The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Something that occurred to me that as of yet still has gone unmentioned, but I would like to now that I too remembered it existed, is Inspiration. Although it is not something the players can award unless we already have it, I would like to pose that Orchid would be reasonably deserving of it. @Hekazu, what say you?

D&D Beginner [Searching Group + DM]

If @Ermine would not be running it, I would be willing to teach the system as well, @Monster, @Mesonyx. While my air of seriousness will not be gone in such a light, know that I am not unforgiving and certainly do understand I intend for you to enjoy the experience, especially that it is your first voyage into the material.

D&D Beginner [Searching Group + DM]

Advantage and disadvantage could be very loosely understood as a factor the Dungeon Master assigns when they believe it is appropriate. Players can and should justify why something would or would not grant them advantage or disadvantage based on events, but Fifth Edition leaves that up to the Dungeon Master to rule on. For example, if one were to leap upon a table and swashbuckle from it while kicking plates off it, the player could argue that they have advantage; after all, their character is a swashbuckler and high ground would regularly give advantage.

While the Dungeon Master arbitrates such cases advantage is always applied, as with disadvantage, if the rules explicitly say they are. Thus some spells that grant advantage like Faerie Fire always do. The only exception to this is if they would cancel out.

If you had two disadvantageous factors and one advantageous one, you would make a single roll rather than four. Advantage and disadvantage always cancel one another out despite how many there might be on either side; the result is always a neutral roll.

Hopefully that answers the first question I can help with, @Mesonyx.

D&D Beginner [Searching Group + DM]

I have heard the series implements a number of house rules, so when you do review it try to take everything with a grain of salt. I would recommend reading the Fifth Edition Player's Handbook first and or browsing the internet some to answer your questions or it might turn slightly more confusing than going in uninitiated already is. Then again, I am not sure how many they have or how extreme they are, so they might have already improved on a very solid system or just gone with what their players enjoy.

Regardless, if you do have any further questions and wish to learn the game, @Mesonyx, I am willing to assist as well.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Lucius Cypher, I would say feel free to. There's no time like the present to elaborate on characters and their motives. I certainly am acting on that opportunity.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

It was not a long walk to the landing before the stairs that had provided shelter, rather that it felt as though it had been a journey. The survivors, a title rightfully earned by the guards of Greenest atop the wall today, were tending to their own just in the same way the outsiders had taken care of their own fallen. The difference in these matters were that Orchid, though rendered quite unconscious, was not nearly as maimed as the mere men had been; some had suffered arcing burns across the breast and legs where the lightning followed their chain, others had limbs seared clean, others were blinded by unearthly blue-white heat. The list of causalities went on in variance, but all were most characteristic of unchecked electricity.

Brannor did not need the reminder that the sky and its armaments were well beyond the capacity of regular folk, or even those who might be considered heroic in caliber. Thus when he laid the orcish warrior down beside a now empty rack of arms, his boot sweeping aside some loose arrows that had been abandoned in the chaos, he was wise enough to remember he was blessed in a number of ways that had bought him a brush with a dragon and the fortune to live to tell such a tale. The only other sojourn he took in the calm after the storm, short of the effort to acquire the shield Orchid had abandoned on the wall and return it next to the sleeping figure, was one he set himself to solely in mind. He saw to sit himself down beside his companion and attune himself.

There needed to be time made to collect insight.

So when he unsheathed both sword and bow, with the latter resting beside the wall with its quiver and the former across his lap, he gave no added response to the men and women working their ways down the stairs following the battle. Instead, he closed his eyes and shut out the urges around and within him, as odd a gesture it was and certain to draw scorn at that. In this effort, hand resting upon the runed engravings of the sword's fuller, he unknowingly traced their designs methodically.

For Brannor and the supernature he was tied to internally, he asked only what else awaited them tonight; it was an unspoken, unmentioned plea, in spite of what he knew all along. After all, the Silver Lady did not illuminate the town for her own amusement on tonight of all nights. She did so to reveal the shadows from their hiding places, as even in darkness, a place so coveted by evil, light still found a way.

And she had a weapon born of her whims in her service.

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher@Gordian Nought@Norschtalen

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

It is unfortunate to hear that situation has played out, @Gordian Nought. While it probably means little from someone you do not know well and from the internet where words likewise hold little value regularly, you still have my condolences.

...

@catchamber, I would offer the strong suggestion, in addition to those hard limits, having a closer interpretation of "Read As Intended" (RAI) versus some of the "Read As Written" (RAW) usual tricks and the general Gentleman's Agreement I referred to. That way we are not seeing anything from Diplomancers, Planar Shepherds, Red Wizards, Dweomerkeepers and the like. The builds are almost universally transparent and recognized now too, so it would be easy to say, "That's not really appropriate, do you think you are X, Y and Z, really?"

That's not to say a character should not be allowed to invest heavily in Diplomacy, or a warlock prevented from going binder so they can then prestige into Hellfire Warlock to do powerful Eldritch Blast casting, or a sorcerer from being a Swiftblade/Abjurant Champion/Spellsword/Dragonslayer and so forth. Just that the over intent is to provide a standard of "Reasonable optimization for the purposes of roleplaying an archetype rather than optimization for the purpose of raw power."

That and I would play cards like what you described with magitech and psitech close to your chest as the Dungeon Master. Artificers, especially Psi-Artificers do not need any added help or incentive.

...

This has pretty massive potential provided you find the right balance among the Guild's various personalities and identity related abilities. There are a fair number familiar with the system as is and the nebulous, largely undefined existence of the Guild as a meta roleplaying concept gives access to just about any environment. At the same time I admit I have no idea how you intend to "balance" anything beyond a Gentleman's Agreement of the players to not come unhinged with their builds, or if you have some limit in mind in particular.

The 'Explain The Appeal Of......' Thread

With that settled, I ask someone explain the appeal of the following roleplay concepts, as we have all seen them and some may have even been involved. what is the appeal of "school" roleplaying? Namely high school roleplays.

I had and even yet still hold great disdain for public education and that period of life. To not disgress from my point, why would anyone want to emulate being children, potentially again and in that environment? I can understand the allure of college where you find a bit of freedom children have, topical as that is but that isn't my point, and the responsibility of an adult but less than.