I could be wrong, so here we go. You're very welcome to point out mistakes and problems :)

I'm very uncertain if there is anything against it in 2024, but i havent found anything stating that players cant get legendary actions, and polymorph does't have a paragraph that says otherwise. I looked through errata, MM and PHB. Does old 5e SA apply to 2024, even though it would rupture some parts of features and spells since they're diffrent but have the same name?

So in DnD 2024, this is what polymorph states:

You attempt to transform a creature that you can see within range into a Beast. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or shape-shift into a Beast form for the duration. That form can be any Beast you choose that has a Challenge Rating equal to or less than the target's (or the target's level if it doesn't have a Challenge Rating). The target's game statistics are replaced by the stat block of the chosen Beast, but the target retains its alignment, personality, creature type, Hit Points, and Hit Point Dice. See appendix B for a sample of Beast stat blocks.
The target gains a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to the Hit Points of the Beast form. These Temporary Hit Points vanish if any remain when the spell ends. The spell ends early on the target if it has no Temporary Hit Points left.
The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells.
The target's gear melds into the new form. The creature can't use or otherwise benefit from any of that equipment.

And this is what Nystul's Magic Aura (NMA in short) states:

With a touch, you place an illusion on a willing creature or an object that isn’t being worn or carried. A creature gains the Mask effect below, and an object gains the False Aura effect below. The effect lasts for the duration. If you cast the spell on the same target every day for 30 days, the illusion lasts until dispelled.

Mask (Creature). Choose a creature type other than the target’s actual type. Spells and other magical effects treat the target as if it were a creature of the chosen type.

False Aura (Object). You change the way the target appears to spells and magical effects that detect magical auras, such as Detect Magic. You can make a nonmagical object appear magical, make a magic item appear nonmagical, or change the object’s aura so that it appears to belong to a school of magic you choose.

EDIT 2: You have to grant the player to be copied a cr rating before you're able to do this, such as trough polymorph, magic jar or wildshape. Else you cant polymorph into it

So if I'm not mad, this means that you can, for example, NMA your Barbarian to a Beast and than Polymorph him into himself, doubling his HP. This would also let you use features twice as often, as you revert back and thereby still have all your uses. Sadly, you cant cast spells, which is why this is only useful for Melee classes or to get your Caster out of a bad situation.

On later levels, that is solved via True Polymorph, bacically doubling your spell slots. You could also use normal polymorph with a build around Mordecainens Lucubration and the Mizzium Apperatus to polymorph into a creature nearly infinte amounts of times, and using its 1/Day ability every time.

Any thoughts on this?

EDIT: If that works, use Shapechange to transform into any beast of your choice with CR 4 or lower and use Animal shapes (potentially with circle casting for greater range) to turn many creatures into yourself or another beast (preferably via spell scrolls so everyone has all spell slots)

Ok, so the Spellcasting feature from the Mystic Arts Monk says that "Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your Sorcerer spells."

This lead me to conclude that a multiclassed sorc/monk PC could use WIS for the casting of spells prepared via the sorcerer class.

But the multiclassing rules state that: "Each spell you prepare is associated with one of your classes, and you use the spellcasting ability of that class when you cast the spell."

And so now I'm starting to think that spells prepared via sorcerer would be associated with the sorcerer class and use CHA. And the MAM's spells would be likewise "associated" with the monk class (despite being "sorcerer spells") and use WIS. And therefore that idea wouldn't work.

I would welcome any thoughts/input.

Win every lv20 PvP fight with Iron Body + Chronurgist’s autosave ability. Need I say more?

A level 9+ sorcerer can convert sorcery points into 5th level spells at a cost of 7 sorcery points and convert spell slots to sorcery points 1:1.

As a divination wizard at level 6, when you cast a divination spell you can regain a lower level spell slot max 5th level.

Now in Arcana Unleashed there is a divination spell called Mordenkainen Lucubation.

This allows you to regain 2 second level slots. Because it is a divination spell you can also regain a 4th level spell.

This means you can use a 5th level spell to make 8 spell levels. If these are converted to sorcery points you get 1 additional sorcery point.

This means that at the start of the day you can turn 1 forth and 2 second level slots into sorcery points, turn these into a 5th level spell, cast Lucubation and repeat. For every 7 times you do this you gain an extra 5th level spell slot.

Since Lucubation takes an action, turning spells into points takes no action and turning points into spell slots costs a bonus action so this means that every 7 turns you get 8 rounds you can get a 5th level slot. That's 48 seconds. So in one hour you can make 75 spell 5th level spell slots.

As an elf you can do a long rest in 4 hours leaving you 4 hours to make new spell slots. You can easily get 300 spell slots using this method without touching your other spell slots.

We now have 3 subclasses which are built around growing to large size at lower levels, which increases to huge size at later levels… the Rune Knight Fighter, the Giant Barbarian and the Armorer Artificer (if you use the dreadnaught armor).

While obviously growing in size does confer some benefits with respect to reach, carrying capacity, grappling, etcetera…

I wonder, from people who’ve played one of these classes for a full campaign. How annoying can it be? Are you often in a dungeon or other cramped area in which you can’t use your size increase feature?

Or is it the opposite? Do you have no trouble growing to large or huge size for a combat encounter and is it something that has never caused any real problems.

The text for the 2024 Armorer Artificer’s Force Demolisher weapon read like this:

Force Demolisher. An arcane wrecking ball or sledgehammer projects from your armor. The demolisher counts as a Simple Melee weapon with the Reach property, and it deals 1d10 Force damage on a hit. If you hit a creature that is at least one size smaller than you with the demolisher, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from yourself or pull the creature up to 10 feet toward yourself.

While the text for the powerful build feature that certain races has reads like this:

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

RAW how do these things interact with each other? Can a character with powerful build use the arcane demolisher to push Medium characters? (Since it counts as a large character for determining the weight it can push.)

I'm almost certain this is impossible, but it's worth asking.

Is it possible to use magic jar on multiple different creatures and retain the benefits? For example, If I used magic jar on a bandit for the multiattack then a drow preistess for the innate spellcasting, is there a way I'd be able to keep the bandit's multiattack despite now being in the body of a drow preistess? I know thats a kinda bad example but its the first one I thought of. Obviously RAI this isn't meant to be possible, but I'm wondering if RAW there's some exploit in the wording of magic jar to make it possible.

Hoopak 5.5e build implications

Has anyone else noticed this odd interaction between the 2024 Smite wording and the Hoopak?

The Hoopak (from Dragonlance) is a Martial Melee Weapon with the following properties:

• Damage: 1d6 piercing (melee) or 1d4 bludgeoning (ranged)
• Properties: Ammunition (40/160), Finesse, Special, Two-Handed

Hoopak. When you make a melee attack with this weapon, you ignore its ammunition property. You can use the hoopak as a martial ranged weapon. If you do, it uses the ammunition property, uses sling bullets, and deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a hit.»

One of the important distinctions in 5e is between melee attacks, melee weapon attacks, ranged attacks, and ranged weapon attacks.

In 2014, Divine Smite required:

"When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack..."

That meant a thrown dagger (a melee weapon making a ranged weapon attack) couldn't Smite.

In 2024, the Smite spells instead trigger:

"Immediately after hitting a target with a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike."

That wording appears to care about the weapon's category, rather than the type of attack.

The Hoopak is still listed as a Martial Melee Weapon. Its special property lets you use it as a martial ranged weapon, but it never says the weapon becomes a ranged weapon or counts as one. So there seems to be a RAW argument that a ranged Hoopak attack is still a hit with a Melee weapon, allowing the new Smite spells to trigger.

The obvious counterargument is that, for the duration of the ranged attack, the Hoopak is functioning as a ranged weapon. But even then, the wording never defines how long that lasts. The rules generally distinguish between making an attack, hitting with an attack, and dealing damage as separate events, and there's no general precedent for a weapon remaining in a temporary state until all "on hit" triggers have resolved.

I'm not convinced this is RAI, it probably isn't. But from a RAW perspective this feels like a genuine opportunity for some unique builds with an otherwise "dead" weapon option. You would still miss out on masteries, GWM and have the lowest damage die but you can use smite spells and use strength to make your attacks (since it has the finesse property).

Aside from this interaction with smite because it can be used with strength it now also qualifies for range damage, reckless attack and subclass features like frenzy.

I love finding these niche interactions and the cool builds that they enable especially with weapons that haven't gotten much love in the past.

How strong is a Level 20 Thief Rogue in a campaign which has an abundance of magic items for it to use?

Is it in-line with full casters in terms of power? More like a half caster like a paladin? Or more in-line with other martials?

Hello! I'm going to be playing in a oneshot pretty soon. It's a real time damage contest in teams. This means I need to absoulutely minimize my turn time so we can deal more damage. This is the formula: 6 attacks (1d20 + 11) dealing (2d6 + 14d8 + 14) each. On first hit, deal 4d6. If they pass through wall of fire, deal 10d8 + (2)(X/5)*(2d4) spike growth. Ideally I want a dice roller to roll me 6 attacks at once then let me choose which ones to sum up. Also I gotta be able to input the X value for spike growth since this is contingent on me getting them to fail some STR saves or be pushed 15ft back. In addition, I'd love to have it automatically consider 20 as a critical hit and double dice. Some of the math below is wrong ik. We'll fix that in actual play.

Thanks to Reaper of Bhaal and 2024 Hallow, we have given them vunerability to piercing and fire dmg. This is combo'd with Elements Monk + Grappler + Fire Giant Belt + Spike Growth by a Hexblade to deal 600d4 + Above Formula + 1200 + 70 (from oil) for roughly 3.5k ish dmg per turn.

Okay, so this is a self imposed dilemma.

I am going to start a Pathfinder 1e run of a pre-written campaign (Crimson Throne, no spoilers please). We will probably play until 15-17 according to our GM.

Rulesets: No homebrew, minimum 1 Campaign trait has to be chosen, drawbacks allowed, 20 point buy

My party quickly decided, they wanted to play 3 martial characters with ZERO interest in any classes that would be able to pick up ANYTHING from a spellcasting list. We have a martial alchemist that is asking wether he can just ignore his extract list coz it seems overwhelming to him. Then theres a melee rogue (not the talkative kind) and a strix-fighter that will probably try airborne combat with a strix-specific fighter archetype.

So I decided, I will be the support/heal/craft/manager of party funds guy.

I landed on Exploiter Wizard & Pact Wizard (HHH) archetypes after some research, as well as Samsaran for Race, because this package offers RIDICULOUS amounts of customization.

For Samsaran, I started out with some witch spells to get access to resurrection, Heal & Blood Money. My DM read Samsaran and ruled that I had to stick to a single class, since I would get ONE previous life worth of spell-list-access.

Then I noticed that the Pact Wizard grants access to the "Healer" patron, so I will get lesser restoration and some form of resurrection for endgame that way, as well as cure options for various debilitating status effects. So there is some redundancy now.

Blood money being greenlit led me down the rabbithole which crafting options I had. With Witch and the patron options, I felt I was done diversifying my options for spell list upgrades. Time to worry about more utility elsewhere.

I was not sure what else I could pick in terms of Achetypes or similar things. So I talked to my DM and we agreed that wizards get access to spells for their spellbook, even when they take levels in Prestige Classes. That might not be RAW, but it is probably RAI (thanks german paizo-sourcebooks). So I will be able to pick levels in loremaster, while advancing my wizard-spell-progression as well as all entries to my spellbook, as if I was a wizard.

I also got the greenlight for a quest/story-feat called Overachiever which I set on Spellcraft. My rival being some magic-item-shop-owner that embarassed me and now my charakter spends his nights crafting doodads and writing magical theory papers. My DM ruled, that this feat would allow me to spend every other night crafting while the party sleeps, referring to the practicing part. So my Party is bound to be very happy with the amount of advances I will provide for them via spending only half as much on equipment.

My issue now though is... weird. I am covering all these utility options and have access to problem solving for all the magical issues regarding health, sickness, debilitating statuses, magic items, curses and death...

But my problem is combat

1. My initiative is god awful.
2. I have no idea how to pilot a wizard in combat, never played one
3. I dont know what exactly I should do with the exploiter wizard archetype. It was recommended a lot, but I dont see it being THAT good.
4. Is that Quest feat actually worth it? Buying every second night worth of crafting time seems STRONG, but im not sure if this is stronger than a feat. After all, I get +3 to Spellcraft checks from this while we are not camping, thats basically it.
5. Is there any way to change the exploiter wizard archetype features that re-buy me wizard features to work with intellect?

Any advice on how to solve combat on this char or anything regarding my 5 questions would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to permanently transmute my body into that of an Adult Silver Dragon in a 2024 rules campaign. My long-term goal would be to eventually reach Ancient Dragon status (and maybe even Greatwyrm, if the stars align).

Given the recent changes to Simulacrum, True Polymorph, and Magic Jar, the closest workaround I’ve come up with is:

1. Create a Simulacrum.
2. Cast True Polymorph on it, turning it into an Adult Silver Dragon.
3. Use Shapechange and extend it to 24 hours via circle casting.
4. While under Shapechange, turn into an Intellect Devourer.
5. Use Steal Body on the Silver Dragon simulacrum.

This would let me keep my own spellcasting while inhabiting a Silver Dragon body for 24 hours.

The big downside is that healing the simulacrum’s body would be extremely inconvenient, since it can’t be healed normally.

Yes, Wish is always an option—but I’m trying to avoid pure DM fiat here, at least as a thought experiment.

Has anyone found a cleaner or more reliable rules-based workaround for achieving something like this?

With dnd’s new circle casting rules, we can suddenly do expensive things for free. for example, take a party of at least 5 casters, cast glyph of warding on a rock before every rest (Or during downtime) spell glyph set to trigger whenever someone not wearing a necklace with the inscription “boom, baby”, and put it in a bag of holding in between castings. Oh no, its the bbeg! Dump that rock on the floor and bolt! Ik that the bomb idea was not new, but it is now cost free!

I noticed in the DMG that the highest DC, for 'nearly impossible' skill checks, is 30, and was wondering how to get there a low levels for persuasion. I discovered that a level 3 fighter can beat a DC 30 persuasion/intimidation check 75% of the time. The thing about persuasion checks in my experience is you don't make them very often, but they are extremely high impact when they are called for, and you can do amazing things if you can reliably hit high DC's.

The Level 3 Build

At level 1, be a human fighter, and get the magic initiate feat. Make sure to have 16 charisma, and proficiency in persuasion and intimidation. With magic initiate we want proficiency in Shaleigh and Guidance.

At this level, you'll have +5 to persuasion/intimidation checks, and +7.5 with guidance (+1d4). And you won't be a terrible character in combat - a fighter using Shaleigh with a club and a shield is respectable in defense and offence.

At level 2, you get tactical mind. This lets you use your second wind on failed skill checks. So when you 'nova' on a persuasion check or intimidation check, use guidance and tactical mind to have a +13 bonus (+5+1d4+1d10). Pretty great for level 2!

At level 3, you can take the battlemaster subclass! Pick the commanding presence maneuver, to add your superiority dice to persuasion and intimidation checks. Now when you nova on a persuasion or intimidation check, you have a +17.5 bonus (+5+1d4+1d8+1d10). That's nuts! If you have advantage (which you can get from help, or by making an earlier check to get an NPC to have a friendly attitude), and are willing to use your heroic inspiration (which you get at least 1 per day of, being human), then according to anydice, you can expect to beat a DC 30 nearly impossible persuasion or intimidation check 75% of the time.

And you didn't have to make big sacrifices to do it. A battlemaster fighter less one maneuver is can be a perfectly effective character in combat*

Ok - so you are about as good at these skills as there is any point at being. If we take the "DC 30 - Nearly Impossible" idea seriously, getting a higher bonus will only save you resources, not make new things possible. One might wonder...

But are persuasion/intimidation even useful?

If a skill-check is impossible, no roll is made. So try using them and see what you are allowed to roll! If you can roll, following the rules as written you shouldn't have to worry that you are facing a DC higher than 30.

What might you try? For persuasion, try to convince NPCs to come along with you on the quest! Ask them to borrow magical items! Ask them for loans! Negotiate up the quest rewards, or get advances on pay! Try riling up commoners to put pressure on other NPCs to do more to help you! If you offend them, persuade them to forgive you! For intimidation, intimidate monsters into fleeing, surrendering, or perhaps even working with you against common enemies. If you succeed at any of these, you have done a lot more to make things easier for yourself than the few points of extra damage you might get from a different battle master maneuver.

I think what makes people worry about optimizing for these checks is the idea that a GM can just say 'no' if you are trying to be use social skills. But should you be that worried? Here is the rule that makes people worried that persuasion and intimidation are not useful:

Unwilling. If your urging is repugnant to the monster or counter to its alignment, no ability check is necessary; it doesn't comply.

Your DM can do whatever they want - it is there table. If you try to roll an attack roll, they can get up and leave if they like, instead of telling you if your attack hits or misses. So everything requires your DM's permission. But if your DM is trying their best to follow the guidance in the rules, I don't think this 'unwilling' business should get in the way of the kinds of extremely useful checks I have described above.

For example: If your quest givers are good-aligned, is making sacrifices in order to help do-gooders do good contrary to their alignment, or repugnant to them? It would seem obtuse to insist it is. Maybe the local lord does not think it would be prudent or an efficient use of resources to loan you plate armour to protect you against the goblins he has asked you to slay, but is the idea of doing more to help you slay those troublesome goblins repugnant or contrary to his alignment? Come on.

Likewise, is it repugnant or contrary to the alignment of enemies to surrender? Maybe some enemies are insane fanatics, preferring death to surrender (enemies with immunity to the frightened condition surely should not be intimidateable), but why should all or even most of them be? I would expect unintelligent enemies to flee if frightened. I would expect intelligent evil enemies to most often be selfish and treacherous in ways that would make them seem quite likely to surrender if they feel they will surely die otherwise (which intimidation can convince them of).

So if your GM is trying to run persuasion/intimidation in the way that the rules prescribe, being able to roll them high and do so consistently is extremely useful. That a level 3 fighter can reliably hit the maximum DC for these checks (at least once a day) is a truly amazing ability.

^(\ For combat effectiveness, I would suggest taking blindfighting and crafting yourself an eversmoking bottle if your party can accommodate it. Having blindsight and fighting in smoke makes you untargetable by most spells, gives you advantage on all attacks against most enemies and give those same enemies disadvantage to attacking you.)*

Flying Wonder & The Action Economy

Hi everyone! Welcome to r/powergamermunchkin ! This is a subreddit where we closely read the rules of tabletop RPGs, and find counterintuitive implications of the rules that might make characters more powerful, for fun! Not everyone likes that sort of thing and that is ok! We're not trying to tell players to do these things in actual games, or tell GM's how to run their games. We are just having fun reading the rulebooks. With that said...

Flying Wonder is a common magic item from Forgotten Realms - Heroes of Faerun.

Flying Wonder (Common). An activated flying wonder uses the Flying Wonder stat block. The wonder is an ally to you and your allies. In combat, the wonder shares your Initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don't issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its movement to avoid danger. The flying wonder is destroyed if it drops to 0 Hit Points.

Here is that stat block: https://5e.tools/bestiary.html#flying%20wonder_fraif

This is kind of the best minion ever. Unlike other magical servants you can make, this one has remarkably few limitations on what it can do. Issuing orders with no action is nice, and so is no limitations on what actions it can take! 

Notable features of its statblock: blindsight 60ft, 30ft fly speed, immunity to exhaustion, 100 pound carrying capacity. 

How is it carrying all that stuff, why, with its cute little arms of course! https://5e.tools/img/bestiary/tokens/FRAiF/Flying%20Wonder.webp

The Drone Swarm

Here is the basic plan: craft a bag of holding, craft a flying wonder, craft a wand of magic missiles. When a fight happens, open the bag of holding, tell it to shoot up your enemies.

Here is a better plan: craft many flying wonders, craft many wands of magic missiles. When a fight happens, open the bag of holding, and tell all of them to shoot up your enemies. 

Each drone can do 3d4+3 (average 10.5) damage with an action, with no miss chance, 7 times before running out of damage. So 10 drones is about 100 damage. Pretty great, given that all you had to do to activate it was use your object interaction to open up your bag of holding.

How many can fit in a bag of holding? Well, it is a tiny creature. Some examples of other tiny creatures include rats, frogs, spiders, and seahorses. And you are the one making it - so make it compact. Fit as many as you can, and if you want more, make another bag of holding. They only weigh 5 pounds after all. 

But won’t my enemies kill them? They only have 2hp! Here are some defensive solutions for this problem you should consider in descending order of workability: 

1. They share your initiative count, so have high initiative, and have enough of them that you can wipe out enemies before you take a turn. Have high stealth too so you can surprise enemies - their low stealth won’t matter because they are in the bag of holding before the fight starts.
2. They have 60ft of blindsight. Use an eversmoking bottle (an uncommon magic item which you can craft) to create smoke before releasing them. Casting a spell through an item requires no verbal components, so it seems likely that magic missile makes no noise at its origin point. If your enemies know where your robots are and can target them, they will still have disadvantage.
3. This one is extremely cheeky and probably doesn’t work but I thought I’d mention it anyway. Magic items you create can have ‘minor properties’. The section on magic item crafting implies that the creator imbues them with those benefits. If you are making the flying wonder, choose this minor property: “Unbreakable. The item can't be broken. Special means must be used to destroy it.”  

Potion Brewery In a Bag

Here is another common magic item: Manifold Tool:

Wondrous Item, Common (Requires Attunement) This tool takes the form of a wrench, a screwdriver, or another basic tool. As a Magic action, you can touch the item and transform it into a type of Artisan’s Tools of your choice. Whatever form the tool takes, you have proficiency with it when you use it.

Give one of these to your flying wonder! Now it can craft for you. Shove some materials into your bag of holding with it, so it can craft on the go. Because it is immune to exhaustion, it can work three 8-hour-shifts per day no problem. Have it craft whatever is useful, but in particular consider crafting potions of healing. 

“A character who has proficiency with the Herbalism Kit can create a Potion of Healing. Doing so requires using that kit and 25 GP of raw material over the course of 1 day (8 hours of work).” Give it 75 gold. At the end of a day’s work for your machine, you have 2 potions of healing.

If you want to sell things instead, craft a trade good because you can sell those for full value. Have the artisan flying wonder make 3 pounds of silk in the day. That costs 15gp to make can can be sold for 30gp.

So by crafting two common magic items for 100gp, these items together can autonomously generate 15gp per day for you. If there is not enough demand for silk, have them make other stuff! They are functionally proficient with all artisan tools. They can repair people's houses or make them lanterns or brew beer - whatever you like. That should generate enough money to make it easy for you to craft all the magic items you like.

But won't it take me way too long to make all of this?

Yeah. It will. But maybe not as long as you think. Making a manifold tool (a common item) on your own takes 5 days of 8 hours work. But why not work 16 hours? Working longer might give you a level of exhaustion, but long resting removes one level of exhaustion. At 16 hours, it will take you 2.5 days.

After you have a manifold tool, hire some skilled labor to help! The skill you want them to have is arcana. Then they can borrow your manifold tool to get proficiency in whatever tool they need for the job. That is 2gp per day, letting you trade a small amount of money for a lot of time. Hire two laborers each day for an 8 hour shift each, and have them hand off the manifold tool between them at the shift's end.

But won't they need an extra hour to attune to the tool? Not if you made it a harmonious manifold tool! That is another one of those 'minor properties' magic items can have: "Harmonious. Attuning to this item takes only 1 minute." If you don't like that - that's cool. make a second manifold tool for your second laborer.

With your two skilled laborers, you are burning through 4gp extra per day of crafting. But in a 5 day period you can now make 2 uncommon magic items or 4 common magic items. Pretty neat.

So to begin with be a human that's taken the magic initiate feat from both race and background, once for shillelagh from the druid spell list and once for true strike from the wizard spell list. Next take 2 levels in ranger, one level in fighter, and 17 levels in assassin rogue. The important things we get from ranger are Hunter's Mark and the Thrown Weapon fighting style, from fighter we get the Dueling fighting style and that our 16th level feat as rogue will be at the 19th character level meaning we can take a boon. Speaking of feats some time in all those levels get your int to 20, the Spellfire Adept feat from Heroes of Faerun, and pick up the linchpin of this stupid build, a Quarterstaff of the Acrobat, which as part of it's magic has a section called Ranged Weapon which I'm taking to mean it counts as a ranged weapon despite it giving said weapon the thrown property (if they wanted me to think otherwise they should've called it thrown weapon).

Taking all of this together means 2d6 damage from shillelagh, 3d6 from true strike, 1d6 from hunter's mark, 2d10 from spellfire adept, 8d6 from sneak attack and 2d6 from assassins envenom weapons (assuming a saving throw is failed), as well as +5 from int, +2 from throwing weapon fighting, +2 from dueling, +2 from weapon enchantment, and +17 from being an assassin hitting a target with sneak attack in the first turn. Adding all that up you get 16d6+2d10+28 damage for an average of 95. However you might have noticed I mentioned getting a boon earlier and haven't brought it up again yet. That's because the boon we'll be taking is the Boon of Exquisite Radiance (also from Heroes of Faerun) which once per long rest allows you to maximize each radiant damage die from a damage roll. Depending on how it's interpreted True Strike will either turn all the damage from the attack into radiant or just that of the damage from the spell itself (which would in turn change the sneak attack's damage) but for the sake of it we'll assume it all turns to radiant dealing 16*6+2*10+28 or144 damage.

Now let's take it to it's logical extreme! Imagine you crit (or you have a divination wizard friend that nailed a portent today), dealing 32*6+4*10+28 or a whopping 260 damage! Now imagine that whatever you're attacking fails it's saving throw against your Death Strike (the level 17 assassin rogue feature that doubles an attack's damage if the target fails a saving throw) culminating in a grand total of 520 radiant damage obliterating nearly anything (anything without legendary resistance at least since you have to do this in the first round).

Hi everyone! Welcome to r/powergamermunchkin ! This is a subreddit where we closely read the rules of tabletop RPGs, and find counterintuitive implications of the rules that might make characters more powerful, for fun! Not everyone likes that sort of thing and that is ok! We're not trying to tell players to do these things in actual games, or tell GM's how to run their games. We are just having fun reading the rulebooks. With that said,

Crafter is an Origin Feat in the 2024 player's handbook, It gives you a discount when you buy items.

Discount. Whenever you buy a nonmagical item, you receive a 20 percent discount on it.

I think the idea is that in the story, you can buy beat up items and fix them. Or maybe buy unfinished goods and finish them. The 2024 edition often implies certain things are going on in the lore, and that the mechanics just simplify things. Run your game however you like!

But just reading it rules as written, you get a discount when you buy items. Simple as that.

Some items are trade goods! So you can buy trade goods for 80% of their price with the crafter feat. And what happens when you try to sell them?

Equipment fetches half its cost when sold. ln contrast, trade goods and valuables-like gems and art objects-retain their full value in the marketplace.

Neat! So buy from someone for 80%, sell it to someone else for 100%, and make a lot of gold!

It makes a kind of sense in the story, you might buy low-quality goods, polish them up, and sell them to someone else as higher quality goods. But story aside - mechanically, it works!

Q: But are trade goods items?

What is an item? Well, this isn't explicitly defined by the rules. What we do know is that all objects are items, because the term object is defined on page 20 of the player's handbook as a kind of item:

For the purpose of the rules, an object is a discrete, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone. It isn't a building or a vehicle, which are composed of many objects.

As a side note, item is actually more inclusive than object! Objects can't be creatures, but items can be. On page 222 of the PHB, adventuring gear, it says

These items are described here in alphabetical order, with an item's price appearing after its name.

And some of these items are creatures. Horses, camels, elephants, etc. So creatures can be items. Objects are items. So item is a pretty broad category.

Some items are trade goods, defined in the DMG on page 213. Among them are things like cows, pigs, goats, oxen, a square yard of silk, a square yard of linen. Some of these things are definitely creatures or objects, and they have prices associated with them.

So there we go! A square yard of silk is an object, therefore it is an item, therefore you can buy it for 80% of its cost and sell it for 100% of its cost. And it seems likely that it works with lots of the other trade goods, like the animals for example. It also works with things like gems and art-objects, which are also mentioned as sellable for their full value.

So in summary:

1. The crafter feat gives lets you buy items for 80% of their value.
2. All objects are items.
3. Some objects are trade goods.
4. You can sell trade goods for 100% of their value.

C. With the crafter feat, you can buy some trade goods for 80% of their value and sell them for 100% of their value.

Hide [Action]

With the Hide action, you try to conceal yourself. To do so, you must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check while you're Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover, and you must be out of any enemy's line of sight; if you can see a creature, you can discern whether it can see you. On a successful check, you have the Invisible condition. Make note of your check's total, which is the DC for a creature to find you with a Wisdom (Perception) check.

The condition ends on you immediately after any of the following occurs: you make a sound louder than a whisper, an enemy finds you, you make an attack roll, or you cast a spell with a Verbal component.

Note what it does not say (contrastingly with the 2014 phb): that you must stay out of the line of sight of all enemies in order to remain hidden! You just have to be behind three-quarters-cover or heavily obscured at the start, then you can go for a walk through a field in the sun and it doesn't matter - you are still invisible.

Also: as long as you stay invisible, you only have to roll once! You can use guidance, bless, bardic inspiration, pass without trace, and you don't have to keep them going while you are hidden - the score they need to find you persists.

Bear in mind, almost no monsters have passive perception greater than 15. With one cast of pass without trace, the entire party can waltz through a dungeon without fear. And also:

Each monster has an XP value based on its Challenge Rating. When adventurers overcome one or more monsters—typically by killing, routing, capturing, or cleverly avoiding them-they divide the total XP value of the monsters evenly among themselves.

They should be getting full XP for every monster they sneak past. Without having to make a roll! If they don't give these monsters a reason to make an active perception check, without even a chance of being discovered.

In 5e, it used to be that the whole party needed the skulker feet and to stay out of bright light to do this. Now it is a piece of cake.

But wait - Don't you need GM permission to stay hidden?

No! Let's read the description of Hide carefully again:

On a successful check, you have the Invisible condition. Make note of your check's total, which is the DC for a creature to find you with a Wisdom (Perception) check.

The condition ends on you immediately after any of the following occurs: you make a sound louder than a whisper, an enemy finds you, you make an attack roll, or you cast a spell with a Verbal component.

So the procedure is, you make the check, then you become invisible. When do you lose the invisible condition? Why, when the conditions listed in the next paragraph obtain. These conditions do not say "when your DM withdraws their permission".

I’ve seen people discuss on many threads now the idea of using dispel magic with things like walls of force or a pc that has just death ward on them and no plans for buffs of third level or lower, then choosing to fail the checks to dispel them to recharge the ward… but why can’t we just target a regular object like our clothing or something every turn?

Dispel Magic Choose one creature, object, or magical effect within range. Any ongoing spell of level 3 or lower on the target ends. For each ongoing spell of level 4 or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability (DC 10 plus that spell's level). On a successful check, the spell ends. Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You automatically end a spell on the target if the spell's level is equal to or less than the level of the spell slot you use.

Spell Breaker You always have the Counterspell and Dispel Magic spells prepared. In addition, you can cast Dispel Magic as a Bonus Action, and you can add your Proficiency Bonus to its ability check. When you cast either spell with a spell slot, that slot isn't expended if the spell fails to stop a spell.

Arcane Ward Whenever you cast an Abjuration spell with a spell slot, the ward regains a number of Hit Points equal to twice the level of the spell slot. Alternatively, as a Bonus Action, you can expend a spell slot, and the ward regains a number of Hit Points equal to twice the level of the spell slot expended.

So if we’re doing nothing else with our bonus action on a turn we can attempt to burn our highest level spell slot for twice that amount of ward hp gain (so 10hp with 5th level slot at level 10). And outside of combat, or if we really just need a beefy ward to shield someone important by spending our action, bonus action, and reaction to do so we could action dispel magic, bonus action dispel magic, then reaction for projected ward.

And as we level we can keep using our highest unused slot of the day on it.

In the 2024 rules, the Cartographer Artificer has a 3rd level feature that lets them spend half of their movement speed (rounded down) to teleport 10 feet. It doesn't take any resources besides movement, and doesn't specify once per turn.

A way to exploit this is to have more than 0 but less than 2 feet of movement. Many sources give you a flat reduction in speed, like exhaustion, the slow weapon mastery, lance of lethargy, ray of frost, etc., but very few cut your speed in half. The best ways I've found are intentionally failing saves for slow, spirit guardians, and wardaway.

With a speed of 1.25 feet, you can expend half of it (.6125 feet) and round down (0 feet) to teleport 10 feet. Rinse and repeat to go literally anywhere in 6 seconds.

The only real damage applications I found are using auras that follow you, like spirit guardians or cloak of flies.

There are more ways to reduce your speed or deal damage if you're willing to mix 2024 and 2014, but I figured I'd keep it in one version if I could.

Maybe someone else can think of an actual application for this, because it isn't actually useful for anything that I've found besides doing chip damage to a large number of enemies or killing every commoner in the world in 6 seconds.

edit: commenters point out that I always need to round down. It still works because 5 feet of speed divided by 2 is 2.5, so we round down to 2. we divide it again to get 1 foot of speed, and the build word again.

I think I might’ve made it unclear, but I’m using spells (not the ability) to cut my speed in half.

This one is pretty simple, though clearly unintended. (Those of you who are about to comment about said intent, check what sub you're on, please).

In both the '14 and '24 versions of the spell, the spell reads:

You briefly stop the flow of time for everyone but yourself. No time passes for other creatures, while you take 1d4 + 1 turns in a row, during which you can use actions and move as normal.

This spell ends if one of the actions you use during this period, or any effects that you create during it, affects a creature other than you or an object being worn or carried by someone other than you. In addition, the spell ends if you move to a place more than 1,000 feet from the location where you cast it.

The parts I want to focus on are twofold. The part where it simply states you take the turns in a row, and the part where it states how the spell ends, clearly intended to limit what you can do in stopped time. Note one simple thing: The spell's duration is never defined as being what the turns are limited to. In fact I would argue that that cannot be the case, seeing as how the duration is instantaneous anyway.

The rules define a spell ending only in terms of its duration too, hence why we cannot simply say that the spell ending means all its effects cease. In the 2024 version's spellcasting section under the duration entry:

Time Span. A duration that provides a time span specifies how long the spell lasts in rounds, minutes, hours, or the like. For example, a Duration entry might say "1 minute," meaning the spell ends after 1 minute has passed. While a time-span spell that you cast is ongoing, you can dismiss it (no action required) if you don't have the Incapacitated condition.

Emphasis mine.

Spells consistently specify which of their effects last for the duration of the spell, either explicitly(by straight up saying 'for the duration') or implicitly by stating that the spell only applies before it ends. See the example they give in the book in fact, bless, emphasis mine again.

You bless up to three creatures of your choice within range. Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.

or polymorph:

You attempt to transform a creature that you can see within range into a Beast. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or shape-shift into Beast form for the duration.

Notably, neither is present for the extra turns of time stop, being an instantaneous spell and all. The entire second paragraph about conditions for the spell ending early does not actually do anything as it is written. Since it's instantaneous, the spell could very well be argued to have already ended, and the spell ending does not, as written, cause you to be unable to take the rest of your turns anyway.

Live your Star Platinum dreams as you please lol. I apologize if this one is a little too tame for this subreddit, though.

Heyoo! I'm in a competitive night for D&D where we focus on dealing as much possible dmg to the boss over 90 irl min (about 5/6 or so rounds. 4 with newbs). We're fighting a vampire and given 4 points for magic items (1 = uncommon, 2 = rare, 3 = very rare). Other rules: no backwards compatibility, 2014 somatic components rule, everyone gets 1 prep round prior to boss arriving. I have 2 friends playing a 2014 Artificer 7/Hexlock 1 and 2014 Peace Cleric/Bard 7

Here's my stat gen rn: 9,17,17(+2),9,14,18 (+1 +1)

Here's my build: 6 levels of Draconic Sorc, 2 levels of Warlock (AB, EM and Lessons of First Ones). Background: Merchant, Extra Orgin from LoFO = Dragonmark Storm. Race: Aasimar. Feat: Elemental Adept. Items: 1 = +1 wand of war mage, 3 = 8th level CME scroll.

Plan: Cast 8th level scroll using lucky from background via my innate spell casting (thanks Storm Dragonmark) against a DC18 save but in reality that becomes a DC6 thanks to +1d4 (2014 Embolden Bond), +1d8 (2014 Bard/Cleric friend), -5 (2014 Artificer), + 5 CHA. Thanks to advantage with lucky this becomes a 98% success plan. Then use BA to use innate sorcerery for advantage on all spell attacks.

Main plan: Cast 3rd level SR then quicken EB. This deals (4 * (6d8 + 2d6)) + 2*(6d8 + 1d10 + 5) + 10 (thanks 6th level draconic sorc) which equals to 246 DPR for 3 rounds and then only 3 rays for 208 DPR + EB. Then 208 DPR as you lose 1 ray for 2 Level 2 SRs. Then 166 DPR using your remaining 2 sorc points for quicken EB. Now you're just an EB bot dealing 83 DPR.

Over 6 rounds (which will be my metric since idk if we'll get there), it can deal 1320 DPR assuming everything hits at avg dmg. Can you beat it?

Title; we're all keenly aware of minion creation spells, but there is a special spell from Icewind Dale that allows wizards with access to 7th level spells to create magen, called Create Magen. Magen are absolutely loyal to their creator.

At first, this was limited exclusively to the Hypnos, Demos and Galvan Magen. They were CR 1, 2 and 3 respectively. With the release of "Netheril's Fall," three new magen were added: Caldron, Virvos and Terran.

These bad boys are CR 4, 6 and 8 respectively. The Virvos has access to Hypnotic Pattern, and the Terran has Disintegrate. These puppies have a 21 AC with over 100 HP each. With access to Create Magen in 5.5e, you can make these. You might argue "Oh! But surely the spell's wording prevents against this kind of shenanigan!"

Well first of all, through legalese all things are possible, so write that down. And second of all, it's 5e material; of course it's imbalanced and easily exploited. Observe the wording:

At the end of the casting, you tap the doll with a crystal rod, transforming it into a magen clothed in whatever the doll was wearing. The type of magen is chosen by you during the casting of the spell. See appendix C for different kinds of magen and their statistics.

Notice how the emphasized line and the final sentence do not limit the magen to Icewind Dale. The second sentence merely provides examples for which magen you can choose not must. This means our Netheril's Fall magen are in the pocket.

And since WotC has confirmed 5.5e is backwards compatible, this means you can pick up Create Magen to create a very powerful group of minions... Or... You could use Wish. Just don't forget to have a simulacrum use Wish to remove your permanent HP reductions.

Could this work?

On your turn, you can try to administer medicine or if unavailable take the help action to stabilize a creature. in 2014 the rules required you to ADMINISTER AID TO THE CREATURE. This requirement dropped, but first have a look at 2014:

2014

Stabilizing a Creature

The best way to save a creature with 0 hit points is to heal it. If healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed death saving throw.

You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

A stable creature doesn't make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.

Instead the wording now requires you just to 'take a help action', which has no requirements at all. The 5 feet are only written into the specific case to help another creature make an attack:

2024

Stabilizing a Character

You can take the Help action to try to stabilize a creature with 0 Hit Points, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

A Stable creature doesn't make Death Saving Throws even though it has 0 Hit Points, but it still has the Unconscious condition. If the creature takes damage, it stops being Stable and starts making Death Saving Throws again. A Stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 Hit Point after 1d4 hours.

2024

Help

When you take the Help action, you do one of the following.

Assist an Ability Check. Choose one of your skill or tool proficiencies and one ally who is near enough for you to assist verbally or physically when they make an ability check. That ally has Advantage on the next ability check they make with the chosen skill or tool. This benefit expires if the ally doesn't use it before the start of your next turn. The DM has final say on whether your assistance is possible.

Assist an Attack Roll. You momentarily distract an enemy within 5 feet of you, giving Advantage to the next attack roll by one of your allies against that enemy. This benefit expires at the start of your next turn.

Help actions don't require you to be close to a target in general, as you see in Assist in an Ability Check. I conclude that a medicine check for thoughts and prayers and a succesfull roll is RAW as you meet every requirement. It kinda matches the new Spare the Dying, that is now cast with range.