Ascendant Step

[Millstone85]

I have a bunch of questions regarding the 9th level warlock invocation Ascendant Step and the spell it lets you cast on yourself at will.

1) Am I right to read "without expending a spell slot or material components" as "without expending a spell slot and without material components"? Because you do not "expend" material components in this game, you "consume" them, and levitate already doesn't consume its material components.

2) Does levitate lets you move horizontally along walls and ceilings? If yes, that's a neat compromise between fly and spider climb, plus you can hover.

3) How does "floats gently to the ground" compares to feather fall? Where does the game defines your normal falling speed anyway, and is it ever possible to cast a full action spell while falling?

Thank you.

[TheRedTemplar]

1) It means you don't need to use any material components to cast the spell, nor a spell slot.

2) You can't move horizontally, just up and down, although your DM may allow you to anchor yourself to something else and pull yourself along like that.

3) It's basically a built-in feather fall. You can cast a full-action spell while falling too (otherwise Feather Fall would be out of a job), so Ascendent Step can also save you from bottomless pits and the like.

[Millstone85]

1) It means you don't need to use any material components to cast the spell, nor a spell slot.Okay. Perhaps that was obvious but it didn't hurt to ask.


2) You can't move horizontally, just up and down, although your DM may allow you to anchor yourself to something else and pull yourself along like that.The text of the spell already has something to say about using fixed objects and surfaces to move. I am trying to understand it. It seems to me that there are two different mechanics at play: the spell-dependent altitude and the climbing. And there is such a thing as horizontal climbing.


3) It's basically a built-in feather fall. You can cast a full-action spell while falling too (otherwise Feather Fall would be out of a job), so Ascendent Step can also save you from bottomless pits and the like.Well, feather fall is a reaction spell. And how long a fall would it have to be for me to have a chance to cast levitate when I am not already under its protection?

[Mith]

A 6 second fall under normal gravity would be using the equation:

d = d0 +v0*t +0.5*a*t^2

d0 = v0 = 0

Assume normal Earth gravity

Therefore d = 0.5 *(9.81)*(6)^2

d = 176.58 m or 580 ft.

[Millstone85]

d = d0 +v0*t +0.5*a*t^2
d = 176.58 m or 580 ft.What part of that is air resistance again? Anyway, I get it that the game's rules have nothing to say about falling speed beside feather fall limiting it to 60 feet per round.

[TheRedTemplar]

I'm pretty sure if you fall, you hit the ground immediately and just take the damage. Featherfall limits it to 60 ft, Winged Boots limit it to 30 ft, and Levitate lands you immediately without you taking damage.

[SharkForce]

2) yes, you can pull yourself sideways if you have something to grab onto.

[solidork]

Would you let them push themselves with Mage Hand? This came up in my game and the DM ruled yes.

[Mith]

What part of that is air resistance again?

Point to you. :smallsmile:

The only time questions like that come up in games I have played, people were actually asking for the RL approximation in order to guesstimate distances and potential actions. Hence why I did the math. It wasn't me trying to be snarky, that's just how I've traditionally dealt with questions like that.

We are a weird group.

[Markoff Chainey]

Would you let them push themselves with Mage Hand? This came up in my game and the DM ruled yes.

This is what I am doing in our game... my DM lets me move for 30 feet per round via the mage hand.

[Markoff Chainey]

A 6 second fall under normal gravity would be using the equation:

d = d0 +v0*t +0.5*a*t^2

d0 = v0 = 0

Assume normal Earth gravity

Therefore d = 0.5 *(9.81)*(6)^2

d = 176.58 m or 580 ft.

This assumes that it takes 6 seconds to cast the spell, but in a round you can move, take a reaction, bonus action and action. I think that the time reserved for an action should not exceed 3 seconds, maybe 2.

[Zalabim]

I think the assumption is that you start falling at some point in a round and cannot stop your fall until you complete your action at some point in the next round. Splitting for averages, that's still 6 seconds between rounds.

[Ninja_Prawn]

This is what I am doing in our game... my DM lets me move for 30 feet per round via the mage hand.

What about the weight limit for Mage Hand? Even pushing/dragging, it should be limited to 20lbs. I know Levitate is taking the weight and any amount of force would produce an effect in real life, but it seems to me that the Mage Hand spell was worded specifically to preclude things like that.

[Millstone85]

1) It means you don't need to use any material components to cast the spell, nor a spell slot.
2) yes, you can pull yourself sideways if you have something to grab onto.
3) I'm pretty sure if you fall, you hit the ground immediately and just take the damage. Featherfall limits it to 60 ft, Winged Boots limit it to 30 ft, and Levitate lands you immediately without you taking damage.Alright, I think I got all my answers. Thank you everyone! Of course, the thread may still have some life in it.


Would you let them push themselves with Mage Hand? This came up in my game and the DM ruled yes.My plan is to have my familliar land on my back and flap those wings. I will try it in character, so it will be fun even if it does nothing.


Point to you. :smallsmile:

The only time questions like that come up in games I have played, people were actually asking for the RL approximation in order to guesstimate distances and potential actions. Hence why I did the math. It wasn't me trying to be snarky, that's just how I've traditionally dealt with questions like that.

We are a weird group.No problem. Your answer actually was useful to me, as it confirmed that the PHB/DMG had little to say on the matter and it gave a good argument why using levitate in place of feather fall wouldn't be possible outside of some airship scenario. I did mistake your answer for snarky, so I felt I had to counter with a little snark myself, but I didn't see true hostility.