Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Synjin Nov 07, 2014 8:21:06	I know if you have one Advantage and one Disadvantage, that they cancel each other out and it's a 1d20 roll, and I'm not talking about a small 2:1 ratio....but I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that multiple sources of Adv/Disadv at some point don't outwiegh the wash.   If you have multiple sources that give Disadvantage, such as an enemy's spell, class feature, Help action against you, etc.....at some point, wouldn't common sense dictate that all those Disadvantages against you outweigh a single source of Advantage that you might have? And vice versa of course, if you've gotten uber-buffed with Advantage against a single condition of Disadvantage.   Would it break the game to house-rule that a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio or greater is needed to tip one way or the other?
#2 mellored Nov 07, 2014 8:25:28	It wouldn't break the game, but it would encurage (dis)advantage stacking.
#3 Synjin Nov 07, 2014 8:28:37	mellored wrote:
#4 OoftaMeg Nov 07, 2014 9:27:37	You can try it, but I suspect it will bog down the game quite a bit in some scenarios.
#5 Saelorn Nov 07, 2014 10:37:14	Don't count "sources" and then try to "balance" them against each other to see if you have one more instance of one than the other. Rather, the whole set is designed for quick adjudication - the DM can look at what's going on, and easily determine if something is notably easier or harder than normal. The general rule, that they counter each other and don't stack, exists so you don't have to think about it too much.   If you can quickly determine that either Advantage or Disadvantage would apply, and that makes sense to you (as the DM), then that outweighs the letter of the rule.
#6 cowleymen Nov 07, 2014 10:41:46	If they have lots of things going for them, then one hassle doesnt hinder you at all.
#7 Synjin Nov 07, 2014 10:46:49	Saelorn wrote:
#8 Illithidbix Nov 07, 2014 11:19:41	There are definitely situations where it makes sense for advantages or disadvantages to kinda stack but I believe one reason why you don't count them is to speed up play.  I believe they wanted to discourage scrounging for source of disadvantage/advantage in the way that some players try to for modifiers.     Saelorn wrote:
#9 intently Nov 07, 2014 12:08:45	MMMMMmmmmmm... I like the idea of having my players roll 4d20 and taking the lowest.
#10 Synjin Nov 07, 2014 13:17:17	intently wrote:
#11 Psikerlord Nov 08, 2014 1:46:52	I would like to see an optional rule in DMG that says the DM can from time to time ignore the rule about adv and disad not stacking. I think that's all we need. If you have adv from someone helping you, but you are blind, prone and long range from your javelin target, imo it makes perfect sense the ignore the usual rule and allow the overwhelming disad to apply. But that would be a case by case ruling, which might avoid the increasingly complexity/bog down time issue (if indeed that is a genuine problem at all).
#12 Synjin Nov 08, 2014 6:48:48	Psikerlord wrote:
(Reply to #12) OoftaMeg	Synjin wrote:
#14 mellored Nov 08, 2014 9:48:24	IMO: If your giving someone 4+ dice, you might as well give an auto-success, (or failure).  You're worst roll will basicly be a 10.   3 dice is possible, but even then, it's not likely.
#15 Psikerlord Nov 08, 2014 15:43:21	mellored wrote:
#16 Drycanth Nov 08, 2014 17:21:29	think of it like this.   The die roll represents random chance. Things are eithor skewed one way or the other. As long as there are multiple random elements that skew the chance in both directions it is still just random chance and you resolve it as a single die roll.   essentially you eithor have random chance skewed in your favor or skewed against you ... if it is both then it is neitor
#17 Synjin Nov 11, 2014 10:13:30	Psikerlord wrote:
#18 Rhenny Nov 11, 2014 10:28:33	Saelorn wrote:
#19 Smashpunk Nov 12, 2014 7:51:48	In my experience, disadvantage is much less common than advantage in regards to stacking. I would be wary of having single instances cancel themselves (i.e. 2 sources of Adv and 1 Dis result in Adv). I'm finding that there are many times where a PC will have advantage from more than one source where as disadvantage almost always tends to be singular. This would dilute disadvantage.    This is obviously subjective, but it would be why I wouldn't start doing it at my table.    Also, streamlining is nice. Not having to count sources speeds up combat. Combat seems to always need a speed boost
#20 MasterVelles Nov 18, 2014 12:59:08	It would be more "realistic" but it would slow the game down while everyone remembers all their sources of Adv/Dis on every attack. The whole point of using the Adv/Dis system was to do away with stacking miscelaniou +2/-2s.   Try it out for a session or two, see if you/your table likes it, then make a call.