Trello Is A Great Tool For Tracking The Spells You Have Cast

I recently started using Trello to track which spells my cleric Tansen has cast and I just wanted to share that it has been working really well for me.  Some of the things I like about Trello is:

• It is free
• It is very easy to move the cards around
• I can share my characters Trello board with the DM and other players in my group
• It is easy to modify and customize the cards

Trello may not be the best tool for all types of spell casters, particularly sorcerers, but I think it works well for those that prepare spells.

As you may notice from the image above, Tansen is a high level cleric with a lot of spells.  I have a printed sheet that lists the spells he usually takes, but of course I have him change those sometimes to fit the campaign.  The first column of my board just lists the number of spells he has at each level, and those of you that play D&D 3.5 clerics know that the +1 represents his domain spell at each level.

The second column lists his first through fourth level spells that he prepared for the day.  I also include his pearls of power where appropriate because otherwise I often forget about them.

The third column lists his higher level spells.  Then in the fourth column I have the spells cast.  Those of you familiar with Trello no it is very easy to drag those cards from one column to another, and even a little bit fun to do so.

You can also see I added a little color to some cards.  The blue color I added for a few spell slots he gave up in order to get a special ability related to an item he carries.  The green color I add to spells that are currently active.  I am considering using another color, perhaps red, to denote which spells can be cast as swift or immediate.  I should also add a card for his metamagic feats.  He has the empower metamagic feat which he can use a few times a day, so I probably should add a card for each time he can use it.

Finally, in the column on the right I have some of the spells he often takes, but just did not take today.  When the day ends, it is simple to move the cards back to their respective columns.

If you have not considered using Trello as a spell tracker, I suggest giving it a try.  You could do a lot more with it if you took the time, such as adding more details about each spell to each of the cards.  It would be nice if we could pulls all the spells from a pre-made Trello board that had all of them along with their notes, but I don't think that is a feature Trello currently provides.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 19 - Inspiration

Inspiration is a game mechanic DM's can choose to use to reward players for good role-playing. 

When the DM believes the player has played well and worthy or a reward the DM will grant a character "Inspiration".  A character can only have one "Inspiration".  The character can use this to give their character an advantage roll on an attack, saving throw, or skill check.  Of course the character should declare they are using their inspiration before making the d20 roll.

PH page 125.

I think I may introduce this mechanic in my 3.5 campaigns.

Stop - Don’t Pick the Greater Weapon Focus Feat!

D&D 3.5 rules.

So you're upgrading your fighter and it is time to pick a bonus feat.  Nothing looks too exciting and you already have Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization with your favorite weapon.  Might as well take Greater Weapon Focus to get another +1 on your attack rolls, right?  Wrong!  There is a much better feat in the Players Handbook II waiting for you and it is called Melee Weapon Mastery.  It will give you an additional +2 not only to your attacks, but also to your damage rolls.  I can't think of any reason to choose Greater Weapon Focus over Melee Weapon Mastery because when you qualify for one, you are likely to qualify for the other.

But Melee Weapon Mastery does even more.  The benefit doesn't apply to just your favorite weapon, but to any weapon you use that does the same type of damage, slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning.  But the benefits do not stop there!  Once you have the Melee Weapon Mastery feat, your next feat can be something like Slashing Furry which allows you to take two attacks on a standard action instead of one, although they are at -5 and -10 to hit.

Melee Weapon Mastery is just one of several good feats in the PHII.

All about Flanking, Sneak Attacks, and Attacks of Opportunity - 3.5 Rules

3.5 Rules

Wizards produced a series of excellent articles providing detailed rule interpretation for Sneak Attacks and Attacks of Opportunity; but I feel they didn't quite cover some areas in clear enough detail, and I hope to clarify the rules here.

When I began writing this article I believed there were some cases under which a rogue with a crossbow could earn the +2 flanking bonus and also apply his sneak attack damage earned by flanking; but by the time I finished my research my position has changed.  Even though I don't like my conclusion.  But I am pretty sure now that a rogue with a crossbow will never be able to apply sneak attack damage that can be earned just by flanking an opponent.

The article that follows was mostly written while I believed there would be a case for the rogue to be able to flank with a crossbow, so if it reads a little awkwardly, that partially explains why.

Flanking simply means that two characters are on opposite sides of enemy and within melee striking distance of that enemy.  But that definition of flanking is not sufficient for the characters to obtain the bonuses that may be supplied by flanking.  For the bonuses (+2 To Hit, and applying sneak attack damage), the enemy must be flanked AND threatened.

For purposes of a +2 flanking bonus, threatening requires being in position to make a melee attack with a weapon that causes lethal damage, and the opponent being aware of this.
For purposes of attacks of opportunity, threatening means being in position to make a melee attack with a weapon that causes lethal damage.  The opponent's awareness is irrelevant.

 

The +2 Flanking Bonus:
Typically when two fighters are on opposite sides of an opponent they each get a +2 flanking bonus to their attack roles; but we occasionally read about scenarios where the flanking bonus does not apply.  What exactly is going on?

I think the rule makers believe it should work as follows:

• When a creature has to pay attention to a potential attacker, allies of the potential attacker on the opposite side of that attacker get a +2 on their attack roles.
• That means that when a rogue with a rapier and a fighter with a long sword flank an orc, each gets a +2 attack bonus.
• But, if the rogue is unarmed, the orc does not feel threatened by the rogue and thus does not pay much attention to the rogue and thus the fighter does not get a +2 attack bonus. 
• My guess at the 3.5 intended rule:  The rogue also does not get the +2 attack bonus.  Both characters must be threatening for the +2 attack bonus to apply to either.
• My preference, but I don't think it is what 3.5 intended:  The rogue still gets a +2 attack bonus in this scenario because the fighter is both flanking and threatening.  So if that rogue attempts to punch the orc the rogue does so with a +2 flanking bonus.
• Characters holding ranged weapons also do not threaten!  Now, I can understand that a person standing right next to me with a long bow is not as threatening as a guy with a sword because it seems I could easily disrupt or deflect his long bow attack if he tried to shoot me.  But if the guy next to me had a crossbow instead of a long bow I would feel very threatened.  However, to abide by the rules, no ranged weapon causes a threat.
• Therefore, if a rogue armed with a crossbow and a fighter armed with a long sword are flanking an orc, the orc is still not threatened by the rogue and the fighter does not get a +2 attack bonus.
• The rogue also does not get a +2 attack bonus.
• I prefer this interpretation:  But the rogue does get the +2 attack bonus because the fighter is threatening to the orc.  Thus the rogue fires at +2 with his crossbow.
• If the unarmed character happens to be a monk, or any character with Improved Unarmed Strike, the opponent somehow "knows" the danger and the flanking bonus still applies.  So a monk and a fighter with a long sword on opposite sides of an orc each get a +2 flanking bonus.
• If the rogue with the rapier is invisible, and he flanks the orc with the visible fighter with the long sword, neither gets the +2 flanking bonus because the orc is not aware of the rogue and thus is not threatened.  But the rogue does get other bonuses to hit by virtue of being invisible.
• If the invisible rogue with a rapier and the visible fighter with the long sword flank a dragon instead of an orc, the dragon might be aware of the rogue with its blindsense and thus both characters would get the +2 flanking bonus.
• If a rogue with a crossbow and a fighter with a longsword flank an orc, neither gets a flanking bonus.  But if the rogue has a hand crossbow and also draws a dagger, then the fighter does get a flanking bonus because the rogue has a melee weapon and thus both characters threaten.  The rogue also gets the +2 flanking bonus, and can apply sneak attack damage to damage; but only on attacks made with the dagger, not on attacks made with the crossbow.

From a few sources:

• PH page 137: "If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity" 
• http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040302a: "You threaten an opponent when you can make an armed melee attack against that opponent. You're "armed" when you use a manufactured weapon, natural weapon, the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, or the monk's unarmed strike ability"

In comparison to the +2 flanking bonus, attacks of opportunity are simple.

• You can only make an Attack of Opportunity with a melee weapon, not with a ranged weapon such as a crossbow.
• You can also make an Attack of Opportunity with an unarmed strike if you are a monk or have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.  You must be capable of doing non-lethal damage.
• http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041026a
• A rogue with a crossbow and dagger in hand can make an Attack of Opportunity with the dagger, but not the crossbow.
• A rogue with a crossbow in hand and a sheathed dagger and the Quick Draw feat cannot draw the dagger as a free action and take an Attack of Opportunity with it because the free action that comes with the Quick Draw can only be performed on your own turn.

The rules for sneak attacks.

• When a rogue with a rapier and a fighter with a long sword flank an orc, each is perceived as threatening by the orc and the rogue is able to apply his sneak attack damage because the orc is flanked and threatened.
• If the same rogue is using a crossbow instead of a rapier:
• The rogue cannot apply sneak attack damage because the orc is not threatened and is thus not "flanked".
• I prefer this interpretation:  the rogue can still apply his sneak attack damage to the crossbow because he is flanking and because the orc is still threatened, by the fighter.  It is the fighter's threat to the orc that allows the sneak attack damage to apply to the rogue.
• I also prefer this, but it is not what the 3.5 rules intend:  If one rogue is using a crossbow and another rogue is using a rapier and these two are flanking the orc, the rogue using the crossbow can apply sneak attack damage to his attack because the orc is more wary and concerned about the rogue with the rapier.  The rogue with the rapier cannot apply sneak attack damage because the orc does not feel threatened by the rogue with the crossbow and is not paying much attention to him.

• But I'm pretty sure the actual intent of the 3.5 rules is that benefits only apply if you are flanking and threatening:

This article says that "Flanking" includes threatening: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040302a: "To flank an opponent, two allies must be on opposite sides of that opponent, and they both must threaten the opponent" Even though the PH description under Rogue on page 50 says: "Basically, the rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target."

 

 

Attacks of Opportunity (Part One): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041026a
Attacks of Opportunity (Part Two): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041102a
All About Sneak Attacks (Part One): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040217a
All About Sneak Attacks (Part Two): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040224a
All About Sneak Attacks (Part Three): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040302a
All About Sneak Attacks (Part Four): http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040309a 

All articles: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/rg

My Favorite MetaMagic Feats in D&D 3.5 are from Complete Mage

I am in the process of adding a few wizard levels to my rogue and at 5th level she earns a metamagic feat.  I've never been very satisfied with the metamagic feat list in the PH, so I was pleased when I found the "Reserved" class of metamagic feats in the "Complete Mage".  These feats allow your character to do some minor but potentially useful magic all day long; as long as they hold some magical energy in reserve.  That means your character has to refrain from casting certain spells; because once those spells are cast, you no longer have the reserve energy remaining to use your reserve feat.

There are twenty five reserve feats in the book, and they allow things like:

• The ability to cast a 3d6 lightning bold every round all day
• The ability to cast a 3d6 fireball every round all day
• The ability to teleport a short distance every round all day
• The ability to fly for one round, but every round all day
• The ability to summon an elemental every round all day
• The ability to detect magic every round all day
• I think you get the picture

Each reserve feat is keyed on a type of spell.  For example, the Storm Bolt reserve feat allows you to cast a line of electricity that does a d6/level of damage every round as long as you have a spell of the electricity type currently in mind that is 3rd level or higher and is uncast.  Also, the caster gains +1 Caster Level on all electricity spells cast.

So get your hands on that book if you want a good alternative to the PH list of metamagic feats!

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 18 - Spell Concentration

I'm not sure what the rules were in 3.5, but we always played that you could not cast a second spell while you are still concentrating on the first spell you cast, without giving up the first spell.  But in the 5th edition it is clear from page 203 that you can cast additional spells while continuing the concentration of the first spell, as long as the subsequent spells do not also require concentration.

Normal activity such as moving and attacking (I think it is funny that attacking is "normal activity") doesn't break your concentration.  But getting incapacitated does, so does getting killed, and so does casting another spell that requires concentration.  Getting hit in combat may also cause you to lose concentration if the damage is severe enough.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 17 - Preparing Your Wizard Spells

In my last post I was careful to say you have a limited number of spells until you rest again, instead of for the day, because in the 5th edition of D&D you can recover some spell slots during the day without an 8 hour overnight rest.  Under the ability known as Arcane Recovery, a wizard can choose to reclaim some spell slots after a short rest.  You can recover up to half your wizard levels in slots, rounded up.  So our 3rd level wizard could recover 1.5 spell levels worth of slots (round that up to 2).  The 3rd level wizard could choose to recover 2 1st level slots, or 1 2nd level slot.

Spell casters of many varieties start with a few cantrips, and in the 5th edition you don't have to keep track of how many cantrips you have cast because you can cast them every round all day long.  Cantrips are embedded in the caster's mind and don't require a spell slot to cast.  You can cast them at will.  No preparation is required.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 16 - Spell Slots for Wizards

The big change for wizards is the use of spell slots.  Just as in all previous editions of D&D, wizards will learn spells and record them in their spell books, but each day the wizard will only be able to prepare a few of those spells.  The number of spells that a wizard can prepare is the sum of his spell level and his intelligence ability bonus.  So a 3rd level wizard with an Intelligence of 18 could prepare 7 spells a day, 3 for being 3rd level and an additional 4 due to his +4 Intelligence modifier. 

So after your wizard has reviewed all his spells in his spell book and selected the spells he wants to prepare he is ready to go.  A wizard would never prepare a single spell more than once.  In 3.5, your wizard might memorize three magic missile spells before adventuring, but in the 5th edition the wizard can prepare magic missile once, but still have the flexibility to cast it zero or many times during the day. 
A 3rd level wizard gets 6 spell slots as shown on the table on page 113.  He gets 4 1st level slots and 2 2nd level slots.  This means that he could cast prepare many different 1st level spells (up to 7), but he could still cast magic missile 6 times, once from each slot.  When a wizard casts a spell, the cast spell essentially fills one of his available spell slots.  And notice that the wizard could cast 6 magic missiles (a 1st level spell) even though he only has 4 1st level spell slots.  That is because you can always use a slot from a higher level to cast a lower level spell, but you can't use lower level slots to cast a higher level spell.  Our 3rd level wizard could cast, at most, 2 2nd level spells before resting.
Some spells, like magic missile, have greater affect when cast from a higher level spell slot.  When casting magic missile from a 1st level spell slot you get three missiles, but when you cast it from a 2nd level spell slot you get four missiles.  When you cast fireball from a 3rd level spell slot you do 8d6 damage, but when you cast it from a 4th level spell slot you do 9d6 damage.  Notice that, unlike the 3.5 edition, fireball damage is not dependent on caster level, only upon the spell slot from which it is cast.
Check out my next post for more changes for wizards.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 15 - Stuff That Stays the Same

Instead of listing something that changed from 3.5 to 5.0, here is a list of some things that stayed the same:

• For the most part, we still roll similar die for each class for hit points.
• Rounds still last six seconds.
• Initiative is still the same.
• In combat you generally can perform one move plus one action.
• We have the same six ability scores and the same modifiers based on those scores (a score of 12 is +1, 18 is +4, etc.)
• Critical hits still cause twice the normal damage, though rogues now get to double their sneak attack damage, and your strength modifier is only applied once to the total damage.
• We still have slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning weapons.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 14 - Ability Score Max is 20

You can't increase your ability scores above 20.  This is mentioned several places, including on page 15 and again in sections on classes such as "Ability Score Improvement" on page 49 for Barbarians.

We will still be able to use magic to boost our ability scores though.  And I would be surprised if future content for epic characters does not allow it.
Also, don't be caught of guard.  The ability score limit of 20 applies to characters, not to monsters and divine beings.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 13 - Saving Throws

Your character will be proficient in two of the three saving throws based on your class which means you will have a saving throw bonus based on proficiency on just those two types of saving throws and no bonus on the third type ever based on your level.  Once again this rule is all about simplification.  We don't need to spend any time when we level up to adjust our base saving throw modifiers.  Instead, when we need to make a saving throw, we roll the d20 and simply add our proficiency bonus if the saving throw happens to be one of the two in which we are proficient.

Page 179.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 12 - Skill Checks, Where Did They Go?

One task in 3.5 that I often felt took too much of my time was assigning skill points to skills when my characters gained a level, especially for my highly intelligent rogue.  But that task is eliminated in the 5th edition of D&D.  We still have skills and they work similarly, but they are much simpler to administer.  By virtue of your background, your class, your race and possibly a feat, your character will have a set of skills they are proficient in.  When using a skill, your character will apply your ability score modifier (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA) to your die roll, and then if your character is proficient with the skill used add your proficiency bonus.

This makes leveling up simpler because there are no skill points to assign, though it does reduce some of the flexibility we had in 3.5 for configuring our characters.  I don't know if I like this game rule change yet or not, but I do like simplicity so that I can focus more on role playing.
You will find the best explanation of the skills on pages 174 through 178.  They are listed and described under the relevant ability score first.  So if you want to look up the skill for climb or jump, you would look under the section titled STRENGTH.  This doesn't mean that strength is always the appropriate ability score modifier to apply to jump or climb checks. Based on the situation your DM may use, or allow the character to use, dexterity instead. 
I hope someday to see a list of the actions my character might want to perform such as climb or swim and the suggested ability score to go with it.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 11 - Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws

I mentioned traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws in my last post with little detail.  These four attributes are all part of your character background.  I'm sure your DM would allow you to skip choosing one, but I think they are a great aid for those of us desiring to role play our characters; and by role play I mean that we want to get into the mind of our characters and try to think like they would think and act like they would act; not simply do what I as a player knows is most likely to lead to success and rewards.

Here are a few examples of each from the sage background.  If you choose the sage as a background for your character you have:
Eight traits to choose from, two of which are:

• I love a good mystery
• I am awkward in social situations

Six ideals to choose from (ideals also have alignments they best apply to), two of which are:

• Knowledge: I can improve through knowledge (any alignment)
• Power: Knowledge is the path to power (appropriate for evil alignments)

Six bonds to choose from, two of which are:

• I've been searching my whole life to the answer to one question
• It is my duty to protect my students

Six flaws to choose from, two of which are:

• I am easily distracted by the promise of information
• I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 10 - Character Backgrounds - A BIG change!

Character backgrounds may be the biggest change in the process of character building for those of us moving from 3.5 to 5.0, and it is an aspect I believe will be very helpful.  The 5th edition places more emphasis on pure role playing and less on game mechanics and character backgrounds assist with that.  You can create your own character background or use one of the character background templates provided. 

Character backgrounds don't just give your character a back story, they provide your characters attributes that measurably affect the mechanics of the game.

• All backgrounds provide two skill proficiencies.
• Almost all backgrounds grant the character proficiency with one or more tools.
• Many backgrounds grant the character an additional language.
• Many backgrounds provide your character with equipment in their possession.
• Most backgrounds grant features to your character related to their background.

One background provided on page 139 of the PH is the Sailor.  Players that decide their character should have the sailor background will see that their character gains proficiency in the Athletics skill and in the Perception skill.  The character will also be proficient with navigator's tools and with operating boats.  They will have some specific equipment such as a 50' silk rope, and the feature they gain is the ability to find free passage on a ship for themselves and their companions.

All background templates also include a list of suggested Personality Traits, Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws for your character to choose from.  As with all things D&D, you can work with your DM if you don't want to follow the suggestions provided in the template.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 9 - Resting Overnight, and Short Rests Too

How many hit points will you recover overnight in the 5th edition of D&D?  All of them!  Yes, that's right.  Player's will generally love this, but is it realistic?  Ah, who cares, this is fantasy gaming right!  Besides, parties of high level characters almost always find ways to recover all of their hit points at the end of the day anyway.  It is only the low-level parties that seem to go a few days before their hit points are fully restored. 

If a character with 90 hit points ends the day with 1 hit point, she will have 90 hit points again assuming she gets a good full night's rest.  You might want to argue that a character hurt that bad must have a broken bone or deep cut that would take much longer to heal, but we have been ignoring that game mechanic since the inception of D&D anyway.  A broken bone would more likely manifest itself in a penalty on to-hit rolls or in limited movement.  But, like I said, this is fantasy.  If you want that sort of realism in the game there are no reasons you cannot create your own house rules to cover it.
In the 5th edition your full resting period is called a "Long Rest".  You can only have one "Long Rest" per day and once you have completed your "Long Rest" you can regain all your spells and many other features are reset as you might expect.
The 5th edition named this a "Long Rest" to distinguish it from a "Short Rest"; another new feature players will enjoy.  A "Short Rest", page 67, is a period of downtime that lasts at least an hour, and you can have several "Short Rests" each day.  There are two actions characters can take after a "Short Rest" that I will mention here.  One, found on page 31, is called "Arcane Recovery" and allows arcane casters to recover spell slots equal to half your caster level.  The other action allows any character to recover hit points.  You roll for the number of hit points recovered.  You can roll the die you use for gaining hit points when you level up (your hit die), and you can roll it once for each level.  Thus a 3rd level rogue that rolls d8's for hit points could roll 1, 2, or 3d8 to recover that many hit points after a "Short Rest".  Short rests should allow our characters to stay out in the field adventuring longer before heading back to the home tavern.
Page 67 Long Rest and Short Rest

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 8 - Passive Perception in 5th Edition Rules

The 5th Edition of D&D provides some rules for handling passive skill checks.  Passive checks are used for things done routinely or for checks the DM doesn't want the player to know about.  Each character has a score that can be calculated for their passive skill checks.   I think there are just two passive skill checks.  One is a passive Perception check based on your wisdom score, and the other is a passive Investigation check based on your intelligence.  Your character's passive perception is:

• 10
• + your Wisdom modifier
• + your Proficiency bonus if you have the Perception proficiency
• +/- situational modifiers applied by the DM , such as -5 to notice dangers when characters are traveling fast.

The observant feat gives you a +5 bonus on some passive skill checks.
P175 - Basics of Passive Checks P177 - Hiding
P182 - Noticing Threats

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 7 - Advantage and Disadvantage in 5th Edition Rules

One major change in combat rules, and in other situations like saving throws and skill checks, is the idea of "Advantage".  Advantage is the mechanic in 5.0 to show that the character should do better than average in a situation and disadvantage is when the character should do worse than average.  Both advantage and disadvantage are handled by rolling two d20s when a character would normally roll one.  If the character has advantage, the character will take the more favorable roll.  If the character has disadvantage, the character must take the less favorable roll.

Dwarves, for example, have an advantage on their saving throws versus poison.   So when everyone in the party is making their saves versus the poison gas, the dwarves in the party each get to roll two d20s and take the higher roll for their saves.  Characters wearing armor that have a stealth disadvantage have a disadvantage on dexterity checks.  That means they will be rolling the d20 twice and taking the lower of the two rolls.
You may have noticed that a lot of the rule changes in 5.0 eliminate a lot of math.  We do a lot less adding one for this, subtracting two for that, adding another two for something else.  This elimination of many minor adjustments should result in speedier play.
A few more examples of advantage and disadvantage:

• 7th level barbarians gain advantage on their initiative rolls. 
• If you are within 5 feet of someone and you want to shoot them with your crossbow you have a disadvantage, and must roll 2 attack roles and take the lower roll.  Unless you have the Crossbow Expert feat, then that disadvantage no longer applies to you.
• If your enemy cannot see you, then you have an advantage on your attack rolls against it.
• If your enemy is the recipient of a blur spell, then your attacks have disadvantage against that enemy.
• If you are the subject of an Enlarge spell, you gain advantage on Strength checks
• If you are the subject of a Haste spell, you gain advantage on Dexterity saves

Advantage and disadvantage is used extensively in 5th edition rules; so it is one of those core rule changes that you really need to understand.
Read more about it on page 173 of the PH, but you will find cases of it all over throughout all the books.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 6 - Death and Dying in 5th Edition Rules

Dying in 5.0 will not be pleasant.  Instead of the slow drift toward -10, there is a stressful set of die rolls waiting to bring the grim reaper in an instant.

One way to die in 5.0 is via Instant Death.  Now this is not much different than in 3.5.  If your character takes an amount of damage that exceeds her current HP + her maximum HP, she is immediately dead.  So if your cleric with a maximum of 8 hit points currently has 1 hit point and she takes 9 or more hit points in a single attack, she is dead.
The more traditional way to die is to fall unconscious first.  If you are damaged to 0 or fewer hit points, but not enough to result in "Instant Death", then you are unconscious.  From then on, when it is your turn, you roll the d20.  If you roll 10 or higher, that is good news for you because you live to roll again on your next turn.  If you manage to roll 10 or higher on three death saving throws (that is what these are called), then you stabilize.  But if you roll below a 10, and you roll below a 10 three times before you roll a 10 or above three times, then you die.
It may sound like you have at least 3 rounds before kicking the bucket, but if you roll a 1, that counts as 2 failed rolls.  So if you have already failed once, and then you fail a second time with a roll of a 1, you're dead.  If you roll a 20 that counts as two positive rolls.
If you keep taking damage from other attacks while you are unconscious you don't need to count the HP of damage, you just count that as one more failed death saving throw.  If someone cures or stabilizes you, then you are safe from the need to continue rolling death saving throws.
Now remember, D&D is your game and you can alter the rules as you see fit.  Such customized rules that don't strictly follow the book are generally called "House Rules".  Your DM may lay down the alternate house rules for a campaign, or your entire group of players may work together to agree to some house rules.  In my group, we rotate DMs over many adventures during our campaigns, so no DM ever establishes house rules that would affect subsequent DMs or affect how players would develop their characters; we work together to agree on our house rules. 
In my group, I might recommend that we use the rules in 5.0, but that we make it 5 failed rolls before death rather than 3. 
Read it for yourself in the PH on page 197.

From D&D 3.5 to 5.0(5E) - 5 - Damage Resistance, not DR in 5th Edition Rules

I know you didn't like fighting those monsters in 3.5 with DR5, DR10, or even worse DR20.  Well you won't have to any more in 5.0.  Damage Reduction is gone!  But it has been replaced by Damage Resistance.  I don't think the 3.5 damage reduction was difficult to manage, but Damage Resistance in 5.0 is even simpler.   When a creature has Damage Resistance to a type of damage, such as "Slashing", then the damage dealt to the creature by slashing weapons is simply halved.  This allows your first level characters to at least do some damage to creatures with Resistance, but if you can dish out 60HP of slashing damage to an Imp be ready to face the fact that it will only take 30HP of damage, not the 55HP it might have taken in 3.5 when the Imp had DR5/silver instead of the 5.0 "Damage Resistance: non-silver"

And what about the skeleton?  Does he have Damage Resistance?  Not in 5.0.  But skeletons do have a "Damage Vulnerability" toward bludgeoning weapons.  Creatures with damage vulnerabilities take double damage when experiencing that form of damage.
Barbarians in 5.0 will enjoy the benefits of Damage Resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning weapons while raging.  That helps make up for the lack of bonus hit points that they no longer gain while raging in 5.0.  And it eliminates the dilemma that occurs when the barbarians rage is about to end and he doesn't have enough hit points left to keep him alive.