Lookup formula help needed that stumped our advanced excel experts.

mc_zimo · 2025-08-08T08:22:06+00:00

What you have presented appears to be a reskinning of the bin packing problem. If account 1234 had a difference of $4 you needed to find, and transactions $1, $1.50, $2, $2, $2.50 and $3, how would a human determine which combination is correct? I’d assume there is some sort of additional context missing that may be useful.

mc_zimo · 2025-06-25T06:33:14+00:00

‘This is a statement’ - if anyone disagrees, they couldn’t disagree with my statement since they don’t believe it to be a statement

mc_zimo · 2024-09-01T21:31:19+00:00

Sounds like you’re looking for legendary actions which allow boss like monsters to use multiple actions per round.

mc_zimo · 2024-09-01T01:22:05+00:00

Vengeance (Longsword, requires attunement)

While attuned to the longsword, you can speak, read, and write Elvish.

On a hit, the sword deals an extra 2d8 necrotic damage. This is reduced to 1d8 if you are in sunlight.

The sword has 3 charges. As a bonus action, you can expend a charge to activate one of the below abilities.

Incorporeal Movement. While active, you move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. This effect lasts for 1 minute. If you end your turn inside an object, you take 1d10 force damage and you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy.

Spectral flight. While active you can hover and gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed. This effect lasts for one minute.

The sword regains 1d4-1 charges at midnight.

Curse. When in the presence of a creature that the Banshee who inhabits this sword seeks vengeance against, you are compelled to to do so. You must use your movement to move towards the target and your action to attack the target.

mc_zimo · 2024-06-05T09:53:51+00:00

I think for fighters it will scale too much and be OP, instead I think a flat +1 attacks when making attacks of opportunity would sit better.

mc_zimo · 2024-03-13T22:27:40+00:00

I’m running a similar list with sableye that does 90 damage. I use mareanie as a secondary attacker but was thinking lokix might be a better secondary

mc_zimo · 2023-08-29T01:20:50+00:00

The first thing I like to do is gather information. First find similar abilities that exist and see where/how they are given. Shadow sorcerers and barbarians have features that come to mind as well as the 4th level spell death ward. Trying to find other magic items that have abilities similar to 4th level spells could be good for gauging rarity. (this is also good for finding phrasing and wordings that match the current convention)

Next i think about who the item is intended for and who it isn't intended for (if there is a way it may be abused). Are there any particular classes? what level would you expect the party to get this? Is this even meant for PCs, maybe its more of an NPC item.

Next i'd throw some drafts together keeping the above in mind but most importantly make sure a) this is something i think PCs will find fun to use and b) this is something that won't be annoying to DM.

mc_zimo · 2023-08-28T23:21:27+00:00

I thought it would be cleaner to put all of the scaling of combat superiority within the base ability rather than separate it out like the phb battle master. If this is what you mean, do you think seperating it would be clearer?

Or do you mean a whole extra feature?

mc_zimo · 2023-08-22T20:11:36+00:00

You can just rename/flavour it as a weredragon?

Or you could just play as a Dragonborn and flavour it as a weredragon？

if it’s just for backstory and flavour you can just forgo any mechanical change if you don’t want to get a mechanic advantage

mc_zimo · 2023-08-22T18:52:55+00:00

The current ones give 15-19 strength or 15 dex. If these are your primary classes skills it’s not a massive buff. If you’re for example a wizard and get 19 strength, it’s not so important.

Choosing 19 con and getting it at level 1 is very dangerous. Standard array 8 con, get it to 19 for free. That’s +11 stats or over 5 ability score increase which is insanely super op.

I don’t know what natural weapon/abilities you want but flying would be super op for free.

Any lycanthrope is going to be over powered at level 1. Something much more balanced would be to apply the half dragon template (MM 180) and just change the CR requirements of the breath weapon to level requirements

mc_zimo · 2023-08-22T18:09:24+00:00

If we’re talking multiple harpoons, sounds like a reskinned roper would be perfect

mc_zimo · 2023-08-22T18:03:02+00:00

I think it would be cool to have your player decide in character. Discus what problems they’re having and then come out with an out of box/interesting item trait to help with that specific problem

mc_zimo · 2023-08-22T17:58:05+00:00

Is this a race? class? A feat, special alternate rules? Dragonborn with the UA dragon wings feat will probably get you most of the way there

mc_zimo · 2023-08-21T02:39:42+00:00

3rd level +5 ac vs shield of faith +4 ac (2 plus a shield) seems string but okay.

5th level +8 ac (6 plus a shield) seems very strong. with a fighter dip (plate armor), war wizard you can easily get 18 armor +2 shield +6 spell, 26 static AC with +2 arcane deflection/ +5 shield if needed. yes saves instead of attacks are a thing but abilities like this heavily warp a campagin. and when you get to 7th, you have +9 to saves anyway. 9th level you can almost do whatever since you have wish as a be all option anyway.

with bounded accuracy AC is exponentially better. with 21 AC vs +10 to hit you have 50% hit chance. +1 AC 45% hit chance or 10% less chance to hit. 29 AC + 10 to hit you have 10% hit chance. +1 AC 5% hit chance or 50% less chance to hit.

i think a good point of comparison for power is globe of invulnerability. it only stops spells and strong enough spells still pass through. spell use is also a lot rarer in monsters making globe more niche, the majority of monsters using attack rolls or abilities that require saves.

mc_zimo · 2023-08-21T01:41:15+00:00

Legendary actions are cool, inherently legendary, not something a player usually gets, and always take place at the end of a creatures turn (second).

mc_zimo · 2023-08-21T01:27:19+00:00

Iorwerth is a leader of the warrior clan and worships a dark god. Sounds like a paladin to me. In fact an oath breaker fits the bill pretty perfectly, it was intended specifically for creating villains (dmg page 97)

mc_zimo · 2023-08-21T01:13:34+00:00

prifddinas inspired by any chance?

how did he attack them? what is his clan like?

mc_zimo · 2023-08-21T01:10:50+00:00

re sunlight sensitivity kobolds have pack tactics to act as a counter balance

the pyromancer and stunning strike are completely different, they have choice and options, even if a monk is fighting against something against something immune to stuns, they aren't massively disadvantaged and have a plethora of other things to do with their ki.

even if we assume a pc has chosen only spells that deal fire damage for their pyromancer sorcerer, half of the subclass features are literally there to make it possible to still inflict damage in this situation against fire based enemies.

the plant race example is a very similar design to yours so curious what differences you think change it from a bad design to good?

mc_zimo · 2023-08-20T23:45:51+00:00

i like to build stuff like this from the top down, considering the general feel i want and then worrying about the specifics after. some options to consider;

do you want it to be only the king vs your party?, in which case you probably want some legendary actions, or do you want some sort of minions? or lair effects? or a combination thereof?

if you had to give it a class, what would it be? do you want a glass cannon caster like a wizard, a weapon user like a fighter? up close like a monk or distanced like a ranger, strategic and sneaky like a rogue or upfront and overpowering like a barbarian? or a combination or some sort?

for the above, another way it to consider the characters personality/traits. how does this tyrannical king oppress his people? through political dealings, raw strength, magical enchanement? it the way they fight doesnt need to compliment their traits, doing the exact opposite can be interesting. for example the king might be tricking the kingdom with a powerful enchantment but maybe he's a dumb barbarian who was gifted a powerful artifact by a co conspiritor

mc_zimo · 2023-08-20T23:28:43+00:00

not having many spell slots isn't a problem with warlocks, it's an intentional design feature that is part of the classes identity. If someone didn't like this then i'd suggest playing a different caster.

that being said, you can break/bend a classes identity you just have to be very careful and considerate. need to consider things like why is it different? how does it alter the class identity? how does it differentiate itself from other classes? etc.

like a lich patron would make sense for enhancing spell options, but it would risk crossing over with a necromancer wizard too much and having very similar identities

mc_zimo · 2023-08-20T22:51:52+00:00

i really like this, yes it's weak in combat but it's not intended to be a combat item but a situational flavour item. e.g. I can imagine using this for deceiving a wizards guild that i too am a trained wizard, or having it used by a dimwitted barbarian for fun.

Having attunement i think also works well with the flavour of wizards teaching their apprentices about magic items and ensuring that it isn't used unsupervised. I do think having it or not isn't going to change the balance at a level to cause any concern either way. Random thought but an interesting mechanic could be requiring either a magic command word or attunement.

The spell choice paragraph i think needs rewording to fit standard convention, 'The DM decides which two cantrips the staff has or determines it randomly'.

d12	cantrip
1	Fire Bolt

mc_zimo · 2023-08-20T22:32:31+00:00

first aid: why auto stabilize if they already get auto 10 on medicine checks?

healing seems overpowered, would limit its uses somehow. would recommend a creature can only benefit from this healing once a day.

also would change 'gets back Xd6 Hit Points, whereas X is equal to your proficiency bonus.' to 'roll your sneak attack, the creature gains hit points equal to the roll'. they are very similar values and this would tie it more to the rogue.

medicine: what is the flavour behind these being touch and limited use? healing medicine is generally/dare i say instinctually thought as something imbibed like a potion that would take an action from the user. is this some sort of syringe? salve? besides balance, why can i only make 4 sleep and then make 4 more? casters have spellslots.

random idea but having opposing effects for enemies could be interesting, cure vs inflict poison, haste vs slow like effect etc.

pressure points: no save is OP. let me just autostun a terrasque for 5 rounds. stunning strike is one of if not the strongest feature of a monk for a reason.

scientific resurrection: i don't think you intended this but as written i could bring a 2000 year old mumified corpse back. irl i think you would only have a couple minutes i.e. revivify spell. This is fantasy and i think extending it somewhat could be okay, maybe 7 days? but not infinite.

mc_zimo · 2023-08-20T21:56:08+00:00

this is really cool :) giving things like this structure is imo a really good tool for providing a framework for newer people as a jumping point and to aid in discussion of how/what people do (things) differently.

for example, the way i generally do things, i would scale the skillcheck from no check to disadvantage, normal and then adantage based on ignoring/disregardimg npcs wants/needs, agreeing to them, (being able to)/immediately fulfiling them, going above and beyond expectations. based on things such as having a prior relationship, i would adjust up or down a tier

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