TRPG General Chat

David Coffron

18:00

@Rubiksmoose does an infant cling to nothing while imagining their safety blanket

Rubiksmoose

@GreySage Mounts wearing shields as barding I think is peak rule dumpster fire lol

@DavidCoffron hahaha. I imagine that is exactly what they do when it is taken away ;)

David Coffron

@Rubiksmoose shield has to be wielded to benefit. Mounts can't wield

Rubiksmoose

@DavidCoffron right right. I mean there's no question that the answer is "no". But the issue is such a delightful combination of rule ambiguities.

David Coffron

Ugh. I need to go to a convention and just sit down with JC for about 4 hours and make him answer all the rules questions

goodguy5

I wonder what 6th edition will look like?

maybe we'll get Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition!

GreySage

18:05

@DavidCoffron Make sure he clarifies what the rule actually is, and not just "yes" or "no"

Rubiksmoose

@GreySage And then if he uses dumb logic call him out.

goodguy5

wouldn't it be easier just to have him make an rpg.se account?

David Coffron

@Yuuki a special trainer such as the one from the DMG could train a mount to be proficient in armors via the feats.

@goodguy5 that would literally be my use of a wish spell

(Make and remain active)

Rubiksmoose

@goodguy5 hah that would be funny.

goodguy5

How much money would we need to raise to have him go through... idk... 500 questions?

The community would curate the questions.

and he'd sift through them

David Coffron

18:13

Now I kinda want to make a campaign where it's set in our world but each character chooses one magic item (no sentient or artifacts) from 5e to own. Which one would you all choose?

goodguy5

oh, interesting....

My first thought is handy haversack

NautArch

@DavidCoffron i was thinking marvelous pigments. BUt i also can't draw...so maybe not?

goodguy5

5esrd.com/gamemastering/magic-items/#magic-items-by-rarity

Rubiksmoose

@DavidCoffron Ring of Wishes?

David Coffron

@Rubiksmoose sounds like a monkey paw situation there

SPavel

18:16

@DavidCoffron Implying that JC will be able to dictate clearer rules out of context and off the top of his head, than during development with a whole team and months of time

goodguy5

Cube of force would be fun, at least once.

GreySage

Anything of flying would make me happy

David Coffron

Because if you screw up there are no more magical ways to fix it (unlike in usual settings)

If probably do the magnificent mansion. Rent is expensive

goodguy5

I've decided. Ring of X-Ray Vision.

David Coffron

Or the instant castle thing. I'm mixing up my magic

Yuuki

18:21

@goodguy5 So you'd be able to see whenever Daisy Ridley turned to the Dark Side?

goodguy5

Bag of Devouring was a close runner up (infinite trash can)

@Yuuki I'd be able to um... see a lot of things.

man, I'd make a killing with gambling

Maximillian

Is immovable rod still in 5E?

NautArch

@Maximillian 'tis

Rubiksmoose

@Maximillian I love that thing.

goodguy5

I bet you do

Maximillian

18:26

I would like a pair of those.

goodguy5

um?

David Coffron

If I wanted to make money, I'd use a Well of Many Worlds and sell tickets to see other planets

Maximillian

Beware if your GM introduces the homebrew Absolute Immovable Rod.

Rubiksmoose

0

Q: Is the Spell Grease Flammable?

Can you light the spell grease on fire? If so, what are the effects of doing so? (How long does it burn, does it do damage to creatures standing in it, etc.)

dnd-3.5e

soon we are going to have a question for each edition of D&D lol

Maximillian

The one that binds to a fixed place in the universe, not the planet.

goodguy5

18:27

oof

Rubiksmoose

@Maximillian the instant death rod you mean?

goodguy5

@Rubiksmoose well, it depends on your orientation.

Maximillian

@Rubiksmoose In theory it's the perfect way to end the Tarrasque problem.

SPavel

There is no "fixed place in the universe"

goodguy5

not with that attitude

SPavel

18:28

There is no single "universe" frame of reference

Maximillian

A fixed xyz coordinate of space.

goodguy5

I also considered the Helm of Teleportation to get to and from work easier

David Coffron

besides immovable rod in 5e just says "This flat iron rod has a button on one end. You can use an action to press the button, which causes the rod to become magically fixed in place." It doesn't list a frame of reference, so a mean DM could just say "it is fixed in place with respect to its own reference frame" and it would be useless

Maximillian

Yes, I would like the practical version in the book and not the absurd one a GM I knew suggested.

goodguy5

@DavidCoffron no, they couldn't, because all of those players would leave that game and they would no longer be a DM

David Coffron

18:30

^ +1

SPavel

@goodguy5 What if the players were held in place with immovable rods?

goodguy5

I don't think that's how that works.

Maximillian

You'd get arrested by the immovable police.

David Coffron

I might go with Manual of Gainful Exercise. Read a book and become 20% stronger? yes, please

SPavel

@Maximillian But how will they get to you?

Maximillian

18:33

Magic.

Rubiksmoose

@SPavel They just redefine your reference frame.

David Coffron

Or I could go with Silver Horn of Valhalla and have free servants for an hour every week. (I wouldn't go higher than silver because then I would likely be screwed as I am not proficient with whatever "all simple weapons" would mean IRL)

goodguy5

hey, several servants is enough to clean the house

David Coffron

it could be as low as 3, but might be as high as 9. What do I do with 9 servants for an hour

SPavel

@DavidCoffron team sports

GreySage

18:37

@DavidCoffron Thunderdome!

goodguy5

@DavidCoffron clean bathroom 1, bathroom 2, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, kitchen, living room, garage, mow lawn, weedeat lawn

SPavel

Plate armor of etherealness could come in handy. Trigger it just before dawn, sneak into a vault or something, loot some loots, then the power refreshes and you can escape.

David Coffron

I could go ring of swimming and join the olympics

goodguy5

@SPavel but plate armor is so heavy

SPavel

Luck blade has 1d4-1 wishes

@goodguy5 No it isn't

Mobility in Medieval Plate Armor/ Armour

►

David Coffron

18:39

Easy. helm of comprehending languages every time. World's best interpreter

SPavel

Trident of fish command could be neat, become a pirate and get whales to capsize boats

David Coffron

Although slippers of spider climbing would be dope too

SPavel

Ring of regeneration would be cool

goodguy5

@DavidCoffron I thought about that, but decided that I didn't want it. and you can only interpret into languages you know

David Coffron

How strong would I actually be with a Belt of Storm Giant Strength?

goodguy5

18:42

um.... yes?

You'd be able to carry 290 lbs ezpz
jump 29 feet long
jump 12 feet high
do more damage with a punch than most people can with a sledge hammer

SPavel

Too bad that a belt isn't part of any olympic uniform

You could break records

GreySage

@SPavel Pretty sure that would fall under performance enhancing equipment and be cheating

David Coffron

@GreySage what about a Manual of Gainful Exercise

GreySage

If you want to cheat, you get a potion of Giant Strength. Still cheating, but I doubt the Olympic Commitee has magic detection in their drug testing.

David Coffron

Would Ioun Stones be banned from the Olympics?

GreySage

18:52

@DavidCoffron You'd probably get kidnapped by rogue physicists first

David Coffron

@GreySage How many levels of rogue? I think I can take 'em

Yuuki

@DavidCoffron How many levels of rogue do you have?

Although I guess a barbarian should also be able to heft a rogue physicist over their shoulder.

Anaphory

I need some advice on writing a good multi-table D&D 5E adventure (cf. Adventure League's Epics or Pathfinder Society's Specials), what do I need to think about before posting a question on main?

David Coffron

@Anaphory make sure your question is limited enough in scope that a clear answer can be formulated

And if it's a world building question ask it over here

Anaphory

@DavidCoffron It's not world building. I wonder about inter-table interaction, making the interaction between different parties' objectives fun and engaging every table until the end and stuff like this.

David Coffron

19:03

@Rubiksmoose @NautArch @GreySage I was wrong: mobile.twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/991012429466251270 apparently context is just as important

Anaphory

There are additional complications – I'm involved in the planning of that event, but will be away when it happens, and I have no experience running 5E, I'm more concerned with general stategies and techniques, but can't really evaluate them for that particular system.

Sir Cinnamon

@DavidCoffron I dont think that damages your argument that much - under the same header vs different headers

NautArch

@SirCinnamon @DavidCoffron and I still think it's squishy enough to ask why can't my pet get barding? Why only mounts? That alone doesn't make a lot of sense.

although I do see that only the WarHorse actually has proficiency in barding via the Variant Warhorse.

which does imply that any other beast is NOT proficient in armor/barding.

Maximillian

@DavidCoffron I need a cheaper version. Got a Helm of Google Translate?

NautArch

and given that our GM allowed our dwarf to bard his Unicorn...i'm reconsidering using my mounts movement after Relentless Avenger

David Coffron

19:08

@anaphory consider reading this: dmdavid.com/tag/…

@NautArch I'll just ask Crawford directly... there's a chance

Anaphory

@DavidCoffron Thanks! I found it and skimmed over it, re-reading now.

Sir Cinnamon

@NautArch Wow really? That's super unexpected

NautArch

@SirCinnamon No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Sir Cinnamon

20

Q: Are mounts proficient in armour (barding)?

Mounts can be given barding to duplicate the effect of armour at 4x the cost. However, barding makes no statement about armour proficiency, nor does the stat block for some of the more obvious mounts (Riding Horse, Warhorse, etc.). If a mount is given barding, is it proficient in it? If not, how...

dnd-5e armor mount

David Coffron

@NautArch the inquisitors do

Sir Cinnamon

19:13

"Variant: Warhorse Armor An armored warhorse has an Armor Class based on the type of barding worn (see chapter 5 for more information on barding). Its Armor Class includes the horse’s Dexterity modifier, where applicable."

what does this mean

Is that not just.... wearing barding? Does barding provide no benefit to any other creature?

NautArch

@SirCinnamon I don't even?

doppelgreener

None of us even, I think.

David Coffron

Or is there a special type of barding called "warhorse armor" with no added benefits to regular barding (except the cool name)

@doppelgreener im definitely odd

Sir Cinnamon

Variant Rule: Attacker - Playing with this variant rule allows players to take the attack action

David Coffron

Variant Rule: Rogue Attacks - Rogues can take the Attack action. See "Variant Rule: Attacker" for more details

Sir Cinnamon

19:19

Variant Rule Variant Rule: When hit by an attack a rogue takes "damage" equal to the amount of damage the attack deals. See "damage."

David Coffron

No the rogue actually takes "moltquire" which reduces your current hit points by an equivalent amount which is modified by all the same things that modify damage.

Sir Cinnamon

@DavidCoffron See "Moltquire" in the upcoming rulebook "Guida ai ladri", coming 2025 (delayed to 2026) (Delayed to 2030)

David Coffron

Variant Delay: 2031 (in UK only)

Sir Cinnamon

Variant Abbreviation: UK = Universe, Known

David Coffron

Variant Universe: the other one

Yuuki

19:24

@SirCinnamon UK (Uhhhhvada Kedavra) is the spell of choice for nervous Dark Lords.

Sir Cinnamon

@Yuuki Nevada Kedavra is preferred for the more risk-taking dark lords

Yuuki

Avada Colada is the signature drink of a vacationing Dark Lord, relaxing in the bright sunlight of a nice day in the Keys.

David Coffron

Avocado Kedavra is the dip for the chips said vacationing dark lords eat

Also, which keys?

Yuuki

The Florida Keys?

Sir Cinnamon

In the keys or on a beach in Grenada Kadavra

David Coffron

19:28

I was thinking the one with the bent wing

doppelgreener

@DavidCoffron isn't that avacado kedabra? Kedavra is to make the avacado go bad, don't use that one.

David Coffron

@doppelgreener thats why my guacamole tastes like actual moles

goodguy5

wait, I stopped paying attention... what's going on here?

GreySage

Apparently we're dipping chips in moles?

goodguy5

gross

David Coffron

19:35

Or are the moles taking dips in the chips

goodguy5

also gross

Anaphory

Argh, Hip-sters.

GreySage

Dipsters?

Anaphory

Dipping stuff into Hipp baby food?

David Coffron

@goodguy5 not if you're the mole

Chip-sters?

goodguy5

19:38

I thought for sure there was a flammable grease spell...

Yuuki

@goodguy5 IIRC, 3.5e.

Grease is no longer flammable in 5e.

Hmm... Google searching indicates flammable grease might have been an AD&D thing.

David Coffron

4

Q: How Does the Grease Spell Interact with Fire?

Can you light the spell grease on fire? If so, what are the effects of doing so? (How long does it burn, does it do damage to creatures standing in it / coated with it, etc.)

dnd-3.5e spells

goodguy5

I can't find it for the life of me

Yuuki

Yeah, here's the 3.5e 2nd-level incendiary slime spell mentioned in that answer.

David Coffron

Wait there a a kids tag!?

Why?

GreySage

19:43

@DavidCoffron ...for questions specifically related to playing RPGs with kids?

Yuuki

The tag seems rather problematic as not an insignificant portion of the tagged questions are closed.

goodguy5

@Yuuki yea. finally foung it on my own. thanks

I kept thinking the darned thing was just called "flammable grease"

alright. quittin time

ta ta

GreySage

20:12

I struggled for weeks trying to get us tax software to understand my situation and give me something actually correct. Finally I said "screw it" and did my taxes by hand. It took less than an hour.

Anaphory

@Yuuki Shopping questions?

Yuuki

@GreySage Most people's taxes aren't that hard to do by hand. And if you have enough money such that your finances are too complicated to do your taxes by hand, you're typically better off hiring a tax attorney than buying tax software.

The whole industry is a scam.

GreySage

@Yuuki I just... don't get how the people who make the tax software didn't even consider that someone might live and work outside the country

Like, the whole thing just breaks down

Yuuki

Tax software is written to cater to the average 99%-ish of people. Most Americans don't ever leave their state, let alone the country.

Making sure it can handle edge cases is probably considered not worth the time and money spent to write the code.

GreySage

One product I tried entered my income as a negative amount, so it thought I had a net loss of tens of thousands of dollars, which subsequently screwed up the rest of the return too

Anaphory

20:28

Do you guys have different tax software for each state, or are there applications (pretending to) cover more than one state?

Rubiksmoose

@Anaphory For the US, the latter

Anaphory

At least that then.

@DavidCoffron Useful stuff on Epics / Specials / Battles Interactive / Multi-Table Adventures / however you want to call them. Just, how to do that in adventure-writing practice? I made a question out of that.

BESW

Episode 11 - What is Blades in the Dark? Listen here or on whatever platform you use for podcasts! http://metamagic.libsyn.com/episode-11-what-is-blades-in-the-dark Tune in this week to win a copy of Blades in the Dark! @EvilHatOfficial #BladesInTheDark #tabletop #rpg #ttrpg #gaming #RolePlaying #podcast #giveaway

Tweeted by CastMetaMagic on May 1, 2018 at 5:01 AM

GreySage

@Anaphory Yes, the one bright side is that I don't have to file state taxes (since I haven't lived in a state)

HellSaint

21:07

1

Q: How to write an enjoyable multi-table adventure?

Together with a few friends, we want to run an interleaved D&D 5E multi-table adventure (Adventure League “EPIC”, Pathfinder Society “Special”, “Battle Interactive”) for our games society in the near future. We want to write the adventure ourselves, in order to tie into the random adventures we h...

dnd-5e adventure-writing multiple-gm

Is this too broad and/or opinion-based?

I'm uncertain on flagging it, but at least I brought it here haha

GreySage

@HellSaint I think it's a broad question, but not too broad. And as long as the answers are based in good subjective I don't think it needs to be closed for being opinion-based

Anaphory

22:05

@HellSaint At its core, I want to know how to make sure the adventure writing process delivers good pacing, with “good” having a closer definition in the question. If that's not clear enough, I (or you, feel free) will have to find a way to hone in on that.

David Coffron

Without opening a can of worms about previous editions please, does a 5e paladin have to actually follow their oath?

GreySage

@DavidCoffron Not mechanically

There is a section in the PHB that basically states minor infractions don't matter (but you should RP repentance), but willfully violating the oath with no sign of repentance allows the DM to make you take a different class/Oathbreaker option

Anaphory

@DavidCoffron It took me a while to find it again, but let me take @BESW's mantle and point to Ursula Vernon's Paladin Rant.

Not because I know anything about paladins in 5E, but because I found the thoughts in there enjoyable.

BESW

It's been Storified! Part one, part two.

Anaphory

And now I should find the Clocktaur Wars somewhere. Given that I have finally taken up some routine of regular reading, they might actually have a chance.

BESW

22:20

Yes, I was about to mention Clocktaur War.

(In which an order of demon-hunters recruits the least complicated people they can find and gives their paladins plenty of creature comforts, so it's harder for demons to tempt them on the job.)

(There is also a ninja accountant.)

(And gnoles, which are not gnolls or anoles.)

trogdor

22:42

what are the gnoles?

BESW

22:53

Fan art:

"God's scat, lady!" Grimehug, from @UrsulaV's Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine. I would estimate the odds this continues through the weekend at about 70%, tablet and computer willing. [Someone please stop me before I try to draw the wonder engine and my hands fall off.]

Tweeted by doeantlers on March 3, 2018 at 2:40 AM

A_S00

@trogdor those upon whom Nuth would have practiced his art, of course.

Shalvenay

@BESW badger people :D

BESW

Grimehug is a gnole who adopts the main characters for a while.

We don't know much about gnoles, because most people take them for granted and assume they already know everything about gnoles anyone needs to know--which isn't much.

user15026

GNOLES <3

BESW

They appear to be itinerant workers with a strong caste society.

But even if a gnole is inclined to give interviews (which a gnole usually is not) there's a strong language/culture barrier that makes it difficult for humans to understand what a gnole is meaning.

It also has runes (linked for NSFW sketchy toplessness).

Ben

23:14

Question: A Mimic can only mimic an object... so does that mean a Mimic cannot mimic plant life?

If a Mimic were to mimic a Mimic; what would the mimicking Mimic look like?

GreySage

@Ben I think normal plants are objects in DnDverse

I can't find anything to back that up, besides plants being listed in various object tables.

Also: Mimics revert to their true form when killed, so in-universe people would know what that is.

Ben

@GreySage So in that case since a dead creature is also considered an object. the Mimic that is mimicking a Mimic, is effectively mimicking a dead Mimic

BESW

23:32

So the real question is, can a mimic mimic an animated object.

Shalvenay

@BESW mimic mimicking a wagon?

BESW

Think bigger.

Mike Q

@BESW Siege weapon mimics!

Ben

@BESW An object animated by using animate object?

BESW

If a dead plant or animal is an object, and you can animate objects, then a mimic mimicking an animated object is...

David Coffron

23:34

@GreySage I don't think a plant is an object in 5e at least. Awaken can target plants. Perhaps it just want to only target a specific type of object but plants don't feel like objects imo

Ben

Q: How can I detect a Mimic
A: Cast Animate Object on it

@BESW Whatever it is your thinking, my brain is still waking up haha

David Coffron

@Ben or try to light it on fire with firebolt. If it works it's safe

Ben

@DavidCoffron [Shoots fireball at chest - burst into flames] Ok not a mimic. On the other hand, whatever was in there is also lost.

Shalvenay

@DavidCoffron "YOU BROKE THE TREASURY, YOU FOOL!"

David Coffron

Firebolt will presumably do less fire than fireball and won't instantly destroy everything. You could put the fire out fast enough

Ben

23:39

@BESW so a Mimic micking an animated object is... also animated?

BESW

Well, no, it's not an object and only objects can be animated.

But it's a workaround to mimic things that technically can't be mimicked.

Ben

Ah

BESW

Can't mimic a dog? No, but I can mimic a very realistic statue of a dog.

Ben

@DavidCoffron This is how I am going to check chest s from now on. Dark Souls style

@BESW Or a taxidermy dog

Wait... I see what you mean

David Coffron

@Ben prestidigitation works better (but at 10 foot range) "you instananeously clean or soil an object"

trogdor

23:43

@Ben stabbing treasure chests, something a pirate wouldn't even do

Ben

@DavidCoffron true, but an excuse to throw a firebolt is always good fun

@trogdor Dark Souls rule #1: stab the chest before you open it

trogdor

I know

I saw a few clips of guys getting eaten by mimics in DS

Ben

The first time it happens is acceptable. The second time, it's on you. Lol

Shalvenay

is there any limit on the size of what a mimic can mimic?

Ben

@Shalvenay I think a medium creature?

doppelgreener

23:47

@Ben or if you're not sure or you fear your weapon might just obliterate the chest (which would destroy the item inside), just stand still, watch it for a bit, and see if the chest is breathing.

Ben

But I remember a conversation about Mimic age playing a part in th size of the creature they cn mimic

doppelgreener

usually inanimate objects aren't predisposed to breathe. it tends to be a safe assumption that if something is breathing, it is not a mere object, and that if it is also a chest, it is likely to be a mimic.

Shalvenay

@Ben ah

Ben

@doppelgreener There are giveaways. But I believe that each chest requires 3(?) hits to break it, regardless of weapon

doppelgreener

@Ben oh good! i wasn't sure about that.

Ben

23:49

@doppelgreener Or luggage

Shalvenay

@Ben although that does raise the idea of say a car mimic :P

doppelgreener

@Ben & if you're not sure, it's not your luggage, and still inadvisable to try to open it. :D

Ben

In Dark Souls, the main tell is the chain next to the chest.

doppelgreener

yarp

Ben

doppelgreener

23:50

i can regularly not remember which is which though

so the breathing helps

Mike Q

@Ben On multiple occasions when their PCs encounter a chest, my players will ask me which way the chain is facing

Ben

Lol

My DM loves telling stories of all the mimic encounters he's made

One was a door

Shalvenay

what would a car mimic be like? :P

Ben

The only one I experienced personally was a wheelbarrow

Shalvenay

@Ben :D

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