Using inspiration to force disadvantage

[JonBeowulf]

We just ended a session and a situation came up where burning my inspiration to cause disadvantage on an enemy save would have been more advantageous than using it myself. I didn't want to derail an already lengthy combat asking for a ruling, so I let it slide (and still have my inspiration).

It seems fair to me, but that might just be personal bias (I tend to like my ideas). So... thoughts? Does adding the ability to use your inspiration to apply disadvantage to someone else's d20 roll feel broken?

[PhoenixPhyre]

Personally? No. Not at all. I let it be used straight up as a lucky point.

[RSP]

Personally? No. Not at all. I let it be used straight up as a lucky point.

Luck points can’t be used to give enemies Disadvantage on saves though, at least not RAW.

To the OP: I’d not allow it. Depending on how often Inspiration is doled out, that could lead to just trivializing big encounters.

[KorvinStarmast]

Luck points be used to give enemies Disadvantage on saves though, at least not RAW.

To the OP: I’d not allow it. Depending on how often Inspiration is doled out, that could lead to just trivializing big encounters. Concur. The ability to impact an enemy saving throw is very rare in this game. Bane and mind sliver are two that come to mind, though there's contagion that can give saving throws disadvantage - but the creature has to fail three saves for this to trigger.

Certain conditions can impact Dex saves: paralyzed, petrified, stunned and unconscious creatures fail, restrained ones have disadvantage.

[JonBeowulf]

Certain conditions can impact Dex saves: paralyzed, petrified, stunned and unconscious creatures fail, restrained ones have disadvantage.

You caught me... Open Hand Monk wanted to stun the guy, but he had a good CON save. Or knock him prone, but he had a decent DEX save. Or push him into a WoF, but he also had a decent STR save. :smallredface:

End the end, he was killed by a Ray of Frost. I'd been smacking the guy for 5 rounds so not upset by the kill-steal.

[Gignere]

Concur. The ability to impact an enemy saving throw is very rare in this game. Bane and mind sliver are two that come to mind, though there's contagion that can give saving throws disadvantage - but the creature has to fail three saves for this to trigger.

Certain conditions can impact Dex saves: paralyzed, petrified, stunned and unconscious creatures fail, restrained ones have disadvantage.

Portent is another ability that impact enemy saves.

[KorvinStarmast]

Portent is another ability that impact enemy saves. Yes, it sure can; it replaces the entire roll. The OP is about trying to create disadvantage - and it's very rare for that to happen. I did mention bane and mind sliver since they are easy to access as first level spells - their - 1d4 isn't quite disadvantage.

[Oerlaf]

Bestow curse is a 3rd-level spell that can produce the desired effect, but it requires an initial saving throw.

So in terms of power, using an inspiration to force disadvantage might be not too powerful. Inspirarion is a rare thing in most of my games anyways.

[tKUUNK]

I'm thinking the power level of this really depends on how much Inspiration is floating around your table. Even for that, there's an easy fix: make it require 2 Inspiration points.