OOC Thread

Oh wow! Haha, it seems so straightforward now. Thanks!

How does that healing spell work on me as I was sitting at negative HP?

Good question Starrbeardo. There are no negative HP in this version of the game. You just get knocked to zero, even if there is left over damage.

What makes this a bit confusing is that there is a rule about massive damage causing instant death on p. 75 of the basic rules:
While we're talking about it, you might wonder "What happens if you get hit while you are at zero hp?" Well, turns out you get a failed death saving throw. If it's a crit, you get 2 failed death saves. Any character with three failed death saves is dead.

Good question Starrbeardo. There are no negative HP in this version of the game. You just get knocked to zero, even if there is left over damage.

What makes this a bit confusing is that there is a rule about massive damage causing instant death on p. 75 of the basic rules:
While we're talking about it, you might wonder "What happens if you get hit while you are at zero hp?" Well, turns out you get a failed death saving throw. If it's a crit, you get 2 failed death saves. Any character with three failed death saves is dead.

So, if I'm understanding correctly, because this wasn't an insta death my hp would be at zero and then whatever healing based on a spell in this case would start counting up from zero.

Damn, those were some good attacks from Raishe! Here's hoping for another six from the die!

Also, I was wondering, exactly how much greenery is there around the road they're in and how much of a risk is there of a forest fire if some log were to mysteriously become alight?

Edit: And shouldn't Aegar get a +5 to his attack bonus due to strength and proficiency as well as a +3 oh hit?

@Starrbeardo: Yes. I believe McDunno counted it as 8 hp gained.

@Jacketch: Yeah, Raishe ripped it up last turn! I rolled the dice for him so we can move forward and got a six (posted it with the message on the crit)

Good point about his attack bonus and damage; you are correct! Good catch. However, in this case, because of he's on the top of the log the bandit's harder to hit and it's still a miss. Try climbing that log maybe and get in his face, or use ranged attacks that won't suffer from that high ground penalty.

What a great first round of combat!

* Crazy for Starrbeardo's character to get crit into the mud first time playing D&D haha! Barendd scored a solid hit of his own all the same :)

* Well done Ramen who pulled out his own crit and sent a heal spell Barendd's way to give Starrbeardo the chance to even the score next round.

* I thought it was hilarious when Kit and Pageflap just GTFO'd! Especially how Pageflap's spell crit failed and he just booked it outta there. Too funny!

* G3rmanicus definitely proved what a beast Iman is! That Polearm Mastery feat is working out super well for you.

* Loved how TheDaykinator really used this round of combat to show Aegar's personality, rushing to Barendd's aid like that.

You guys are really fucking good at D&D!

We got a bunch of late-night posters on our hands! Are you guys all in western time zones or don't you sleep? Or am I just an old man who goes to bed early?

Anyway, my weekend starts today (I get all the holidays!), so I generally don't post as often. The girl is at her mother's this weekend, so it doesn't drop off as much, other than tomorrow when I have my RL D&D game. We have a new DM who isn't terrible so we get in a good six to eight hours. With the last guy, four or five was about all I could take, and that was pushing it. I tended to get pretty salty by hour three.

Central time here! Im an early bird.

I posted my turn just a bit ago and wanted to make sure I did my rolls right regarding the bonus action attack, I believe I missed though lol.

Also, Len, my rage lasts for a minute. Is it safe to assume i have a turn or two left of rage if the pace of combat remains as is?

Wow when Barendd was brought back he did not bring any luck with him at all. How does 3 ones get rolled in a row? hopefully I've used up the teams allotment.

I work from 9-8 int the Mountain timezone, but I can check in pretty frequently through out the day. I usually stay up until around 11 or 12 though, so kind of late I suppose.

Yup, Pacific Standard Time here. Vancouver, Canada is just north of Seattle.

Hey McDunno, I know you're looking forward to Xanathar's Guide in December, but there are a few podcasts that are doing a run-through of the material. Down With D&D and Game Master's Journey covered different sections of the book, so you can get your fix while you wait. Going to pick up my copy today.

Glad you're taking it in stride, Starrbeardo. I've never seen this happen before... not only did you roll three 1's in a row but you got crit on the first hit you took! I mean, those odds are astronomically low...

Each round of combat is 6 seconds of game time. So, you have 10 rounds for your rage, assuming you are attacking or taking damage each round. Usually this is PLENTY of time. I've only seen a few combats in my life go over 10 rounds.

Got it. So since combat is over now, can my rage be ended at will?

So since combat is over are we out of initiative?

The short answer is yes. Here is the tangentially related answer that goes off on a long and winding road:

The game rules tighten up suddenly once you are in combat, and the world is suddenly divided into 6 second increments, initiative order, and a limited set of detailed actions that require a fair bit of dice rolling. Once combat ends, we go back to responding to the world as it comes, the ebb and flow of cause and effect. This part of the game is usually divided into two sections:

1. Social Encounters: interacting with the player characters (PCs - played by you guys) and non-player characters (NPCs- played by me) in the game. These are all about roleplaying, with some skill checks to resolve some interactions sometimes (such as determining if the the guard believe the lie you told about why you're asking for entry into a restricted area).

2. Exploration: the journey, which includes interacting with the physical world. It can include everything from navigating the wilderness, figuring out how to open a magically sealed door, to learning new lore about the world. These are often governed by skill checks, but offer lots of opportunity for role playing as well.

Mostly, social encounters and exploration bleed together into a continuous story that is punctuated by rules-heavy combat encounters, which are almost a game within a game. Different players enjoy different parts of the game. I know some players who find combat seriously boring and patiently wait until it's done so they can get back to the 'good stuff' like going to a masquerade ball or competing in a slam poetry contest. Others love combat above all else, and make characters that whoop ass left and right. When the party is at the masquerade ball, however, they might start yawning.

Hence, the DM's job is a constant balancing act, trying to give every player enough of their favourite parts of the game to keep everyone engaged and having fun. A big part of that is knowing what your players like, and that's pretty hard for me right now since all of you might not know what you like yet. So, I've planned for a variety of combat, exploration, and social encounters so that you all can see where you preferences are.

There is a great article about the 7 Player Types written by the amazing Robin D. Laws. Those types include: The Power Gamer, The Butt Kicker, The Tactician, The Specialist, The Method Actor, and the Casual Gamer. Usually a player falls under 2 or more categories. For example, when I am a player I am definitely a Tactician with a hint of Power Gamer and Method Actor thrown into the mix. Eventually I'll figure out where you all fit in (or maybe you'll figure it out first and tell me) and calibrate the game accordingly.

Was Kit the only one that heard the howls, or was Pageflap also able to hear them once he jumped into the bushes?

Pageflap would have also heard the howls. Unless the other characters have particularly high perception (+5 or higher), I think the battle would have obscured those sounds for those not in the woods.