Rules in the Handbook #2 | Sage Advice 

I like the Farmer background I created. The skills are Nature and Animal Handling. Great for many classes.

I love Sage Advice! Jeremy Crawford is so damned well-spoken, I feel like I'm reading a book whenever he's speaking.

for those curious about the max weight of a centaur: the formula as written is (baseWeight+heightMod)*weightMod for the centaur this works out on max rolls to (600lb+10lb)*24=14640lb (actually they messed up the units as well and RAW would result in lb^2) i guess the proper calculation would be baseWeight+(heightMod*weightMod) which works out to 600lb+(10*24lb)=840lb

I like to think of Alignment more as a character’s “comfort zone”. For example, when placed in a society filled with those driven by Chaos and utter disregard for others the LG cleric will be uncomfortable whereas the Fiend will be happy about the situation. This way it is not so much that the LG cleric MUST always follow all laws and be utterly kind, helpful and compassionate. It is more that when he or she doesn’t he or she is not so comfortable with themselves. I like the clarification of it as a descriptor.

“You’re not going to be dealing any damage if you’re dead.” - Jeremy Crawford, 2020 Damn, so much for that undead PC race I was working on!

From the first time I read the background section of the PhB I've been very impressed with the very elegant, intuitive and facilitative way that backgrounds were designed. There are enough examples that you always have somethimg to pull from, but swapping thimgs in is very comprehensive. Five years later I'm still equally impressed.

Love how Jeremy is so passionate about the game. He is fun to watch because he genuinely loves the game

I could listen to Jeremy Crawford explain 5e's rules all day long

I love making custom backgrounds. Aside from opening up fun new options like Amnesiac, Experiment, Prisoner, or (my personal favorite) Statue-that-came-to-life, it also allows you to tweak little things in the sample backgrounds that just might not fit.

The alignment language in my opinion as a player since 1981 is when you speak a known language you speak as such that others of your alignment can recognize that you have the same world view. I always pictured it as the situation when you meet someone new and you instantly connect or you hear a person speak and you get that feeling, "We could be friends in the right situation."

A note on constitution and hit point bonuses. In 1st and 2nd Ed., Only fighters were entitled to additional HP for con increase. Can't remember if it is noted in those PHB/DMG books that this increase was retroactive or not. But the idea was there. In 3/3.5rd Ed. It becomes a game rule and applies to all characters. So, this dates back to that edition. Where a con increase nets retroactive HP. Cannot say if 4th Ed. does or not. Don't own any of those books. So, great that you guys remind players of this rule. Just letting everyone know that it dates back as an official rule to at least 3rd Ed. Stay safe and remember, never start a campaign at first level where the first treasure the heroes find is a Deck Of Many Things. Unless, of course, you are a devious DM who isn't afraid to go wild right from the start. Happy gaming everyone.

My first character was a Duergar that was not evil like most, but that in fact made him far more effective at his job so it was accepted by his clan. Ironically, he was the high torturer. Because he didn't enjoy it the way another duergar would, it made him much more effective at actually extracting information-- because that was his goal, not just to inflict pain. So I gave him Medicine, Persuasion (Intimidation would also work), and then that uh, custom tool proficiency.

Greg & Jeremy, first class dudes 💯. Thank you both, appreciate the two of you. ⚔

Another fantastic episode of Rules in the Handbook. I'm looking forward to chapter 5... and Jeremy's Shakespeare readings ;)

Please do more Rules in the Handbook! 😄

Alignments. People should think of those in terms of consequences, rather than barriers on free will. A Lawful Good paladin can murder someone. It is merely expected you roleplay the consequences of that action. Like remorse, shame, guilt, etc. Those feelings could lead you to the path of redemption or torment you into doing more evil. If you don't want to deal with those themes specifically, just pick another alignment. Without consequences, there is no choice and without choice, there is no freedom.

I greatly enjoy the Podcast and the videos guys. This was a great episode, thank you very much for giving the world the gift of your insights and quips, this was great!

The alignment section here just reminders me just how badly the game needs the tendency mechanic back (the whole point of it was answer how your character would respond to events with choices that don't neatly fit into what characters of your alignment would do in response). Plus, it makes true neutral a bit easier to play since you can just be true neutral tends to good (if you don't like harming people with your action, and yet you still don't go out of your way to save people who you don't know [like a chaotic good or lawful good character would]) or tends to evil (you don't mind your actions harming people who you don't know) to make true neutral actually play (A Real true neutral character would have no reason to adventure unless someone did something horrible to them and then would go back home as soon as they finished that person off as True neutral character just want to be left alone and allow to live their life how they want.

that background thing changed my brain. thank you.

And here I thought I was getting away with something by double dipping insight so my guild artisan forge cleric could be proficient in perception. 😂

Really enjoyed this video! Totally overlooked that CON rule!

I think that Jeremy makes a great case here for ditching alignment from D&D altogether. I'm far more in favor of character/rp guideposts like the personality/ideal/bond/flaw. Whenever another edition comes out (and eventually one will, but hopefully not for a while yet still) I think those 4 elements can be built upon, have them tie into some sort of reward/advancement system to encourage roleplaying. It might be tied into leveling up or gaining experience.. or gaining customization points. Or, it might just be tied into recharging some sort of points pool (like spell slots or a buff or some other temporary resource like a paladin's lay-on-hands pool or a monk's ki points). I just think that alignment is more of a hindrance and source of player problems than it ever is a help.

I use custom backgrounds all the time. Most of the players in my campaign have custom backgrounds. However, these backgrounds are the sort of thing that should be approved by the DM. From a story perspective, the background has to be able to fit in with the setting and campaign, and the DM is the most qualified person to provide input on that. From a mechanical perspective, I do not think players should be allowed to just pick any skills they want from their backgrounds. You're right that the skill proficiencies you have at level one should be much more of a story thing than a game balance thing, and that's precisely why the DM should approve skills for a background that make sense to the character's story, rather than just letting the player pick any skill they want. Most players, I should hope, would pick story appropriate skills for their custom background anyway. That's great and those are the sort of choices that the DM should approve. DM approval I think is still important though to sift out the power gamers out there who will just try to grab the most useful skills (like perception) without a good story reason for them. There are some races and classes that do get to choose any skill they want, and that versatility should be limited to those characters.

Sage Advice is the only reason I have twitter. I think this is why I know so many of these rules haha

You chose fighter first level in your fighter/wizard multiclass for the HP bump, I chose fighter first level for the constitution saving throw proficiency. We are not the same.

All right, we got Jeremy back!

I love these please keep this series going!

CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT TIME

thanks you two!

I'm totally in favor of a character's alignment changing to match how the player plays them, instead of adhering strictly to what they put on their character sheet when they first made it. Often times a player doesn't truely know their character's alignment until they start playing them, and even that can change depending on the moral decisions they make throughout a campaign. You're of course right about alignment being *mostly* a role-play guideline with few interactions with game mechanics, but few does not mean none. In those situations, it's good for the player, or at least the DM, to have a good idea of what the player characters' alignments are based on their behaviors. Maybe the character started out as a lawful good character but their behaviors as of late more closely resemble those of a chaotic good character. In situations like these I think that the DM totally should enforce alignment restrictions, and make the player think about how they play their character. There are a few situations where alignment matters, such as with certain magic items. Granted, those magic items tend to be very rare, legendary, or artifacts, but they do exist in the core game. Alignment can also be an important game mechanic in a campaign like Decent into Avernus. The Archdevils of the Nine Hells want to corrupt you and turn you evil. The alignment you started out with at the start of the campaign doesn't matter if you give into the devils' temptations and preform the evil deeds they put before you. In Hell the evil choice is often the easiest choice to make, and if that's the path your character chooses then they become an evil character. After all, that's how the devils win in the end. They turn you evil, and thereby condemn your soul to an eternity in hell after you die. If a DM wants to know what will happen to the player characters' souls after they pass on, then they need to have a good judgement of the characters' alignments, even if they had little mechanical relevance up until that point. The Ceremony (atonement) spell is a good mechanical way for a character who has fallen short of their ideals to repent and gain a second chance at the alignment they hope to embody.

This is a fantastic series

Alignment Language be like... Evil: F*** YOU! Good: Bless your heart. Lawful: Screw you! Chaotic: *flips middle finger*

Damn! I hoped the typo for rolling the weight was for the minotaur, I'd definitely create one named wrecking bull and make him smash into houses, taverns and fey.

Thanks for doing this. Be safe 🌺

"This section on page 15" Hmm, page 15? I wonder.. "After first level" Oh I definitely didn't read- "That your constitu-" Oh, I know this.... :( Good for my players, but sad to say I haven't been told a rule that I was unaware of. I'm fairly certain it says somewhere else that if your CON MOD changes your MAX HP changes with it. Edit: I'm going to have to swallow my words. The rule where your race, class, or background end up giving you the same proficiency that you get to choice any same-type proficiency (tool for tool, skill for skill), I was unaware of.

Yes I saw this only 2 years ago all this time I could have had a tougher character

Thank you, both of you!

what i want the most in the PHB and the DMG is for there to be exact weight for r common everyday objects and gear. .items, like armor, weapons, candles etc should have a weight in the items description. also creatures should have a weight in the stat block. there has been soo many times a player wanted to pick something up in my games and i had no idea if his character could or could not. also if we are using the rule of player be encumbered. having to guess really sucks and feels too loose.

Never forget the toughness feat is good

Sage Advice needed: can a warlock's pact of the chain imp cast on hit spells? Since find familiar allows spells of touch, could this be used for smites, green flame blade, inflict wounds? Also, can the imp wield the warlocks Hexblade as "their own?" Such as wielding a scimitar that the warlock has bonded with?

24:23 - Personally, i stick with the rule in the backgrounds part. It itself never states it only applies to first level or only to backgrounds and its nice as a general rule.

Yeah, I knew about the background customization, but I always thought it was more of a soft "rule" that was more of an exception rather than the rule itself. I'm disappointed with the level 1 restriction on the proficiencies, though, since RAW for the Rogue Scout you would have to spontaneously be an expert of nature-y stuff since if you get nature proficiency beforehand you lose out on the free one you get from the class feature (plus the expertise). Right?

What about if a magic item increases your Con? Even for only while it's equipped?

About alignment, I tell my players that I the DM decide what their alignment is based on how they play.

Im making a chiropractor background for a Monk doing to reskin his strikes as nerve punches and dislocations of joints

did the math of the centaur max weight with RAW vs RAI Race Centaur - Base Height 6'0" - Height Modifier +1d10 - Base Weight 600 lb. - Weight Modifier × (2d12) lb. RAW - Weight = (Base Weight + Height Modifier in pounds) × Weight Modifier (600+10)x24=14,640 RAI - Weight = Base Weight + (Height Modifier in pounds × Weight Modifier) 600 + (10x24)=840

which spells block wall of force? block even those who only need line of sight?

I like this!

One Question, Tensor's Floating Disk: Can you move the disk closer than 20 feet?

Can you cover darkvision please? Everyone thinks that it is just free night vision goggles.

What if i get å magic item that give me + to CON mod, does that change my HP retroactively to?

Does anyone happen to have a written source for 9:00 so I can provide it to my players? I can't seem to find it in the new SA

Had a question. Don't know if this is an appropriate place to ask it, and I have a low expectancy of it being answered, however... : I recently had my players go up against creatures with Resistance to magic, including advantage on saves against magic effects. One of my players has a monk character, and when he realized this decimated the potency of his Ki abilities, (stunning strike, Elemental spells), he nearly threw a fit. in my research for how others adjudicated this issue, I kinda got mixed answers, but those dealt with the specter of an anti-magic field. Basically, my query revolves around a creature with magic resistance being able to make Con saves against being stunned with advantage, and saving from Elemental spells/effects with advantage. There does appear to me to be some gray area concerning whether Monks are using magic in a similar enough vein to classic casters (Wizard, Warlock) that it is in fact, countered by magic resistance. I think I have an answer as to how I would like move forward with this, but I was curious as to if there was some official judgement on the matter, of if there was something in the source material I was missing or misinterpreting that left me without a solid precedent to work from. Thank you for your time.

Has Jeremy Crawford ever met Mark Rosewater?

"skill of your choice" - that your Class could have had access to?

I think you guys missed one I know alot of people forget about Pg. 13 of Player's Handbook Armor class without armor is 10+ his or her Dex mod

I thought this was about phb 2 for a sec lol

Sorry but: the HP retroactive thing is poor game design 🤷‍♂️ HP gain should be automatic