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We say that there are no hidden rules. But some of them are hard to find.

Specifically, Holy Water contains* a rule that:

A cleric or paladin may create holy water by performing a special ritual.

This is not mentioned in the Cleric or Paladin entry.

Are there other class abilities and features like that? "Hidden" outside of the class entry?

Abilities added in different sourcebook than the one in which a class/subclass was introduced only count if they are not in the section most people would expect to find changes and options for classes.

* Note that this paragraph in the Holy Water entry was there from the very beginning, when only the three core books were published. In Xanathar Guide to Everything is a spell Ceremony, that allows them to do the same for an additional cost of a spell prepared, and no benefits, so I don't see why anyone would choose that. But that's an optional, additional way to do it, not something author of the Holy Water entry was referencing - as it didn't even exist.

Thus - if there is a "hidden" ability that only later, in different source, was recreated as a spell, it still counts for me.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Phenomenal question, bravo. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Commented Jul 20 at 23:56
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    \$\begingroup\$ It’s worth noting that “all the rules are where you expect them to be” is not what people typically mean when they say “there are no hidden rules”. Rather, it usually means something like “there are no rules which are by design obfuscated or hidden from the reader”, which is saying something quite different from the meaning of “hidden rules” described in this question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Thomas Markov
    Commented Jul 21 at 0:40
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Mołot the rule under Holy Water in the PHB also requires the caster to expend a spell slot, so it's not as advantageous as you think it is. Considering Ceremony has the same material cost and the same casting time, it looks like a formalization/expansion of that rule, rather than an alternate way of making holy water. (And it's actually an improvement since, as Kirt pointed out, it's a ritual and does not cost a spell slot.) \$\endgroup\$
    – Aetol
    Commented Jul 21 at 9:19
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    \$\begingroup\$ I always assumed Ceremony was meant to be the mechanical way that clerics can do the ritual to create holy water (which had previously not been described)... Like the PHB just blithely says "there's a ritual for that" and XGE says "And here's the actual text of the ritual you need" \$\endgroup\$
    – Darth Pseudonym
    Commented Jul 21 at 22:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ Note there was a ceremony spell as far back as 1E (Unearthed Arcana, 1985), and 3E had a bless water spell to create holy water... so it seems likely the 5E writers were referencing a spell that was cut by time of publication, not some undefined special ability. \$\endgroup\$
    – Daniel R. Collins
    Commented Jul 21 at 23:37

2 Answers 2

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Rangers are good in a chase

In the optional rules for a Chase (DMG 253), a quarry that has moved out of sight of the pursuers is permitted a contested Dexterity (Stealth) vs. Wisdom (Perception) check to escape its pursuers. Among the various factors that influence this check is that the Stealth check is made with disadvantage if:

The lead pursuer is a ranger or has proficiency in Survival

The ranger's player might not be aware that their order among those in pursuit will affect this roll; if the DM simply makes the roll and announces the result without explaining the factors, the players may never know. This information is not in the description of the ranger class (or the Survival proficiency).

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    \$\begingroup\$ I don' think this is actually a "hidden class ability". The PHB says "The DM can also decide that circumstances influence a roll in one direction or the other and grant advantage or impose disadvantage as a result". So granting (dis)advantage is a ruling, not a rule. \$\endgroup\$
    – enkryptor
    Commented Jul 23 at 12:57
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    \$\begingroup\$ @enkryptor It's a ruling when the DM is making a decision based solely on "circumstances" that the rules don't address. It's a rule (in this case, an optional rule) when the rules text defines that the particular circumstance has a particular effect. Under your definition, any assignment of advantage or disadvantage, including every one listed in Conditions, is a ruling not a rule. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Commented Jul 23 at 15:53
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Spell Scrolls

Spell Scrolls have a failure chance when inscribing spells from them into a Wizard Spell Book.

This rule is only mentioned in the Dungeon Master's Guide under Spell Scroll, rather than under the Wizard entry in the Player's hand book.

Fast Hands

From reading the Player Handbook you would think a Thief could use fast hands to use a healing potion with a bonus action. But a section in the Dungeon Master's Guide under magic items specifically prohibits this.

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    \$\begingroup\$ This reflects the spirit of Mołot's question, but splitting hairs I think is technically incorrect. The DMG section on copying scrolls does not say only Wizards can copy scrolls; it implies that anyone can copy scrolls. Thus a Rogue could copy down the information on a scroll (with a chance of failure based on her Arcana) and if successful present the copy to a wizard who could then copy it into his book with automatic success (after time and money spent). A copy of a spell scroll is only useful to a wizard, but the chance of failure when copying is not a function of the Wizard class. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Commented Jul 22 at 16:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ Also, the PHB introduces potions as magic items and explains the Use an Object action and Fast Hands. But it is only in the DMG that we get the explanation that activating a magic item is not the same as the Use an Object action. Thus what the DMG is telling us does not relate to a (dis)ability of the Thief subclass, but rather is explaining that any class drinks a potion as an Activate an Item Action, not as a Use an Object action. BTW I upvoted as a useful contribution to the question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Commented Jul 22 at 16:28

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