Tag: Dungeons and Dragons 5e

Daily Punch 2-13-19 Inspire Competence spell for DnD 5e

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Here is something I want back in my 5e!  Inspire Competence as a spell

 

Inspire Competence

Divination 1st level spell

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You begin through word or song to inspire your allies.  As you concentrate on this spell, all allies within the range of this spell can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to all skill checks it makes while in the area.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, your allies roll a d6.  When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, your allies roll a d8.  When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, your allies roll a d10.  When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 9th level or higher, your allies roll a d12.

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of What’s Past is Prologue

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Product– DDAL-ELW00-What’s Past is Prologue

System– DnD 5e

Producer– DMs Guild

Price– $4.99 here https://www.dmsguild.com/product/248589/DDALELW00-Whats-Past-is-Prologue?affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR-I can get my DCC RPG in DnD now!  92%%

248589 (1)

Basics-A get rich quick job in Eberron?  That CAN’T FAIL! The players take the roll of level zero characters as they attempt to earn a ton of money on a simple pick up and deliver job.  Along they way they get a ton of thing to sell for millions of GP, but how will they do it?

Theme or Fluff-The story of What’s Past is Prologue is a pretty simple one, but it’s done well.  The players get pregenerated characters that they will meet later in the Eberron adventurers league adventures.  This story tells how the characters got together, how they get a ship, and how they are amazing wealthy. That part of the story is fun and really tells a great Eberron based story while giving me the GM a jumping on point to dump the Eberron goodness on my Forgotten Realms/old school fantasy only players.  The only real problem with a prologue based story, is players always do things they are not supposed to do! The adventure gives some guidelines for this, but honestly, my players could not ditch the skyship fast enough! It might have been easier to instead of having a Sharn based section where the players can go off the script have some other story of how the characters fix their newly acquired ship.  It’s not game ending, but be ready for this eventuality! 4.5 /5

Mechanics or Crunch-This adventure features something new in DnD-level zero characters!  I love level zero character in Shadow of the Demon Lord and DCC/MCCRPG, so this was great for me!  My players had to adjust to this, but they dealt well. Aside from that, the encounters are balanced with the limited power of the players.  Running DCC style funnels in DnD 5e is a valid way to build characters now! 5/5

Execution-This is a solid modules that is spaces nice, reads quick, and provides most of what I want in an adventure.  Its a PDF, so that makes me happy! But, it doesn’t have hyperlinks between the parts so I can quick navigate.  Also, this modules again doesn’t have much if any box text. BOX TEXT IS SUPER IMPORTANT! It lays the scene for the GM to get in the right headspace on the fly as well as making sure the author lays out what information the PC have right away without the GM having to take notes on what’s in the scene.  The first paragraph of each section is like box text, but I as a GM have to read that, chop out my parts, and give a good scene starter to the players. Another issue is the number of pregens. You can have seven characters at a DnD Al table, but this adventure only comes with six. If you want to run seven, you have two of the same character, and that’s not as much fun.    Aside from those issues, the book is laid out gorgeously. The layout uses lots of old Eberron artwork. For a non-WOTC product on the DMs Guild, this is the exact reason the Guild was made-get non-WOTC people to make great product using art assets that usually only WOTC could reprint. This book has some obvious flaws, but it’s still a solidly produced book. 4.25 /5

Summary-The best and worst part of a DnD story are the players.  In a homebrew game, where the players can completely 180 degree their characters because they want to, free choice is amazing.  In a prologue adventure, that freedom hurts the story a bit as the PCs behave in ways the regular characters would not. That said, the story here is a great one and I can’t wait for the next part of the story and how players own characters will interact with their prologue selves.  The new mechanics here work well, are simple to implement, and easy to understand. That’s the trifecta of new bits on an RPG system, so good job! The execution is a bit off, but not in a way the will destroy the product. GIVE ME HYPERLINKS AND BOX TEXT! We’re exploring a ship, so having a ready to go box text will rapid fire my players through the exploration and get me in the rooms mood.  But, the book look AMAZING! I love the layout, text, spacing, and all the wordy bits that some modules forget are an important part of the human reading process. If you want to jump on the Eberron Adventurers League season, then this is an excellent way to start. 92%

 

Daily Punch 10-11-18 I Know A Guy feat for DnD 5e

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Been reading the latest DnD mod, so let’s make some city based content!

 

I Know A Guy

You know people, and it’s not what you know, but who you know!  Gain the following:

  • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you make a Charisma(persuasion) check to learn something in a social setting, to find an item, or to buy an item at a cheaper price, you gain advantage on the roll.

 

Thoughts?

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

~ fineyoungmisanthrope ~ 4 Comments

Product– Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

System-DnD 5e

Producer– Wizards of the Coast

Price– $33 here https://www.amazon.com/MORDENKAINENS-FOES-Accessory-Wizards-Team/dp/0786966246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531451731&sr=8-1&keywords=mordenkainen%27s+tome+of+foes

TL; DR-It’s not plagiarism if it’s from you!  83%%

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Basics-It’s not Monster Manual II, IT’S MONSTER MANUAL II!  Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes builds out the world of Dungeons and Dragons, focusing less on any one particular world and more on the higher and lower planes.  It provides players with some new options, race options, and even story to build out the characters they want to be. DMs get new monsters, focusing on higher power, extra planar monsters as well as building the universe around the normal material plane players are used to.

Theme or Fluff-This book is by the same people who made the planes in the first place, so its top notch.  The story is amazing, not just for a monster manual, but for any book honestly. You get a ton of options to really make well rounded characters from backstory to new hooks to get the characters really involved in the world.  There are multiple versions of tieflings depending on your devil parents. Those little touches really draw you in. DMs get monsters that have story as well as world-building that will really make higher level play much more interesting.  This is a great resource for any DnD 5e player that wants some planar spice in their game or character. .5/5

Mechanics or Crunch-Again, this book was written by the people who made the system, so they know their math.  The monsters feel right. There are new monsters as well as old favorites. Get ready for heavy hitters though.  This book has low level monsters, but it brings a ton of big boys to the fray. If you need high level monsters, then this is the book for you.  5/5

Execution– Is there a PDF since this book came out in 2018?  Nope, well we’re down to at most ⅘. Then, this is where I get personally angry.  This book copy/pastes the high level monsters from Out of the Abyss. I’m not just talking monsters, but art and even whole written backgrounds for monsters.  We’re talking about ⅕ of the monsters from the book, and almost all the high level monsters. And that is where I draw the line. Need big monsters to make the fight happen?  Great! Use some but not all. The highest level monsters are all the demon princes/princesses of the abyss. NO DEVIL LORDS ARE IN THIS BOOK. That means the DnD team decided to phone in ⅕ of this book by just copying another book they put out a few years ago.  So even though the book’s layout is good, art is good, and event tables of contents and appendices are great, you get a crap rating because you want me to pay full price for phoning in effort. 2.5/5

Summary– I want to like this book.  It’s got a ton of great qualities.  Players and DMs both get excellent resources to use to build up their stories with new characters options and monsters.  And honestly, the book is put together well. I like what they did here with all the different end tables and even the layout of the monsters.  However, this book breaks two important rules for me. First, I can’t get a digital version without have to buy it separately through an app. I already have a number of apps, and when that company folds, I will lose my purchase.  So the lack of PDFs really hurts this book. Second, large parts of this book are just copies of an earlier book. So, why should I reward any company for just selling the same thing to me twice? This is a great book, IF you can get past the fact that if you already own Out of the Abyss, you are buying the monsters again.  If that doesn’t bother you, or you don’t own that book, then this is going to be a great book for your DnD collection, both as a player and as a DM. 83%

 

Daily Punch 5-25-18 Ultimate Sacrifice spell for DnD 5e

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One last DnD spell for a bit.

 

Ultimate Sacrifice

9th-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

Chose a target in range and a willing ally. Both targets are instantly killed and are considered to have both failed three death saving throws instantly. If the willy ally has less hit points than the target, the target is allowed a Constitution saving throw to survive with no effect at all. If the target has double or more hit points than the willing ally, the target has advantage on the saving throw. The willing ally is killed regardless of the results of the target’s saving throw.

Daily Punch 5-23-18 Balance the Scales spell for DnD 5e

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More random spells for DnD 5e!

 

Balanced Scales

7th-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

Chose a target in range and a willing ally and select an amount of damage up to the willing ally’s current hit point total. Both targets are dealt damage equal to that amount. This damage may not be reduced or prevented by any manner and may kill the ally outright.

Daily Punch 5-23-18 Shared Sacrifice spell for DnD 5e

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Here is a spell that Warlocks might like!

 

Shared Sacrifice

2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
You choose a target in range and a willing ally in range. The willing ally only gets to choose at start of the spell to be willing and is at your mercy for the rest of the spell. You deal both targets 10 damage. This damage may not be prevented or reduced by any means. The target may choose to take an additional 10 damage that may not be prevented or reduced by any means to deal an addition 10 damage to your willing ally. If the target chooses to do this, then you may choose to deal an additional 10 damage to both targets that may not be reduced or prevented. If you choose to do a second volley of damage to the target and ally, the target may then choose to do a final 10 damage to both targets. The willing ally and the target must have enough hit points for the damage to fully take effect for either you or the target of the spell to choose to do damage. The damage must always be dealt to the same willing ally.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a higher-level spell slots, you and the target may choose to do an additional round of damage for each spell slot above 2nd.

 

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 5-22-18 Ring of the Lie Wondrous Item for DnD 5e

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Want a item that you can use to out maneuver the Lawful Good paladin in your life.  I’ve got a dark gift for you!

 

Ring of the Lie

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This beautiful woven ring appears to as a mundane white gold ring that is made by a patron of a warlock who needs to navigate social situations delicately. Any character casting detect magic must succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (arcana) check to detect as magical. Any character who puts on the ring must make a Wisdom saving throw DC 20 to prevent a curse from strikingthe curse this item provides. If the character fails the save, while they wear the ring, they perceive the warlock who gave them the ring or any character operating under the guidance of the warlock’s patron as mundane. Demons appear as commoners, fey agents appear as normal animals, and horrors from beyond the stars all appear as statues. The warlock’s spells and vile incantations appear as normal magic that is non-evil. Detect evil and other abilities used against that warlock, his patron, and and any agents of the patron will fail. If the warlock, his or her patron, or an agent of the patron uses his or her powers against a person wearing the ring they may make another saving throw with advantage to end the curse. These rings are often given as presents from the patron to local lords and fellow adventurers to help ease the acceptance of the warlock into an area or group.

 

 

thoughts?