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2017-11-23, 10:34 PM (ISO 8601)
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2017-11-23, 10:49 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2011
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
So does Elven Accuracy - if you have the Devil's Sight/Darkness/Hexblade combo. But take it on a vanilla Elven Ranger (TWF), let's say, and it's good: knock 'em prone and you're basically guaranteed to hit. But it doesn't reach the ridiculous heights of the aforementioned build.
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2017-11-23, 11:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2015
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Skill Empowerment is more limited than you've noted. It must be used on a skill the target has proficiency in and, more disappointingly, it can't target a skill which already benefits from doubled proficiency such as Expertise.
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2017-11-24, 12:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Listing invulnerability as anything but so powerful that it's actually incredible Wizards of the Coast even allowed it is how you spot someone who plays in scrub difficulty campaigns and whose DM spoonfeeds him in encounters. He was probably never pitted against anything stronger than textbook Tiamat ( Actually, high doubt that he even faced Tiamat while dismissing total damage immunity ) and likely plays in the campaigns where the number of creatures in an encounter somehow matches perfectly with his party's given strength ( And probably never on the "Deadly" balance ) rather than Hardcore Realistic scenarios where you may face entire armies to accomplish what you want.
No, total immunity to all damage for 10 minutes is not overrated. It seems rather useful if you need to defeat some eldritch abomination in the heart of Elemental Chaos in which otherwise the ambient damage alone would rip you to shreds in a turn or when fighting off a Legion of Red Dragon armadas. Add Freedom of Movement, Mind Blank, True Seeing and you're literally an unstoppable Overdeity. Add a Simulacrum into the mix, have it Wish for a Mordekainen's Private Sanctum ( 600 feet cube at the 9th level ) over an area to block all teleportation and planar travel within it ( Or do so beforehand if possible ) and now you can't even be banished. Dispel and Antimagic is pretty much your only weakness ( As it would be if you were to Shapechange as well ) for which you'll likely want to keep a handy supply of Counterspells. Although granted, if you're facing a Mage college then you're already screwed since they have the very same spell themselves, but otherwise it is simply indispensable in almost every situation.Last edited by Renduaz; 2017-11-24 at 12:21 AM.
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2017-11-24, 01:51 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2015
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2017-11-24, 04:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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- England
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2017-11-24, 04:24 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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- England
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
I strongly disagree. It does nothing to protect you from save or suck effects, and it eats your concentration massively limiting your in combat effectiveness ,(since almost all of the best spells in the game are concentration). Perhaps I should have ranked it black, but no higher than that.
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2017-11-24, 10:12 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
You might as well give every spell a red rating for not protecting you from save or suck, because few things in the game do, and therefore that's not really a standard of judgement. The first would be Antimagic Field which also completely removes your own spellcasting and magical gear, and hence almost useless to most casters. The second would be Counterspell which you still have access to at any rate. The third, and most effective way, which actually not many are aware of, does involve the 9th level Shapechange, in which you are ( by RAW ) permitted to use a creature's Legendary Resistances, and once you exhaust the reservoir of one ( Say, a Blue dragon ), then you switch to a Red, and go through the entire roster of Ancient White/Brass/Adult metallic/Chromatic dragons to have unlimited legendary resistances, however even this cheesy little trick will mean nothing if someone wipes out your form in a single hit.
Spells like Blink, Sanctuary, and so forth among other things which reduce your probability of being targeted in the first place are all still available along with Invulnerability. Mind Blank, True Seeing and Freedom of Movement ( All lasting 1 hour plus, no concentration ) shield your from most conditions. As said, a Private Sanctum might even shield you from unwilling plane shifts and teleports, which otherwise you have no defense against. Except this time you at least won't die when you get transported to the bottom of the Lake of Fire or into the Negative Energy Plane.
The fact that you consider immunity to all damage to be a bad tradeoff just because you can't have some more dice or controlling effects for combat effectiveness once again indicates that you never have to deal with "Very Hard" difficulty encounters in which you can suffer a TPK-level amount of environmental or direct damage ( Being shot by dozens of archers, being roasted by ten dragons, being targeted by Asmodeus's Ruby Rod in his own plane, etc.. ) before you can even open your mouth to say "combat effectiveness". When you're actually fighting an army or hardcore enemies, there's nothing more ridiculously important than total damage immunity. Save-or-Suck effects will always be there anyway.
As a side-note just browsing over the guide in general, I can't really make sense as to why the Sea Barbarian's raging storm is somehow blue but Tundra is red based on the explanation given. You say it looks good at first glance but mention the limited range of the aura, whereas Sea is just as limited in range. Sea is way worse in that regard in fact, since the creature still needs to be within your aura ( 10 feet ) and you need to attack and hit it too, whereas with Tundra you literally just need to see and choose it. Sea then gets even worse by expending your reaction to accomplish something that high-level monsters are the most flexible towards ( Prone, they have Prone immunities ) while Tundra expends nothing to perform a function which there isn't any natural immunity against, save for a Freedom of Movement spell. You should flip those the other way around than what they're listed as.Last edited by Renduaz; 2017-11-24 at 10:44 AM.
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2017-11-24, 10:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
This a very conceited thing to say. You have no idea what kind of games I either play in or run. I'd suggest the opposite, that your overrating of damage immunity shows a lack of understanding of how many defensive options a lvl 17 mage has that make a 10min damage immunity less attractive.
Your comments on the storm herald barbarian are more legitimate though. I've had some negative feedback on that so I may go back and rewrite/re-clarify that section.
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2017-11-24, 11:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
I think I'm sufficiently familiar with a mage's defensive options, particularly at high level. I still can't really see the rational basis for dismissing total damage immunity, unless one is involved in encounters where damage always remains low enough to never compromise a major problem beyond the scope of healing or other defenses.
You wave it off since it won't help against save-or-suck, but without any relevant connection. Such as, what do I gain by keeping my 9th level slot or concentration that helps much so much against save-or-suck, that it's worth giving up on invincibility for? Since as far as I know, the best protection spells against conditions ( All the ones I even listed ) don't even require my concentration.
Secondly, I'm still asking you what exactly would you consider a better option to deal with fighting some eldritch primordial abomination in the hear of elemental chaos whose lair effects include doing 100 points of get-rekt damage every turn just by virtue of being in that place, let alone it's own attacks, along with similar scenarios, or what would be better against a hundred high-level Elven archers with longbows, or wading through the pits of Carceri ( which one can't easily escape out o with magical means ) filled with an endless swarm of demons after getting banished there by some evil deity avatar, and so on and so forth?
How does combat effectiveness come into play in a scenario where you'll be killed on the spot before even reaching the 3rd round?
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2017-11-24, 12:09 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
I'm not interested into getting into endless roundabout of hypothetical scenarios. I will keep invulnerability red until I've had first hand experience that's better than I suspect it is. If you wish to create your own guide to Xanathar's spells then please, by all means, be my guest.
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2017-11-24, 12:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2015
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
And this is another reason why I'm not fond of guides like this. Sometimes a consensus can be reached regarding how things should be rated, but just as often it boils down to the OP's opinion and if you can convince him/her to change it based on your opinion.
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2017-11-24, 12:50 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2015
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- San Francisco Bay area
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
The guide seems amazingly thorough and done so quickly!
Kudos!
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2017-11-24, 01:05 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2015
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
The name is "Prose's Guide". It's his opinions. He made an effort of explain his points about something and gave that to us. I like read and think about what the ideas he brings to the table. Try to modify his opinion is not the main purpuse of the thread. And this ir my opinion.
If you don't like free stuff a random dude put on internet, don't read. Is that simple.We are everywhere.
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2017-11-24, 01:20 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2015
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
1. Placing a guide on the forums invites commentary, questions, comments, and discussion. If you don't want that, don't put it on a public forum, put it on a personal blog online.
2. I didn't say changing his opinion was the purpose of it. I said, in a general sort of way, that because it boils down to one person's opinion, that's why I'm not fond of guides like this. They are presented as solid fact, when often times they are subjective opinion. Especially because guides like this look at how well a spell, ability, feat, class works purely by itself for the character alone in combat, and ignores circumstances like how it works in a group, how it does in situations outside of combat. He's accepted and acknowledged when I pointed out this before that it was a valid point.
None of this is saying that the OP shouldn't have made this guide, nor is it saying that people should never make guides like this. But it's important to recognize the limits of guides like this for the people who come across this guide and other guides like it on the internet, to ensure that they're not immediately discouraged from trying something out that would work for their game, and not the game how the guide's creator envisioned it when they wrote the guide.
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2017-11-24, 02:05 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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2017-11-24, 08:39 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2009
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- Euphonistan
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
A vestige for me "Pyro火gnus Friend of Meepo" by Zaydos.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...5&postcount=26
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2017-11-24, 11:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
I do want to contend the point about Eldritch Blast versus longbow here a bit. I'm not gonna say Eldritch Blast isn't a better ranged option IF you invest all the invocations into it. However, a hexblade with a pact longbow is gonna do comparable damage to Agonizing Blast until 17th level (EB is firing more rays than Bladelock gets attacks at 11, yes, but at 12 they get Lifedrinker so the difference still isn't huge yet). If you're a (typical melee bladelock) Hexblade with a non-enchanted pact weapon, this is a pretty good alternative to Agonizing Blast for your ranged option, because it also (slightly) improves your primary melee attack, the downside being that you need to spend a standard action to switch between melee and ranged attacks as opposed to just firing off whatever strikes your fancy on a given turn. I'd also argue that if you want to sink a feat into Sharpshooter this definitely becomes a better option than Agonizing Blast (not that most melee bladelock builds will do that until a high level if at all).
To be clear, I'm in no way claiming this is a BETTER ranged option than Agonizing Blast; just that there are cases where it would be a valid choice and they're comparable enough that you probably shouldn't take both.
So tl;dr the pact longbow merits consideration as a secondary ranged attack for a Hexblade.
It's also worth noting that the bit where your pact weapon is your arcane focus makes Improved Pact Weapon a very solid option for sword and board or two-weapon bladelocks. Combine with Warcaster and you can cast freely even though your hands are full.Last edited by Rhaegar14; 2017-11-24 at 11:25 PM.
Awesome Talon avatar by Ceika.
My Homebrew:
Assassin's Creed Hidden Blade Feats (D&D 3.5e)
Warlock Patron: The Darklord (D&D 5e)
Sorcerous Origin: Jade Phoenix Mage (D&D 5e)
Pact of the Blade: Expanded (D&D 5e)
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2017-11-24, 11:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2016
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
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2017-11-25, 06:53 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Notable re Steel Wind Strike: it is now the go-to lvl10 Valor Bard Magical Secret pick. Ranger doesn't get it until too late and Wizard doesn't get as much out of melee-range mobility but for a gish at lvl10? It's pretty much perfect.
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2017-11-25, 08:05 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2014
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2017-11-26, 04:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2016
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2017-11-26, 05:09 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2016
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Swooooord Bard
Valor Bard ending its teleport near one of the targets also works great with Battle Magic.
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2017-11-26, 06:25 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
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2017-11-27, 10:46 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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2017-11-27, 12:46 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2015
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- Texas
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
You and your friend are my heroes for the day. Thanks for sharing that with us.
And the third type who are somewhere in between.
Yeah. A lot of good DMing is about the people at the table.
*giggles* Like Tomb of Horrors?Last edited by KorvinStarmast; 2017-11-27 at 12:58 PM.
Avatar by linklele. How Teleport Worksa. Malifice (paraphrased):
Rulings are not 'House Rules.' Rulings are a DM doing what DMs are supposed to do.
b. greenstone (paraphrased):
Agency means that they {players} control their character's actions; you control the world's reactions to the character's actions.
Second known member of the Greyview Appreciation Society
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2017-11-30, 02:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2015
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Very useful, thank you!
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2017-12-03, 02:51 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2017
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- England
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Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Added the Expanded Racial Feats.
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2017-12-05, 12:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
For the Kensai, wouldn't your martial arts attack on your bonus action count for the unarmed attack on your Attack action for Agile Parry? One could argue that you can only make that unarmed attack as a bonus action due to you taking the Attack action with a monk weapon, and you are only granted that bonus action for taking the Attack action to begin with.
You only get a bonus action if something gives you a bonus action(PHB p 189), otherwise you don't get one. Since the Attack action is giving you this unarmed bonus attack, I would consider it part of the Attack action, so they get their +2AC.
I'm going to allow it, just wondering what others think.
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2017-12-05, 01:22 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2017
Re: Prose's Guide to Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Very useful guide. Thank you!
I have an Evocation Wizard approaching 7th level, and I'm trying to pick the spells to give her once she gets there.
Right now the list is:
7th: Polymorph, Watery Sphere
8th: Dimension Door, Greater Invisibility
I'm thinking that, as an Evocation Wizard, Sickening Radiance might be a better choice than Watery Sphere, since I can protect my allies from it while providing some nice area denial. Actually, I'm not sure why Watery Sphere is so highly regarded. What do y'all think?