Ruleset differences with D&D 5e

[Myzzrym]

Hello there folks,

We've noticed that we haven't put up a list of what is different between our game rules and the D&D 5e Ruleset, which have confused a fair amount of experienced players into thinking that some design decisions where bugs. Note that most often than not, when there are variations between the tabletop Ruleset and Solasta, it's not on purpose (it is a bug), but on a few occasions it's by design.

Let me share with you the differences:

Vision & Light

On Tabletop, when fighting against heavily obscured creatures (for instance in a thick fog or in total darkness without darkvision), you are effectively considered as "Blinded" - meaning you should not even be able to target them. Many DMs will accommodate with Perception rolls to allow you to fight by sound, smell or whatever it is that better fits your character roleplay-wise in a case by case scenario, but there is no clear and definite rule for that (RAW you are blinded and that's all).

In Solasta, there is a clear separation between the player and the characters, as you see everything from above like an observer - meaning you as the player clearly see the creatures on screen, but your characters don't. And that it would create a lot of frustration if we didn't allow blinded characters to attack at all.

Which is why in Solasta, even while blinded (be it in a thick fog, total darkness or even when affected by the Blindess spell), characters (and creatures!) can still attack and trigger opportunity attacks - although with disadvantage.

Advantage & Disadvantage Stacking

On Tabletop, the rule is very clear and simple - not matter how many sources of advantages / disadvantages you have, they cancel out. This is notably great because it makes it easier on the players and the DM to avoid having to track how many advantages / disadvantages are involved, making every roll faster.

However, in Solasta as the computer's the one doing the heavy lifting, we opted for a system where if you have more advantages than disadvantages, you will still roll with advantage (and vice versa). Think of it as a simple system of +1 and -1, with one advantage and one disadvantage the score goes to 0 and you roll normally, otherwise you will roll with advantage or disadvantage depending on the balance.

Dancing Light

On Tabletop, Dancing Light produces 4 different lights that you can move around certain conditions (no light can be further than 20' from another light, etc etc). On Solasta, Dancing Light produces a single ball containing the 4 different lights merged together. Also, on Solasta Dancing Light produces 10' of Bright Light + 10' of Dim Light instead of just 10' of Dim Light.

Why the change? First, micromanaging 4 additional units (light source) and adding all the rules and restrictions made the spell very tedious to use, which is why we switched it to a single (bigger) light. As a result, we increased the brightness of that light - which also make it useful to non-Darkvision characters (since having only 10' of Dim Light would do nothing for them otherwise as they need Bright Light).

Proficiency & equipment

On Tabletop, you can technically use any equipment you want even if you're not proficient with it - you just don't get any bonuses and proficiency modifier. On Solasta, we've currently disabled equipment you're not proficient with, preventing you from equipping the item.

This one is more to help the less knowledgeable players to avoid frustration when they don't understand why their character doesn't have the bonuses they should - it might change in the future, but for the moment we think it's for the best.

Weapon swapping

On Tabletop, depending on your DM you may or may not be able to swap weapons on the fly - for instance, according to the rules donning on / off a shield takes quite some time! In Solasta we allow to swap weapons once per round (free action).

Considering how often you may need to swap between melee / ranged weapons and/or get a torch out, we felt like it would slow down the pace of the fight a bit too much if we went with the actual Tabletop Rules there.

Homebrew Archetypes

We often have people asking "why aren't you adding Battlemaster / Forge Domain / Bladesinger instead of your Homebrew archetypes?"

Keep in mind that we're using the SRD 5.1 license, not the full D&D 5e license - meaning we simply can't. We're not allowed to, that's how copyright goes. We are allowed a single SRD archetype for each class (such as champion, or life domain).

Additional Spells

Similarly, some people are asking about Green Flame Blade, Toll the Dead or Word of Radiance - those spells are not SRD.

Long story short, spells that are not in the Player Handbook are not SRD (and even some that are in the PHB aren't SRD, such as Hex) - so we can't use them. As for spells like Friend or Zone of Truth, they simply aren't there because we haven't implemented anything to use them on. As you know the entire game is voiced, and creating special lines of dialogue for every "social" spell isn't possible for our budget :(

Proxy Spells and Line of Sight

Alright this one is a lot less clear, since not everyone agrees on Tabletop either. Proxy Spells are what we call spells like Spiritual Weapon, or Flaming Sphere - spells that create a new unit that you can move around as the caster (so different from summoning a wolf for instance).

In Solasta, you can't attack with your Proxy Spell if your caster doesn't have line of sight on the target - meaning you can't move your Spiritual Weapon around the corner to attack an enemy you can't see.

Casting multiple Proxy Spells

Although some Proxy Spells such as Spiritual Weapon do not require concentration, Solasta only allows one active proxy spell per caster. This means you can't have both Spiritual Weapon and Flaming Sphere active at the same time - casting one will remove the other.

Some Spells have minor adjustments

You may have noticed Spiritual Weapon does not deal damage on the first turn after being cast. This is currently due to a technical limitation, as both summoning the Spiritual Weapon and attacking with it takes a bonus action, with the exception of the turn it is summoned. This exception has not been implemented.

If you find anything that deviates from Tabletop Rules that is not mentioned above, please make sure to post here so I can either add it to the list - or add it to the Bug List :p

[Cormellion]

no it wasn't

[Cormellion]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Cormellion:

no it wasn't

and I was not trolling, I was trying to help , but since you were over sensitive tech guy you took it the wrong way. I believe you would be classed as trolling for continuing the discussion

[wwiiogre]

Why I said move along, because it appeared people were trolling each other since the topic was already beat to death. Agree to disagree, wait to see what happens, then when new info emerges resume beating the dead horse if it makes you feel better. :)

Chris

[Cartesian Duelist]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Cormellion:

a) "A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied." This means in the official tomes (ref above) it is of a spell level that you are able to prepare (ie cast!) Read wizards section on copying to a spellbook. This is a literal translation of this sentence, the next bit in the paragraph logically comes next and does not ignore part (a) (I think you said read it all, try yourself)

b) "When a spell is copied from a the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level." Then and only after part (a) is satisfied can you complete a successful roll.

This is clearly the correct way that the rules interact, it doesn't even make sense to think it would work differently. To think that you could go to the description of spell scroll as an item and think that anything there would override the rules for a wizard's spell book is a bit bizarre.

Using links from the previously provided SRD:
https://dnd-srd-sphinx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/class/wizard.html#spellbook

Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

https://dnd-srd-sphinx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/magic-item/spell-scroll.html

A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.

[Redglyph]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Cartesian Duelist:

This is clearly the correct way that the rules interact, it doesn't even make sense to think it would work differently. To think that you could go to the description of spell scroll as an item and think that anything there would override the rules for a wizard's spell book is a bit bizarre.

Here are the correct and complete references, just in case (curiously, it's absent in the Player's Handbook but not in the freely available summary of it):

- Systems Reference Document 5.1, rules of the Open Gaming Licence that are used in Solasta, pg 242, same text I copied above (document by WotC, available for download on their website)

- DnD Basic Rules - the free and simplified version of the Player's Handbook, pg 169-170, same text as above (document by WotC, available for download on their website)

- Dungeon Master's Guide, pg 200-201, same text as above (printed book by WotC, available for purchase in their store)

And the complete text is as follows:

Ursprünglich geschrieben von SRD:

A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components.
Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost.
If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.
The level of the spell on the scroll determines the spell’s saving throw DC and attack bonus, as well as the scroll’s rarity, as shown in the Spell Scroll table.

(see SRD pg 242 for the table)

A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.

What would be bizarre, is to say "it's exactly the same as copying from a spellbook", then saying "when it's a scroll, you must pass a check", it's contradictory. The special case of copying from a scroll is introduced by "When a spell is copied from a spell scroll". If it were an additional condition, this would be the worst possible way of writing it.

Also, it is possible to cast the scroll spell even if it is of higher level than the caster, provided the check is made (spells scrolls are imbued of magic which helps the spell flow through the caster, from what I've read, I have no reference here though). Why would it be different for copying to the spellbook?

It's also interesting to see where it's coming from. If you read the 3.5 edition, you will see that copying from another spellbook also requires a check. The rules are formulated differently, and this awkward phrase is not there at all: when you copy from either a spellbook or a scroll, you must perform the check, that's much clearer and more consistent.

Finally, note also that's exactly how it works in Pathfinder too (which branched from D&D).

So there's really several arguments in favour of the check only, against a stretched interpretation of a sentence which is only there to link two sections of the scroll (casting and transcribing).

[Cormellion]

My god you do go on; my 7 year old would have quit by now.

[Dislexeeya]

Some rule differences/potential bugs I noticed:

Two-Weapon Fighting (duel wielding):
Solasta: When you have two Light weapons equipped you can make an attack with the second weapon as a bonus action. You can make the attacks in any order you want. You do not have to use your action to attack to make the bonus action attack.
Tabletop: You must use your action to attack with the first weapon before you can make the bonus action attack with the second weapon. If you don't use your action to attack, you cannot make the bonus action attack.

True Strike:
Solasta: The next attack against the target creature is made with advantage (I think this is a bug as the spell text says otherwise).
Tabletop: The caster's first attack on their next turn against the target creature has advantage.

If you haven't noticed, there's a strong interaction that comes from these two rule differences: Use your action to cast True Strike, then while duel wielding make your bonus action attack with advantage. If you are using the full somatic rules like I am, you need to start the turn with a weapon set where your hand is free to cast the spell, then you switch to a duel wielding weapon set to make the bonus action attack.

Edit: Why this is a big deal: Pick High Elf as your race and True Strike as your cantrip choice then pick Rogue as your class. Congratulations, advantage Sneak Attack every turn! (Or every other turn if you have full somatic rules enabled, like I do).

[Cormellion]

Nice spot Dislexeeya

[Kirelli]

I haven't played a lot of the d&d5 ruleset, but I miss the option for sorcerer/sorceress, which tends to be among the standard classes. Will more classes/races be added later on? Any prestige classes? As you don't have full access to all the rules, I guess there probably won't be exotic races like the cat race or such (can't remember the name atm)?

Another question is concerning the colour options available in char. creation. I was surprised they don't change according to race at all, not to mention that there were some quite bright and non-traditional colours (unfortunately often colours that are hard to mix hair/skin without clashing, in my opinion) I'm curious about the reasoning behind this?
I love how you can choose ancestry for humans, though. Would have loved a bit more like that. Will there be any changes in parametres based on race in the future, or link between how the races are described in d&d and the colours available?

Also, thank you for making another d&d based rpg! ^^

[Cormellion]

prestige classes are different in 5e. you select your specialism at level 3. I also hope for more customisation in the future. I'm not sure what classes are in the srd rule set without looking them up, but I think the team is small at solasta so that might also restrict options.

[gentilledoux]

Is there any plan to get a licence from Black Book Edition or Studio Agate. Two French editor that have made whole game from the D&D SRD. That would had playtested subclasses and the licence should get far easier to get than the one from WotC.

[SeraisAlive]

Hideous Laughter is target creature not target humanoid doing the latter significantly drops the power of the spell tenfold

[Cormellion]

Tasha's hideous laughter affects all types of creatures >3 int. A lot of undead and monsters are >3 int. This might be a work around by the developer??? Or a straight bug. Good spot.

[RJM]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Kirelli:

I haven't played a lot of the d&d5 ruleset, but I miss the option for sorcerer/sorceress, which tends to be among the standard classes. Will more classes/races be added later on?

Quote from the full release announcement:

There is also a 7th class that has already been announced, the Sorcerer, who will be available in a free post-launch DLC for everyone.

[Carog the Fat]

can you add proxy to description of each spell or ability that is so, to prevent any confusion of why a spell stopped when you cast another.