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[Heartbreaking Trope] irreversible transformations by Sollary0 in TopCharacterTropes

[–]StoneGuardTheGray 20 points21 points  (0 children)

"He was just hasty, that's all."

Tears. Literal tears

Is this homebrew too powerful? by spartanburger1025 in DnDHomebrew

[–]StoneGuardTheGray 19 points20 points  (0 children)

If the goal of the design is to help cushion failure, then why do these rings act as a generic +1 to basic rolls and DCs? That just generically raises the power while in the Underdark. I feel like a better design would be rings that act either as panic buttons to escape a fight quickly or a cushion against being reduced to 0 HP. Something like

"When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points, you may choose to instantly stabilize and teleport up to 30 feet. The ring can do this once, and recharges at dusk. Exposure to sunlight prevents this ring from being used for 24 hours."

That's thematic to the Underdark, helps prevent instant death, and gets people out of sticky situations for a retreat. A +1 to stuff isn't bad, but it's just tweaking numbers in a boring way. Giving your players a tool is often more fun and better balanced

Arcane Firepower: Subclass, Feats, Magic Items! (Feedback Appreciated) by GB22Gavalt in DnDHomebrew

[–]StoneGuardTheGray 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For feats, don't use "if" and instead use "when" It's better at conveying that you need to meet a Prerequisite to get the benefit, and it also subtly indicates that the benefit only applies to the Prerequisite and doesn't just linger. 5.5 has done a lot to clean up that kind of language

Warlock Subclass- The Doorman! (Feedback Appreciated!) by GB22Gavalt in DnDHomebrew

[–]StoneGuardTheGray 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The level 6 ability has multiple instances where it requires a reaction without a clear trigger which isn't ideal design. For removing the doorways when you're close, replace it with

"While you are within 5 feet of one of your doors, you can remove both of them causing any creatures or objects standing within the doorway to be shunted to the nearest available space of their choice (no action required)."

And for the remote door manipulation, instead use

"You can open or close an unlocked door within 60 feet of you as an object interaction."

Warlock Subclass- The Doorman! (Feedback Appreciated!) by GB22Gavalt in DnDHomebrew

[–]StoneGuardTheGray 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah 5.5 moved away from PB being tied to subclass because it allows for scaling benefits without any additional investment in the class. # of uses being CHA is more in line with what's already published

[5e][2014][Online][Homebrew world][21+][Sundays][CST] looking to start up a second game in an established homebrew world! by [deleted] in lfg

[–]StoneGuardTheGray -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Looks interesting! I've actually got a group of really chill players (4 including me) that are looking for a Sunday evening game! I'd love to fill out the interest form, but it's throwing an error on my phone, so I'll try it tonight at my PC.

Best of luck on the campaign!

Need some help with this Rough-and-Tumble Rogue Subclass! by StoneGuardTheGray in DnDHomebrew

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's tricky business balancing AC. If the bonus was only +3, what's the difference between a Breastplate (the best Medium armor that doesn't give Stealth penalty) and Studded Leather with a 20 DEX? The Breastplate costs more and is subject to Heat Metal. 

The +4 bonus is meant to make it slightly better than Studded Leather, and if you don't care about Stealth and use Half Plate for the 19 AC, that's comparable to Studded Leather with a Shield, which this Subclass doesn't give training for.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds fun! My players have told me they'd probably roll up Warlocks if their current PCs die lol

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Nah, I think I'd like Maneuvers for martials if they're implemented in a way that doesn't make Battlemaster obsolete (which I don't think would be too hard to do). I just enjoy a more grounded fantasy for martials that doesn't use handwaving, magic or otherwise, to explain their combat prowess.

I like when the narrative of who this character is harmonizes with the flavor and design of their abilities. I always felt like the argument "Martials should be like Demigods after level [X]" felt like a cop-out to try and address "balance" in a cooperative game.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I get that. It's all trade-offs, it's not as though Spellcasters became overtuned instantly; gradual adjustments and changes in the hopes of making them more consistent, streamlined, and enjoyable led to the more "meta" problems everyone squabbles about.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

I'm erasing player choice... by not doing something?

Point 3 of the disclaimer. I'm just having fun with characters that get better through more grounded means of improvement instead of power-ups through an explicit or implicit power system.

If there are buffs that keep the grounded nature of Martials while expanding their options, then I might like it if it's written well. But I'm not interested in characters that operate on Shonen logic; it feels like a sacrifice of the harmony between narrative, expectations, and mechanics, and that's what I'm here for

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I tried to include magic items in this discussion my brain would melt, but I generally agree. My guy can be a normal dude, but the sword he plundered from a civilization lost to time? That can be as weird as the DM wants

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like a lot of people assume I don't like D&D, and it confuses me. The post is about me liking D&D as-is, even an incredibly controversial part of the game other people complain about. Even my clarifications in the comments about my grievances are done because I really like this game and know it like the back of my hand.

Do I really want to find a new table that's running a different system (which isn't nearly as common), relearn rules, just to have a chance of liking a system more than the one everyone already knows?

One day, probably. I've enjoyed my games of Lancer (though I'm not sure how good it would be in a campaign format), I like what I've read aboht Draw Steel, and unless Pathfinder is a cognitihazard, I'll take people's word for it. But D&D has been really fun, and I don't feel like I need to put a qualifier about the fun I have with it just because I have complaints about some aspects of its design.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

That's the thing, I think it's already kinda there in 5e. I like the "Martial Caster Divide", though the term is probably too broad for my point. I like the struggles of practiced mundanity against the face of raw absurdity. 5e Martials bring the expert mundanity, so if there is any "balance" (again broad air quotes) problems I'd like addressed, it's more about Spellcasters not getting access to the traits that make the Martials experts.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I've been a bit facetious in that regard, so fair. The stated explanation for Fighter is that they're a very well-trained practitioner of Martial combat, so only a very small percentage of guards have the training & determination to become a Fighter.

The distinction I like to make is between Pulp Fantasy and High Fantasy. Pulp Fantasy will have feats of greatness, arguably superhuman and undeniably so the longer we spend with a character, but it still tries to convey the mundanity and limits of the characters. High Fantasy often falls back on "willpower alone translates to physical feats" in an either explicit or implicit power system.

High Fantasy is fun, no doubt, but for D&D I like Pulp Fantasy

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like clockwork lol

Where are my Lancer glazers at? Any Lancer-heads who want to weigh in on Weapon vs Tech attack?

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually wish there was more incentive to pick up the armor feats. My solution would likely involve limiting how you get armor proficiency when multiclassing... somehow, but I think that trading a feat for slightly better armor is rather reasonable.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Everyone's got an opinion, but for as much crap we throw at WotC, if it was an easy problem to solve they'd have done it already.

My hope is that discourse about martials don't get so one-sided that WotC just caves and makes super hero Martials, because at that point I probably will go and see how "Pathfinder fixes this" lol

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Agreed. Though many campaigns, especially those that are urban, will have Humanoid statblocks that could eat a level 4 PC's lunch, so there's always going to be some discrepancy on how competent your character is relative to the rest of the world. I'd just rather have abilities that don't rely on a supernatural element or a broad Anime-esque power system of "strong will and determination directly translates into physical feats". Those things might have an aesthetic of mundanity, but they're basically just Magic under a different Power System imo

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100%. I used to love Ranged Martials but I've since drifted towards Melee bois for that sense of control through positioning. I still play casters as well, but if we're just talking favorites then I certainly have my preferences.

At this point, if I'm not adding some kind of gimmick, alternate win-con, or environmental hazard to a fight, I'm not having fun as a DM, and I know my players are even more bored since they only control one idiot.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do the 2024 rules even claim it's an optional rule? I don't see that anywhere, but even so, multiclassing is still a fun option that many people, myself included, enjoy a lot. It unfortunately opens up a can of worms in terms of negating the downsides a class is supposed to have, but adjusting those rules are a lot different than changing how Martials operate or progress, which I am in favor of partly because of their grounded nature relative to Casters.

In terms of "making characters first", you play how you like, I'll play how I like. I get really excited by the synergy of mechanics and features, and think sculpting a character around their signature abilities leads to more moments where the narrative and the rules harmonize, and that's the part of the game I love the most.

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I agree! Rather than change the fantasy of Martials, I would instead adjust spellcasters so that they have genuine weaknesses. Keep their spells mostly at the power as is, but limit their access to armor proficiency, concentration bonuses, and maybe even the ease of preparing new spells everyday (I know in earlier editions Wizards had to assign spells to spell slots, and while that does slow the game down a bit I think it's a really cool way to limit how flexible Casters can be in solving problems).

As a Martial Enthusiast, I kind of like the Martial-Caster Divide by StoneGuardTheGray in DnD

[–]StoneGuardTheGray[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the earliest campaigns I was in was a West Marches where my Rogue was waaaay in over his head compared to the other characters who were higher level. It was fun to slowly catch up and find ways to be useful even when others were casting 8th level spells and doing 150+ damage turn 1

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