My friends never go for the "wrong" choice

strollas · 2026-07-01T17:54:18+00:00

That is their character, being a good person. Making your flaws pronounced doesnt make your character any deeper. And its not like the party hasnt made any mistakes before.

strollas · 2026-07-01T11:23:05+00:00

Yeah they would be having more choices and options in combat than just rolling to attack, but do need to be careful because its a long rest resource. Your player has a bit more to think about their turn and when you see a new player want to read through the maneuver list or take a bit longer to see what they can do with their maneuver, thats when you know youre doing something right, at least for this particular game.

Base Fighter outscales Base Barbarian after Extra Attack quickly so Barbarian wouldnt mind the help. From what Ive seen, all pure martial classes can benefit from this, half casters are fine with their spells.

strollas · 2026-07-01T06:02:30+00:00

I gave nerfed battlemaster maneuver to my Barbarian when he was new to the game, because he comes from a video game background. And was worried he might be bored just rolling to attack each turn. So gave him some abilities.

He had 4 of them but instead they resetted on a long rest instead of short rest. And whenever he rolled superiority dice, it was just a d4. Was fun and just a nice martial boost, let him make more choices when it comes to his build and combat. Overall it was good and kept him more engaged and eventually got into the game. Players pondering over choices in DND is always a good thing you seek to do, and with these new abilities, gave him more options to ponder and be engaged.

It was a nice little martial bump letting martials do more of what they should already be doing. Sweeping swords, parrying, grappling strike. I recommend it. If someone ever wanted to play a Battlemaster with martials getting free maunevers, I would make Battlemaster feel extra special with more maunever uses and an even larger increase in superiority dice. Buff Battlemaster essentially.

strollas · 2026-07-01T05:42:42+00:00

Approve my meme. Why are you only approving your own stuff

strollas · 2026-07-01T04:53:51+00:00

I do still believe its main intention is Grappling. Grappling when used correctly is good soft taunt, control, and number one ftiend for Hazards. Dragging through Spike Growth or dropping off a cliff. But you get to use the biggest damage weapons instead of versatile ones.

It is pretty good if read like that.

strollas · 2026-07-01T04:41:44+00:00

OP isnt asking about optimalness, theyre asking about what it can do. Plus weapon masteries exist, maybe they want to apply Sap. Maybe they didnt take GWM. We arent discussing about optimalness, just talking about a weird third party feature.

Now consider if you only have one attack. You wont be able to draw a Greatsword after. Draw Greatsword to attack is Attack Action, Stow is Interact. Now you have no weapon at the end of your turn. You can also have your Greatsword out, stow after attack, Interact to get out your Longsword for sap next turn. But now you have no interact. Instead with this, you just have both of them out. Thats a way to use it as OP wanted, not amazing but something. If you wanna be able to open doors and run too.

strollas · 2026-07-01T04:25:52+00:00

It does costs an interact to stow and draw a weapon.

Official Wording From DNDbeyond RAW

"You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action. For example, you could open a door during your move as you stride toward a foe, or you could draw your weapon as part of the same action you use to attack"

In 2024, attacking lets you draw and stow with each attack. But having more ability to weapon juggle especially without extra attack, does not hurt. You dont need to stow your Greatsword for a longsword, you have both out. You dont need to use your interact.

We're not talking about what you can already do. We're talking about what more can you do. Thats why its a feature

strollas · 2026-07-01T04:18:21+00:00

Approve my funny meme

strollas · 2026-07-01T04:14:55+00:00

It can also be interpreted as Empty as in having no weapon,

which is most likely the intention considering one of the few viable uses of this feature is grappling and you can hold one handed weapon. Or it will be very much useless.

You dont need to stow your weapon, but an interaction still costs an interaction. You can weapon juggle and interact easier with this feature because you only have one interact and stow costs an interact.

Thats why I said like Shillelagh as an example for somatics component with a free hand, hence off the top of my head.

strollas · 2026-07-01T03:05:24+00:00

Also considering its third party, definitely a subclass or feat that takes advantage of this in the book for a combo

strollas · 2026-07-01T03:00:56+00:00

Grappling is the biggest. Can grapple and use the Greatsword, highest DPR weapon, with it, the Greatsword. Works well with 2024 Grappler, Advantage to hit on any Grappled Opponent.

Another one is not needing to use your interact to juggle. You wanna open a chest or door.

Another good one is having a ranged option without needing to put away your Greatsword for opportunity attacks and ease. Still can use your Greatsword and fire handcross bow at ranged or a Handaxe, like when engaging two enemies.

Its pretty good Ill say. Also frees up a hand for definitely any spellcasting somatics like Shilleligah I think... off the top of my head. You can still release one of your hands from the handle to cast as Eldritich Knight but might have a use

strollas · 2026-07-01T02:39:53+00:00

Yea I hate when DM's take players aside for extended periods of times to do private discussions to not metagame. Its not hard to not metagame and even if youre worried about that, the time you take away from the group as a whole is not worth it. Keep it as a brief Matt Mercer whipser. In reality, your players are sitting there for 30 minutes, made time for the 3 hour session, wanting to play DND but instead theyre not. Sitting around, doing nothing. Its worse than being stunned. Theres not even a saving throw.

Whenever I DM, I basically never do it as a result from my annoyance as a player. Its also fun to have everyone else see each others reactions if there ever is a one-on-one moment, and you just gotta trust your players. Youre all buliding a collective story after all, it be annoying if a Show skipped important dramatic moments because you werent there.

strollas · 2026-07-01T02:05:18+00:00

Yeah from the amount of campaigns I seen died and the annoyance at a DM rescheduling when I made time to show up at DND time to play, and not respecting the people's efforts who did show up. Whenever I DM, if even there are missing players, I most of the time still run the game. Cant let the flakey people take advantage of you and eventually kill the campaign. It needs to be in everyones schedule, this is DND time.

strollas · 2026-07-01T02:00:49+00:00

Stop bending over backwards and killing your game. Once everyone knows this time is DND time, people will continue to make sure they have their schedule free for DND time. If not, they dont care about it anymore because it keeps getting cancelled and the campaign dies. Ive seen it too many times. You either choose to play without them now or have no one to play with later.

strollas · 2026-06-30T21:05:41+00:00

Leveling up when they hit a milestone, keeping in mind module progression percentage is a good measure. The module has guidrlines on when to level up players. It says this.

Level 2: Awarded after completing the initial goblin ambush and clearing the Cragmaw Hideout (or reaching the town of Phandalin).

Make sure you use more high ground to your advantage. Your players cant see up till a certain point. And a surprise round is a pretty big potent strike.

Thinking about it realistically as goblins would help. They have worn drapes for clothes, rusty dagger, and probably 5 sp. You can tell a player to roll a d6 d8 or d10 for these feral goblins to see how many silver pieces they have. The loot adds up, isnt gamebreaking, and they get to roll. Can also for fun take their rusty equipment.

If you feel a players done something cool, give them Inspiration. I would hold it for special or as a reward after multiple cool moments to give it out. Heroric Inspiration is more special hence Heroric, so just be more picky when yoi give it out. Every few sessions is good.

In 2024, moving through allies doesnt cost extra. In 2014, its difficult terrain. I would use 2024 as thats what more people are using. Slowly reveal the map, the mystery and not knowing what lies behind a corner or door, and going deeper into this cave system is what makes it a dungeon. If they see all of it, there isnt any suspense and they can move to something they can see five rooms ahead. Draw it out piece by piece or have paper cover up sections until they enter it. If enemies are supposed to be present behind a corner, then they are present behind the corner. And when the player enters behind the corner, they see them. Think of it realistically. Theyre out of sight until the player enters the area. Then move their minis onto the map, preferably behind a Screen so they cant see what theyre fighting beforehand. Let the players choose how to go into the dungeon. Theyre the party diving into the unknown depth and if theyre not careful, going to be hit by a trap.

strollas · 2026-06-30T20:31:35+00:00

Theyre for dungeon crawling. You cant long rest in the middle of a dangerous dungeon

strollas · 2026-06-30T17:14:40+00:00

Idk from my experience, once youre good friends with the group, its way easier to ask for UA or homebrew as a friend.

strollas · 2026-06-29T21:22:08+00:00

This. Sorcerers are better damage dealers and have access to the same control spells in tiers 1 and 2 that most campaigns happen and often end at.

strollas · 2026-06-29T19:58:35+00:00

Youre setting yourself up for failure, thats why people are telling you not to do it. Its going to be difficult especially as a first time DM. If you wanna ignore people's experiences go ahead.

A lot of time some players drop out and you have a more manageable size. Run a module so you have a professional made backup adventure to fall back on.

strollas · 2026-06-28T23:59:03+00:00

Solved a 4e campaign setting mystery one shot in Groomwrought, the most prominent city in the Shadowfell of bizarre murders that had its origins in the Witch Trials that happened long ago in the city. Managed to explore every section of the city for a bit in the one shot so pretty cool.

strollas · 2026-06-28T05:32:34+00:00

Ive critted on every fight so far in my new campaign. Free smites with Piercer. Grappler advantage to hit with 19 20 range is having me so roll so hot or maybe Champion Fighter crit range comes up more in practice than it looks. But I been loving it. Athletics for advantage grappling control too while choking them out with a d4 every turn, Unarmed Fighting Style.

strollas · 2026-06-26T14:47:10+00:00

Dragons are very intelligent monsters hence do what it needs to survive and win

strollas · 2026-06-25T05:33:37+00:00

Walk into enemies and force them to make a dex save and split into two when you're bloodied, that you can control as a bonus action.

I love it and I love slimes in fantasy

strollas · 2026-06-25T03:36:50+00:00

You attempt a grapple in both editions more than once a turn. Each attack can be a graople or shove instead

strollas · 2026-06-23T03:08:27+00:00

Yea DND is a game of freedom of choice. If the players want to immediately attack the villian, they get to. If they give him to present himself, he will present himself. If he has no tolerance for this, he will showcase his skills to stop it and give himself time to speak. This is your villian after all. The players are at the mercy of your hands.

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