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1500 questions
104
votes
1 answer
Why does “dungeon” mean the places adventurers go to kill stuff?
Why does ‘dungeon’, in the context of roleplaying games and D&D in particular, mean the places adventurers go to kill stuff?
I’m asking because ‘dungeon’ usually means a kind of prison, and I can’t see how it evolved into “hunting ground”, or…
Malady
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104
votes
10 answers
Where do adventurers keep all their stuff?
This is a bit of an equipment logistics question so might not be all that interesting to everyone but... Reading the 5e PHB, the backpack weight listing says:
Backpack: 1 cubic foot/30 pounds of gear
(You can also strap items, such as a bedroll…
Tommy
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101
votes
1 answer
What are the playable D&D races in 5e, and where can I find them?
There's not a lot of material published by WotC for 5e (relative to previous editions), nor is there planned to be. However, there are playable races for D&D scattered around in a few different locations in published products that people may not…
nitsua60
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101
votes
1 answer
How has D&D's guidance to DMs on when to extrapolate from written rules and when to improvise changed over time?
This answer (to a question about a levitating character trying to catch an object that exceeds the spell's weight limit in D&D 2e) states that:
The spell levitate has a maximum weight limit, and gives no effect for exceeding it. Since "falling…
Jeff Fry
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100
votes
15 answers
How do I handle my players killing things by catapulting a folding boat?
So, I'm not sure where to begin...
I planned some epic battle and "that guy" showed up and ruined it. He took a magical item I (stupidly) gave him (folding boat, DMG 170), cast Catapult (EE, p.15) on the item and said the magic words while it was in…
Jeff
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100
votes
18 answers
How do I roleplay a character more intelligent than I am?
What are some strategies and techniques for role playing a character that is more intelligent than you actually are? It's pretty easy to pretend to be someone who is less intelligent, but the reverse seems very difficult.
user19
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100
votes
13 answers
Is there a real use for the Medicine skill?
Does the Medicine skill have a hidden use I don't know about? All I can see in the rules is that it allows a successful skill roll to stabilize a dying character, which a healer kit does without a roll, and healer kits are really cheap. Does a…
ProfessorZ
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100
votes
13 answers
3d6 vs a d20: What is the effect of a different probability curve?
What is the effect on game play of replacing d20 rolls with 3d6 rolls in a D&D 4e campaign?
I started thinking about this after reading this question where the example was given of playing a d20 system with 3d8 (actually 3z7, but I digress). I like…
yhw42
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98
votes
6 answers
Does this character concept involving never taking a long rest and converting spell slots to sorcery points (aka coffeelock) violate RAW?
Does the following, very cheesy character concept, violate any RAW? Please cite rules or official rulings in your answer. (Apart from RAW, I expect my DM to disallow or limit the concept, in the interest of balance. That is not part of my…
SorcererQzot
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98
votes
5 answers
Do Cantrips use your character level or class level?
Cantrips seem to be the only type of spell that cares only about your class level.
However, in the multiclassing section they are not mentioned, does this mean that cantrips use your character level, instead of your class level?
Does this mean a…
András
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98
votes
5 answers
What exactly is a "murder hobo"?
I've been here reading Q&A for some month now, and I already saw some concerning murder-hobos (or sometimes called murderous cretins).
As I'm French, I tried to directly translate it, but it gave something I guess not that accurately linked to the…
Zoma
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96
votes
26 answers
Why is burying yourself not such a great plan?
One of my player is a clever guy. At night when the others are putting the camp together he digs a hole big enough for himself (between 3-4 feet deep) and asks someone to cover his body with dirt; he then uses a straw to breathe. His idea is to…
user4000
95
votes
13 answers
How do I keep the game moving without undermining player agency?
In basically every game I've run or played, regardless of the system, I've encountered the same problem: things that should be quick decisions end up taking ten, twenty or even thirty minutes, and not for any really good reason. Gameplay generally…
Tack
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95
votes
4 answers
Can you multiclass the same class twice for different class features?
The way that 5e works, each class has a sub class that dictates a heap of class features. The question here is generally, can a character of a specific class take levels in that same class in order to gain access to the low level features of another…
wax eagle
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94
votes
5 answers
Is the Moonbeam spell amazing, or are we doing it wrong?
The description of the moonbeam spell (PHB pg. 261) says:
When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is engulfed in ghostly flames that cause searing pain...
On each of your turns after you…
Taejang
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