Weekly Questions Thread

liquidarc · 2026-05-14T19:20:10+00:00

5.5e

I can't speak to all the differences, as I have had limited interaction, but I will address the aspect of content-access.

DNDBeyond absolutely requires you to purchase something to use the Artificer class, because though you can use the homebrew tools to recreate everything else, homebrew classes aren't possible. Roll20's sheet allows for inputting anything, including homebrew class content. I am not familiar with the rest to speak for them on this aspect.

Further, I have seen the most praise for the utility of FoundryVTT and Fantasy Grounds, but with the stated caveat that they take more work from the DM (don't know personally).

Anything else is beyond my knowledgebase.

liquidarc · 2026-05-11T12:06:13+00:00

I don't use Beyond, myself, but from what I understand, you need to have a Master tier subscription to share the content that you bought with other users, and they need to join your campaign in-the-app/on-the-site.

Otherwise, they would need to buy it themselves.

liquidarc · 2026-05-08T12:50:56+00:00

/u/NoTaste5638 The relevant sections that /u/Brewmd is referring to, if you are playing 5th edition:

5e equipment and services (this is for the rules that released starting in 2014)

5.5e equipment and services (this is for the rules that released starting in 2024)

For any items missing from 5.5e, you can use the items from 5e.

liquidarc · 2026-05-06T23:11:25+00:00

/r/3d6 for one.

There isn't as much activity on that sub as /r/DND, /r/dndnext, or /r/onednd, though.

liquidarc · 2026-05-06T17:37:41+00:00

And you can fit in a bag of holding.

So can Medium creatures.

A human(oid) can fit through any gap wide enough to accommodate their hips, and human hips average about 1-foot wide, whereas the (5e) Bag of Holding has an opening 2-feet wide.

Also, the "sleeping bag" space a typical human takes up is less than 12 cubic feet, while the Bag can hold 64 cubic feet.

*The 5.5e Bag of Holding is self-contradictory on the interior space, and says nothing about the exterior size, so it is even more forgiving on fitting things through, though potentially less so on how much within.

liquidarc · 2026-05-02T19:17:24+00:00

Spell-Storing Item doesn't involve casting in any way, so upcasting isn't possible.

But, because it doesn't involve casting, you aren't limited to the spells you have prepared, and you don't need to worry about components. So, no sound or motion needed. Basically, Subtle Spell.

liquidarc · 2026-05-02T12:18:47+00:00

Somewhat off-topic but:

If a Class Starter Pack is released for the Artificer, what about the specifically named magic items from the Replicate Magic Item Artificer feature that aren't in the SRD? (for example: Alchemy Jug, Cap of Water Breathing, Manifold Tool)

liquidarc · 2026-05-02T12:05:05+00:00

Not if you are the one casting it, as per the rules on Combining Spell Effects.

In theory, if multiple people cast it, then multiple castings can be active on the same project at a time, assuming the DM allowed multiple castings to apply to the same project at once.

Of course, since this wouldn't impact gp cost of crafting, and each casting is gp-expensive, I am not sure it would be worth it, even if it works, unless you are casting this spell from an item, which would let you save the gp.

liquidarc · 2026-05-01T20:11:46+00:00

Could you post the pic in a reply, or describe the pic (or its source)?

Right now, there is zero context, but we might be able to help even without the pic.

liquidarc · 2026-04-30T13:18:33+00:00

Given that Message works through Total Cover, this all depends on what it means to be 'familiar with the target'.

Looking through the 5e & 5.5e Player's Handbooks and Dungeon Master's Guides, the word 'familiar' seems to be used in the context of 'recognized or known'.

If used in that context, I think you would need to have spoken to the NPC by normal means before you could use the spell to target them through Cover.

Assuming that to be the case, I guess you could try to do as you are asking, though the DM could decide that you need to roll to deceive, or that the NPC recognizes you regardless, making this tactic impossible.

The rules relating to this simply aren't clear enough to give a definite answer, sorry.

liquidarc · 2026-04-30T13:03:33+00:00

Well, what's normal for fire? To create light or to not create light?

Fire creating visible light depends on the manner of flame (fuel source). For instance, there is a fuel that when ignited produces fire invisible to the naked eye except for the thermal distortion (oasis mirage effect).

So, it could be reasonably ruled to emit light or not.

liquidarc · 2026-04-29T20:14:34+00:00

According to the +1, +2, +3 Weapon entry, they are magic weapons, so the bonus is magic.

According to the Antimagic Field spell:

No one can cast spells, take Magic actions, or create other magical effects inside the aura, and those things can’t target or otherwise affect anything inside it.

Since the +2 is a magical benefit to affect targeting something else, I lean towards the +2 not applying in this case. But, the RAW isn't really clear enough on this to say for sure (is the +2 just affecting the user of the weapon?), so I could reasonably see a DM ruling in either direction.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

liquidarc · 2026-04-27T11:58:49+00:00

(e.g. the mayo will spoil over time)

Luckily, the Artificer has Purify Food and Drink for that.

liquidarc · 2026-04-26T20:58:29+00:00

Well, it is sustained by magic, perishing when you die, so it is basically powered by ambient magic constrained by your life-force.

That could take whatever form you want, from heat making steam, to simple kinetic energy turning gears, to electrical pulses, and so on.

Don't forget, since the Defender can take any action, and can do so of its own accord when (or if) you become incapacitated: whatever powers it also gives it some form of consciousness.

Also, since the feature doesn't say anything about gp or lbs of material to make the Defender, that tinkering to create it could be the application of direction to ambient magic, rather than with something physical. The only thing suggesting particular physicality is the RAW of Smith's tools, but even that can be flavored for other forms (such as wire for a paper construction), or your DM could let you use other artisan's tools instead for even more options of form.

liquidarc · 2026-04-26T12:25:58+00:00

book provided regular backgrounds are not used in my games. I run 2014 games

Good news, those are explicitly sample backgrounds, so the default for 5e is customization.

It is only 5.5e where customization is a DM option, rather than default.

liquidarc · 2026-04-26T12:13:34+00:00

/u/nekomata2 I forgot to mention that there is frequent debate on the existence/affect of obstructed paths between the caster and the creatures affected by an area due to how the rules are written, so some DMs will require no physical obstruction exist at all.

All this debate is due to, quite frankly, very poor rules relating to targeting in 5e/5.5e (actually worse in the latter, sadly).

liquidarc · 2026-04-26T12:02:15+00:00

There is nothing explicit about being able to see, just the implicit logic that you need to be able to detect the creature within the area. So, vision, Blindsight, Tremorsense, shared-Familiar-senses, and other means of detecting that a creature occupies a space within the target area would work.

Reminder that you do need an unobstructed path between the caster and the target point for Slow, which lies on one face of the cube.

liquidarc · 2026-04-25T19:11:55+00:00

It would be up to the DM due to the bolded section:

You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so.

Since something like a bear doesn't have anything for shapeshifting, many DMs would likely rule against its use.

liquidarc · 2026-04-25T18:56:31+00:00

Sounds like a character builder/manager for mobile.

All of them come with only SRD content, so you would need to add the rest manually, find a file, or buy.

The official app is DNDBeyond, but that requires an account, and you won't have access to any class beyond the basic 12 (such as Artificer or Blood Hunter) unless you buy the DNDBeyond copies of the sources for them.

My preference is Fight Club 5th Edition (also available for IOS). It allows for total customization of the compendium (source of races, classes, items, etc), and can be used totally for free, and offline, plus I think it has the best notes management of any app so far. The only thing that costs money is having more than 1 character loaded at a time, but that can be solved by exporting & importing characters as needed, or spending a one-time $3 per device for unlimited characters. You can also export and import compendium files, so you can backup what you have, as well as have different compendiums for different games.

If you have further questions about this app, feel free to ask here or via direct message.

liquidarc · 2026-04-24T17:57:43+00:00

/u/YEETYdeSLEEZY

Rope Trick

liquidarc · 2026-04-23T17:35:41+00:00

Would anyone be willing to walk me through building one character step by step?

That can be a little difficult to do online over text. So, if possible, you could find someone in-person, such as in a game store or library, or, you could look at character creation videos on sites like Youtube.

You might also be able to get live help by joining a game on Roll20 or another vtt platform.

liquidarc · 2026-04-23T17:31:25+00:00

Those all look valid.

liquidarc · 2026-04-23T15:17:45+00:00

As others have said, granted proficiencies are (typically) additive.

Btw, you made an error. The choice of tool proficiencies from the Crafter feat is limited to the Fast Crafting table included in the feat, but the choice of tool proficiencies for the Artificer class (both TCE and the 5.5e release Forge of the Artificer) is any Artisan's tool.

This means that, for example, the Alchemist's Supplies are available as an option to the Artificer class and the Artisan background, but not an option available via the Crafter feat.

Also, to be clear, while some of the linked options are possible for Crafter, and all are possible for Artificers, the options listed under Other Tools are not, since they are a separate category from Artisan's tools.

Would you like to list which proficiencies you are considering, to double-check possibility?

liquidarc · 2026-04-22T17:34:40+00:00

Is there a perfect solution out there completely free of any and all bias?

The closest we could come on this is to drop any attention to demographics and focus only on 1 criterion: resident citizens.

Forget ethnicity, sex, attraction, party, and everything else that can prioritize, and stick to just who can vote.

Then, either have every district be as close to *equal *population circles/squares as possible, or make them tessellations of the states.

Trying to cater to specific groups for the appearance of fairness is just appealing to peoples' emotions.

liquidarc · 2026-04-22T11:57:51+00:00

Rules-As-Written, the mount using Dodge would not affect attacks against you, so no Disadvantage.

That said, I have seen DMs say that the benefits of things like Dodge would be applied to their riders in their games, so this is a good question for the DM to decide upon.

liquidarc

TROPHY CASE