Dungeons & Dragon 5.5E Players Handbook Review

 

I obtained a copy of the updated Players Handbook. I thought I would share my impressions as I perused it and highlight the distinctions between the 5. 5 version and the 5E version. I am presuming that the reader is acquainted with the 5E PHB, so I will exclusively discuss elements that are new or altered from the 5E version. I will not comment on entries that have merely been rephrased for clarity (there are numerous such instances). The rules stipulate DCs for specific checks, but the DM ultimately determines them. It is essential to consider that in other sections of the book, specific DCs are provided for tasks, such as hiding or picking a lock, for instance.

SAVING THROWS: It clarifies that you can opt to fail a saving throw if you decide to do so. I have always played it in this manner, but I am pleased to see it formalized in the rule book.
HEROIC INSPIRATION (formerly referred to simply as Inspiration): Renaming it is a commendable decision. This clearly distinguishes it from Bardic Inspiration. The only alteration I observe is that it no longer states that you can transfer it to another player unless you are in possession of it when the other player is not.

I discovered three instances within the 5. 5 rules where PCs can acquire Heroic Inspiration aside from when the DM awards it to them.

• Fighter, Champion, HEROIC WARRIOR: “During combat, you can grant yourself Heroic Inspiration whenever you begin your turn without it. ”

• Human trait, RESOURCEFUL: “You gain Heroic Inspiration whenever you complete Long Rest. ”

• Origin Feat, MUSICIAN: After each Short or Long Rest, you can bestow Heroic Inspiration upon all your allies. It isn’t explicitly stated, but I would assume this also applies to yourself.
ACTIONS: One modification I noticed is that these actions are no longer referred to as “combat actions” as they were in the 5E PHB. This creates a sense that if an action is not listed here, it cannot be performed, whether in combat or otherwise. It does refer to the table as a compilation of the “game’s main actions” and notes that “you can improvise other actions,” but it does not clarify that your character can do, or attempt to do, anything they wish to do. The actions from 5. 5 remain unchanged.

• INFLUENCE: (This is a new action. ) You determine what you want to persuade a monster to do. If the monster is neither willing nor unwilling but displays hesitation, you make a CHA check (either Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Animal Handling). The DC equals the higher of 15 or the monster's INT score. “On a successful check, the monster complies as urged. ”

• MAGIC: This was the “Cast a Spell” action in 5E. It now also encompasses “utilize a magic item, or employ a magical feature. ”

• STUDY: (This represents a novel action. ) You perform an INT check to recall a significant piece of information. What I appreciate most here is that the player character can utilize this to “recollect” something about the creature they are confronting. The skill employed is contingent upon the creature type; Arcana (Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Fey, and Monstrosities), History (Giants and Humanoids), Nature (Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, and Plants), Religion (Celestials, Fiends, and Undead).

• UTILIZE: This is a rebranding of the previous “Use an Object” action.
CARRYING OBJECTS: It states, “You can generally carry your equipment and valuables without concern for the weight of those items,” and that the Dungeon Master may require adherence to the carrying capacity regulations if you attempt to transport something particularly large or heavy. Although this is addressed in the 5E Player’s Handbook by indicating that the calculated weight “is substantial enough that most characters typically do not need to worry about it,” the new Player’s Handbook clarifies this considerably.
ENCUMBRANCE: (variant rule) has been eliminated from the regulations. I rarely utilized this regardless.

HAZARDS: This introduces a new classification of environmental threats. They are all delineated in the rules glossary. They include:

• Burning: The extent of fire damage sustained each turn and the method to extinguish the flame.

• Dehydration: The volume of water required daily, based on your size. You accumulate 1 level of exhaustion each day without it. It cannot be alleviated until you consume the full amount for one day.

• Falling: Corresponds to falling damage in 5E. Adds a Strength (Athletics) check to mitigate damage by half if plunging into water.

• Malnutrition: Analogous to Dehydration, but pertains to pounds of food required each day; however, you receive a Constitution save each of the first 4 days to avoid accruing an exhaustion level.
• Suffocation: The duration for which you can hold your breath remains unchanged. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of that duration, instead of dropping to 0 HP, you gain 1 exhaustion level each turn. You recover from all exhaustion accumulated in this manner once you are able to breathe again.

TRAVEL PACE: Essentially the same but articulated in a clearer, more comprehensible manner, and it excludes Forced March.

SURPRISE: If caught off guard, you roll for initiative with disadvantage. This is significantly simpler and easier to comprehend than the previous rules. It is slightly less “realistic,” but the former method occasionally allowed monsters two rounds of combat before a player character could act, which always felt like a considerable disadvantage.
MOVING AROUND OTHER CREATURES: Navigating through the space of an ally is no

longer considered Difficult Terrain.

COVER: No alterations, but it contains a chart that facilitates locating the information you seek with greater ease.

OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS: Added “Bonus Action” to the enumeration of actions you can utilize to move that do not provoke an opportunity attack. This is a minor adjustment. I always permitted this regardless, but it is beneficial that it is now included in the official rules.
It currently states “… when a being that you can observe departs from your reach. ” In 5E it indicated “… when an adversarial creature that you can perceive moves out of your reach. ” By omitting the term “adversarial,” you can now perform an opportunity attack against an ally. [I may be introducing a new house rule stipulating that you cannot execute an opportunity attack against an ally.

UNDERWATER COMBAT: This has been considerably streamlined. If you lack a swimming speed, you have disadvantage on melee attacks with weapons that do not inflict piercing damage. [In the 5E Player's Handbook, it had to be a short sword, spear, or trident. ] Additionally, all ranged weapon attacks miss at long range and incur disadvantage at normal range.
KNOCKING OUT A CREATURE: In addition to the creature becoming unconscious, the new Player's Handbook includes “It then commences a Short Rest, at the conclusion of which that condition ceases to affect it. The condition terminates prematurely if the creature regains any Hit Points or if someone takes an action to provide first aid to it, successfully completing a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. ”

CONDITIONS: Due to the addition of “can’t speak” to the Incapacitated condition, it has removed “can’t speak” from the descriptions of conditions that involve having the Incapacitated condition. Any condition that included “can’t move” has been altered to “Your Speed is 0 and can’t increase. ” Aside from these two modifications, the conditions remain unchanged: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Restrained, Stunned, and Unconscious.

• Exhaustion: (This was not a condition in 5E. ) For each level of exhaustion, you incur an additional -2 on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws (now referred to as D20 Tests), and your speed is diminished by an extra 5 ft. You perish when your level of Exhaustion reaches 6. Each long rest alleviates 1 level of exhaustion.

• Incapacitated: You are still unable to take any action, Bonus Action, or Reaction, and it adds that your Concentration is disrupted, you cannot speak, and you have Disadvantage on initiative.

• Invisible: It adds; you have advantage on initiative and are not influenced by any effect requiring you to be seen, “unless the effect’s creator can perceive you. ”

• Petrified: Remains the same as prior versions, but it has removed “is unaware of its surroundings” and “a poison or disease already in its system is suspended, not neutralized. ”

• Prone: The only alteration is that “A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition” has been changed to “Your only movement options are to crawl or to expend an amount of movement equal to half your Speed (round down) to right yourself and thereby conclude the condition. If your Speed is 0, you are unable to right yourself. ”

ATTACK [Action], Equipping and Unequipping Weapons: “You may either equip or unequip a single weapon when performing an attack as part of this action. This can be done either prior to or subsequent to the attack. ” I have observed numerous individuals on YouTube asserting that this new regulation permits unlimited exchanges between various weapons. It does not. You can either equip or unequip a weapon as part of the attack. Consequently, with any one hand, you can only alternate between two different weapons irrespective of the number of attacks you are permitted to execute with the attack action. Additionally, under the new regulations, discarding a weapon is regarded as unequipping.
Bloodied: “A creature is considered Bloodied when it has half or fewer of its Hit Points remaining. ”

Burning [Hazard]: Regulations detailing the amount of damage incurred if you are ablaze and the method for extinguishing the flames. (Hazard is a newly introduced category. )
CARRYING CAPACITY: A useful table illustrates how the quantity you can transport is contingent on your size and strength. In the 5E PHB, this fact is often overlooked and lacks clarity.
D20 TEST: This is a straightforward new definition that has been included. It pertains to ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

HELP [Action]: Clarifies that you must possess proficiency in the help skill or tool with which you are assisting.

HEROIC INSPIRATION: This was merely referred to as inspiration in 5E. Furthermore, it modifies it to a re-roll of ANY DIE.

HIDE [Action]: Requires a Dexterity (Stealth) check to conceal oneself.
ILLUSIONS: I appreciate that it specifies that illusions cast shadows and reflections.
JUMPS: Distance calculations have been simplified for easier memorization.
LONG REST: It now necessitates 16 hours between each 8-hour long rest.
You cannot pick a lock unless you possess thieves' tools, although proficiency with them is not mandatory.

• If you have thieves' tools, you must achieve a successful (DC 15) Dexterity check to unlock the door.

• If you have proficiency with thieves' tools, you may add your Proficiency Bonus (PB) to the check.

The book states, “If you have proficiency in a skill that’s utilized with that check, you have Advantage on the check as well. ” However, none of the tool descriptions enumerate any skills associated with that check. Therefore, since utilizing thieves’ tools does not involve any skills (such as Sleight of Hand), and proficiency in an ability (such as Dexterity) is not applicable, you cannot gain Advantage on the check.

• The Dungeon Master determines whether the conditions are suitable for hiding.
• You must be Heavily Obscured or situated behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover,

and out of the line of sight of all adversaries.

• You execute a Hide check. This constitutes a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
• If you succeed, you now acquire the invisible condition.

• A creature you are concealing from may discover you through a Wisdom (Perception) check. The DC is equivalent to the result of your Hide check.

• You disclose your position (no longer possess the concealed condition) when you produce a sound that exceeds a whisper, an adversary discovers you, you perform an attack roll, or you cast a spell with a verbal component.

• As stated, the regulations might be construed to suggest that even though you possess the invisible condition, you are not, in fact, unseen. You are merely concealed. Your invisible condition solely pertains to your adversaries; your companions may be able to perceive you. I would have appreciated further clarification on this matter. For instance, it now implies that a See Invisibility spell would permit you to detect any creature that was successfully concealed from you. I firmly believe they should have included a Hidden condition, which you acquire when you are obscured, that would be analogous to the Invisible condition.
The existing regulations concerning invisibility and concealment in D&D 5. 5 may result in some unintuitive scenarios. Let us examine this situation:

• You are concealed behind a barrel in a Western-style street confrontation.
• You emerge from behind the barrel in which you are concealed and open fire at an adversary across the street. Do you still possess an advantage due to being hidden?
• What if you traverse the street and engage an enemy at close range? Are you still regarded as concealed?

The regulations do not explicitly tackle these situations, which may lead to ambiguity. While common sense indicates that you would forfeit your concealed status when moving into plain sight, there is no definitive rule articulating this.

How would you manage this as a DM? Would you institute a house rule? If so, what would it entail? Share your insights in the comments below.