All Questions
471
questions
35
votes
6
answers
13k
views
What counts as a target for a spell?
There have already been several questions regarding what counts as a target for a spell; some, such as this Q/A, are regarding glyph of warding as it states:
The spell must target a single creature ...
- 9
2
votes
3
answers
372
views
Limiting teleportation in 5e [closed]
I'm playing a 5e warlock with the Fey Touched feat, which I've never done before. My DM is learning the ropes still and I'm trying to play by the book to help him to learn the rules. In a recent ...
- 36.4k
34
votes
8
answers
6k
views
Can you prevent players using cantrips to tell whether a creature is disguised as an object?
As it is established in the question below that there is some distinction between a cantrip that targets a creature and targeting an object:
What happens when a caster targets an object that looks ...
- 36.4k
45
votes
4
answers
11k
views
For the purpose of magic immunity, does Counterspell target the caster or the spell?
In the MM it states that the rakshasa is immune to magic of 6th level or lower. Does this include the counterspell spell or does counterspell target the spell and not the creature?
- 35.9k
2
votes
1
answer
113
views
Can you counter a spell through wall of force? [duplicate]
The party wizard has cast a hemispherical wall of force to trap the evil sorcerer and isolate him from the battle. The sorcerer however knows dimension door, and tries to cast it to escape. Can the ...
- 129k
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What does a player learn when their spell fails for a hidden reason?
(this is effectively this Q&A, but for 5th edition)
Sometimes, a player may try to cast a spell on something, or someone, that is not a valid target or cannot be affected by the spell. Whether it ...
- 36.4k
15
votes
6
answers
3k
views
What happens when you target a dead creature with Scrying?
In 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, the spell Scrying is described, in part, as follows:
You can see and hear a particular creature you choose that is on the same plane of existence as you. The ...
- 16k
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Spell attacks while hidden
I've had a thought experiment regarding spellcasting, targeting, and hiding. It's known that casting a non-attack spell while unseen is not perceptible by the target, regardless of whether the spell ...
33
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Can a spell be readied to trigger when its intended target comes into view?
Can I ready witch bolt, for instance, with the condition of attacking "the first goblin to come out of the cave" if I cannot see the goblin at the time of my (Ready) action? To be perfectly clear: at ...
- 901
11
votes
3
answers
829
views
How does the target of Telepathy become aware that it has been cast so they can decide if they are a "willing creature"?
Without warning, a wizard casts telepathy targeting a friend who is on a different continent.
You create a telepathic link between yourself and a willing creature with which you are familiar.
How is ...
- 36.4k
33
votes
8
answers
31k
views
Can you dispel a magic effect you can't perceive?
Discussions about Dispel Magic seem to imply that as long as you can perceive a magic effect in range of the spell, you can try and dispel it.
See Can the Dispel Magic spell end a Darkness spell? ...
- 901
4
votes
2
answers
395
views
Does being in the same space as a swarm reduce the chance of being hit by an attack?
I'm running the Curse of Strahd adventure for DnD 5e.
The party is fighting Baba Lysaga, who already has 3/4 cover, giving her +5 AC as she flies on a skull.
I was thinking about adding Swarms of ...
- 54.6k
-3
votes
2
answers
50k
views
Can you use Twinned Spell on Fireball and target the same creature with both attacks? [duplicate]
Can a sorcerer use the Twinned Spell metamagic on the fireball spell and target the same creature with both attacks?
Also, if you can target one with both, would it be double damage?
- 50.1k
12
votes
3
answers
2k
views
If a secondary target of the Chain Lightning spell casts Hellish Rebuke as a reaction, who does it target?
In D&D 5e, if the secondary target of the Chain Lightning spell (one of the 3) casts Hellish Rebuke as a Reaction, is Hellish Rebuke resolved against Chain Lightning's first target (the original ...
- 6,449
14
votes
4
answers
2k
views
If the Mizzium Apparatus magic item replaces a spell you cast, do you get to pick a new target?
The Mizzium Apparatus magic item allows you to try and cast spells you don't know. However, there's a check and if you fail that check, you instead cast a different random spell from the table.
Does ...
- 36.4k
14
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Heat Metal vs Sanctuary
My druid cast Heat Metal on an armor-wearing enemy's armor. Then the enemy cast Sanctuary. Then, when while Sanctuary was in effect, I used my bonus action to heat the armor.
The DM said I was ...
- 36.4k
2
votes
1
answer
289
views
Do you choose targets as part of the casting of a spell, or as part of the effect of it? [duplicate]
When casting a spell, do you select targets at the time of casting the spell or when the spell's effects take place?
For an example of when the distinction might matter, consider casting a single-...
- 36.4k
5
votes
2
answers
362
views
Does the caster of a tiny hut know whom it affects?
I DM for a party that includes a bard and a warlock, both of whom can cast tiny hut. In a typical dangerous area long rest, the bard casts tiny hut to include the entire party, and then the warlock ...
- 36.4k
14
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What range must a spell cast "on" a Shield Guardian have?
The "Spell Storing" ability of the Shield Guardian says:
To do so, the wearer must cast the spell on the guardian. The spell has no effect but is stored within the guardian.
This seems to ...
- 50.1k
22
votes
8
answers
8k
views
How do I rationalize to my players that the Mirror Image is completely useless against the Beholder rays? (also non-attack spells)
Some context:
We're running Dragon Heist and the party is brainstorming on a smart combo game plan to fight the Xanathar himself. In this question I've clarified why in our encounter and generally it ...
- 36.4k
7
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How would I deal with an enemy that intends to camp underground until I die from the environment as a level 12 fairy wizard?
This ties in to my previous question, where the answer was that I can't target them with a spell because the ground acts as full cover.
The context for this question is that my enemy (another player) ...
- 36.4k
3
votes
1
answer
963
views
Can I use the Guiding Bolt spell to attack a creature that burrowed underground where I can't see them?
Recently, I was in a 4-player level 12 free-for-all, and one of the other characters transformed into an earth elemental and burrowed underground, meaning I couldn't see them. This is an afterthought, ...
- 50.1k
13
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Can Simulacrum make a (living) duplicate of a dead creature, by RAW?
This is for a fairly absurd situation in which a party member (the cleric) has died and neither of the others can resurrect him, but one of the surviving party members is a wizard that can cast ...
- 129k
7
votes
1
answer
284
views
Is a "clear path to the target" needed for non-spell effects?
The PHB (p.205) specifies the general rule that a "clear path to the target" is required to cast a spell. The rules on cover (p.196) tell us that total cover prevents an attack or a spell.
...
- 36.4k
10
votes
1
answer
724
views
Found Greater Steed and removing a Hat of Disguise
I don't regret allowing the party Bard to take Find Greater Steed as a Magical Secret, but I am starting to realize it may be a perennial source of questions.
In our last session, the Bard summoned ...
- 152k
9
votes
3
answers
852
views
Does the Wish spell allow me to cast a lower-level spell (that normally targets a willing creature) on an unwilling creature?
Wish allows casting a lower-level spell 'without meeting its requirements'.
A major restriction to many spells is that it can only be cast on a willing creature. Can I use wish to avoid this ...
- 50.1k
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can you cast a Wall of Force into water?
In our current game, we are contemplating to cast a wall of force into a canal that is set into a dungeon corridor, to block the flow of water (which is powering some turbine-like contrivances we want ...
- 50.1k
9
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Managing the Manifest Mind
We had our first session with an Order of Scribes wizard the other night, from Tasha's.
Where we left off in our session is that the OoS wizard sent the Mind ahead of the party and encountered what is ...
- 160
8
votes
1
answer
937
views
Can the Hold Person spell target an Eladrin NPC?
In D&D 5th edition, can the Hold Person spell affect an Eladrin NPC?
The Hold Person spell specifically targets "humanoids". Meanwhile, the (NPC/monster) stat blocks for Eladrin say that ...
- 50.1k
15
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Who gets hit by a melee attack when you have the Mounted Combatant feat and the Sanctuary spell is active on you?
For this scenario, assume a level 11 Monk with the Mounted Combatant feat (and riding a mount).
If a creatures attacks the Monk, and the attacker fails his/her save, the next eligible target (assuming ...
- 54.6k
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Can Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound be made mobile by casting it on a mobile surface?
The description of the Mordenkainen's faithful hound spell says, in part:
You conjure a phantom watchdog in an unoccupied space that you can see within range, where it remains for the duration, until ...
- 420
0
votes
2
answers
450
views
If a net is 10×10, can it hit four medium creatures, by RAW?
This whole question assumes that the canonical Net weapon used for immobilizing a Large creature, is 10ft across; if your answer is based on a presumption that a net weapon isn't 10ft across, please ...
- 152k
14
votes
3
answers
40k
views
Do area spells affect friendly creatures?
Do spells that have an area effect such as Burning Hands and Sleep apply to friendly creatures or is it okay to point the area towards a mixed group of friendly and hostile creatures and not worry for ...
- 129k
2
votes
0
answers
78
views
Do hostiles have advantage when attacking friendly affected by self-casted faerie fire? [duplicate]
I have a rather simple question. Suppose I cast faerie fire and a friendly is in the target cube at that time and thus affected, do hostiles have advantage when attacking it?
I believe the PHB's spell ...
- 129k
24
votes
4
answers
55k
views
Do you need line of sight to cast spells on someone?
The rules on spellcasting contain the following section:
A Clear Path to the Target
To target something [with a spell], you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover. If you ...
- 10.2k
11
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Do worn or carried objects count as additional targets for a spell if they are also affected by the spell?
The Jeremy Crawford tweet that @Psyntax referenced here has gotten me wondering what exactly constitutes a target of a spell.
The PH states:
A typical spell requires you to pick one or more targets ...
- 2,809
29
votes
7
answers
6k
views
Is there no way to have a single casting of the Feather Fall spell affect a whole group of people who decide to jump off a cliff during combat?
I couldn't find an answer to this in my reading of the source books nor on Stack Exchange.
My players were engaged in an encounter in which enemies were able to manipulate air to "gust" them ...
5
votes
2
answers
275
views
What to do when I shoot a target without AC at long range?
I'm creating some D&D 5e homebrew items based on the magic seeds from Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages. Similar to the Sling Bullets of Althemone from the Theros handbook, they're sling bullets with ...
- 2,009
0
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Can the Animate Dead spell be cast on any dead creature?
Can the animate dead spell be cast on any dead creature?
My players killed a few saber-tooth tigers and the necromancer wanted to use animate dead on them. Also on an ogre, on wolves and so on... How ...
- 152k
14
votes
2
answers
11k
views
Can you cast Dispel Magic on the source of a spell (i.e. the caster) to end the spell?
If a caster is currently concentrating on a spell whose effects are not on the caster, can you cast Dispel Magic on the caster to end the spell?
- 50.1k
15
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Is the Mounted Combatant feat's ability to redirect an attack at the mount limited by the reach of the attacker?
The second benefit of the Mounted Combatant feat says (PHB, p. 168):
You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
My DM used a foe to attacked my mount. Imagine this was the ...
- 152k
11
votes
1
answer
854
views
Is a container full of objects a valid target for the Enlarge/Reduce spell?
In the last session, my party and I had to rob the major of a city. We needed to retrieve a particular object that proves his actual corruption by the local thieves' guild.
We managed to get into the ...
- 31.6k
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Can a College of Swords bard use the Slashing Flourish option to apply a Smite spell to all creatures in range?
The description of the Wrathful Smite spell says (PHB, p. 289):
The next time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell's
duration, your attack deals an extra 1d6 psychic damage. ...
- 50.1k
31
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Can a Necromancer reuse the corpses left behind from slain undead?
I’ve recently been doing some builds for Necromancers for a one-shot we’ll be doing. I have been struggling to find anything that mentions how to keep up with all of the corpses you will need for the ...
- 6,587
-1
votes
1
answer
246
views
What are some use cases for attack rolls that target a location? [closed]
In D&D 5e, a location is effectively a space in a place or a point on a map, as opposed to constituting a discrete object (a location can be a point in midair, for instance). They are defined ...
- 1,088
33
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Does Dispel Magic end the spell for everyone affected or just the target?
An opposing Cleric casts Bless on 3 of its allies who then immediately move around the battlefield to start attacking. Concerned that the buff will create an issue, I cast Dispel Magic on the nearest ...
- 10.2k
18
votes
5
answers
28k
views
What are the limitations on the Shape Water cantrip?
I have been having a discussion regarding the Shape Water cantrip from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion. A friend and I are trying to come to an accurate view of how this spell actually functions....
- 43.9k
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Does casting Dispel Magic on the Illusion created by a Mislead spell also end the Mislead's invisibility?
The Mislead spell has two effects: It creates an illusory copy of the caster that lasts for the duration (concentration, up to 1 hour), and it makes the caster invisible (same conditions as the ...
- 5,917
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
If you're mounted and forced to make a melee attack, do you attack your mount?
I'm a new DM running a 5e combat encounter in which the NPC attacker is mounted on a Riding Horse.
One of the players' characters has just cast Confusion, which indicates that
Each creature in a 10-...
- 50.1k
11
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Can you affect multiple targets with multiple Warding Bond casts?
It has come to my attention that the text of Warding Bond, the legal target(s) of Warding Bond, and the rules as written for target's and spell casting and such; leave it possible that Warding Bond ...
- 126k