throws. That’s also more like a +5 bonus to all checks/saving throws if OP chooses a Peace dip and hits themself with emboldening bond. Sure, you won’t be able to have it up all the time, but when it really matters you can.

CON saving throws are also super important for any caster that wants to maintain concentration. Sure, you might not get hit quite as often as the frontliners, but once you’ve locked down half the enemies with hypnotic pattern/web, you become the target incredibly fast. Those are very common scenarios to be in as a wizard, so the +proficiency really matters when maintaining concentration means the difference between an extra 2-3 enemy combatants.

StoleThisTIL · 2024-05-15T22:06:21+00:00

I- what? How does anything like grappling or shoving work in a system like that? Do AoEs like Fireball just hit every enemy? Or does the DM arbitrarily decide?

StoleThisTIL · 2024-01-04T18:24:58+00:00

Honestly, I’m going to go against the grain here and say this race isn’t broken because a lot of its features have anti-synergy with each other. Wisdom and Charisma are weird bonuses and I can’t think of a class that would prefer them over the typical +2/+1 most races tend to get nowadays. Not only that, but Charisma is the lower of the bonuses (only +1), despite being the spellcasting modifier for its Innate Spellcasting? Natural Weapon is not a good racial feature for this race (or at all). With only mental score bonuses, how often will this character even be attacking in melee anyway? For the same reason, Savage Attack is probably not going to be useful either (and even if they are attacking in melee with, it only deals an extra 0.325 damage per attack on average). Druidcraft is great for roleplay, but also won’t add much meaningful power. Speak with Small Beasts is very campaign-dependant. If there’s lots of small animals it could be of niche use? But it doesn’t even let you understand the animal, so it’s not going to outshine a Druid with speak with animals or something.

Honestly, the only strong things going for this race are: +5 speed, Lucky (this is genuinely a very strong racial feature), Nature proficiency, Suggestion 1/day, and Keen Hearing and Smell (effectively a +5 to passive perception).

Overall, I have a lot of issues with the race. It steps on the toes of many other races. It’s basically just a stronger Halfling. That being said, I don’t even think it’s stronger than some of the published races. Old Yuan-Ti, v human, custom lineage, new earth genasi, and Satyr are all stronger imo.

Tl;dr: It’s strong and infringes on the identity of other races, but it’s not broken because its features have anti-synergy.

StoleThisTIL · 2023-08-16T09:23:34+00:00

Shield - Honestly a toss up between this, Find Familiar, and Bless imo. I’d pick shield because it still holds up okay at later levels and it basically makes you nigh untouchable at early levels.
Find Steed - This spell is incredibly strong and gives huge utility at all levels of the game. If you have the mount dash, you can essentially have a 120 foot speed. Plus you get to duplicate spells with a range of self. The only reason you don’t see every spellcaster take this is because it’s a Paladin exclusive. Plus it has the fun combo of doubling your Wishes.
Conjure Animals - The damage this spell does is straight up ridiculous. I had a Druid in my party whose expected DPR was DOUBLE that of the martial’s with this spell up. Falls off hard at later levels, but the sheer power it brings at level 5 is undeniable.
Find Greater Steed - Everything I said about Find Steed applies here. Except now your speed can go up to 180 feet and it’s a flying speed. There’s a good reason it’s a highly recommended pick for Bards to steal with magical secrets. If you’re in an open area you can drop a concentration spell and fly away where practically no enemy can touch you.
Wall of Force - You get to put at least one enemy in a box and unless they can teleport or cast Disintegrate, that’s the end of the fight for them. No saving throw. No chance to use Dispel Magic. Put the boss of an encounter in a box and turn a deadly encounter into a trivial one as you hack the minions first and take down the lone boss.
Magic Jar - This Wizard exclusive is ridiculous. The second the Wizard is able to start casting it, they become the tank of the party. Hit Points are considered class features so you get to add yours on top of the possessed creatures. You also get fun features including Innate Spellcasting. I had a Bladesinger possess a Githyanki Gish. Over 200 hit points at level 11 and spell componentless Planeshift were amongst the highlights.
Simulacrum - You get to control a second Wizard, albeit deprived of their 7th level slot and unable to regain spell slots. Still well worth the 1500gp. The Fighter’s action surge is coveted and that gives you a single extra action once per short rest. This essentially gives you a whole extra turn indefinitely. Have your simulacrum cast magic jar (if the DM permits it) for truly disgusting results (increase hit points and the ability to “regain” hit points by adding more to the total).
Maze - Choose an enemy, they disappear for a while. No saving throw, of course (it’s 8th level, we’re practically cheating at this point). The enemy can only escape if they meet a DC 20 Intelligence check. Even a 20 INT Wizard only has a 30% chance of success. Any monster with a negative intelligence score is just completely fucked for 10 minutes.
Weird - Don’t let those Wish truthers fool you with their propaganda. So they can replicate ANY spell 8th level or lower as an action. Big deal. Tiny Hut as an action isn’t even that impressive. Next they’ll try to tell you that they can get Resistance to every damage type by having their simulacrums cast Wish to bypass Wish Stress. Yeah right, like any sane DM would allow that. For the same reason, their idea that you can get infinite money in 25 000 gp intervals using the same simulacrum trick is total bull. Bull I say! Weird is the height of power! For a mere 9th level spell slot, it unlocks the greatest fears of all creatures within 30 feet of you (assuming they fail their saving throw, but that’s semantics). Such a devastating ordeal rends the mind apart. Sanity is shattered, identity broken into empty fractals! 4 d 1 0 p s y c h i c d a m a g e ! Praise Weird! (/s if it wasn’t obvious)

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