The General D&D thread

Just cause I understand the reason doesn't mean it doesn't bother me.

That said- it's worth emphasizing the the rules have always referred to them as 'damage types', not 'elements'- things don't really get wonky until you compare it to element stuff in other systems that work similarly.

Don't try tying the damage descriptors to elements. That way lies roast skunk and madness.

"Radiant" damage is used for "heavenly" effects. Suzaku, a heavenly saint beast, would deal radiant+fire damage, for instance. Water effects are typically mystical and ephemeral; you'd use lots of psychic damage. And also cold, because of course there's cold.

Likewise, you could have the flames of Yomi/Jigoku which would be necrotic+fire.

edited 3rd Oct '15 6:33:58 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

Do watery creatures regularly deal psychic damage? Never noticed that, though I haven't really used any water creatures myself.

Speaking of water, I fondly recall that Spoony video about never getting on the boat—that's when the GM fucks you by drowning your fighter via his armor, shipwrecking you on Plot Railroad Island, and releasing the Kraken.

My party wants to reach the new dungeon via the Grey Gate network, save a week or so off travel by teleporting. I've arranged a destination for them—the only prototype ship with a Gate on it...which has partially sunk and is being protected by some kind of remaining Deep One.

So they open the door, start flooding the Gate chamber and have to escape the ship while it floods like the Titanic...and fight sharks in the corridors on the way out. And at some point in the future, they may be able to raise and restore the thing.

"But don't give up hope. Everyone is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you." - O'Brien, 1984

Spoony sounds like a right douchebag on D&D related issues, so far :P

Well, when else can the GM play with his neat drowning and swimming rules, or sic fishmen, horror-fish, and the Loch Ness Monster on people?

I guess you could always fight more orcs in a cave. Again.

edited 3rd Oct '15 8:41:08 PM by Rotpar

"But don't give up hope. Everyone is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you." - O'Brien, 1984

I mean, obviously the DM's gonna release the Kraken if you get on the boat, but he'll release the Dragon if you don't. And making sure you have Water Breathing prepared to save any overboard fighters is as obvious a precaution as making sure you anti-undead stuff when raiding a graveyard.

Plus getting on the boat will mean the DM finally has an opportunity to use all those weird aquatic versions of normal monsters, so he'll be happy and therefore less vindictive for a while.

When the players start fighting the DM rather than the content, something has already gone horribly wrong.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.

Don't forget the most important element - surprise. Sneak attack bonus damage ain't no joke.

D&D energy damage types really confused me when I tried out fifth edition after Pathfinder xD Wasn't aware beforehand that they had so many types, where some of them sound like exactly the same type of energy

?

What sounds like the same type in 5E?

If you're thinking thunder and lightning, they're totally different. Thunder is sonic or concussive damage. Things like explosive pressure waves (though, most explosives get measured with fire damage instead, because D&D). Lightning is, well, electricity.

edited 4th Oct '15 7:13:47 AM by TheyCallMeTomu

I just wanna say — I really hate that acid is the one they went with for the earth. Like, really? Acid?

I've seen it argued that the elemental energy types work better if you mix up everything that isn't fire/heat. It can be air/cold (air is usually pretty cold), water/acid (water is actually the most common acid on Earth), and earth/electricity (lightning moves towards the ground, so).

Although I imagine an argument could be made for water/electricity since water is a very good conductor.

"We're home, Chewie."

^^Even with that logic, shouldn't they have just used sonic damage? Thunder/lightning as different damage types just sounds odd even if one refers to noise and one to the bolt.

edited 4th Oct '15 7:18:38 AM by SpookyMask

5E does not have sonic damage. Thunder explicitly replaced sonic damage in 4E. That being said, I do agree that renaming sonic thunder was kind of pointless.

As for earth is acid, that goes back to 3.x I think, and it is true that most "omni elemental" spells include acid as part of them, but in 4E, Earth Genasi had 0 acid affinities whatsoever. So, whether you associate earth with acid is up to you.

But, I'll remind you: earth = underground = oozes. Hence, acid.

edited 4th Oct '15 7:21:36 AM by TheyCallMeTomu

...Huh. That does actually make weird sense, doesn't it.

But now I'm upset that earth's energy type isn't giant spider.

"We're home, Chewie."

How about earth = bludgeoning ? That seems the most obvious to me.

Worldbuilding is fun, writing is a chore

In 4E, bludgeoning wasn't a damage type. Physical damage was just untyped.

In 5E, yes, Earth Tremor does deal bludgeoning damage.

But then it would be weird that anyone can do Earth damage depending on what they use to deliver their blows, doesn't it? That and creates a lot of problems - the first that comes to mind is the barbarian resistance to slashing, bludgeoning and piercing damage while raging, when he would have no other resistances to elemental damage.

I am merely an agent of 'random'. Because you know, the order is only inside our minds. Out here, there is only Chaos.

Man, sonic damage is awesome. Without sonic damage, how can a bard literally kill stuff with the power of rock?

Look, earth effects deal bludgeoning damage, but not all bludgeoning effects are earth effects. Barbarians don't have "earth" resistance, they have "bludgeoning" resistance.

The idea of tying elements to damage types as a "I'm resistant to earth magic!" is a doomed enterprise.

So, just had Session 0 of the campaign I guess I'm gonna be running. Showed 'em the rules (5th beta + houserules and a coupla things from Official 5th), got characters.

On the characters, though... Uh, well, we got a dragonborn bard, a human barbarian, and a high elf rogue. The barbarian is using one of the characters I made in case anybody didn't want to make one; odd thing is, he has like 35 HP and the other two each have like 15. :/
We're starting at 3rd level, by the way, and the first proper session's gonna involve a shitton of goblins, one of which has a stolen wand of fireball.
Bard is a pretty experienced tabletop player, though I dunno if he's that experienced with D&D specifically, barbarian has, well, some experience, I think, and the rogue hasn't played D&D in several years.
I keep stressing out over the bard not having bought anything but a rapier and regular clothes, but having a ranged option is probably something I worry about too much anyway.
He does have an 11 AC, though.

Comments? Suggestions?
Also, the bard's homebrewed already; I says "Okay, dragonborn have a breath weapon and damage resistance depending on their parents," he says "I'mma be rainbow-scaled, because why the fuck not," and I get excited and go "Okay, how about this: instead of choosing one color and element, every time you use your breath attack, we roll a die to see what damage type it is; also, instead of having regular resistance to one element (which in 5th negates half), you take 3/4 damage from each of these?" So, that's a thing. ...I think it's gonna be funny, anyway.

edited 4th Oct '15 8:06:53 PM by Knowlessman

i care but i'm restless, i'm here but i'm really gone, i'm wrong and i'm sorry, baby

He's a Prismatic Wyrm, and therefore deals radiant damage and is resistant to radiant :P

Anyway, make sure he picks up Sleep. Bitches LOVE sleep!

I think he went out of his way to get the most useless-sounding spells. :/ He took Prestidigitation and Dancing Lights as cantrips, and Charm Person, Disguise Self, and Speak With Animals as his 1st-level spells.

So basically, the only proper caster in the party is gonna be nigh-useless in combat. I mean, he'll probably end up doing the classic "play music to buff folks and do shit else" bard stuff, even though I'm pretty sure he only needs to spend one turn to get that going.
The rogue did get the Minor Illusion cantrip from her racial ability, though, and maxed Int for it, so that should be interesting.

i care but i'm restless, i'm here but i'm really gone, i'm wrong and i'm sorry, baby

Charm Person is of limited usefulness, since "charmed" literally just means the target won't attack YOU.

Prestidigitation is a really good spell though man, don't knock it.

But yes: you should mandate-yes MANDATE-the usage of Vicious Mockery. "You fight like a dairy farmer!" works very well with the swashbuckling bard.

Don't think 5th ed. has Vicious Mockery.

Also, he doesn't seem interested in his character doing much swashbuckling. :/ Too posh.

edited 4th Oct '15 9:04:58 PM by Knowlessman

i care but i'm restless, i'm here but i'm really gone, i'm wrong and i'm sorry, baby

Prestidigitation is pretty much the best spell, because it's magic in its purest form — just tiny weird aesthetic stuff. But it's great because it can also come in really handy — especially since it lets you clean items, and adventurers tend to get messy with dirt and blood and ooze and lava and such.

edited 4th Oct '15 9:09:18 PM by Zarek

"We're home, Chewie."