New player questions - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 webin Aug 30, 2014 4:50:04	Hello, I'm a new player to D&D 5th edition and I have some questions. I have the player's handbook, but I'm just not 100% certain if I am understanding things correctly. So here are my questions any help on clearing things up is much appreciated. 1) Hiding: I read that hiding is something you can do in combat, but are you able to hide and attack in combat just like someone can move say 30 feet and attack with a weapon. My exact question would be if I'm a lightfoot halfling that can hide by being behind an ally. Could I hide and fire in the same round? 2) Surprise: The level 17 assassin path rogue ability is Death Strike that deals double damage if a creature is surprised. Does this mean whenever I fire at a creature that cannot see me because I'm hiding is surprised or would I only gain advantage on that creature? If so I'm guessing surprise is something done at the start of combat such as setting up on ambush on a pack of creatures who don't know your group is there? 3) Crossbow Expertise: This says it removes the loading quality of crossbows and it will allow me to fire a hand crossbow as a bonus action. Does this mean if I'm using 2 hand crossbows (1 in each hand) I could load both hand crossbows per attack action and fire them. 4) Feats. Do you get a feat starting out? I remember other versions you got 1 at level 1 but I can't find anything about a feat at level 1 here. (edited this in). So putting all this together I pretty much want to know if I could hide, load my 2 hand crossbows and fire all as part of one attack action if I had the crossbow expertise feat. Also, wondering if my stealthed attacks will count just as advantage or if they'll be surprise attacks. Thank you
#2 Seraphex Aug 30, 2014 5:19:20	webin wrote:
#3 Ath-kethin Aug 30, 2014 7:34:21	And to your other question: rules as written, only the variant human gets a feat at first level. Everybody else waits til level 4, when they get a choice of a feat or an ability score increase.
#4 Jell_Moo Aug 30, 2014 7:39:46	1) Hiding: Basically you are just limited by your Action. Page 192 will show you that both Hiding and Attacking require your Action. Now, if you have a way around this, like the 2nd level Rogue ability Cunning Action, you can then Hide as a Bonus Action, and thus do both. 2) Surprise: Pretty much. It's more or less set by the DM. The kicked on this, and I may be wrong here but the it's the way I read it, is that if the rest of your group isn't being stealthy, there shouldn't be a Surprise. You can still remain hidden and undetected, but you wouldn't have the benefits of a Surprise. 3) Crossbow Expertise: As written, that's the way I read it. It seems others disagree, whilst others dislike it as being unrealistic. I don't have a problem with it, and I'd simply recommend talking with your DM about it ahead of time. 4) Feats: Nope. Feats are gained instead of stat bonuses on the levels indicated. The only exception I know of is the variant rule for humans on page 31, that gives them a feat to start with. So putting all this together I pretty much want to know if I could hide, load my 2 hand crossbows and fire all as part of one attack action if I had the crossbow expertise feat. Also, wondering if my stealthed attacks will count just as advantage or if they'll be surprise attacks.
#5 webin Aug 30, 2014 12:44:22	Thanks for the replies. You guys cleared everything up perfectly!

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

webin

Aug 30, 2014 4:50:04

Hello, I'm a new player to D&D 5th edition and I have some questions. I have the player's handbook, but I'm just not 100% certain if I am understanding things correctly. So here are my questions any help on clearing things up is much appreciated.

1) Hiding: I read that hiding is something you can do in combat, but are you able to hide and attack in combat just like someone can move say 30 feet and attack with a weapon. My exact question would be if I'm a lightfoot halfling that can hide by being behind an ally. Could I hide and fire in the same round?

2) Surprise: The level 17 assassin path rogue ability is Death Strike that deals double damage if a creature is surprised. Does this mean whenever I fire at a creature that cannot see me because I'm hiding is surprised or would I only gain advantage on that creature? If so I'm guessing surprise is something done at the start of combat such as setting up on ambush on a pack of creatures who don't know your group is there?

3) Crossbow Expertise: This says it removes the loading quality of crossbows and it will allow me to fire a hand crossbow as a bonus action. Does this mean if I'm using 2 hand crossbows (1 in each hand) I could load both hand crossbows per attack action and fire them.

4) Feats. Do you get a feat starting out? I remember other versions you got 1 at level 1 but I can't find anything about a feat at level 1 here. (edited this in).

So putting all this together I pretty much want to know if I could hide, load my 2 hand crossbows and fire all as part of one attack action if I had the crossbow expertise feat. Also, wondering if my stealthed attacks will count just as advantage or if they'll be surprise attacks.

Thank you

Seraphex

Aug 30, 2014 5:19:20

webin wrote:

Ath-kethin

Aug 30, 2014 7:34:21

And to your other question: rules as written, only the variant human gets a feat at first level. Everybody else waits til level 4, when they get a choice of a feat or an ability score increase.

Jell_Moo

Aug 30, 2014 7:39:46

1) Hiding: Basically you are just limited by your Action. Page 192 will show you that both Hiding and Attacking require your Action. Now, if you have a way around this, like the 2nd level Rogue ability Cunning Action, you can then Hide as a Bonus Action, and thus do both.

2) Surprise: Pretty much. It's more or less set by the DM. The kicked on this, and I may be wrong here but the it's the way I read it, is that if the rest of your group isn't being stealthy, there shouldn't be a Surprise. You can still remain hidden and undetected, but you wouldn't have the benefits of a Surprise.

3) Crossbow Expertise: As written, that's the way I read it. It seems others disagree, whilst others dislike it as being unrealistic. I don't have a problem with it, and I'd simply recommend talking with your DM about it ahead of time.

4) Feats: Nope. Feats are gained instead of stat bonuses on the levels indicated. The only exception I know of is the variant rule for humans on page 31, that gives them a feat to start with.

So putting all this together I pretty much want to know if I could hide, load my 2 hand crossbows and fire all as part of one attack action if I had the crossbow expertise feat. Also, wondering if my stealthed attacks will count just as advantage or if they'll be surprise attacks.

webin

Aug 30, 2014 12:44:22

Thanks for the replies. You guys cleared everything up perfectly!