u/FlipDigs

How do other DMs handle the Help action outside of combat?

I’ve noticed at my table that players will almost always ask to “help” whenever another player is making a check, mainly to try and secure advantage. I don’t mind teamwork, but I usually ask them how exactly they’re helping, and a lot of the time the explanations feel extremely surface level, like “I stand next to them and look too” or “I watch over their shoulder.”

I’m trying to find a balance between encouraging cooperation and making the Help action feel meaningful or earned narratively instead of automatic advantage spam.

Do you require specific roleplay or expertise to grant Help on certain checks? Do you limit it in some situations? Or do you generally allow it as long as someone can reasonably participate?

Curious how other tables handle this without slowing the game down too much.

Thank you!

How do other DMs handle the Help action outside of combat?

I’ve noticed at my table that players will almost always ask to “help” whenever another player is making a check, mainly to try and secure advantage. I don’t mind teamwork, but I usually ask them how exactly they’re helping, and a lot of the time the explanations feel extremely surface level, like “I stand next to them and look too” or “I watch over their shoulder.”

I’m trying to find a balance between encouraging cooperation and making the Help action feel meaningful or earned narratively instead of automatic advantage spam.

Do you require specific roleplay or expertise to grant Help on certain checks? Do you limit it in some situations? Or do you generally allow it as long as someone can reasonably participate?

Curious how other tables handle this without slowing the game down too much.

Thank you!

Getting ready to start my first Curse of Strahd campaign and I’m torn on Cleric subclass choice. Current party is a Fighter, Barbarian, Sorcerer, and Paladin, so I decided to go Cleric since it feels like a great fit for Barovia both mechanically and thematically.

Right now I’m stuck between Light Cleric and Peace Cleric. Light Cleric seems incredible for CoS with Radiance of the Dawn, Warding Flare, and eventually Spirit Guardians while running around burning through undead. On the other hand, Peace Cleric’s Emboldening Bond seems insanely valuable in a campaign where failed saves and bad rolls can snowball quickly.

For those who have played or run Curse of Strahd, which ended up feeling more impactful overall? Did Light Cleric’s anti-undead toolkit shine as much as it seems like it would, or did Peace Cleric support end up carrying harder in practice?

Trying to stay spoiler free since this is my first time playing through the campaign, but I’d love to hear opinions from people who’ve experienced it.