I love 5E, but it's even more of an exception based rules system than before.
This isn't a complaint, but it does make it more prone to get the rules wrong/forget rules etc.

I thought it might be interesting to point out areas where people realised they misinterpreted or just plain missed how the rules worked.

For me some examples:

1: I kept on forgetting that Monk KI powers recharged after a SHORT or LONG rest, not just a LONG rest.

2: Due to my history with coming from ADnD, I was going with memorising spells for Wizards, although it clearly says you prep spells and use slots if you read it properly.

3: The Druids Wildshape 2 times a day is how many times you can change into a beast.
But changing back to a human (or whatever) does not use one of these slots.
I only realised that yesterday, so a bit embarrassing.

All of my misinterpretations have been due to influence from the playtest or 4e rules.  Things like,

- thinking the crit rules were max damage + 1 extra damage die.
- thinking standing up from prone cost full movement
- thinking death saves were a CON save

Really, though, it's just been getting a handle on common operations.  In that sense, the game has been quite simple to learn.

The big ones are "unthinking" the assumptions from older editions. I keep catching players & GMs slipping in 3e/PF-isms, but I know I too am guilty of slipping into assumptions. Playing it RAW (here & Organized Play) has been enlightening about my assumptions about the rules, and how they would play in practice.

Quote from: danskmacabre;7909872: Due to my history with coming from ADnD, I was going with memorising spells for Wizards, although it clearly says you prep spells and use slots if you read it properly.

3: The Druids Wildshape 2 times a day is how many times you can change into a beast.
But changing back to a human (or whatever) does not use one of these slots.
I only realised that yesterday, so a bit embarrassing.

2: You choose your prepared list and can then spend your slots on them as you wish.

3: 2 times a short rest. Not a day.

Quote from: Skywalker;7910363: 2 times a short rest. Not a day.

The whole ridiculously overpowered Circle of the Moon Druid thing feels like a particularly obnoxious throwback to 3.5e.

Quote from: S'mon;791046The whole ridiculously overpowered Circle of the Moon Druid thing feels like a particularly obnoxious throwback to 3.5e.

Its certainly powerful at level 2. After about level 6, it's not too great though.

2e - Blade Song fighting style. I thought it gave you one free parry to any incoming attack. Fucking cheated elves...

My friend and I were looking at Circle of the Moon Druid HP shenanigans and the CR cap is 6. Able to swap out a whole bunch of CR 6 creatures repeatedly at lvl 20 sounds "teh broken HP loop," but you're lvl 20, likely fighting lvl 20 things. Choosing poorly can get your creature one-shotted and then have remaining damage spill over. Considering the big creatures at lvl 20, there's a severe case of diminishing returns there.

A lvl 20 'supah shape changing druid!' should be formidable and awesome. But upon really looking at it, I don't find it 'teh brokken' yet. Just a meat shield tank, unless you play really smart — and when was the last time you saw truly devious smart play recently? (In the hands of an old school player I'd fear a sack of flour, some twine, and a lump of chalk.) Besides, seems you don't get CR creature's immunities and resistances, and there's nothing mentioned about status effects lingering (therefore they do, by RAW).

I see a lot of premature fear. In play the game is a lot more deadly.

Quote from: Skywalker;791049Its certainly powerful at level 2. After about level 6, it's not too great though.

It sounds as if the low level CR cap needs to be modified, but it might work as written at high level? To me it's not acceptable that the low level Druid is a much better and more durable fighter than the Fighter. Way too 3.5ish. And initially most play is going to be at low level. I want something that will work running eg Lost Mine of Phandelver level 1-5.

Usually we're looking at CR 1/4 or CR 1/2 at lower levels. And far more limited uses. Great for flexible switching between recon, mobility, tank, etc. but classes focused on those things will do it better. A Fighter will still wreck face on par levels, and at range (most Beast, a keyword, don't range natively, especially the smaller stuff).

Quote from: S'mon;791184It sounds as if the low level CR cap needs to be modified, but it might work as written at high level? To me it's not acceptable that the low level Druid is a much better and more durable fighter than the Fighter. Way too 3.5ish. And initially most play is going to be at low level. I want something that will work running eg Lost Mine of Phandelver level 1-5.

Durable? Sure, but not by much given Second Wind. Better? Not IMO. A CR1 Beast isn't as good as a level 2 Fighter.

I am fine with it as written as requiring all classes to advance equally over all levels does not produce good results. If you must, maybe try use the level divided by 3 rounded down at level 2, making it CR 1/2 with CR 1 at level 3.

Quote from: Opaopajr;791185Usually we're looking at CR 1/4 or CR 1/2 at lower levels.

No, you haven't noticed the Circle of the Moon pg 69 - CR 1 at 2nd level, CR = level/3 at level 6+. It's the CR 1 at 2nd-3rd level that is ridiculously OTT given their Combat Wild Shape ability etc etc also on pg 69. By 5th level it doesn't look so bad, and yes CR 6 at 18th level should be fine.

The Circle of the Land Druid on pg 68 doesn't look nearly as bad.

Quote from: Skywalker;791186Durable? Sure, but not by much given Second Wind. Better? Not IMO. A CR1 Beast isn't as good as a level 2 Fighter.

I am fine with it as written as requiring all classes to advance equally over all levels does not produce good results. If you must, maybe try use the level divided by 3 rounded down at level 2, making it CR 1/2 with CR 1 at level 3.

Still looks OTT to me. Right now I'm leaning to banning Circle of the Moon rather than try to nerf it sufficiently.

Edit: A minimal nerf that might work

Level  CR
2-4     .5
5-7      1
8-10    2
11-13  3
14-16  4
17-19  5
20       6

Dunno about getting it wrong, but one bit of the Warlock isn't too clear to me.

I'm presuming that the only way for the warlock to get 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th level spells is via his Mystic Arcanum? Even then, they get just 1 spell of each level as they qualify for them?

It also behooves the Warlock to choose spells that can be cast at higher levels, considering that they cast all their spells at a certain power level because of their spell slots.

Quote from: S'mon;791188No, you haven't noticed the Circle of the Moon pg 69 - CR 1 at 2nd level, CR = level/3 at level 6+. It's the CR 1 at 2nd-3rd level that is ridiculously OTT given their Combat Wild Shape ability etc etc also on pg 69. By 5th level it doesn't look so bad, and yes CR 6 at 18th level should be fine.

The Circle of the Land Druid on pg 68 doesn't look nearly as bad.

Yes I noticed that, but I'm talking about Wild Shape in general. Yes, it (CotM) caps at CR 6 and it's the early level stuff that's useful. But you are still limited to your uses before the short rest (lvl 20 is the "infinite HP!" that TBP has been yammering about) and being a melee Beast HP sink really is a weaker use compared to the intel gathering, IMHO. Combat in 5e bounces from "OK!" to "zOMG we're gonna die!" pretty fast. Unless you pick some great CR 1 HP bloaters or high AC, I'm not seeing Druids lay the whomp down in combat and overshadowing everyone.

Want some OTT? Human with Sharpshooter feat & a Longbow at lvl 1. Now that's gross, especially that 'No Disadv at 600' range'. Not the best for a dungeon, but absolute murder outside in the wilderness. Give me a tree or a mount and let's go picking off targets. (And even still I haven't seen 'teh brokken' in actual play yet. So far 5e is pretty robust in the face of chargen monkey shenanigans.)