Motivation is a character's inner drive, the thing they want out of life and can't get enough of. Motivation is not a goal - it is what explains why a person chooses or rejects goals. It doesn't determine every single goal (because everyone has needs that must be taken care of) but it spotlights the most important goals.
Wednesday 22 May 2024
Thursday 9 May 2024
My RPG table rules
Here are the rules and expectations I have when running a tabletop roleplaying game.
Tuesday 20 February 2024
My D&D 5E Assumptions, Rulings, etc
Here are a bunch of assumptions and rulings and thoughts I have about D&D 5E, so that you won't be surprised or upset when something I say at the table contradicts the way you've read the rules and/or played in the past.
Tuesday 12 December 2023
D&D 5E Conditions
A poster on the dndbeyond.com forums pointed out that some conditions are not absolute, that they exist only with repect to another creature or object. For example, you can be charmed by one foe but not charmed by another.
I like this idea. I think it helps explain away some of the confusion around rules (in particular the idea that if someone using truesight can see you, the invisible condition is cancelled for everyone).
Absolute Conditions
A creature either has this condition, or they don't. The condition applies to all interaction between the creature and its environment.
Anything that ends the condition ends it entirely.
- Blinded (but see below)
- Deafened
- Exhausted
- Grappled (who or what is grappling you is only important for determining when the condition ends)
- Incapacitated
- Paralyzed
- Petrified
- Poisoned
- Prone
- Restrained
- Stunned
- Unconscious
Relative Conditions
Unseen (related to Blinded and to Invisible)
Some game features, for example obscurement, refer to the blinded condition. I think a better phrasing for this is "unseen".
A creature is unseen by another creature if the second creature has no line of sight to the first.
This could be because of concealment between the two (darkness, foliage, fog), because the second creature is blinded, because the first creature is invisible and the second creature has no way to see through this, or because of some other reason.
Having an "unseen" condition removes the need for an "invisible" condition, which I think is a good thing.
It also allows for a condition of camouflage (AKA hidden in plain sight) which 5E has no way of modelling.
Note that if one creature cannot see a second, there are not necessarily any effects on attacks to or from a third creature.
Unheard
An "unheard" condition could interact with a few game features (for example Bardic Inspiration).
Charmed
The effects only apply to interactions with the charmer.
Frightened
The effects only apply to interactions with the source of fear.
Turned
5E does not list "Turned" as a condition, but I think it should. It works much the same way as Frightened.
Hidden
5E does not list "Hidden" as a condition, but I think it should. It works much the same way as Invisible.
If creature A is Hidden from creature B then B does not know A's location or even whether or not A is present.
As with unseen and unheard, the fact that A is hidden from B does not mean that A is hidden from another creature C.
If C knows A's location and communicates this to B then A will no longer have the Hidden condition with repect to B.
Tuesday 13 July 2021
Darkness in D&D 5E
Setup
Adventurers L and R are each in an area of bright light.
Adventurer M is between the two, out of range of both light sources.
R has darkvision with enough range to reach M.
No-one has blindsight.
Normal Darkness
This does not block vision.
L and R can see each other clearly and attack each other normally.
M can see L and attacks at advantage (target can't see attacker).
L cannot see M (M is effectively invisible to them) and attacks at disadvantage (attacker can't see target), after guessing a square to attack.
M can see R and attacks normally.
R can see M (because of darkvision) and attacks normally.
Note: M might be silhouetted by a light source. In this case, L has a clue to which square M occupies.
Obscurement
For example, the gray area is a fog cloud spell, or a sand storm, or heavy foliage.
This blocks vision but does not block the existance of light ("You can see the shifting light of a bonfire on the other side of the trees.").
None of L, M, and R can see each other. All attacks are made at normal (disadvantage from "attacker can't see target" is countered by advantage from "target can't see attacker"), after guessing a square to attack.
Magical Darkness
For example, the grey area is a darkness spell.
This completely blocks vision (the "inky blot" concept).
None of L, M, and R can see each other. All attacks are made at normal (disadvantage from "attacker can't see target" is countered by advantage from "target can't see attacker"), after guessing a square to attack.
No trace of light penetrates the magical darkness. R could have a bonfire the size of a house but L and M won't see it.
Sunday 13 December 2020
Bonus Action Spells
"(Non-spell)" means doing something other than Cast a Spell.
Allowed during your Turn (no Action Surge)
| Action | Bonus Action | Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | Any level | (Non-spell) |
| Cantrip | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| Cantrip | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
| Cantrip | (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) |
| Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
| Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) |
| (Non-spell) | Any level | (Non-spell) |
| (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
Allowed during your Turn (Action Surge)
| 2 Actions | Bonus Action | Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Two Cantrips | Any level | (Non-spell) |
| Two Cantrips | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| Two Cantrips | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
| Two Cantrips | (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) |
| Cantrip and Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| Cantrip and Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
| Cantrip and Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) |
| Two Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Cantrip |
| Two Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | Level 1+ |
| Two Level 1+ | (Non-spell) | (Non-spell) |
Disallowed
Anything not in the lists above.
Monday 18 December 2017
(5E) Melee weapons and melee weapon attacks AKA why can't i throw my warhammer when raging
D&D 5E uses the terms "melee weapon", "melee weapon attack", "ranged weapon", and "ranged weapon attack" reasonably consistently but fails, in my opinion, to explain them all that well. So, here's my attempt.
Weapons
A melee weapon is something found on the simple melee weapons table or the martial melee weapons table. You hold it and hit your foe with it. You can also throw it at them, though it might not be very effective when thrown.
A ranged weapon is something found on the simple ranged weapons table or the martial ranged weapons table. You either throw it at a foe (if it has the thrown property) or use it to launch some sort of missile at the foe (if it has the ammunition property). You can hold it and hit a foe with it but it will not be very effective.
Attacks
From the Combat chapter of the rules:
Hitting a target within your reach with an item that you are holding is a melee weapon attack. The ability modifier used is Strength.
Throwing an item at a foe or launching some sort of missile at them is a ranged weapon attack. The ability modifier used is Dexterity.
Thrown property
If a melee weapon has the thrown property then throwing it at a foe is making a ranged weapon attack but using Strength, not Dexterity. The weapon is still a melee weapon (not a ranged weapon), which is important for some features.
If a melee weapon doesn't have the thrown property, you can still throw it but you won't be as effective. It is considered an improvised weapon and will do 1d4 + DEX Mod damage. Your ranged weapon attack is with an item that is not on any of the weapon tables (improvised weapons are not actual weapons), so it uses Dexterity.
If a ranged weapon has the thrown property then throwing it at a foe is making a ranged weapon attack using Dexterity.
Finesse property
If a weapon (melee or ranged) has the finesse property then you can choose to use Strength or Dexterity for melee weapon attacks and ranged weapon attacks made with it, though you must use the same modifier for both the attack roll and the damage roll.
Other
There are also a few things that aren't weapons but are still used to make a melee weapon attack (using Strength) or a ranged weapon attack (using Dexterity): unarmed attacks, claw/bite/etc attacks and improvised weapons.
Summary
• "Melee weapon" and "ranged weapon" is based on which table the weapon appear in. Melee weapons use Strength; ranged weapons use Dexterity.
• "Melee weapon attack" and "ranged weapon attack" are based on what you are doing.
• If the weapon has the finesse tag then you can choose to use either Strength or Dexterity, regardless of the type of attack.
The game is pretty consistent about the difference between "attack with a melee weapon" and "melee weapon attack". For example, Barbarian Rage damage bonus requires a "melee weapon attack using Strength" and therefore doesn't apply to thrown melee weapons or thrown ranged weapons.
Weapons
A melee weapon is something found on the simple melee weapons table or the martial melee weapons table. You hold it and hit your foe with it. You can also throw it at them, though it might not be very effective when thrown.
A ranged weapon is something found on the simple ranged weapons table or the martial ranged weapons table. You either throw it at a foe (if it has the thrown property) or use it to launch some sort of missile at the foe (if it has the ammunition property). You can hold it and hit a foe with it but it will not be very effective.
From the Combat chapter of the rules:
Hitting a target within your reach with an item that you are holding is a melee weapon attack. The ability modifier used is Strength.
Throwing an item at a foe or launching some sort of missile at them is a ranged weapon attack. The ability modifier used is Dexterity.
Thrown property
If a melee weapon has the thrown property then throwing it at a foe is making a ranged weapon attack but using Strength, not Dexterity. The weapon is still a melee weapon (not a ranged weapon), which is important for some features.
If a melee weapon doesn't have the thrown property, you can still throw it but you won't be as effective. It is considered an improvised weapon and will do 1d4 + DEX Mod damage. Your ranged weapon attack is with an item that is not on any of the weapon tables (improvised weapons are not actual weapons), so it uses Dexterity.
If a ranged weapon has the thrown property then throwing it at a foe is making a ranged weapon attack using Dexterity.
Finesse property
If a weapon (melee or ranged) has the finesse property then you can choose to use Strength or Dexterity for melee weapon attacks and ranged weapon attacks made with it, though you must use the same modifier for both the attack roll and the damage roll.
Other
There are also a few things that aren't weapons but are still used to make a melee weapon attack (using Strength) or a ranged weapon attack (using Dexterity): unarmed attacks, claw/bite/etc attacks and improvised weapons.
Summary
• "Melee weapon" and "ranged weapon" is based on which table the weapon appear in. Melee weapons use Strength; ranged weapons use Dexterity.
• "Melee weapon attack" and "ranged weapon attack" are based on what you are doing.
| What are you doing? | Melee Weapon | Melee Weapon (thrown) |
Ranged Weapon (thrown) |
Ranged Weapon (ammunition) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitting someone while holding it | Melee weapon attack Strength |
Melee weapon attack Strength |
Improvised melee weapon attack Strength |
Improvised melee weapon attack Strength |
| Throwing it | Improvised ranged weapon attack Dexterity |
Ranged weapon attack Strength |
Ranged weapon attack Dexterity |
Improvised ranged weapon attack Dexterity |
| Launching ammunition from it | N/A | N/A | N/A | Ranged weapon attack Dexterity |
• If the weapon has the finesse tag then you can choose to use either Strength or Dexterity, regardless of the type of attack.
The game is pretty consistent about the difference between "attack with a melee weapon" and "melee weapon attack". For example, Barbarian Rage damage bonus requires a "melee weapon attack using Strength" and therefore doesn't apply to thrown melee weapons or thrown ranged weapons.
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