Roll Some Dice

  "We've had one wind, yes. What about second wind?" I am, admittedly, a rules-as-written kinda guy when it comes to 5E. I don't typically use houserules -- due in no small part to playing and running so many Adventurers League games -- but there's one pretty common houserule that's always bugged me. I've never really thought about why it bugged me so much, but I figured it out, and the answer involves something I don't think I've really seen anyone talk about online. The houserule in question: allowing a PC to drink a potion as a bonus action. And the reason it bugs me is that that's not what bonus actions are for. I think there's a lot of unspoken confusion about that, what the bonus action represents in the narrative, and consequently it seems like there's also a lot of people who've silently agreed on what that is . The question "Can I do that as a bonus action?" with regards to opening a door or drinking a potion imp...

From left to right: Rules Cyclopedia, One D&D Playtest Packet 5 I'm a big fan of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia .  Published in 1991, it compiles the Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal boxed sets (aka BECMI) into a single chunky book, complete with Darlene-style hex maps of the "Known World" of Mystara in the back. It may be the best single-book edition of D&D . It may also be the only single-book edition of D&D , but that's neither here nor there. The RC has a lot going for it besides the form factor, like non-weapon proficiencies, something like prestige classes or subclasses, and... weapon mastery. Yes, weapon mastery, the cool new thing in the most-recent One D&D playtest packet that has everyone abuzz! And for good reason; it's a little something extra for the martial classes that doesn't come close to addressing the power discrepancy between casters and non-casters, especially at high levels, but still. (In addition to being...