[Game Thread] Digorig 5e Learning Session

[Digorig]

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

RAI is Rules as Interpreted. Sometime the RAW aren't clear, and RAI is required. Typically a DM determines if you start with it or gain it later. The nice thing about Inspiration is that either you have it, or you don't. There's no in-between.

Thanks. Got it. Did you say if we start with any or not?

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Most rolls will lack Adv/Dis. Most are the neither category, as you've said. There are situational events, such as, say, rocks falling and everyone maybe sort of needing to roll to prevent dying. if you're in square A6, you may have advantage because you're covered by a tree branch that will take most of the hit for you, while B9, being completely out in the open, has neither. The player on C2, however, has Dis because their leg is in a bear trap.

Adv/Dis only applies to your d20 rolls, not to any other die.

Alright I think I have Adv/Dis also now.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Right, on stability and such. You get to 0, you're dying, and if you roll 11+ 3 times, you wake up. Roll 10- 3 times, you die. Pretty straight forward, and it keeps the tension up for the PC, who otherwise would be sitting there bored out of their mind if no one can come heal them.

It does replace the 8 hours of rest=1 HP thing. About 8 hours of rest is a Long rest, so that's super useful. Ignore all the 4e stuff, since that frame of reference doesn't work. Basically you can regain health like having a second wind in real life. The additional die means at level 2, you have 2d10 HD to roll to get health back. The additional die is directly related to your level. So, a level 8 Wizard has 8d6 to roll to get back HP between Rests. A level 2 Barbarian has 2d12. That's the additional HD part. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

So is there more to 'rest' than a long rest? Is there also a short rest?

When can you use the regaining health? Is it only for a long (8 hr) rest?

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Spells aren't dissimilar from PF, the only major difference is that all casters get Cantrips, and all Cantrips are treated as Spells Known. So, instead of getting to choose which Cantrips you prepare every day, you know a specific amount that are kind of innate. You can cast them willy-nilly. Levels 1-9, though, you have to Prepare. Every day when you take a Long Rest, you can reprepare Spells. It's pretty much exactly like PF. Classes that are Spells Known inform you of such (outside of Cantrips, that is), so otherwise assume that they're a Prepared/Memorized class. At level 1, Selina should know 3 Cantrips and have prepared 2 level 1 spells.

DC is something of a departure. Unlike 3e/PF, which started at base 10, they start at 8 for 5e to scale things down. You start at 8, add your Prof modifier, and then add your Ability mod that your class uses. So, a Level 2 Bard with 16 Cha's DC looks like this:

8 Base+2 Prof+3 CHA mod=13 DC.

This DC applies for all spells, regardless of what scores they affect, and as mentioned, unless you have a specific ability that changes the DC, it is static. The only way to increase your DC is to have your Prof mod go up or your Ability mod. Naturally, over time, your DC will go up from leveling up, but slowly. This is how 5e attempts to prevent casters from getting ridiculously powerful. You will almost never see something with a DC of 20 or above before level 12.

OK. So we divide spells into cantrips and all others. You know all Cantrips and don't need to prepare them.
So I can cast ANY cantrip 3 x a day or is it like PF where you can cast them over and over but have to pick 3? I need to read it again. Sorry.

Static DC seems fine. Kind of nice to have 1 DC for all the spells actually.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

On that note, let's talk Proficiency.

Your Class Proficiency, listed by class, is your BAB, your Spell DC mod, and what you apply to Saves and Skills you're "proficient" in. All of these mechanics have been simplified into a basic system. So, at level 1, your Proficiency is +2. That means +2 to attacks, +2 to Skills you're Proficient with, +2 to your Class Saving Throws, +2 to Spell DC, aaand I think that's it. Proficiency only goes up every 4 levels, between 1 and 20, so that means it slowly climbs from +2 to +6. Off the top of my head, I can think of no class that doesn't follow this system.

Alright, Spells and Proficiency are enough for now. Any questions concerning those?

OK, going to edit sheet for attacks.

[Sassafrass]

Let's start with it.

There are two Rests: Long and Short Rests. You must rest at least oneish hours for a Short Rest, which regenerates certain abilities. The healing, off the top of my head, can be done during a Short Rest. A Long Rest regenerates more abilities, like spellcasting, refreshing the Hit Die feature, and other class features. So, in sum, Short=1 hour, Long=8 hours, and class features typically tell you how they regenerate power.

You know a certain amount of Cantrips, and can use them at an unlimited rate. It's very easy to keep up with DC, you just need to know which Saves to roll for Monsters most of the time as the DM. Spell descriptions are typically easier to read but not always, too, but that's a case by case basis.

I think those are more or less the basics. Do you want me to go over any specific Class Features, Background Features, etc.? Select spells? Or shall we move on to simulate combat?

[Digorig]

Here are my question on anything before we start.

Resting seems odd at best...

Originally Posted by from PHB

A short rest is a period of downtime, at least I hour long.

OK

Originally Posted by from PHB

A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the character's maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character's leveI. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character's Constitution modifier to it.

My PC Newton has a D10 HD and CON Mod +2. According to the above I can stop after losing HP's and take a short rest and get D10+2 back. Is that correct? It just seems to simple I guess.

Originally Posted by from PHB

The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.

Huh? What additional HD? Does that mean I can again roll D10+2? And keep doing so until I am maxed? Again, just seems to easy to stay alive.

OK, now Long Rest

Originally Posted by from PHB

A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long.

OK.

Originally Posted by from PHB

At the end of a long rest, a character regains all lost hit points.

So after 8 hours you are maxed once more.

Originally Posted by from PHB

The character also regains spent Hit Dice, up to a number of dice equal to half of the character's total number of them.

What? I have to be missing something. What are “spent HD?” Are they the ones mentioned in Short Rest as “spend an additional Hit Die?” If so where are these all coming from?

This all sounds like Healers are now obsolete.

Spells

Alright if I get 3 cantrips a day, then I can use them as often as I want. Do they need to be selected (prepared) beforehand, or can I use any 3 I want? Is this true for all casters, divine and arcane?

Level 1 – 9 spells are more normal and need to be prepared, right? (except Warlock?)

Spell attack bonus (on Selina's sheet) is +5. Is that for ranged touch attacks?
I think that's it for now. Once you answer about Cantrip I can pick her spells and we can start.

Thanks,

DiG

[Sassafrass]

Since there are questions, here's the exact text of the PHB, including stuff I had forgotten:

PHB pg. 186 Resting Heroic though they might be, adventurers can't spend every hour of the day in the thick of exploration, social interaction, and combat. They need rest-time to sleep and eat, tend their wounds, refresh their minds and spirits for spellcasting, and brace themselves for further adventure. Adventurers can take short rests in the midst of an adventuring day and a long rest to end the day. Short Rest A short rest is a period of downtime, at least I hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds. A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the character's maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the character's level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character's Constitution modifier to it. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest, as explained below. Long Rest A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than 2 hours. If the rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity-at least 1 hour of walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit from it. At the end of a long rest, a character regains all lost hit points. The character also regains spent Hit Dice, up to a number of dice equal to half of the character's total number of them. For example, if a character has eight Hit Dice, he or she can regain four spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest. A character can't benefit from more than one long rest in a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.

The main thing I forgot is the losing of all hit points. You also regain the use of the Hit Die up to half of your total HD total. Which is neat.

The reason why there's so much healing going around is because monsters are actually pretty challenging this edition. In the past few editions, you throw a group of Level 1 adventurers at six Kobolds, there's a chance they can walk away from that fight without a scratch. In 5e? Not so much. They have much higher attack bonuses, ACs on par with the PCs (the average being between 12 and 16 for most characters), and have neat abilities besides. It's expected that you're going to keep going between fights, and while you're resting there's a good chance monsters may show up and wreck you and your party's good time.

To your questions:
Your level 1 Character has 1d10+2, not just d10+2. The Class determines the Hit Die, the level determines how many you have. A level 2 character has 2 Hit Die. A level 10 has 10. Then you have the d6, d8, d10, and d12 dice, which are not changed from PF (Wizard has d6, Barb has d12, everything in between is still the same). Your understanding of the mechanic is correct.

Yes, you can keep going with the HD bits. You choose how much to spend, as the term goes. Every time you roll to get health back during a Short rest, you "spend" one of your hit die. So, say Stanley Steamroller is a level 4 Sorcerer. He gets in a fight and loses half of his health and elects to roll half of his Hit Die. So, he rolls 2d6+2 (the +2 is the Con modifier, applied both times, as you're adding two 1d6+1 together). Thus, he has spent 2 of his Hit Die, and has 2 more.

Yes, Spent Hit Die are the "additional dice" mentioned in Short Rest. Don't really think of them as Additional, think of them as your Hit Die, with the max number determined by Level, like a lot of different stats.

Yeah, basically the Hit Die mechanic means that Healing classes aren't gimped by being healers anymore. There's only one Cure spell (well, two if you count Mass Cure Wounds), it grows as you level up, and Clerics and such get pretty decent bonuses tied to their Domains. It's not that they're obsolete, it's just that they can do a hell of a lot more and healing is just one very minor choice.

Now, onto spells.

Cantrips must be selected in advance, and they cannot change. They work as a Spells Known. So, at level 1, you select 3 Cantrips and you never forget them. You can add more over time, and you don't have to Prepare them, but you also can't change from those three. You can only add more later.

Spells Known vs. Spells Prepared is as you say, but Sorcerers, Bards, and Warlocks both are Spells Known classes. Essentially, all Spells function like Cantrips do, but Cantrips are just a smaller, lesser category. Also of note: where it says on these classes Spells Known, it does not denote of what Level. Meaning, if it says you know 4 spells, that includes all Level 1 and 2 spells. So, you add up to 4 overall, greatly limiting your Spell pool. Sorcs, Bards, and Warlocks are all much less versatile than Druids, Clerics, Wizards, and Paladin and Ranger. That said, with what they know, they can be a much more focused blaster or whatever you prefer. These classes with Spells Known do not have to Prepare, they can cast any of their spells but are limited as to what spells they know.

It's also worth noting that the Fighter Eldritch Knight and Rogue Arcane Trickster class options work on "Spells Known" as well.

The +5 will apply to Ranged attacks, yes. Touch attacks aren't really a thing in 5e, as you'll note a lack of Touch AC. There's only the one AC.

I'll jump into combat once you've selected spells and we're clear on everything, I'm not sure how clear my stuff was. I'm super behind on posting everywhere so I'm going to try to get caught up there.

[Digorig]

Alright, I think I have it...

Short rest, 1 hour (or more) and you can roll UP TO the number of HD you have + CON to restore health.

Is the limit here the number of HD you have? If I am a Level 4 PC (4 HD) and take a short rest and roll 2 HD, then later take another short rest and roll 2 more, am I done for the day UNTIL I take a long ret and get them back?

Cantrips. Pick them and they are permanent, use any number of times/day. Gain more as you level.

Spells Level 1 – 9: (Depends on class) You get spell slots and either have spells prepared or know them all depending on class. Long Rest resets spell slots.

Ranged touch attacks are rare (gone), as is touch AC, Flat, etc. AC is AC. Spells have an attack bonus (my +5) or not (and likely a save if not).

I guess I am as ready as I will be boss. Go ahead when you're ready. Spells chosen.

DiG

[Sassafrass]

This is not forgotten, but bear with me. I'll get to any questions and prepare for the combat simulation in as soon as I get a moment to breathe.

[Digorig]

I had no doubt you had not forgotten. Don't feel rushed here, please. Yes I am anxious but also respect the time you are giving me, so we go at your pace.

Thanks for checking in!

DiG

[Sassafrass]

Alright, finally getting back to this.

As far as combat goes, do you require a map? 5e, unlike the past two editions, does not require maps, though it certainly helps.

[Digorig]

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

Alright, finally getting back to this.

As far as combat goes, do you require a map? 5e, unlike the past two editions, does not require maps, though it certainly helps.

I am following your lead here. We can forgo a map and if I have questions I am not shy.

Glad life is settling down for you.