5x 5e questions (personal batch #2)

[odigity]

Just finished my first 5e session, and I'm back with more questions...

1) If I read it carefully, the bonus action attack Polearm Master gives you can be used on a separate opponent (which also means you can move between the two attacks). So, it's basically a straight up Extra Attack at level 1 that will stack with my real Extra Attack at level 5? As I see it, it's like the equivalent of the Monk's 1st level Martial Arts ability (bonus action when attacking for an extra 1d4-base attack). Hard to beat for a 1st level feat choice. Sure was handy tonight. :)

2) Both Friends and Charm Person have the nasty side-effect of the target knowing what happened. However, the Warlock's Fey Presence ability doesn't seem to have that drawback. Isn't this a big deal?

3) I'm building a Polearm Master/Sentinel Paladin with a Warlock dip and looking at what spells I want to pick up, and I see Witch Bolt. Now, am I correct in believing that I can (a) stop an opponent at the 10' mark with my halberd using Polearm Master + Sentinel (b) on my turn, cast Witch Bolt and step back 5' (c) keep stopping them with my reaction and backup up while concentrating on Witch Bolt until they die without laying a finger on me? (This is assuming I hit with my halberd on each reaction, as well as the initial attack with Witch Bolt.)

4) The One with Shadows invocation says you stay invisible until you move or take an action. Isn't that rather limiting? I mean, I suppose you can use it for a fake dramatic exit (disappear into the shadows) and hope they don't call the bluff by poking the spot you're in with a broom or something.

4a) Reason I ask is because I'm considering going as high as Warlock 7, but am struggling to find a fourth invocation I actually care about after Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast, and Devil's Sight.

5) War Caster feat lets you fire a spell as a reaction, but it doesn't negate the fact that you get disadantage on ranged attacks if a foe is adjacent to you, right?

[Pramxnim]

1) Yes, that's indeed the way it works. Polearm Master is great for a Human Fighter or what have you that uses polearms. Keep in mind that your AC will likely be lower because of this, and you will never increase the extra attack's damage die beyond a d4 (unlike Monk). It's strong, but not overpowered. Few things in this edition are.

2) It may seem like a big deal at first, but Fey Presence only lasts 1 round. It's only useful in combat, and it eats up your action + puts you in danger. Charm Person and Friends can be used in social situations where you don't care about a little future hostility from the person you affected. Heck, you can just Charm him or her right up after the first one wears off.

3) Sure, if they are melee and have no reach or other ways to get away and you are willing to take opportunity attacks from them for stepping back. This is good for keeping one enemy locked down, but won't be much help against multiple foes. You also might be better off trying to kill the enemy with the extra attack granted by Polearm Master rather than use Witch Bolt on them. If you keep 15' away from them after stopping them with Polearm Master + Sentinel, what's to stop them from switching targets to one of your squishier friends?

4) Well, it's not the most effective of invocations, that's for sure. You could always take Sculptor of Flesh, which gains you access to Polymorph. With it, you can transform into a T-Rex and go on a rampage. Or maybe you want Misty Vision, and enjoy shenanigans with at-will Silent Image.

5) It does not negate the fact that you have disadvantage on ranged attacks if a foe is adjacent to you. You could always use Shocking Grasp for the reaction, or any number of touch spells as a reaction. Alternatively, you could ask your DM if he or she would allow you to not have disadvantage, seeing as reactions occur after the action that triggered it occurred, so your foe would be 10 ft away from you when your opportunity attack goes off.

[LtDarien]

3) Sure, if they are melee and have no reach or other ways to get away and you are willing to take opportunity attacks from them for stepping back. This is good for keeping one enemy locked down, but won't be much help against multiple foes. You also might be better off trying to kill the enemy with the extra attack granted by Polearm Master rather than use Witch Bolt on them. If you keep 15' away from them after stopping them with Polearm Master + Sentinel, what's to stop them from switching targets to one of your squishier friends?


He won't provoke Opportunity Attacks, because Sentinel will stop the opponent 10 feet away from him.

[odigity]

He won't provoke Opportunity Attacks, because Sentinel will stop the opponent 10 feet away from him.

Unless they have reach as well, which makes it a decent point.

[Shadow]

5) It does not negate the fact that you have disadvantage on ranged attacks if a foe is adjacent to you. You could always use Shocking Grasp for the reaction, or any number of touch spells as a reaction. Alternatively, you could ask your DM if he or she would allow you to not have disadvantage, seeing as reactions occur after the action that triggered it occurred, so your foe would be 10 ft away from you when your opportunity attack goes off.

Reactions are the equivalent of 4e's interrupts. This was confirmed by Mearls in a tweet.
So the reaction doesn't happen *after* the action that triggered it, but rather at the same time (or before, depending on the reaction in question).
The enemy begins an action, you react immediately (as per the description of reactions: A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, PHB page 190).

If your enemy were 10' away from you when your attack goes off, as you state, then no one would ever actually connect with any OA because they are out of reach when it occurs.
If reactions happened *after* the trigger, then how would the shield spell stop an attack? How would the defensive duelist AC boost do any good? How would counterspell work at all, ever?
Reactions are interrupts, which makes OAs interrupts as well.

But you could always just choose to use your reaction via Warcaster to cast a spell with a save rather than an attack roll.
In addition, the Crossbow Expert feat removes the disadvantage on that attack (the feat states nothing about needing to be using a crossbow to get this benefit, and again, Mearls has tweeted that it works with any ranged attack).

[Geoff]

1)Polearm Master basically a straight up Extra Attack at level 1 that will stack with my real Extra Attack at level 5? Yep, not so different from using a weapon in your off hand.


3) I'm building a Polearm Master/Sentinel Paladin with a Warlock dip and looking at what spells I want to pick up, and I see Witch Bolt. Now, am I correct in believing that I can (a) stop an opponent at the 10' mark with my halberd using Polearm Master + Sentinel (b) on my turn, cast Witch Bolt and step back 5' (c) keep stopping them with my reaction and backup up while concentrating on Witch Bolt Halberd's two-handed and you need a free hand to cast, so I wouldn't think you could keep directing the Witch Bolt and switch back to using the Halberd. You just need a third hand, though. Or a Lance and a mount. Or even a whip.


4) The One with Shadows invocation says you stay invisible until you move or take an action. Isn't that rather limiting? Yes.


4a) Reason I ask is because I'm considering going as high as Warlock 7, but am struggling to find a fourth invocation I actually care about after Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast, and Devil's Sight. That's a downside of the way gaining features like invocations work, yes. If the class is worth taking, keep taking it, consider the invocation you don't much care about as a minor benefit, there are features like that with every class.


5) War Caster feat lets you fire a spell as a reaction, but it doesn't negate the fact that you get disadantage on ranged attacks if a foe is adjacent to you, right? Casting a spell that's not a ranged attack (ie forces a save, instead) negates it pretty handily.

[MaxWilson]

2) Both Friends and Charm Person have the nasty side-effect of the target knowing what happened. However, the Warlock's Fey Presence ability doesn't seem to have that drawback. Isn't this a big deal?

I like the idea of (but haven't yet had a chance to try) using Friends with Intimidation. One minute later the victim realizes, "Oh, the scary guy was using magic on me." A second after that the fridge logic hits, "The scary guy was using magic on me!?!" and he goes right back to being intimidated.

Both spells also go well with Disguise Self and the Actor feat, as well as just mundane disguises. It does mean that you can't be casual about how you run your cons, you have to plan ahead, but that's mostly a good thing for making things interesting.

Also note that Enhance Ability (Eagle's Splendour) is just as good as the Friends cantrip, without the drawback.

[Rilak]

am struggling to find a fourth invocation I actually care about after Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast, and Devil's Sight.

Book of Ancient Secrets. Pick Find Familiar and one more when you first get it. You eventually get access to the following spells (cast as ritual):

Alarm, Animal Messenger, Augury, Beast Sense, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, Divination, Feign Death, Find Familiar, Gentle Repose, Identify, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Locate Animals or Plants, Magic Mouth, Meld Into Stone, Phantom Steed, Purify Food and Drink, Silence, Speak with Animals, Tenser's Floating Disk, Unseen Servant, Water Breathing, Water Walk