My groups (I'm the GM) use Roll20 (free version with no paid content) and I of course do all the mechanical work of setting up sheets, importing assets, etc.
My workflow's pretty streamlined now, so the worst of it's long done and I just need to prep for each new session (usually a map or two, some new monster statblocks, etc.) as we go. The biggest problem I've run into is the storage cap on images (again, on a free account), so I have to selectively prune old content out to continue to add new stuff as we go.
I've looked at Foundry a bunch of times, and while it looks kind of amazing I'm off-put by doing all that front loaded mechanical work again AND ALSO paying to use it. That said, they've got a 20% off 2nd Anniversary sale going now (so $40+tax), and that's almost low enough for me to take a flyer on it.
[Edit] Actually, this begs a question: how does Foundry handle art assets like maps and tokens? Is it cloud based, or local server/client, or what?
I don't own it, so I'm just going by how our GM uses it, so if I'm wrong on this someone please correct me, but it's software that runs on the GM's computer or on a server you set up, and then everyone connects to it via their browser, targeting your IP.
Foundry is definitely better than roll20. At the very least, I don't have to reload the website because I've done too many things and had too many stat blocks up and shit and now the site is choking.
Learning how to use Foundry is by far the biggest stumbling block to using Foundry, but at least once you learn it, shit just works. Roll20 has so much inconsistent shit in it, for example:
I make a character for one of my players. They send me a file for what they want for a token. I place the token on the map, I give them control of it, I say it represents their character.
I NOW have to also go into their character sheet, with the token selected, and designate it as their token.
In addition, if I ever fiddle with the light settings or anything else with their token, I have to do this assignment process all over again.
It's so fucking un-intuitive and that's honestly a phrase I've gotten used to saying 2-3 times per session on roll20. I'll want to do something, and the system just gives me a blank stare, and I'll find the answer on some obscure forum post and they act like everyone's dumb for asking.
Tokenizer alone has saved me so much of a headache, it even has functionality with the DDB importer to automatically make fancy tokens for every imported D&D Beyond creature that has art
The really nice thing about Foundry is the amount of automation since I'm really good at using it. My players click fireball, click where they want it, the targets all make a save, everyone sees a cool fireball, damage is automatically applied and accounts for resistances and immunities automatically
Heck when they make an attack with a weapon the animation automatically changes to a thrown weapon if they're outside of the weapon's attack range, it's beautiful...
...although I am subscribed to like 5 foundry patreons
@Nips you host it all locally and it sends it over the web client, or you pay to host a server w/20gb storage at moltenhosting
Another vote for Roll20 being solidly fine for a DM who wants the virtual prep to be nothing more than drag and drop a few images.
Definitely curious about Foundry from what people are saying - but I've also got another group up and running as a player on Roll20 in about an hour.
Everything else does more, but it is pretty straightforward to get the basics and can stretch to do some fun stuff whilst you learn the other system. Also it's free, so perfect for the first transition before you start thinking about what the virtual setup can do.
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited May 2022
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Fair enough. I'd still suggest DnD Beyond then because what better RAW character builder is there for 5e?
Edit: I guess dndbeyond is a paid service though. The free account only lets you have a few characters. Maybe make your NPC, print it, delete and repeat?
MCDM released the beta for their psionics class called the Talent.
wow and I thought the Mystic was convoluted
"Here DM, read this 104 page book, I want to play this class, I have all my excel spreadsheets ready"
This isn't a class, it's a new PHB for a different game than D&D 5e lol
I haven't had the chance to read it yet but a percentage of this book is NPCs and creatures that use the rules as well as stuff to integrate this class into kingdoms and warfare and strongholds and followers. So the page count is deceptive.
Also a significant chunk of it is bound to be the psionic equivalent of spells.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Is there a reason for them to be structured with PC stats?
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Fair enough. I'd still suggest DnD Beyond then because what better RAW character builder is there for 5e?
It'll still have the problem of stuff behind a pay wall if you haven't bought the source book on DndBeyond. But yeah, it's nice to create characters there.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
Speaking of tools, can anyone point me to a free and reasonably robust 5e character creator? I need a tool to mock up class-based NPCs for various reasons, and would prefer it be as fast and point&click as possible.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Is there a reason for them to be structured with PC stats?
Mostly because I want to just bang through the step-by-step of building a PC character, instead of winging it and cobbling together something from NPC statblocks and pieces of classes and whatnot.
Like, I'm 110% capable of just making this shit up and getting it reasonably close, but I'd rather click a few handfuls of buttons and have something approximately correct spill out the other side.
[Edit] And I specifically want the flavor of Forest of the Land Druid / Archfey Warlock.
Honestly I prefer the way 5e has handled psionics by just rolling them into other classes.
If I was to make a mystic class I'd just give it spellcasting and spell points, no V/S components, and tailor the spell list and caster progression appropriately (and port over a few classic psionics like kinetic barrier)
Before our Zariel fight I'm considering getting my Simulacrum true polymorphed into a Deva and then having it polymorph itself into a humanoid and then Magic Jar on it, so that I can bypass the normal limitation of true polymorph with the specific magic jar effect that lets you keep all your class features
I cannot think of a reason this wouldn't work
Then I can use my body as an improvised weapon against Zariel and do 3d8 radiant damage with it because of the Deva's angelic weapons feature
Before our Zariel fight I'm considering getting my Simulacrum true polymorphed into a Deva and then having it polymorph itself into a humanoid and then Magic Jar on it, so that I can bypass the normal limitation of true polymorph with the specific magic jar effect that lets you keep all your class features
I cannot think of a reason this wouldn't work
Then I can use my body as an improvised weapon against Zariel and do 3d8 radiant damage with it because of the Deva's angelic weapons feature
There are a couple of potential issues besides the fact that your DM may just say no (i am not sure they should though, the jar is a pretty significant weakness)
A deva is a celsetial. And it retains its statistics when it polymorphs itself. It does "gain any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks." but this reasonably may not extend to the creature type. That is a Deva polymorphed into a humanoid body is not a humanoid but still a celestial.
Alternately a deva polymorphed into a humanoid isn't a humanoid but a celestial humanoid and therefore magic jar fails.
Some things to note if you're attempting to make this "permanent"
"The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots."
Whether or not this applies to you when you're possessing the simulacrum i do not know.
The simulacrum's shortcomings are irrelevant, as the magic jar spell specifies that your keep your class features (which include mechanisms for recovering spell slots) - it isn't the simulacrum learning or gaining spell slots, it is you, in its body.
You're correct creature type doesn't change, I'll just use two True Polymorphs, one to make it permanent, and once it is permanent, a second to make it a humanoid
The DM is okay with this but he said I can't turn into anything from magic the gathering, and he specifically wants me to use my simulacrum purely for balance reasons and won't let this scheme work otherwise
I mean it’s stronger to just not use the magic jar and have the true polymorphed simulacrum IMO. You are less vulnerable, have stronger action Economy and can turn the simulacrum into a celestial that doesn’t have polymorph self.
The simulacrum's shortcomings are irrelevant, as the magic jar spell specifies that your keep your class features (which include mechanisms for recovering spell slots) - it isn't the simulacrum learning or gaining spell slots, it is you, in its body
It’s not necessarily clear that you or your body regains spell slots, as it were.
I am not saying I would rule that way but it is a reasonable ruling.
Yes its stronger, sadly the DM will not allow it, because it would trivialize the final battle - originally I was just going to use a Dao for this purpose since we beat one up and got it to offer a service for not killing it but hell allow such a polymorph scheme only if I sacrifice my simulacrum
I'm thinking I'll shove my character's body into a bag of holding with a necklace of adaptation on it
I take it your DM is not even considering the talky option in the book? Definitely a fight?
yeah he's made it explicit out of game that talking will be impossible
I mean I got the sword and we got the elephant and I got +16 persuasion but *shrug*
hes also let us know he has significantly buffed her stat block from the book, which is fine, I'm assuming the base stat block is a joke like everything else in 5e and not designed for the BS players employ
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webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
I take it your DM is not even considering the talky option in the book? Definitely a fight?
yeah he's made it explicit out of game that talking will be impossible
I mean I got the sword and we got the elephant and I got +16 persuasion but *shrug*
hes also let us know he has significantly buffed her stat block from the book, which is fine, I'm assuming the base stat block is a joke like everything else in 5e and not designed for the BS players employ
I take it your DM is not even considering the talky option in the book? Definitely a fight?
yeah he's made it explicit out of game that talking will be impossible
I mean I got the sword and we got the elephant and I got +16 persuasion but *shrug*
hes also let us know he has significantly buffed her stat block from the book, which is fine, I'm assuming the base stat block is a joke like everything else in 5e and not designed for the BS players employ
Zariel is pretty swol to be honest, so unless you are stupid strong It *should* be a fairish fight for a party that is around level 12 with how the book sets things up.
that haaving been said, I'm getting the impression that you personally have the sword? As... a wizard?
I take it your DM is not even considering the talky option in the book? Definitely a fight?
yeah he's made it explicit out of game that talking will be impossible
I mean I got the sword and we got the elephant and I got +16 persuasion but *shrug*
hes also let us know he has significantly buffed her stat block from the book, which is fine, I'm assuming the base stat block is a joke like everything else in 5e and not designed for the BS players employ
Zariel is pretty swol to be honest, so unless you are stupid strong It *should* be a fairish fight for a party that is around level 12 with how the book sets things up.
that haaving been said, I'm getting the impression that you personally have the sword? As... a wizard?
The wizard has true polymorph so I presume that zariel will have to be stronger
we're level 14, we just have gold and are presently in the city of brass, a merchant said he could cast true polymorph for 25,000 gold and concentrate on it for its full duration
I'm a bard/bladelock but - no pact magic, so full caster progression (one of his homebrew rules), and an ability from an infernal contract that lets me "borrow" spells from willing targets as long as I have the slots to cast them, the party has two wizards soo
boss fight against zariel is going well
Zariel got a 27 on initiative and cast Meteor Swarm for 156 damage and killed everyone except me and the paladin, a dc 25 save didnt cut it, including lulu
weeeeee
fun
everyone's freaking out a bit incl. the DM because he didnt bother to actually game out how much damage meteor swarm does or factor in the average party hp of 77
edit: He admitted that he overdid it with that ability and decided to make the damage half of what it was, hah, I'm fine with a TPK but that was silly, I think all of us who've DM'd have had that moment when we're like
"Why not? Why shouldn't I meteor swarm them"
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
(Rocks) fall, everyone dies?
To be fair, I'm sympathetic to the DM here. Sometime's you don't rigorously math it out, and then it's just too easy to inadvertently nuke a group.
I love my DM because he admits when he made a mistake and is like "yeah, half damage, that was supposed to soften everyone up, not instantly wipe the party, thats no fun" and hit the undo button in foundry, then the 50% button
It did still KO 3 people, but thats why mass cure wounds is for
also killed a simulacrum, but dying is what simulacrae are best at
When we got her very wounded (I think 50% based on the description) I made a persuasion check, and offered her the sword of zariel, insisting that she's being tortured by the hells - that this whole thing is a game by asmodeus, all or nothing persuasion check because she was next on initiative and can break the sword of zariel if she grasps it
Bard !
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WearingglassesOf the friendly neighborhood varietyRegistered Userregular
I'm pretty sure there are people who have been thinking about how save-or-suck spells... suck for one side depending on whether the spell succeeded or not. What do you think is the ideal fix for spells like these? I think I've read in a homebrew about there being a grade to results on a (for example) Hold Person save:
- roll high enough and nothing happens
- roll enough, but not too high and you get a minor effect (like, Slow?)
- roll badly and you get Held
But that would be pretty much require a lot of changes.
Also something that could help someone break such spells on them eventually (DC getting lower each succeeding turn or something). Though with this idea and the gradient save idea, that's a lot of work for the DM as well.
I was thinking about it when last night, the bard in the party failed their third save from a Hold Person trap, which meant they were out of commission the entire time.
I'm pretty sure there are people who have been thinking about how save-or-suck spells... suck for one side depending on whether the spell succeeded or not. What do you think is the ideal fix for spells like these? I think I've read in a homebrew about there being a grade to results on a (for example) Hold Person save:
- roll high enough and nothing happens
- roll enough, but not too high and you get a minor effect (like, Slow?)
- roll badly and you get Held
But that would be pretty much require a lot of changes.
Also something that could help someone break such spells on them eventually (DC getting lower each succeeding turn or something). Though with this idea and the gradient save idea, that's a lot of work for the DM as well.
I was thinking about it when last night, the bard in the party failed their third save from a Hold Person trap, which meant they were out of commission the entire time.
My take when I was rewriting the save or suck condition modifiers in 4e to almost always have a choice. So Stun wasn't "Do nothing" it was "Do nothing or take your surge value in damage". Up the stuff after the "or" so those conditions are still worthwhile. (If PCs always take the or they probably need to be upped.) Also note that any of those effects would happen after the affected characters turn.
I'd probably start Hold like effects, if I wasn't aiming to massively change their power level, at something like "Take half your HP in damage" and that's actually a bit weak at higher levels.
Basically if a players turn comes up and they have no choices to make, the game is being shitty. It can be a choice they don't want to take, that's fine. They'll feel better if they have to actually make a choice, almost like they're actually playing a game.
To be fair, I'm sympathetic to the DM here. Sometime's you don't rigorously math it out, and then it's just too easy to inadvertently nuke a group.
I ran a pre-made adventure for a party of 4 level 1 characters once and only sort of glanced through the booklet beforehand to have a general idea of what to do. It was cool, party started in some ruined temple and creep through finding the remains of traps and dead adventurers and stuff. One room has a deep pool with something at the bottom, and claw marks on the stone around the pool. They get to the end and there's a ghost that can't leave on it's own and wants to hitch a ride inside one of them. They tell him to fuck off, they get the magical doodad they came for, and the temple springs to life and all the traps reset. Now they gotta make their way out and dodge/disable the traps. They do so and then they get to the pool room. Turns out it was a dragon skull hermit crab sleeping in that pool, and the temple awakening woke it up too, and it's hungry. It won initiative and went up to the nearest player and did 32 damage. The player had 6 hp. Insta-death, snipped in half. Went up to the next and did something like 27 damage, also insta-death. After that I started rolling behind my screen and fudging the absolute fuck out of my rolls, because I did NOT look at the monster stats before running this module and why the fuck is a CR5 monster in a lvl 1 adventure?!? It made 3 claw attacks a round, and each one did 3d10+4 damage, like what the fuck? I told the two surviving players to just fuckin run, and they did. The two players that died had already whipped up a couple new characters before the survivors made it back to town and everyone laughed about it and it taught all of us a valuable lesson about sometimes we shouldn't stay and fight, but still.
I love my DM because he admits when he made a mistake and is like "yeah, half damage, that was supposed to soften everyone up, not instantly wipe the party, thats no fun" and hit the undo button in foundry, then the 50% button
It did still KO 3 people, but thats why mass cure wounds is for
also killed a simulacrum, but dying is what simulacrae are best at
When we got her very wounded (I think 50% based on the description) I made a persuasion check, and offered her the sword of zariel, insisting that she's being tortured by the hells - that this whole thing is a game by asmodeus, all or nothing persuasion check because she was next on initiative and can break the sword of zariel if she grasps it
Bard !
Who could have ever predicted a spell that does upwards of 1200 fire/bludgeoning damage could be problematic :P
But yeah, I'm glad you guys were able to resolve this as something other then a 2 turn TKO.
Also Also: Bet your GM's glad now that there is a noncombat way of ending this after all Am I right?
I love my DM because he admits when he made a mistake and is like "yeah, half damage, that was supposed to soften everyone up, not instantly wipe the party, thats no fun" and hit the undo button in foundry, then the 50% button
It did still KO 3 people, but thats why mass cure wounds is for
also killed a simulacrum, but dying is what simulacrae are best at
When we got her very wounded (I think 50% based on the description) I made a persuasion check, and offered her the sword of zariel, insisting that she's being tortured by the hells - that this whole thing is a game by asmodeus, all or nothing persuasion check because she was next on initiative and can break the sword of zariel if she grasps it
Bard !
Who could have ever predicted a spell that does upwards of 1200 fire/bludgeoning damage could be problematic :P
But yeah, I'm glad you guys were able to resolve this as something other then a 2 turn TKO.
Also Also: Bet your GM's glad now that there is a noncombat way of ending this after all Am I right?
Nah the meteor swarm was a light breeze on me and the paladin and the two of us were absolutely bullying zariel, we both had potions of invulnerability and fire immunity and he has shield master
however, if the wizards hadnt had their deaths undone (and this game has really been fucking brutal to the wizards, so killing them off r1 of the boss fight is... eck, they've already spent all game just failing to be effective against all these fiends) it would have been much harder, as she had a pair of Erinyes with her and the wizards each Forcecaged one of them - which was a clutch move
Anyway after we got Zariel to yield (it was more than one persuasion check, but he rightly said that with a 36 and offering her the sword that I had made the rest of the checks far easier), it was a whole conversation with Zariel about how none of this was just, but the idea that this had all been Asmodeus' plan so that she would be humiliated and serve as an example seemed to be a good track
So Zariel grabbed Lulu and started balling, we picked up the unconscious people with healing potions, and then the paladins shield exploded and the former ruler of the 1st hopped out - saying "What is wrong with you people, you had a chance to slay a legend, an angel, a devil, and exult in the glory of that righteous kill, and you handed over your greatest weapon? This isn't what was supposed to happen, now you're going to stand back and I'm going to finish what you started"
so phase 2 against, an apparently totally not trapped Gargoth, totally not just a pit fiend either, but a full devil lord (art and all, so this was the plan from the beginning I guess), but we had something for this, something we were SUPPOSED to use on Zariel's flying fortress but opted for stealth instead: a gem containing some of Tiamat's blood, given willingly, that would summon aid to help us in exchange for giving her the orb of dragonkind. I broke the crystal, the DM needed a minute to find the old notes, and in teleported one adult dragon of each kind with Arkhan the Cruel riding atop the white one. He said that we had earned one service, and he'd be happy to fucking wreck Gargoth (who wanted to kill Zariel, but was willing to fight our battered party, Zariel was still sobbing and useless at this point)
Gargoth decided to fuck off, and the city of Elturel returned to the prime after Bel did his end of the deal and broke the companion, leaving a golden portal.
Zariel asked what she should do and I offered that perhaps breaking the entire multiverse isn't possible, strong as she is, she's just one piece of creation. We're just people and we helped thousands, she could help *millions*. I asked her to start small and come with me to Waterdeep to rest, see the spires of the morning, and get a bit of pampering at the temple of beauty. I let her know that her general Yel had been brought back from the dead by us and would meet us here - so we all talked a bit more, and Zariel gathered all 7 of her Erinyes and we flew up through the portal - her wings not turning white, but a shining copper color, along with each of her Erinyes.
I guess keeping her from returning to the heavens but convincing her to be a super hero instead, charging into the abyss to wrench free damned souls in daring raids, topple evil lords and help those in need, meant the gods thought she hadn't fully reclaimed her spot in divinity - she really wanted to go back to the 7 heavens and face punishment but I was like "nah the gods are stupid, you can't help anyone in chains, and that gets you off too easy"
In the coda the DM included a line "and thus the bard did, eventually, fulfill the impossible promise made in the first session to sleep with Zariel, during a week of pampering with Yel and Lulu in Waterdeep" and a bunch more
Happy with how it turned out
Edit: Oh yeah and we're going to spend the next few months helping Elturel before the next campaign starts, levels 14-20
And I'm going to go to candlekeep and punch some avowed in the face
I've never done a 14-20 campaign before and I'm excited, I'm torn on playing my bard more or making a new character. We're headed into the underdark to finish Out of the Abyss - a campaign we half-did in universe and just kind of left everything on pause since we nipped it in the bud for the time being
Zariel and her 7 Erinyes want to help us with the demon lords, and the DM shared out of game that there are going to be 2 BBEG's that have climbed their way out of the ichor remaining and whichever one we don't fight, Zariel, General Yel, Lulu, and her angels will handle
But if I don't want to play the same character, the idea of rolling up a new level 14 character to play all the way to endgame is enticing. I believe one of the wizards is retiring his wizard, which would be nice because 2 epic level wizards is A PROBLEM and IDK if our DM is up to it!
I'm pretty sure there are people who have been thinking about how save-or-suck spells... suck for one side depending on whether the spell succeeded or not. What do you think is the ideal fix for spells like these? I think I've read in a homebrew about there being a grade to results on a (for example) Hold Person save:
- roll high enough and nothing happens
- roll enough, but not too high and you get a minor effect (like, Slow?)
- roll badly and you get Held
But that would be pretty much require a lot of changes.
Also something that could help someone break such spells on them eventually (DC getting lower each succeeding turn or something). Though with this idea and the gradient save idea, that's a lot of work for the DM as well.
I was thinking about it when last night, the bard in the party failed their third save from a Hold Person trap, which meant they were out of commission the entire time.
Pathfinder 2E does this, actually.
An important bit of context first: In PF2E, if you roll a nat 20, you critically succeed, if you roll a nat 1, you critically fail. However, if you exceed the target or DC by 10, that's also a critical success. If you fail the target or DC by 10, that's also a critical failure.
So the margins for critical success and failure are widened, depending on your bonuses.
So for a spell that's a bit like Hold Person but not quite (Hold Person isn't in PF2E), let's look at Paralyze:
Single target makes a will save.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target is stunned 1. (Stunned 1 means that they only get 2 actions on their next turn instead of 3)
Failure The target is paralyzed for 1 round.
Critical Failure The target is paralyzed for 4 rounds. At the end of each of its turns, it can attempt a new Will save to reduce the remaining duration by 1 round, or end it entirely on a critical success.
So pretty much just like what you're looking for, unless they critically succeed, the spell will always do something (taking an action off is giving the monster one less attack, that's not nothing! Monster attacks are vicious in PF 2E!).
Posts
I don't own it, so I'm just going by how our GM uses it, so if I'm wrong on this someone please correct me, but it's software that runs on the GM's computer or on a server you set up, and then everyone connects to it via their browser, targeting your IP.
And yeah he can load anything he wants on there.
Tokenizer alone has saved me so much of a headache, it even has functionality with the DDB importer to automatically make fancy tokens for every imported D&D Beyond creature that has art
The really nice thing about Foundry is the amount of automation since I'm really good at using it. My players click fireball, click where they want it, the targets all make a save, everyone sees a cool fireball, damage is automatically applied and accounts for resistances and immunities automatically
Heck when they make an attack with a weapon the animation automatically changes to a thrown weapon if they're outside of the weapon's attack range, it's beautiful...
...although I am subscribed to like 5 foundry patreons
@Nips you host it all locally and it sends it over the web client, or you pay to host a server w/20gb storage at moltenhosting
Definitely curious about Foundry from what people are saying - but I've also got another group up and running as a player on Roll20 in about an hour.
Everything else does more, but it is pretty straightforward to get the basics and can stretch to do some fun stuff whilst you learn the other system. Also it's free, so perfect for the first transition before you start thinking about what the virtual setup can do.
MCDM released the beta for their psionics class called the Talent.
https://www.rpgtinker.com/
Give this a crack.
DndBeyond has a number of NPCs in their monster database that can perfectly fill in for what you need.
wow and I thought the Mystic was convoluted
"Here DM, read this 104 page book, I want to play this class, I have all my excel spreadsheets ready"
This isn't a class, it's a new PHB for a different game than D&D 5e lol
These are great, but let me rephrase my ask.
I want a tool to create PC characters, per RAW, to use as NPCs. The reason I ask is because I want to make some weird choices, for instance a Druid/Warlock to set up as an antagonist.
I can do this by hand of course, but I'd prefer to bang it out fast with a program. Something like Roll20's Character Builder, but not with most of the features locked behind pay content.
Fair enough. I'd still suggest DnD Beyond then because what better RAW character builder is there for 5e?
Edit: I guess dndbeyond is a paid service though. The free account only lets you have a few characters. Maybe make your NPC, print it, delete and repeat?
I haven't had the chance to read it yet but a percentage of this book is NPCs and creatures that use the rules as well as stuff to integrate this class into kingdoms and warfare and strongholds and followers. So the page count is deceptive.
Also a significant chunk of it is bound to be the psionic equivalent of spells.
Is there a reason for them to be structured with PC stats?
It'll still have the problem of stuff behind a pay wall if you haven't bought the source book on DndBeyond. But yeah, it's nice to create characters there.
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Mostly because I want to just bang through the step-by-step of building a PC character, instead of winging it and cobbling together something from NPC statblocks and pieces of classes and whatnot.
Like, I'm 110% capable of just making this shit up and getting it reasonably close, but I'd rather click a few handfuls of buttons and have something approximately correct spill out the other side.
[Edit] And I specifically want the flavor of Forest of the Land Druid / Archfey Warlock.
If I was to make a mystic class I'd just give it spellcasting and spell points, no V/S components, and tailor the spell list and caster progression appropriately (and port over a few classic psionics like kinetic barrier)
I cannot think of a reason this wouldn't work
Then I can use my body as an improvised weapon against Zariel and do 3d8 radiant damage with it because of the Deva's angelic weapons feature
There are a couple of potential issues besides the fact that your DM may just say no (i am not sure they should though, the jar is a pretty significant weakness)
A deva is a celsetial. And it retains its statistics when it polymorphs itself. It does "gain any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks." but this reasonably may not extend to the creature type. That is a Deva polymorphed into a humanoid body is not a humanoid but still a celestial.
Alternately a deva polymorphed into a humanoid isn't a humanoid but a celestial humanoid and therefore magic jar fails.
Some things to note if you're attempting to make this "permanent"
"The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots."
Whether or not this applies to you when you're possessing the simulacrum i do not know.
You're correct creature type doesn't change, I'll just use two True Polymorphs, one to make it permanent, and once it is permanent, a second to make it a humanoid
The DM is okay with this but he said I can't turn into anything from magic the gathering, and he specifically wants me to use my simulacrum purely for balance reasons and won't let this scheme work otherwise
It’s not necessarily clear that you or your body regains spell slots, as it were.
I am not saying I would rule that way but it is a reasonable ruling.
I'm thinking I'll shove my character's body into a bag of holding with a necklace of adaptation on it
yeah he's made it explicit out of game that talking will be impossible
I mean I got the sword and we got the elephant and I got +16 persuasion but *shrug*
hes also let us know he has significantly buffed her stat block from the book, which is fine, I'm assuming the base stat block is a joke like everything else in 5e and not designed for the BS players employ
What level are ya'll at?
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Zariel is pretty swol to be honest, so unless you are stupid strong It *should* be a fairish fight for a party that is around level 12 with how the book sets things up.
that haaving been said, I'm getting the impression that you personally have the sword? As... a wizard?
The wizard has true polymorph so I presume that zariel will have to be stronger
On the other hand it seems to me this GM has made a whoooole lot of extra work for himself.
I'm a bard/bladelock but - no pact magic, so full caster progression (one of his homebrew rules), and an ability from an infernal contract that lets me "borrow" spells from willing targets as long as I have the slots to cast them, the party has two wizards soo
Zariel got a 27 on initiative and cast Meteor Swarm for 156 damage and killed everyone except me and the paladin, a dc 25 save didnt cut it, including lulu
weeeeee
fun
everyone's freaking out a bit incl. the DM because he didnt bother to actually game out how much damage meteor swarm does or factor in the average party hp of 77
edit: He admitted that he overdid it with that ability and decided to make the damage half of what it was, hah, I'm fine with a TPK but that was silly, I think all of us who've DM'd have had that moment when we're like
"Why not? Why shouldn't I meteor swarm them"
To be fair, I'm sympathetic to the DM here. Sometime's you don't rigorously math it out, and then it's just too easy to inadvertently nuke a group.
It did still KO 3 people, but thats why mass cure wounds is for
also killed a simulacrum, but dying is what simulacrae are best at
When we got her very wounded (I think 50% based on the description) I made a persuasion check, and offered her the sword of zariel, insisting that she's being tortured by the hells - that this whole thing is a game by asmodeus, all or nothing persuasion check because she was next on initiative and can break the sword of zariel if she grasps it
Bard !
- roll high enough and nothing happens
- roll enough, but not too high and you get a minor effect (like, Slow?)
- roll badly and you get Held
But that would be pretty much require a lot of changes.
Also something that could help someone break such spells on them eventually (DC getting lower each succeeding turn or something). Though with this idea and the gradient save idea, that's a lot of work for the DM as well.
I was thinking about it when last night, the bard in the party failed their third save from a Hold Person trap, which meant they were out of commission the entire time.
My take when I was rewriting the save or suck condition modifiers in 4e to almost always have a choice. So Stun wasn't "Do nothing" it was "Do nothing or take your surge value in damage". Up the stuff after the "or" so those conditions are still worthwhile. (If PCs always take the or they probably need to be upped.) Also note that any of those effects would happen after the affected characters turn.
I'd probably start Hold like effects, if I wasn't aiming to massively change their power level, at something like "Take half your HP in damage" and that's actually a bit weak at higher levels.
Basically if a players turn comes up and they have no choices to make, the game is being shitty. It can be a choice they don't want to take, that's fine. They'll feel better if they have to actually make a choice, almost like they're actually playing a game.
except for Levantis the Rogue
he takes zero damage
*heyooooo*
Well its also just that... Lvl 8 spells do like... Maybe 50 damage in a round. Horrid Wilting as an example, 12d8, 54 damage. Sunburst is 12d6 and
So Meteor Swarm comes in and just... 40d6. 140 average damage. Its a huge spike comparatively.
I ran a pre-made adventure for a party of 4 level 1 characters once and only sort of glanced through the booklet beforehand to have a general idea of what to do. It was cool, party started in some ruined temple and creep through finding the remains of traps and dead adventurers and stuff. One room has a deep pool with something at the bottom, and claw marks on the stone around the pool. They get to the end and there's a ghost that can't leave on it's own and wants to hitch a ride inside one of them. They tell him to fuck off, they get the magical doodad they came for, and the temple springs to life and all the traps reset. Now they gotta make their way out and dodge/disable the traps. They do so and then they get to the pool room. Turns out it was a dragon skull hermit crab sleeping in that pool, and the temple awakening woke it up too, and it's hungry. It won initiative and went up to the nearest player and did 32 damage. The player had 6 hp. Insta-death, snipped in half. Went up to the next and did something like 27 damage, also insta-death. After that I started rolling behind my screen and fudging the absolute fuck out of my rolls, because I did NOT look at the monster stats before running this module and why the fuck is a CR5 monster in a lvl 1 adventure?!? It made 3 claw attacks a round, and each one did 3d10+4 damage, like what the fuck? I told the two surviving players to just fuckin run, and they did. The two players that died had already whipped up a couple new characters before the survivors made it back to town and everyone laughed about it and it taught all of us a valuable lesson about sometimes we shouldn't stay and fight, but still.
Statblock:
Who could have ever predicted a spell that does upwards of 1200 fire/bludgeoning damage could be problematic :P
But yeah, I'm glad you guys were able to resolve this as something other then a 2 turn TKO.
Also Also: Bet your GM's glad now that there is a noncombat way of ending this after all Am I right?
Nah the meteor swarm was a light breeze on me and the paladin and the two of us were absolutely bullying zariel, we both had potions of invulnerability and fire immunity and he has shield master
however, if the wizards hadnt had their deaths undone (and this game has really been fucking brutal to the wizards, so killing them off r1 of the boss fight is... eck, they've already spent all game just failing to be effective against all these fiends) it would have been much harder, as she had a pair of Erinyes with her and the wizards each Forcecaged one of them - which was a clutch move
Anyway after we got Zariel to yield (it was more than one persuasion check, but he rightly said that with a 36 and offering her the sword that I had made the rest of the checks far easier), it was a whole conversation with Zariel about how none of this was just, but the idea that this had all been Asmodeus' plan so that she would be humiliated and serve as an example seemed to be a good track
So Zariel grabbed Lulu and started balling, we picked up the unconscious people with healing potions, and then the paladins shield exploded and the former ruler of the 1st hopped out - saying "What is wrong with you people, you had a chance to slay a legend, an angel, a devil, and exult in the glory of that righteous kill, and you handed over your greatest weapon? This isn't what was supposed to happen, now you're going to stand back and I'm going to finish what you started"
so phase 2 against, an apparently totally not trapped Gargoth, totally not just a pit fiend either, but a full devil lord (art and all, so this was the plan from the beginning I guess), but we had something for this, something we were SUPPOSED to use on Zariel's flying fortress but opted for stealth instead: a gem containing some of Tiamat's blood, given willingly, that would summon aid to help us in exchange for giving her the orb of dragonkind. I broke the crystal, the DM needed a minute to find the old notes, and in teleported one adult dragon of each kind with Arkhan the Cruel riding atop the white one. He said that we had earned one service, and he'd be happy to fucking wreck Gargoth (who wanted to kill Zariel, but was willing to fight our battered party, Zariel was still sobbing and useless at this point)
Gargoth decided to fuck off, and the city of Elturel returned to the prime after Bel did his end of the deal and broke the companion, leaving a golden portal.
Zariel asked what she should do and I offered that perhaps breaking the entire multiverse isn't possible, strong as she is, she's just one piece of creation. We're just people and we helped thousands, she could help *millions*. I asked her to start small and come with me to Waterdeep to rest, see the spires of the morning, and get a bit of pampering at the temple of beauty. I let her know that her general Yel had been brought back from the dead by us and would meet us here - so we all talked a bit more, and Zariel gathered all 7 of her Erinyes and we flew up through the portal - her wings not turning white, but a shining copper color, along with each of her Erinyes.
I guess keeping her from returning to the heavens but convincing her to be a super hero instead, charging into the abyss to wrench free damned souls in daring raids, topple evil lords and help those in need, meant the gods thought she hadn't fully reclaimed her spot in divinity - she really wanted to go back to the 7 heavens and face punishment but I was like "nah the gods are stupid, you can't help anyone in chains, and that gets you off too easy"
In the coda the DM included a line "and thus the bard did, eventually, fulfill the impossible promise made in the first session to sleep with Zariel, during a week of pampering with Yel and Lulu in Waterdeep" and a bunch more
Happy with how it turned out
Edit: Oh yeah and we're going to spend the next few months helping Elturel before the next campaign starts, levels 14-20
And I'm going to go to candlekeep and punch some avowed in the face
Zariel and her 7 Erinyes want to help us with the demon lords, and the DM shared out of game that there are going to be 2 BBEG's that have climbed their way out of the ichor remaining and whichever one we don't fight, Zariel, General Yel, Lulu, and her angels will handle
But if I don't want to play the same character, the idea of rolling up a new level 14 character to play all the way to endgame is enticing. I believe one of the wizards is retiring his wizard, which would be nice because 2 epic level wizards is A PROBLEM and IDK if our DM is up to it!
Pathfinder 2E does this, actually.
An important bit of context first: In PF2E, if you roll a nat 20, you critically succeed, if you roll a nat 1, you critically fail. However, if you exceed the target or DC by 10, that's also a critical success. If you fail the target or DC by 10, that's also a critical failure.
So the margins for critical success and failure are widened, depending on your bonuses.
So for a spell that's a bit like Hold Person but not quite (Hold Person isn't in PF2E), let's look at Paralyze:
Single target makes a will save.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target is stunned 1. (Stunned 1 means that they only get 2 actions on their next turn instead of 3)
Failure The target is paralyzed for 1 round.
Critical Failure The target is paralyzed for 4 rounds. At the end of each of its turns, it can attempt a new Will save to reduce the remaining duration by 1 round, or end it entirely on a critical success.
So pretty much just like what you're looking for, unless they critically succeed, the spell will always do something (taking an action off is giving the monster one less attack, that's not nothing! Monster attacks are vicious in PF 2E!).