Checking my understanding of 5E rules

[Callum]

After many years of playing 3.5E/Pathfinder, I'm getting ready to run my first 5E game, and I'd just like to make sure I'm up on the key rules - particularly where they differ from the earlier editions.

Am I right in saying that there is no way to interfere with a spell being cast in combat? The opportunity attack appears to only be used when a character moves out of another's threeatened area.

Also, is there no penalty for shooting a missile weapon into melee? There is a rule that you have disadvantage if a foe is next to you when making a ranged attack (which also applies to spells that need a ranged attack roll), but nothing about shooting into melee that I can see.

[Myrdin Potter]

The guidance in the rules is cover. Generally a -2 to fire into melee.

[LordEntrails]

Honestly? Forget every rules you know about 3.5/PF. Just pretend 5E is a completely different game. If you don't, you are constantly going to be be going, "what about...?"

AoO work differently, yes.
Yes there are ways to interrupt spells, usually with other spells and not with combat attacks.
Yes you can shoot into melee with no penalty.

5E is very streamlined. No penalties or modifiers for a bunch of things. Generally you have modifiers for cover, and most everything else is handled by advantage/disadvantage.

Attached is a doc I did when my group switched. Haven't looked at it in years, so some of it may be wrong and I doubt I would approach it this way now.

Again though, it's not just some rule changes, its a completely different system with different design objectives. I suggest you approach it that way.25245

[Callum]

Thanks for that, LordEntrails. I am trying to treat the it as a different game, but I'm just checking these differences to make sure I haven't missed something.

Also, a saving throw roll of 1 isn't an automatic failure, and a roll of 20 isn't an automatic success?

[Nylanfs]

If in doubt, use advantage/disadvantage. Move on.

[Jip]

Also, a saving throw roll of 1 isn't an automatic failure, and a roll of 20 isn't an automatic success?

True. The same goes for Skill (Ability) rolls of 1 and 20. Only Attack rolls that result in 1 or 20 are auto success/failure.

[GunnarGreybeard]

If in doubt, use advantage/disadvantage. Move on.

+1 . . .

[GavinRuneblade]

Here are two things that help me as I dm:
Top 5 rules everyone gets wrong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYUG7FBJC94) (by Taking20)

The sage advice compilation (https://dnd.wizards.com/sage-advice-compendium) PDF.


I review these periodically just as a reminder, because I still make mistakes.

[Xemit]

Link to the newer v2.2 Sage Advice Compilation PDF: https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf

[Ken L]

If in doubt, use advantage/disadvantage. Move on.
+1 . . .
++1