Episode 4 - You Feeling Lucky?

Rules As Written

This week we discuss luck in its many forms and how it can impact the game from a mechanic and narrative perspective.

Show Notes

Tiefling Ability Scores - Player's Handbook, Page 43

Intelligence +1
Charisma +2

Forest Gnome

As a forest gnome, you have a natural knack for illusion and inherent quickness and stealth. In the worlds of D&D, forest gnomes are rare and secretive. They gather in hidden communities in sylvan forests, using illusions and trickery to conceal themselves from threats or to mask their escape should they be detected. Forest gnomes tend to be friendly with other good-spirited woodland folk, and they regard elves and good fey as their most important allies. These gnomes also befriend small forest animals and rely on them for information about threats that might prowl their lands.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Natural Illusionist. You know the minor illusion cantrip. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.

Speak with Small Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts. Forest gnomes love animals and often keep squirrels, badgers, rabbits, moles, woodpeckers, and other creatures as beloved pets.

Quotes

"The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself."

? Douglas MacArthur

"Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad luck."

? Orson Welles

Bend Luck - Wild Magic Sorcerer Class Feature

Starting at 6th level, you have the ability to twist fate using your wild magic. When another creature you can see makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction and spend 2 sorcery points to roll 1d4 and apply the number rolled as a bonus or penalty (your choice) to the creature’s roll. You can do so after the creature rolls but before any effects of the roll occur.

Player's Handbook, Page 103

Metamagic - Sorcerer Class Feature

Heightened Spell

When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

Player’s Handbook, Page 102

Tides of Chaos – Wild Magic Sorcerer Class Feature

Starting at 1st level, you can manipulate the forces of chance and chaos to gain advantage on one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. Once you do so, you must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.

Any time before you regain the use of this feature, the DM can have you roll on the Wild Magic Surge table immediately after you cast a sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher. You then regain the use of this feature.

Player’s Handbook, Page 103

Lucky Feat

You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment.

You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.

You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker’s roll or yours. If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome o f a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.

You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest.

Player’s Handbook, Page 167

Lucky – Halfling Racial Trait

When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Player’s Handbook, Page 28

Using Inspiration

If you have inspiration, you can expend it when you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. Spending your inspiration gives you advantage on that roll.

Additionally, if you have inspiration, you can reward another player for good roleplaying, clever thinking, or simply doing something exciting in the game. When another player character does something that really contributes to the story in a fun and interesting way, you can give up your inspiration to give that character inspiration.

Player’s Handbook, Page 125

Stroke of Luck – Rogue Class Feature

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Player’s Handbook, Page 97

Dark One’s Own Luck – Warlock Fiend Pact Class Feature

Starting at 6th level, you can call on your patron to alter fate in your favor. When you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can use this feature to add a d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll’s effects occur.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Player’s Handbook, Page 109

Entropic Ward – Warlock The Great Old One Pact Class Feature

At 6th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attack and to turn an enemy’s failed strike into good luck for yourself. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Player’s Handbook, Page 110

Searing Vengeance – Warlock Patron “The Undying Light”

Starting at 6th level, the radiant energy you channel allows you to overcome grievous injuries. When you would make a death saving throw, you can instead spring back to your feet with a burst of radiant energy. You immediately stand up (if you so choose), and you regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum. All hostile creatures within 30 feet of you take 10 + your Charisma modifier radiant damage and are blinded until the end of your turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Unearthed Arcana

Hit Points

Hit points represent a combination of physical and mental durability, the will to live, and luck. Creatures with more hit points are more difficult to kill. Those with fewer hit points are more fragile.

A creature’s current hit points (usually just called hit points) can be any number from the creature’s hit point maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a creature takes damage or receives healing.

Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points. The loss of hit points has no effect on a creature’s capabilities until the creature drops to 0 hit points.

Player’s Handbook, Page 196

Cape of the Mountebank – Wondrous item, rare

This cape smells faintly of brimstone. While wearing it, you can use it to cast the dimension door spell as an action. This property of the cape can't be used again until the next dawn.

When you disappear, you leave behind a cloud of smoke, and you appear in a similar cloud of smoke at your destination. The smoke lightly obscures the space you left and the space you appear in, and it dissipates at the end of your next turn. A light or stronger wind disperses the smoke.

Dungeon Master’s Guide, Page 157

Potion of Vitality – Potion, very rare

When you drink this potion, it removes any exhaustion you are suffering and cures any disease or poison affecting you. For the next 24 hours, you regain the maximum number of hit points for any Hit Die you spend. The potion's crimson liquid regularly pulses with dull light, calling to mind a heartbeat.

Dungeon Master's Guide, Page 188

Durable Feat

Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).

Player’s Handbook, Page 166

Beyond First Level

Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up).

Player’s Handbook, Page 15

Talent

In one sentence, describe something that your NPC can do that is special, if anything. Roll on the NPC Talents table or use it to spur your own ideas.

1. Plays a musical instrument
2. Speaks several languages fluently
3. Unbelievably lucky
4. Perfect memory
5. Great with animals
6. Great with children
7. Great at solving puzzles
8. Great at one game
9. Great at impersonations
10. Draws beautifully
11. Paints beautifully
12. Sings beautifully
13. Drinks everyone under the table
14. Expert carpenter
15. Expert cook
16. Expert dart thrower and rock skipper
17. Expert juggler
18. Skilled actor and master of disguise
19. Skilled dancer
20. Knows thieves' cant

Dungeon Master’s Guide, Page 90

Aura of Protection

Starting at 6th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus.

At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Player’s Handbook, Page 85