37
Technically, you can't do this
There are not rules that support being able to choose to be hit or to choose to miss with an attack. In fact, there are even features that only activate when you are hit or when you miss and so a character could activate them intentionally which is otherwise not possible and potentially imbalancing in some cases (I can't ...
19
Look Away!
In the PHB Combat Section, "Making an Attack" explains that...
When you attack a target that you can't see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll...
When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it.
RAW, your NPC could deliberately close their eyes or look away when attacking or being attacked, making it ...
15
Your options are found in two different places: find familiar and the Pact of the Chain feature description.
We begin with find familiar:
Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A familiar can't attack, but it can take other actions as normal. [...]
Finally, ...
10
As the DM, you can do this if you want.
As written, there is no rule that states you can do this. But you’re the DM, and you can design your bad guys however you want. There are several spells that raise AC, like mage armor and shield of faith, but as the DM, you can just give your bad guy a feature that raises their AC at the cost of an action or bonus ...
9
AC is not fully under your control
Besides your choice or armor and buffs, of course...
Player's Handbook, page 14
Your Armor Class (AC) represents how well your character avoids being wounded in battle. Things that contributes to your AC includes the armor you wear, the shield you carry and your Dexterity modifier.
This implies your AC is the sum of your ...
6
For 5th edition all you need to do what you describe is the feat War Caster:
You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have
weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
So you can hold your staff in one hand, your tome or whatever in your left. The staff is a weapon and rules as written, you can cast spells with somatic components, with ...
5
You could go Rock Lee style and secretly encumber the enemy with hidden weights beyond their carrying capacity. This will give them a disadvantage on attack rolls by RAW and reduce their speed. Giving them ring mail without proficiency in heavy armor will also remove their dex bonus and the lowest base ac of 14 for heavy armor and similar effects to being ...
4
Your NPC is more than one NPC
A.k.a the multi-phase boss fight
Build more than one stat block for the character. This allows you to make honest and consistent rolls for the current situation. The rest is just the usual descriptions and roleplay.
There's already precedent in the DnD canon: there are legends that Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, sometimes ...
2
No, it being a spell attack makes no difference
The additional attacks in a monster's statblock are distinct actions. It doesn't matter whether it's ranged or melee, spell or weapon attacks, or requires a saving throw, as written they are distinct actions. Those special attacks not being part of the Attack action is covered in: Do named actions in monster ...
2
Ignore defence while fighting is a class feature of Barbarians (making Reckless attacks, giving opponents advantage). Your enemies can tell you're doing this.
It takes training to do that in a real fight when people are really trying to kill you; the instinct for self-defence is pretty strong, I'd think. (That's why only barbarians can do this, not any ...
1
Attacks: as GM you can give disadvantage for any reason
Defenses: If you want to leave their ac as is you can create a threshold below their AC where you change how you describe how you narrate their actions in response to the players actions but leave their AC unchanged. Remember to ask for damage that you are not going to record or the players will get ...
1
Your table is correct
All of the information in your table is correct based on the statistics provided.
At level 6
All of your Attack Bonus column's current numbers increase by 2 (plus any Strength bonus you get). Add a second Weapon Attack that is
+4 with no modifiers
+2 with Power Attack
+6 while Raging
+4 with Power Attack and Rage
The damage for this ...
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