Author Topic: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game  (Read 42177 times)

Offline VennDygrem

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #40 on: August 25, 2014, 09:34:33 PM »
The only caveat I have with allowing rolled stats is that with a higher player power level, the threats you face will have to be altered to match. Keep in mind that monsters do not have ludicrously high AC even at higher challenge rating levels (balanced against 'an appropriately-equipped and well-rested party of four adventurers'); a Fire Giant has an AC 18 (challenge rating 9), and an Adult Red Dragon (CR 19) has an AC of 19, and an Ancient Red Dragon (CR 24), has an AC of 22.

Even a first level character with 12 strength can swing a sword and hit most monsters on a good day, though with somewhat less effectiveness and prospects on survivability. Most monsters get by based on alternative defenses or a really good offense.

In short, the game assumes you start with one or two moderately high stats (15-17), a couple of above-average stats (12-14), and a couple lower stats (8-11). You don't need to max out your stats to be highly effective. If you want your stats to be higher, you're assuming you need fewer stat boosts, and thus can afford more feats, and thus are assuming a somewhat higher powered game.

Regarding level, I think level three is a good place to start for this. Things can still start simply enough, and you'll be challenged, but you've already got some experience under your belt. Level 4 won't be too far ahead, relatively speaking, and should give you something to look forward to. More-so, despite the generally slow pace of PbP, it'll give everyone a taste of what play is like at early levels and onward.

For equipment, assume you start with whatever mundane equipment you expect to adventure with, and an additional 200 gp. You may also start with two potions of healing (you can swap one or both out with a potion of climbing, which lets you auto-succeed on athletics checks to climb for 1 hour, or a potion of jumping, which triples your jump distance for 1 hour, or a Longstrider potion, which increases your speed by 10 ft. for 1 hour). Finally, you can select two magic items of uncommon rarity. You can alternately give up both of these to start with a single magic item that is somewhat more powerful and more closely tailored to your character. It might be an heirloom handed down through generations, or perhaps something your character stole that was beyond their understanding, etc. This is, of course, an option for adding a bit more depth to your character background, and is thus ripe with fodder for DM meddling. :D

re: spending money on rituals; Sounds fine to me, though you still can only cast rituals of a level you can cast spells. You can spend regular money on a ritual scroll, which will allow you to transcribe the ritual into your Book of Shadows, or you can give up one of your uncommon magic items for two 2nd level ritual or three 1st-level rituals.

Also! If no one has a preference for campaign setting, I will pick one randomly. So far there's been only one suggestion, and it would require a bit of research on my part since I'm not fully familiar with Planescape as a setting.

Finally, I tend to reward well-thought-out characters and good roleplaying. Furthermore, I encourage creative uses of skills and ability checks. If you think doing something a specific way would be cool and can be reasonably performed with the resources at your disposal, even if it isn't strictly allowed by the rules, I may let it slide and very well might award Inspiration for doing so, or more.

« Last Edit: August 25, 2014, 09:54:12 PM by VennDygrem »

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #41 on: August 25, 2014, 09:36:43 PM »
I have descended into a game of 'wait and see what other people are playing'.

Offline VennDygrem

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #42 on: August 25, 2014, 09:45:55 PM »
An updated list of what everyone's thinking of playing:

--Definites--
bhu- 'Liver-Eating Johnson', Barbarian
caelic- Drunken Reprobate Druid of the Moon Circle
linklord- Warlock of the Great Old Ones
gamepro224- Cleric->Berserker Barbarian
--Maybes--
SolEiji- Dwarven Fighter or Halfling Rogue
Gazzien- Forest Gnome Evoker Wizard
Raineh- TBD

Offline linklord231

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #43 on: August 25, 2014, 10:33:20 PM »
How much do spell scrolls cost?

Trinket roll, cuz trinkets are awesome.
Rolled 1d100 : 64, total 64
I'm not arguing, I'm explaining why I'm right.

Offline Gazzien

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #44 on: August 25, 2014, 10:52:34 PM »
I'm fine with point buy or rolled stats; whatever people want to do.

Heck, given what I rolled, I'm totally okay with rolled stats, if people want to go that way. :)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4619286/
... Wow.

I mean, I got these stats, but... Uh, yeah. I'm not very charismatic. :P

Offline VennDygrem

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #45 on: August 25, 2014, 10:57:34 PM »
Magic Item costs are now determined by rarity rather than a direct gold piece value. Each rarity is associated with a range of value, though those values may have changed since the playtest. The only official source, the DM's Basic Rules document, says that Spell Scroll rarity varies. This leads me to believe that the rarity is partly dependent on your campaign setting and world rules, such as the existence of 'magic marts' as well as, more directly, on the level of the spell held in the scroll.

I'm inclined to scrolls of spells level 0-1 are common rarity, and can be purchased for anywhere from 25 gp to 100 gp. Level 2-3 are uncommon and cost between 100 and 500 gp. And so-on.

I'm going to have to determine a setting to figure out how common spellcasters and magic items are in order to skew costs more one way or another.

I'm fine with point buy or rolled stats; whatever people want to do.

Heck, given what I rolled, I'm totally okay with rolled stats, if people want to go that way. :)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4619286/
... Wow.

I mean, I got these stats, but... Uh, yeah. I'm not very charismatic. :P

I mentioned you can roll your stat spread twice and choose between the two, so... yeah.  :P

Offline Gazzien

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #46 on: August 25, 2014, 11:44:57 PM »
Magic Item costs are now determined by rarity rather than a direct gold piece value. Each rarity is associated with a range of value, though those values may have changed since the playtest. The only official source, the DM's Basic Rules document, says that Spell Scroll rarity varies. This leads me to believe that the rarity is partly dependent on your campaign setting and world rules, such as the existence of 'magic marts' as well as, more directly, on the level of the spell held in the scroll.

I'm inclined to scrolls of spells level 0-1 are common rarity, and can be purchased for anywhere from 25 gp to 100 gp. Level 2-3 are uncommon and cost between 100 and 500 gp. And so-on.

I'm going to have to determine a setting to figure out how common spellcasters and magic items are in order to skew costs more one way or another.

I'm fine with point buy or rolled stats; whatever people want to do.

Heck, given what I rolled, I'm totally okay with rolled stats, if people want to go that way. :)

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4619286/
... Wow.

I mean, I got these stats, but... Uh, yeah. I'm not very charismatic. :P

I mentioned you can roll your stat spread twice and choose between the two, so... yeah.  :P
Despite your generosity...

Hm. I'd probably spend my money just adding things to my spellbook xD A wizard's best friend! Also making a second copy.

Offline linklord231

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #47 on: August 26, 2014, 12:34:19 AM »
First roll:  yay!
Second roll:  boo!

I'm not arguing, I'm explaining why I'm right.

Offline SolEiji

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #48 on: August 26, 2014, 12:42:28 AM »
You already have two barbarians (well, one's a clericbarian) so I think I should look into filling the rogue.

EDIT:
And since people seem to be rolling...

Fair...

Awesome.

« Last Edit: August 26, 2014, 12:48:20 AM by SolEiji »
Mudada.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #49 on: August 26, 2014, 08:22:14 AM »
Hm... Way of the Four Elements Monk. Drow Monk. I want to play a drow. And monks don't look like horrible crap!

First roll.

Second roll.

... I think I prefer the first set. :lmao
« Last Edit: August 26, 2014, 08:27:45 AM by Raineh Daze »

Offline Michael Lightning

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #50 on: August 26, 2014, 09:32:39 AM »
First roll

Second roll

I think I'll take the second.
~And through it all, it ends with a single flash of lightning~

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #51 on: August 26, 2014, 04:57:25 PM »
Biggest thing I demand to know is why jumping is still a feature of Strength, when Acrobatics is Dex. How good you are at jumping has nothing to do with how good you can jump? What? :shakefist

... also, removing speed from the long jump stuff annoys me because it's basic logic: how fast you're going sideways when you jump is going to have an impact on your distance. A really buff peg-legged dwarf wearing a castle should not be able to jump better than a level 20 monk just because he's got more muscle.

Also, paladins wearing full plate being better at jumping than monks is... weiiiiiiiiird. Very, very weird.

On the plus side, at least this system's quick to stat up. Even though the sheets are still terrible, and I haven't thought of a name, and approach equipment with apprehensive horror in all editions. :lmao
« Last Edit: August 26, 2014, 05:40:51 PM by Raineh Daze »

Offline bhu

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #52 on: August 26, 2014, 07:40:38 PM »
so does this mean were all rolling now?

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #53 on: August 26, 2014, 07:46:57 PM »
so does this mean were all rolling now?

By the looks of it, you'd be worse off if you didn't.

Still mad that a dwarf in full plate is better at jumping than a level 20 elf monk. This is backwards. D<

Offline VennDygrem

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #54 on: August 26, 2014, 08:04:34 PM »
Personally I think I'd prefer point biy, but player preference is for rolling. I think that I'll up the incentive for point buy in that case. You can roll and have those above average stats, or use point buy and start with a character-specific special ability. I rewarded my RL group with such abilities in between some levels, and the same went for my other PbP games.

Anyway, in real life, athletics tend to be  informed both by physical power and grace, but traditionally speaking d&d can only assign one stat for a skill and physical power fit the overall skill better, while acrobatics got grace and finesse.

Now, a monk could be trained in both skills, though their dex is likely to be better.

If you like,  I can house rule that encumbrance affects jump distance. Over all, if you can find a reasonable way to express use of a skill, I'll allow it. I may also allow a skill to be rolled with a different stat if it's justified.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #55 on: August 26, 2014, 08:09:04 PM »
It's just weird that 'jump' goes under athletics, and your jumping ability is wholly determined by raw physical might. Then, under dexterity, you get a skill called... acrobatics. Acrobatics does not include, for some reason, jumping or doing stunts whilst jumping (yeah, the stunts thing is explicitly under athletics--how many bodybuilder gymnasts are there?).

I'm just annoyed that as an elven monk, my jumping ability is worse than a dwarf paladin. Really, now? >:T

Offline Rin

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #56 on: August 26, 2014, 08:51:22 PM »
Hi!  Um, so, I kind of learned of this from Raineh and I'm really liking the look of the 5E rules from what I've read of them, and I know I'm kind of late but is there maybe any room left for one more person?  If not, would it be okay if I lurked just in case someone has to drop for whatever reason?  Sorry for barging in rudely like this.

Offline bhu

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #57 on: August 26, 2014, 08:54:51 PM »
how does resistance work now

Offline Gazzien

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #58 on: August 26, 2014, 10:20:27 PM »
how does resistance work now
Resistance halves damage, vulnerability doubles it. Just that simple.

Offline Gazzien

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Re: Interest check-in for a 5th Edition D&D game
« Reply #59 on: August 26, 2014, 10:23:35 PM »
Personally I think I'd prefer point biy, but player preference is for rolling. I think that I'll up the incentive for point buy in that case. You can roll and have those above average stats, or use point buy and start with a character-specific special ability. I rewarded my RL group with such abilities in between some levels, and the same went for my other PbP games.

[snip]
Any way I could convince you to let us buy 16's with Point-Buy, and not just 15's? There's numbers for it on the point-buy calculator but I couldn't find them in the rulebook so I'm just asking.

Though I'm likely going to go with the point-buy offer because STR 6 / CHA 4 doesn't sound very pleasant.
(also, double-post. Whoops.)
« Last Edit: August 26, 2014, 10:26:12 PM by Gazzien »