General Tabletop (D&D, Pathfinder, etc.) Topic

[Ertrick36]

I'm getting my Player Handbook on Friday.  I assume we'd be doing 5e, yeah?

I have a number of ideas for a character I'd want to play, though they're probably gonna be of a supporting class.  Likely a bard of some kind.

This is what I'd look like when I give people Bardic Inspiration: ヽﾉ

Race would be on the shorter side, like a dwarf or halfling.  I just like shorter characters.

 

I like the sound of a dragonborn monk being in the party, btw.

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

10 hours ago, Ertrick36 said:

I'm getting my Player Handbook on Friday.  I assume we'd be doing 5e, yeah?

I have a number of ideas for a character I'd want to play, though they're probably gonna be of a supporting class.  Likely a bard of some kind.

This is what I'd look like when I give people Bardic Inspiration: ヽﾉ

Race would be on the shorter side, like a dwarf or halfling.  I just like shorter characters.

 

I like the sound of a dragonborn monk being in the party, btw.

Nice. And thank you for the complement. I might work on the character sheet today.

[Ertrick36]

10 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

I might work on the character sheet today.

Speaking of work, have you spoken with a DM about organizing this potential game?

Because the DM will have the most prep work out of everyone involved, particularly if it's a homebrew campaign (which it sounds like it could be).

And I still am wondering if we're doing 5e.  I only assumed we are because it's the most recent one and is the ruleset most folks use these days, but I'd like to be sure.

Sorry if I sound a little bit like a nag.

EDIT: I got my book earlier than expected.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Ertrick36

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

17 hours ago, Ertrick36 said:

Speaking of work, have you spoken with a DM about organizing this potential game?

Because the DM will have the most prep work out of everyone involved, particularly if it's a homebrew campaign (which it sounds like it could be).

And I still am wondering if we're doing 5e.  I only assumed we are because it's the most recent one and is the ruleset most folks use these days, but I'd like to be sure.

Sorry if I sound a little bit like a nag.

EDIT: I got my book earlier than expected.

Not yet. Might private message @Dark Holy Elf about this stuff.

Also, today will have to be the day I make my character, whether or not I use him for this campaign or not.

Also, @Ertrick36, we will be doing 5e.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Azure in a Roundabout

[Dismissed]

So, while in California on vacation back in July, I bought the 5e Starter Set at a Barnes & Noble (got it at a discount too, since the plastic wrapping was torn). It has some basic instructions, a character sheet template, and the dice all the way from d4 to d20. However, I'm not sure if 5e would be best for beginners. What would be the best edition for players just starting out? I'm thinking of something simple.

Also, would a whiteboard plus marker suffice for the game board? There's a book store here that sells D&D stuff, and they've got an erasable field/board thing for playing, but it costs around a thousand pesos. I can also just scrounge around the internet for the rulebooks and whatnot.

So, where to start?

[Ertrick36]

5 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

Not yet. Might private message @Dark Holy Elf about this stuff.

Also, today will have to be the day I make my character, whether or not I use him for this campaign or not.

Also, @Ertrick36, we will be doing 5e.

- I'd recommend doing it sooner rather than later.  As I said, DM has a lot of work.  They have to make the world, the encounters, balance the game for the party... lots of things.  Of course the best DMs are the ones that can go off the beaten path and roll with the punches, but they still need some prep work.  And obviously gotta make sure DHE is on board in the first place; without a DM, you can't rightly have a game.

- Neat thing about D&D is you could use a character for multiple campaigns.  Although I suppose that really depends upon what the DM says, because you might be bringing, like, a level 5 character to a campaign with a party of level 1 characters, which is two different level tiers (1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-20) and thus would mean the level 5 would probably be as OP as Seth from Sacred Stones.  Not all campaigns start with a party of level 1 characters, but again it's dependent on how the DM and the rest of the players might want to play things.  I mean, you don't want to be too given to the will of the party, but you also don't want to be that guy that does their own thing entirely (refusing to follow the story, not helping the party, switching sides just because you're "neutral" and things seem rough for your party when that's not how morality works, making a gary stu that doesn't follow the ruleset, etc.).

Though monks can be OP as it is.  Even before level 5, they get access to an ability (based on ki) that lets them deal two attacks per round (flurry of blows), which is huge.  Not only that, but they have higher natural ACs, dex and wisdom modifiers (both of which seem to be the most common checks/saves and come with the most debilitating failures), and many of the weapons they can use can be made into finesse weapons which means attacks will use their already high dex modifier rather than the strength modifier which likely isn't as high.  They're just absolutely ridiculous, though seem to usually be welcome additions to any party if the player isn't a total dick with them.  I know as someone who is inclined to play support classes that I very much would welcome a character like that.

- Glad to know.  Again, kind of figured just because that's kind of one of the best tabletop games out there right now, but wanted to make sure.

5 hours ago, Purple Mage said:

So, while in California on vacation back in July, I bought the 5e Starter Set at a Barnes & Noble (got it at a discount too, since the plastic wrapping was torn). It has some basic instructions, a character sheet template, and the dice all the way from d4 to d20. However, I'm not sure if 5e would be best for beginners. What would be the best edition for players just starting out? I'm thinking of something simple.

Also, would a whiteboard plus marker suffice for the game board? There's a book store here that sells D&D stuff, and they've got an erasable field/board thing for playing, but it costs around a thousand pesos. I can also just scrounge around the internet for the rulebooks and whatnot.

So, where to start?

Honestly, 5e is probably as simple as you'll get.  It's not as complicated as the big, thick books and three-page character sheets might make you think (if you're a player anyway).  Look up some character creation guides for 5e online, and you'll find it's actually rather simple.  Don't worry at all about alignment, that's just fluff unless the DM makes any gameplay elements based on that.  And for background or other such story traits, work it out with a DM.

And yeah, a whiteboard could work.  Usually theater of the mind works well, but if you need to visualize combat or other such gameplay segments then a white board and some little tokens/figurines could do wonders for you.  Most of the fun with D&D is using your imagination, so you shouldn't need to get very elaborate.

You're not trying to get into D&D as a DM, are you?  If you're a player, all you should need to worry about is getting that starter set unless the DM asked you to get some stuff for them.

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

I have messaged Dark Holy Elf for DM, given his experience. I have yet to get a message back.

Btw, some people that I know here at school are currently doing a campaign. I went to spectate, as I did get excited inside that there actually was a campaign going on (we have an hour-long break between periods since the beginning of this year).

They needed a Rogue, so I might make that my first character. Decided I would make a chaotic neutral human rogue for a feat.

[Ertrick36]

5 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

They needed a Rogue, so I might make that my first character. Decided I would make a chaotic neutral human rogue for a feat.

Be careful about people telling you what to play as.  Those kinds of players/DMs might be the kinds that'll try to railroad you into playing the game a certain way, which is not fun at all.  I mean, if you think it'd be fun to play that kind of character, that's fine.  Though I hope your friends won't be expecting anything out of you, because that can make for a frustrating experience.

Anyway, Rogue is an interesting class to play as since they're more geared towards events and encounters outside of combat.  Of course, that's typically in their interactions with people and stealthing about.  Though I will say this makes them all the more interesting in combat.  In one campaign I've been watching, this one half-elf rogue had a bag of ball bearings that he spilled under the feet of a corrupted zombie paladin (basically a Johnny Dark Souls type of character who used a giant cross as a weapon).  DM rolled three natural 1's (what you call any roll requiring a d20 or higher where you have a "1" on the die; also called "critical failure" - these result in automatic failures of a severe nature) in a row, one of which was on a d100 (rolled for severity for the first natural 1; they decided that low numbers are of a very high severity, and 01 is as low as you can get on a d100), thus the ball bearings instantly killed this big, terrifying boss the DM spent 4 hours working on.

 

Also, lmao, I did the traditional "roll for scores" approach to getting ability scores (where I roll 4d6, add the highest three, and then repeat six times), and I got a seven for one of them, which gives you a -2 modifier to whatever ability you give that to.

In other words, my new halfling bard is gonna have spindly arms, 'cuz I sure as heck ain't putting that anywhere other than strength.  Definitely don't rely on him to pick up anything heavier than an end table.  Granted, that end table might have a hefty tome in it, but still.  Also has a pretty lame Intelligence of 9, so he has no clue where his magical prowess comes from with his -1 to Arcana and History checks.

But damn if he isn't gonna be the most likable little fella in town, liable to put a smile on even a dreary Drow's face.

 

If anyone here needs help making characters for 5e, feel free to PM me.  I can help you through the steps, or can at least show you an example of a custom character sheet made sans personal information like background and personality (since I'm more inclined to work out such things and how they affect stats with a DM) and my process for how I came up with the character.

Edited February 22, 2019 by Ertrick36

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

I rolled Stats for my Rogue, using the d20 method. Note that, for the first roll, I rolled 3 times and had to stick with the third option. In the end, my human (variant) has:

(6+1) Strength

20 Dexterity

17 Constitution

14 Intelligence

19 Wisdom

and (3+1) Charisma

Have not decided on a Rogue archetype (the party so far is level 5 or so), but this is how it is. Might go Thief Rogue or something.

[Dark Holy Elf]

@Azure in a Roundabout

Oh jeez, I didn't mean to give the impression I was willing to be a DM here. I don't enjoy DMing (or playing) over the internet. I'm happy to offer advice to anyone who wants to give it a shot but that'd be the extent of it. Sorry about the misunderstanding!

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

6 minutes ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

@Azure in a Roundabout

Oh jeez, I didn't mean to give the impression I was willing to be a DM here. I don't enjoy DMing (or playing) over the internet. I'm happy to offer advice to anyone who wants to give it a shot but that'd be the extent of it. Sorry about the misunderstanding!

Ok. It’s alright. You can be a player, at least.

[Ertrick36]

3 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

(6+1) Strength

20 Dexterity

17 Constitution

14 Intelligence

19 Wisdom

and (3+1) Charisma

You... you rolled a 3...

And a 6.

Yet you have a Wisdom of 19.  So you get people, but you don't get people.  Natural insight of +4, every other social skill as a -3.  Wager you're probably just better at detecting if they're, like, breathing abnormally or whatever rather than you actually understanding how they feel.

4 is quite a low stat.  For reference, all non-sentient beasts (usually feral ones that can't be domesticated) have an intelligence of less than 4, and at 0 you're considered brain dead.  So your rogue really is lacking in social skills.  Probably has a huge stutter or an incomprehensible dialect or something that severely impacts his ability to communicate with others, or is just really friggin' ugly while also not looking all that intimidating (unless you gave them proficiency in that skill, though I don't know why you would with that kind of ability score, you might as well just not bother).  With your Con of 17, he's probably some tubby boy (or girl?) with a face covered with nasty scars and blemishes.

As a rogue, you'll typically want to favor Dex, Wisdom, and Intelligence.  Maybe Charisma as well.  Though given two of your awful rolls, it really wouldn't have been ideal to sacrifice that Con; a max starting HP of 5 or 6 and a -3 or -2 to all Con checks does not bode well for a character's survivability, even at level 1.

 

Also, I kind of had a feeling DHE might not have been inclined to DM for us.  That's why you should make sure of these kinds of things early on; I wouldn't have wanted to put DHE in a weird place with four-or-five potential players expecting them to DM for us.  Not really sure what we can do about it though given that the only other people who said that they DM also have said they wouldn't be able to for a potential SF campaign.  I mean, besides one of the proposed players DMing.  I'd totally be willing to try - I love making new worlds, politics, characters, villains, and a lot of the other stuff associated with being a DM - but given that I have pretty much nothing for experience actually playing the game (one whole session plus two playthroughs of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [and one of the sequel], which is more of a video game using D&D rules than anything), I'm not sure if I'm the best option for the role.

 

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

@Bhoop claims to be a DM more often that a player, but we’ll need to make sure we can make a good schedule, given how busy he is.

[Silafante]

If I can play (up to you of course).

Could use the Celestial Warlock?        

I want to be a support and from people helping me said that my first spellcaster I should use a warlock becaude it is easier (also the fluff seems pretty cool).

Edited February 22, 2019 by Silafante

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

1 minute ago, Silafante said:

If I can play (up to you).

Could use the Celestial Warlock?        

I want to be a support and from people helping me said that my first spellcaster I should use a warlock becaude it is easier (also the fluff seems pretty cool).

Sure. Do whatever you need to.

Also...

1 hour ago, Ertrick36 said:

You... you rolled a 3...

And a 6. Luck sucks sometimes.

Yet you have a Wisdom of 19.  So you get people, but you don't get people.  Natural insight of +4, every other social skill as a -3.  Wager you're probably just better at detecting if they're, like, breathing abnormally or whatever rather than you actually understanding how they feel.

4 is quite a low stat.  For reference, all non-sentient beasts (usually feral ones that can't be domesticated) have an intelligence of less than 4, and at 0 you're considered brain dead.  So your rogue really is lacking in social skills.  Probably has a huge stutter or an incomprehensible dialect or something that severely impacts his ability to communicate with others, or is just really friggin' ugly while also not looking all that intimidating (unless you gave them proficiency in that skill, though I don't know why you would with that kind of ability score, you might as well just not bother).  With your Con of 17, he's probably some tubby boy (or girl?) with a face covered with nasty scars and blemishes. So, maybe I can have muscles (from a criminal background), but I just have scars everywhere? Also, my Rogue’s a male.

As a rogue, you'll typically want to favor Dex, Wisdom, and Intelligence.  Maybe Charisma as well.  Though given two of your awful rolls, it really wouldn't have been ideal to sacrifice that Con; a max starting HP of 5 or 6 and a -3 or -2 to all Con checks does not bode well for a character's survivability, even at level 1. Yeeup, that’s how that works. Rapier sneak attack damage, here I come!

Responses in bold. My Rogue has been introduced into the campaign, but this was before I came up with some of these concepts (the pyromancy sorcerer in our party sometimes is possessed by some evil force or something, and the Paladin has a dark half of the body right now that lets him go sicko mode (quoted from the player) at 10 HP or under I think. My numerous scars would not intimidate them (maybe).

[Bhoop]

Sure, I can DM. Just let me know how many players. We definitely need a group chat/discord server of some sort for easy communication of course. What are your guys' thoughts on a session 0, given that we have some new players here? 

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

1 minute ago, Bhoop said:

Sure, I can DM. Just let me know how many players. We definitely need a group chat/discord server of some sort for easy communication of course. What are your guys' thoughts on a session 0, given that we have some new players here? 

Session 0 sounds good. d20.net has a voice chat, right? I can get a headset with a speaker if need be. I just need to make an account first.

[Bhoop]

Yeah, It has voice. And do you mean roll20.net? d20.net takes me to a foreign website... Like, I kind of figured you meant roll20, but I was curious to see if it was just another platform. Speaking of roll20, I should probably figure out how to work the stuff on it xD. 

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

3 minutes ago, Bhoop said:

Yeah, It has voice. And do you mean roll20.net? d20.net takes me to a foreign website... Like, I kind of figured you meant roll20, but I was curious to see if it was just another platform. Speaking of roll20, I should probably figure out how to work the stuff on it xD. 

Yeah, I think I meant roll20.net. And I will.

[Ertrick36]

6 hours ago, Bhoop said:

What are your guys' thoughts on a session 0, given that we have some new players here? 

Oh, you mean like a demo session of sorts?

I'd definitely be down to do that to freshen up a bit.

6 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

d20.net has a voice chat, right? I can get a headset with a speaker if need be. I just need to make an account first.

I think it does, but a Discord server sounds like it'd be for the best since it'd really be ideal if we can communicate outside of our sessions.  Particularly for things like asking the DM for clarification on certain things or asking if it's okay to do some things with lore/backstory, or to tell folks when you might need to bug out for a week.

I mean, we could do that here as well I suppose, but it'd just be easier if we had this all organized for ourselves.

That being said, roll20 would be a good place to hold sessions.  Certainly better than just imagining everything in our heads and verbally over a group chat.  That way too we can all display our rolls for everyone to see.  Except the DM, of course.

6 hours ago, Silafante said:

Could use the Celestial Warlock?        

I want to be a support and from people helping me said that my first spellcaster I should use a warlock becaude it is easier (also the fluff seems pretty cool).

I'd be fine with it.

I do hear of newbie spellcasters commonly using it.  They get the cantrip Eldritch Blast, which is, as far as I know, the only offensive cantrip spell that deals significant damage (a d10 in damage).  EDIT: The only one besides Fire Bolt, the difference being that as you level you increase the number of bolts fired with an Eldritch Blast and Fire Bolt is fire (and can ignite flammable material) while Eldritch Blast is force (also, Fire Bolt isn't accessible to warlocks).  Definitely would recommend getting that just so that you can at least deal some damage even after you burn all your spell slots.  Plus, they're inclined towards tankiness, and they're easy to make interesting backstories for since their magical powers always involve some kind of otherworldly entity.

Honestly, it's enough that you're just taking the plunge and playing a spellcaster in the first place.  Lots of folks have trouble with getting over the taboo of having to manage spell slots, but you just gotta remember that they're better off spent than never used and that when you have a difficult encounter you're very likely to be given a long rest not long after that'll restore all your spell slots.  And I know as a bard I wouldn't be appreciated if I opted to never use my Healing Word and Bardic Inspiration charges (separate thing from spell slots, but same kind of concept).

6 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

Yeah, I think I meant roll20.net. And I will.

This is roll20: https://roll20.net/  I can see how you'd get the name confused, since d20 is a frequently used term.

Most folks I've seen that do online sessions use it.

Has quite a few good tools, and is very versatile (they advertise that it "doesn’t favor one set of mechanics over another").  Though it seems to be a bit finicky on tablets.

6 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

the Paladin has a dark half of the body right now that lets him go sicko mode (quoted from the player) at 10 HP or under I think.

lmao, I take back what I said about your friends possibly railroading you, they sound like they're having fun.

Also, hmm...  10 HP or under, huh?  Where have I heard that before?

6 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

Luck sucks sometimes.

Such is DnD.

Sometimes RNGesus just flips you the bird and there's nothing you can do about it.

6 hours ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

So, maybe I can have muscles (from a criminal background), but I just have scars everywhere? Also, my Rogue’s a male.

With a strength of 7, they're gonna be tumors that look like muscles.

Okay, I'm exaggerating a little.  Appearance is what you make of it.  You can make it based off of your stats, or you can completely disregard the stats and just make your character look however you want within the bounds of their race.

I personally find it quite fun to think of what some stats do to my character's appearance and personality.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Ertrick36

[Bhoop]

45 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Oh, you mean like a demo session of sorts?

I'd definitely be down to do that to freshen up a bit.

I think it does, but a Discord server sounds like it'd be for the best since it'd really be ideal if we can communicate outside of our sessions.  Particularly for things like asking the DM for clarification on certain things or asking if it's okay to do some things with lore/backstory, or to tell folks when you might need to bug out for a week.

I mean, we could do that here as well I suppose, but it'd just be easier if we had this all organized for ourselves.

That being said, roll20 would be a good place to hold sessions.  Certainly better than just imagining everything in our heads and verbally over a group chat.  That way too we can all display our rolls for everyone to see.  Except the DM, of course.

 

Yeah, Demo Session plus character creation (if needed) plus questions and setting some ground rules.

Discord definitely seems like the best option for communication. We can just use roll20 for maps and enemies (as well as dice rolls)

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

5 hours ago, Ertrick36 said:

lmao, I take back what I said about your friends possibly railroading you, they sound like they're having fun.

Also, hmm...  10 HP or under, huh?  Where have I heard that before?

More like increased damage or something. So Resolve, but maybe edgier.

Also, yes, they are. We have a Dragonborn Bahamut cleric with a regular enough name, but that Orc Paladin is named Player McPlayerface, and our Pyromancy Sorcerer is literally named Lube. And she has a brother named Taco, who we (aside from Lube), we had just met. She is possessed by something named Catra (it’s evil). We had the choice to either kill Taco when he was possessed or spare him. Killing him meant we would face Catra’s wrath, but we spared him.

My rogue, Lander Yeety (tried to fit in with the silly names) was just passing by looking for a place to loot (so he can get money to live). By this point, my character sheet was unfinished, but I was not rushed in the slightest before that point. I was just a lazy bum last night.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Azure in a Roundabout

[Ertrick36]

4 hours ago, Bhoop said:

Yeah, Demo Session plus character creation (if needed) plus questions and setting some ground rules.

Discord definitely seems like the best option for communication. We can just use roll20 for maps and enemies (as well as dice rolls)

I guess during that session I'll go ahead and recreate my character in the roll20 system.  I basically have him completed in a pdf character sheet, but I'm not really great with using pdf files so I can't really save it in an editable fashion (or rather, I don't know how to save it so that the information is still there while also still being editable).  All I really need to work out is stuff like backstory and traits, which I'd rather just do with the DM and/or forge as I play.

Also, thank you for volunteering to be the DM.

1 minute ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

More like increased damage or something. So Resolve, but maybe edgier.

Yeah, but I just couldn't help making a Genealogy reference, and it worked because you specifically said 10 HP (the maximum HP for it to proc).

Love that description, though.  "An edgier Resolve".  Edgy Resolve certainly sounds like it'd be the name of a homebrew feat/trait/spell.  Given the character you described using it, I wouldn't expect anything different.

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

38 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Love that description, though.  "An edgier Resolve".  Edgy Resolve certainly sounds like it'd be the name of a homebrew feat/trait/spell.  Given the character you described using it, I wouldn't expect anything different.

Well, it’s just something that happens. It’s no spell.

Paladins use Charisma to cast spells. The Paladin in the party has 5, so he does not use spells.

Also, our cleric had just learned he could heal.

[TheGoodHoms]

@Azure in a Roundabout Looks like you've been busy, but hopefully you've been having fun too! Your Rogue sounds like a fun character to roleplay, if you're ever having trouble trying to roleplay just ask and I could give you a few useful pointers, roleplay is my favorite part of D&D or any tabletop RPG for that matter so I really like figuring out what makes characters tick. Gosh, I sound like a total acting nerd. Also I will say that going Thief for your Rogue's subclass is a very smart choice for beginners, Assassin skills can be pretty situational and Arcane Trickster has magic which can get pretty overwhelming if you don't take the time to read up on each spell you have.

I also saw you decided to be Chaotic Neutral and with that I'd like to make some recommendations. Firstly, don't fall into the trap of thinking Neutral on the Good and Evil spectrum means sometime you're Good and sometimes you're Evil. In my book Neutral characters lean more towards Good than Evil, but they're a bit more selfish than Good characters and will be more motivated by the promise of some sort of reward or personal gain than just the simple act of doing. Secondly, Chaotic doesn't automatically mean you do everything on a whim or that you're an anarchist, it could be that you value personal freedoms or you tend to disagree with the established authority of your setting more often than not while still seeing some value in having it there. Thirdly, don't "play your alignment," it's more of a guideline for roleplaying your character than a hard rule, allow it to change over time if need be.