Dirty Tricks Thread

[soldersbushwack]

I'd like to hear your favourite dirty tricks that go outside the rules and have some feedback on some of my own.

A PC breaks a net over the head of an opponent, damaging the opponent
and trapping him at once.

A PC anchors himself on the ground with a climbing tools. He then
runs to an opponent, uses an Action Surge, grapples the opponent and then runs off a cliff
and drops the opponent off the cliff.

A PC throws pocket sand into the eyes of his opponent. Shah! Shah!

A PC pulls the rug out from underneath the enemy.

A PC takes a precisely aimed shot with a bow to pierce the enemy's
cape and pin it to the ground.

A PC uses a sling to launch a Acid/Alchemist's Fire/Holy Water 30ft
instead of throwing it 20ft as normal.

A water genasi level 3 rogue thief throws water out of a flask on the
ground as a bonus action due to his cunning action. He then uses
Shape Water to freeze the water into a slick and slippery surface.

[Lines]

I'm more of a caster, so...

Arcane gate creates portals perpendicular to the ground, so you need a cliff, a wall of earth or a hole so you can make two portals, one directly above another. Have them face each other, drop in a huge pile of projectiles (I suggest ballista bolts or specially fabricated shapes) and wait for them to hit terminal velocity, then as a bonus action change the facing of the top portal so its facing whichever castle you don't like. Falling damage caps out at 20d6 and with a 10ft diameter circle you can comfortably fit enough missiles to level pretty much anything. For bonus points, shape them like this for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

Use minor conjuration can be used to create 10 pounds of nonmagical object you have seen, and I am fairly sure your character has seen the sun (or any star, really) before. Hydrogen at such density and heat will immediately expand when created, which is another way of saying cause a very, very large explosion. Your DM may rule you can only recreate materials from the surface of the sun, in which case you will need to either scry the center of the sun or teleport into the center and have someone cast true resurrection on you (and you're going to need true resurrection anyway if you don't figure out a way to do this without avoiding the damage).

Find steed shares self targeted spells with your steed while you're mounted. Magic jar targets yourself. Cast magic jar, return to your own body, have your horse possess your choice of enemy humanoids (it gets any abilities not based on class levels, which is most of them). Note that depending on how the DM interprets the wording, you may have to kill yourself as part of the spellcasting to avoid the spell ending. Still worth it, but since killing yourself at the exact instant you cast a spell will probably require you to use contingency, you'll need another party member around to resurrect you.

Have your druid cast moonbeam with as high a spell slot as possible. Have the party battlemaster or open hand monk use their push to repeatedly knock an enemy through it - push them 15 feet through it, they take (say assuming a 5th level slot) an average 27.5 bonus damage, run round and push them through it again. For bonus points have somebody hold a trampoline on the other side of the moonbeam and have a sorclock spam eldritch (repelling) blast, knocking them out and in again every time a blast hits for a total of 55 bonus radiant damage per blast. Or have someone big and fast grapple a foe and move them back and forth in and out of the moonbeam. Also works with spiked growth, run around the outside and drag them along with you.

Remember that minor illusion is your friend - it's basically free partial concealment in combat. Other cantrip wise, this is much more minor but frequently helpful, having several party members with mould earth and create bonfire means that if you have a couple of rounds to spare you get to create your own battlefield. A space of 1d8 fire damage and two spaces of difficult terrain per person can turn even an open battlefield into a difficult space according to your choice. The catapult spell only does 3d8 damage, but is an amazing way of spreading the love - get a clay pot and put caltrops, alchemists fire and ball bearings in it. Or just use a higher level one and fill it with acid vials - the spell now does 3d8 bludgeoning plus 10d6 acid, increasing by 1d8 and 10d6 per spell level.

[Auramis]

Play an Onion Druid. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I don't have any to contribute myself, but I want to say that water gensai rogue water trick is one of the more clever things I've seen. Job well done on thinking that up.

[PoeticDwarf]

I'd like to hear your favourite dirty tricks that go outside the rules and have some feedback on some of my own.

A PC breaks a net over the head of an opponent, damaging the opponent
and trapping him at once.

A PC anchors himself on the ground with a climbing tools. He then
runs to an opponent, uses an Action Surge, grapples the opponent and then runs off a cliff
and drops the opponent off the cliff.

A PC throws pocket sand into the eyes of his opponent. Shah! Shah!

A PC pulls the rug out from underneath the enemy.

A PC takes a precisely aimed shot with a bow to pierce the enemy's
cape and pin it to the ground.

A PC uses a sling to launch a Acid/Alchemist's Fire/Holy Water 30ft
instead of throwing it 20ft as normal.

A water genasi level 3 rogue thief throws water out of a flask on the
ground as a bonus action due to his cunning action. He then uses
Shape Water to freeze the water into a slick and slippery surface.


Sadly, most of these won't work, or only if your DM makes an houserule. And you will need for example a cliff for one.

Note: I do like the water genasi combination

[Felvion]

A PC anchors himself on the ground with a climbing tools. He then
runs to an opponent, uses an Action Surge, grapples the opponent and then runs off a cliff
and drops the opponent off the cliff.
Instead of taking all the time to anchor himself to the ground he could do the same trick and just use shove to push the grappled enemy off the cliff. No need for climb tools and you also don't have to worry about potential embarrassing accidents eg the rope wasn't long enough or someone cut it while you were climbing all the way back.

[PoeticDwarf]

Instead of taking all the time to anchor himself to the ground he could do the same trick and just use shove to push the grappled enemy off the cliff. No need for climb tools and you also don't have to worry about potential embarrassing accidents eg the rope wasn't long enough or someone cut it while you were climbing all the way back.

Why is there standing. Originally posted by EnderDwarf. I, like, never posted that. I replied to that

And about the genasi, he throws it as a bonus action thanks to fast hands (right?) not cunning action

[Shining Wrath]

I'm more of a caster, so...


Use minor conjuration can be used to create 10 pounds of nonmagical object you have seen, and I am fairly sure your character has seen the sun (or any star, really) before. Hydrogen at such density and heat will immediately expand when created, which is another way of saying cause a very, very large explosion. Your DM may rule you can only recreate materials from the surface of the sun, in which case you will need to either scry the center of the sun or teleport into the center and have someone cast true resurrection on you (and you're going to need true resurrection anyway if you don't figure out a way to do this without avoiding the damage).




The assumption is that stars in a D&D world work off of nuclear fusion of hydrogen. That's not necessarily true. And technically you haven't even seen the surface of the sun; you see the light pouring forth but no one with their naked eye sees the surface.

[MrStabby]

The assumption is that stars in a D&D world work off of nuclear fusion of hydrogen. That's not necessarily true. And technically you haven't even seen the surface of the sun; you see the light pouring forth but no one with their naked eye sees the surface.

Although that is also true of any object - you never see the object itself, just the reflected light.

[Aetol]

Although that is also true of any object - you never see the object itself, just the reflected light.

Except the sun emits light, through its surface. And that's what you see.

Plus, if you actually took a good look at the sun, then you're blind. Or at least seriously visually impaired.

[Lines]

The assumption is that stars in a D&D world work off of nuclear fusion of hydrogen. That's not necessarily true. And technically you haven't even seen the surface of the sun; you see the light pouring forth but no one with their naked eye sees the surface.

How are they not? What other logically consistent explanation is there?

[Felvion]

Why is there standing. Originally posted by EnderDwarf. I, like, never posted that. I replied to that


I'm sorry about that, totally my bad. I corrected it as soon as i saw it

[JoeJ]

How are they not? What other logically consistent explanation is there?

They're made of fire, of course. Pure, elemental fire.

[Lines]

They're made of fire, of course. Pure, elemental fire.

Even if it could be sustained with no air and no energy source, they would have no mass. What is the planet orbiting around?

[JoeJ]

Even if it could be sustained with no air and no energy source, they would have no mass. What is the planet orbiting around?

It is the energy source. Elemental fire doesn't need air, although many fire worlds (aka suns) do have an atmosphere that's breathable if you can withstand the head. Mass is not really a relevant concept. Planets orbit because that's what planets do; they follow whatever track the gods set them on when they were created. (When they do orbit, that is. In some places, like Greyhawk for example, the sun orbits the planet.)

Fire worlds generally do have gravity though, like any other world, so if you get too close you could fall into one. Unless you're immune to fire, that would probably be fatal. However, while the fire at the center of the sun might be hotter than the surface, but it isn't any denser and it certainly isn't under pressure.

Of course, some suns aren't fire worlds at all; they're portals to the Plane of Fire or the Plane of Radiance. And some are chariots or other vehicles being driven across the sky by a god.

[HoarsHalberd]

Even if it could be sustained with no air and no energy source, they would have no mass. What is the planet orbiting around?

Why is it orbiting around anything. The Gods created a portal to the elemental plane of fire to orbit around the planet. Every logical argument you make is grounded in physics of our world, whereas every single rule could be different.

[Lines]

It is the energy source. Elemental fire doesn't need air, although many fire worlds (aka suns) do have an atmosphere that's breathable if you can withstand the head. Mass is not really a relevant concept. Planets orbit because that's what planets do; they follow whatever track the gods set them on when they were created. (When they do orbit, that is. In some places, like Greyhawk for example, the sun orbits the planet.)

Fire worlds generally do have gravity though, like any other world, so if you get too close you could fall into one. Unless you're immune to fire, that would probably be fatal. However, while the fire at the center of the sun might be hotter than the surface, but it isn't any denser and it certainly isn't under pressure.

Of course, some suns aren't fire worlds at all; they're portals to the Plane of Fire or the Plane of Radiance. And some are chariots or other vehicles being driven across the sky by a god.

The rest of the nonsense is somewhat acceptable as long as you don't think very hard about it, but the following the track of the gods thing is... well, I honestly don't have the words for it. Where is the energy needed to constantly modify a planets orbit coming from? If the gods can throw that kind of power around in the material plane, how are their clerics not Superman level powerful?


Why is it orbiting around anything. The Gods created a portal to the elemental plane of fire to orbit around the planet. Every logical argument you make is grounded in physics of our world, whereas every single rule could be different.

No it couldn't. Our current model of physics is the only internally consistent one we have, and is the one by which the game is arbitrated - it may not be stated straight out, but the reason the DM says your fighter can barely just leap and grab onto the top of the wall is that gravity is pulling him towards the large center of mass that is the planet and friction enabling him to grasp the top of the wall, which is made up of various elements found on the periodic table which are held together through covalent bonding, etc etc and so on down the line.

A DM cannot possibly make a fully coherent alternate explanation of physics which pretty much locks in our physics+magic.

[JoeJ]

The rest of the nonsense is somewhat acceptable as long as you don't think very hard about it, but the following the track of the gods thing is... well, I honestly don't have the words for it. Where is the energy needed to constantly modify a planets orbit coming from? If the gods can throw that kind of power around in the material plane, how are their clerics not Superman level powerful?

a) What energy? You're making an assumption that is not warranted.

b) The power of the clerics is entirely dependent on how powerful the gods want them to be. But how can you say that a once per week miracle isn't powerful?

c) Think of the catgirls.


No it couldn't. Our current model of physics is the only internally consistent one we have, and is the one by which the game is arbitrated - it may not be stated straight out, but the reason the DM says your fighter can barely just leap and grab onto the top of the wall is that gravity is pulling him towards the large center of mass that is the planet and friction enabling him to grasp the top of the wall, which is made up of various elements found on the periodic table which are held together through covalent bonding, etc etc and so on down the line.

A DM cannot possibly make a fully coherent alternate explanation of physics which pretty much locks in our physics+magic.

A DM doesn't need to make a fully coherent explanation of anything. Only the parts that directly impact play are necessary.

[Lines]

a) What energy? You're making an assumption that is not warranted.

b) The power of the clerics is entirely dependent on how powerful the gods want them to be. But how can you say that a once per week miracle isn't powerful?

c) Think of the catgirls.

A DM doesn't need to make a fully coherent explanation of anything. Only the parts that directly impact play are necessary.
a) D&D has shown many times that energy requirements are a thing, so that energy.

b) Because a miracle is not 1.7 x 10^31 joules powerful

c) Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean. The Emperor demands that all catgirls meet their rightful fate.

Except as soon as anything impacts play his physics will fall apart, what with everything being interconnected. Why go through all the trouble of replacing a sublime, perfectly consistent model that everyone is familiar with the basics of with a clunky, inconsistent system that makes no sense? It'd be like replacing D&D's spellcasting system with that of FATAL.

[Mellack]

D&D does not simulate real world physics. If you start pulling on threads it will all fall apart. There is no reason to try to make it fit our world way of things. Dragons should not fly. People cannot create material out of nothing. A druid should not be able to change his mass to become a mammoth. Having planetary orbit be where you arbitrarily draw your line of disbelief seems odd in the face of all the other impossible things. But each gets to play the game their way.

[Lines]

D&D does not simulate real world physics. If you start pulling on threads it will all fall apart. There is no reason to try to make it fit our world way of things. Dragons should not fly. People cannot create material out of nothing. A druid should not be able to change his mass to become a mammoth. Having planetary orbit be where you arbitrarily draw your line of disbelief seems odd in the face of all the other impossible things. But each gets to play the game their way.

It's because we already know how these things work. How does a druid transform? Magic, they can't do that in our world. How does a planet have a day/night cycle? Planetary orbit, we already know that.

[Mellack]

But why does that have to be the only way? What is wrong with having the sun be a flaming chariot that is driven across the sky? Or a gate to the elemental plane of fire that circles the globe? Why does it have to be a globe at all? Why not a disk on the back of elephants? You seem to be limiting your game world, and suggesting that others should limit theirs as well.

[JoeJ]

a) D&D has shown many times that energy requirements are a thing, so that energy.

b) Because a miracle is not 1.7 x 10^31 joules powerful

c) Burn the heretic. Kill the mutant. Purge the unclean. The Emperor demands that all catgirls meet their rightful fate.

Except as soon as anything impacts play his physics will fall apart, what with everything being interconnected. Why go through all the trouble of replacing a sublime, perfectly consistent model that everyone is familiar with the basics of with a clunky, inconsistent system that makes no sense? It'd be like replacing D&D's spellcasting system with that of FATAL.

a) It has never been a rule in D&D that planets require energy just to move. Those that do move, that is; some of them are stationary. And some are carried by gigantic creatures called starbeasts. If they are going to move, however, then the one thing they can't do is keep going in a straight line for very long, because they would run into the crystal sphere.

b) It's whatever that particular god wants it to be.

c) Anti-catgirl racism?

The D&D magic system already ignores the physics of our world. So does much of the RAW world building - including the way suns, planets, gravity, and space travel work. This was all established back in the 1980s, and there's been nothing official to change it.

[Lines]

But why does that have to be the only way? What is wrong with having the sun be a flaming chariot that is driven across the sky? Or a gate to the elemental plane of fire that circles the globe? Why does it have to be a globe at all? Why not a disk on the back of elephants? You seem to be limiting your game world, and suggesting that others should limit theirs as well.

No, they only need to limit it if they want it to be internally consistent. If you don't care about your setting making sense (as evidenced by throwing out a sublime system that fits together perfectly that everyone already understands the basics of in favour of arbitrary crap), then by all means create a nonsense setting.

[JoeJ]

No, they only need to limit it if they want it to be internally consistent. If you don't care about your setting making sense (as evidenced by throwing out a sublime system that fits together perfectly that everyone already understands the basics of in favour of arbitrary crap), then by all means create a nonsense setting.

Fits together perfectly? You haven't been talking to many scientists lately if you think that describes the models in our world.

[Lines]

Fits together perfectly? You haven't been talking to many scientists lately if you think that describes the models in our world.

We don't understand how some parts fit together, that doesn't mean they don't. Our model is imperfect, but compared to the sun being a giant dung beetle is as close to perfect as makes no difference.

[JoeJ]

We don't understand how some parts fit together, that doesn't mean they don't. Our model is imperfect, but compared to the sun being a giant dung beetle is as close to perfect as makes no difference.

And what internal inconsistencies have you found in the D&D physics presented in Spelljammer? (Note: I haven't heard of any spheres where the sun is a dung beetle.)

[Segev]

Guys? I like a good physics v. magic discussion as much as the next person, but honestly, this derail started in post 3 or so of what could be an interesting thread in its own right. Can we please get back to listing dirty tricks? I don't have any of my own that I can think of, so reading others' is of great interest to me.

[soldersbushwack]

Why is there standing. Originally posted by EnderDwarf. I, like, never posted that. I replied to that

And about the genasi, he throws it as a bonus action thanks to fast hands (right?) not cunning action

Actually, now that I think about you don't need Fast Hands. You get one free object interaction anyway. Although using splashing Holy Water is a full action so maybe I'm wrong about this working.

[JoeJ]

Guys? I like a good physics v. magic discussion as much as the next person, but honestly, this derail started in post 3 or so of what could be an interesting thread in its own right. Can we please get back to listing dirty tricks? I don't have any of my own that I can think of, so reading others' is of great interest to me.

You're right, it should be in a different thread.

How about this: With Pact of the Blade, a warlock can choose the form of the melee weapon each time they summon it. So convince your DM that it can be in the form of an improvised melee weapon. Now you can summon a chair, a bottle of wine, a crowbar, a lock pick (What? You could put somebody's eye out with that.), a ladder, a torch, a dead goblin, or just about anything else you can think of. It's really no more powerful than Minor Conjuration, but still very useful.

[comk59]

While sand in the eyes is a classic, I personally prefer an eggshell filled with crushed glass.

I also like to get good at deceive and feign death where appropriate. Wineskins filled with ox and pig blood usually do the trick.

[ZenBear]

You are trying to force logic and internal consistency into a setting that has neither. I applaud your valiant effort, but there's no victory for you here. Magic exists, ergo anything is possible and nothing is logical.

Edit: wow, a lot of posts hit since I clicked Reply. Sorry to progress a tabled discussion.

[soldersbushwack]

Technically you can silver any weapon in 5th edition and not just metal ones. For most this makes sense but how do you silver a net or a whip?

[Lines]

Guys? I like a good physics v. magic discussion as much as the next person, but honestly, this derail started in post 3 or so of what could be an interesting thread in its own right. Can we please get back to listing dirty tricks? I don't have any of my own that I can think of, so reading others' is of great interest to me.

Back on track it is! What did people think of my other tricks?

[JoeJ]

Technically you can silver any weapon in 5th edition and not just metal ones. For most this makes sense but how do you silver a net or a whip?

Braid it out of really thin silver wire?

[comk59]

Technically you can silver any weapon in 5th edition and not just metal ones. For most this makes sense but how do you silver a net or a whip?

Small silver studs maybe. Do nets do any actual damage? I'm AFB

[Segev]

How about this: With Pact of the Blade, a warlock can choose the form of the melee weapon each time they summon it. So convince your DM that it can be in the form of an improvised melee weapon. Now you can summon a chair, a bottle of wine, a crowbar, a lock pick (What? You could put somebody's eye out with that.), a ladder, a torch, a dead goblin, or just about anything else you can think of. It's really no more powerful than Minor Conjuration, but still very useful.

The limit, I think, if you had a DM permissive enough to allow it, would be something you could reasonably wield. So it'd have to be no bigger, probably, than a chair or bar stool.

My concern is that it does step on Minor Conjuration's toes, while being more useful overall because it is, ultimately, also a weapon.

[JoeJ]

The limit, I think, if you had a DM permissive enough to allow it, would be something you could reasonably wield. So it'd have to be no bigger, probably, than a chair or bar stool.

Right. You also need to be able to pick it up and swing it around, so no campfires.


My concern is that it does step on Minor Conjuration's toes, while being more useful overall because it is, ultimately, also a weapon.

Slightly more useful perhaps. It's also a slightly higher level ability. It only steps on Minor Conjuration's toes if somebody in the party is a conjurer.

One possible way to control not only this but any other exploits that are probably not RAI but should work because Rule of Cool is to allow them only if the player spends Inspiration. That would make them more like one shot power stunts than regular abilities.

[Socratov]

the real kicker though, is the fact that you are automatically proficient with it. Thus you get one part of tavern brawler for free.

[Drackolus]

Cutting words and peerless skill.

Reduce a gargantuan creature to be a viable target, telekinesis, and cutting words its str check/peerless skill your cha check. Don't forget to apply jack of all trades to the cha check. My wizard friend and I (lore bard) did this to a dragon turtle and floated it right out of the water.

Peerless skill/enhance ability your counterspell/dispel magic check.

Peerless skill a tool+half prof from jack of all trades. Enhance the ability for advantage.

Cutting words+peerless skill and wrestle down a raging barbarian with ease.

Cutting words/peerless skill/ bardic insp./enhance dex initiative checks.

When it comes to cheap tricks, lore bards are king.

[Degwerks]

Animate Objects spell, use flasks of acid or flaming oil for extra damage. Also keep a small clay pot of poison & fill it with arrow heads, break it on ground & animate objects on the poisoned arrowheads.

[Degwerks]

Everyone knows about using Caltrops or Ball Bearings or Oil to confound & trip up pursuers but next time Cover the section of the floor with Minor Illusion.

Doesn't work in 5e but in other editions I liked to carry a trapped scroll/parchment with Explosive Runes on it. If I got caught doing something illegal i'd say I had written authorization from the Lord/King etc right here. Present the trapped document and flee during the explosion.

[EugeneVoid]

Glyph of Warding + Any Concentration Spells = Having multiple Concentration Spells up at the same time.

The only cost is that it costs a ton of spells, since it costs the buff spell * 2

No problem for a Java Sorcerer (if they can find a way to get Glyph)

[Dimcair]

use levitate offensively

[MaxWilson]

Have your druid cast moonbeam with as high a spell slot as possible. Have the party battlemaster or open hand monk use their push to repeatedly knock an enemy through it - push them 15 feet through it, they take (say assuming a 5th level slot) an average 27.5 bonus damage, run round and push them through it again.

That second push explicitly does not work, according to the spell description of Moonbeam. You take damage only the first time you enter the area on a turn.

[Drackolus]

That second push explicitly does not work, according to the spell description of Moonbeam. You take damage only the first time you enter the area on a turn.

Repelling blast also is "up to 10 feet away from you," which I see forgotten almost every time repelling blast is brought up. And since every blast happens simultaneously, there's not even a chance of moving in-between blasts.

[Drayrs]

The catapult spell only does 3d8 damage, but is an amazing way of spreading the love - get a clay pot and put caltrops, alchemists fire and ball bearings in it. Or just use a higher level one and fill it with acid vials - the spell now does 3d8 bludgeoning plus 10d6 acid, increasing by 1d8 and 10d6 per spell level.

My group has discussed this use of Catapult before. While awesome, and an unrealistic GP sink at earlier levels, it is totally broken. So far as I can tell, it is not explicitly forbidden by RAW. Technically, the acid flasks only deal damage after hitting with an improvised ranged attack, but it doesn't make much sense that throwing them by hand is any different from magically colliding them with somebody. Aside from this, the only thing outside of DM fiat that might forbid/restrain this is insufficient damage being dealt to the flasks by the impact (as per the Catapult spell), which I find unlikely (with 1 damage per flask being necessary for breakage, you shouldn't have a problem breaking the maximum number of flasks with average rolls).

Assuming you can tote around a couple dozen Acid vials, which each deal 2d6 when broken on impact (subject to the above), you can crank out 3d8 + 1d8 per spell lvl above 1st + 10d6 per spell lvl. That is an insane amount of damage, even if it only occurs once an adventure. With a 3rd level slot, that is 5d8 + 30d6 damage from 15 vials of acid.

If your DM does not argue against this happening from a rules perspective (maybe the acid vials don't shatter and deal damage unless you make a ranged attack... for some reason) or due to some clever, super-strong acid containment vessels, then prepare your wallet for cleaning out every city of acid as you pass through. Hopefully your companions appreciate your horrifying acid artillery support and don't mind you spending all of the party's GP fuelling it.

[JoeJ]

Assuming you can tote around a couple dozen Acid vials, which each deal 2d6 when broken on impact (subject to the above), you can crank out 3d8 + 1d8 per spell lvl above 1st + 10d6 per spell lvl. That is an insane amount of damage, even if it only occurs once an adventure. With a 3rd level slot, that is 5d8 + 30d6 damage from 15 vials of acid.

But don't trip while you're carrying all that acid, or you might have a bad day.

[Nicodiemus]

I'm sorry. Did you just unintentionally make a "tripping on acid" joke? I'm totally snickering right now.

[KorvinStarmast]

@Lines: you see sunlight. (You don't see hydrogen turning into helium, fusion, you see a side effect of that).
So, you conjure up 10 pounds of ... sunlight. (That should be useful if you are fighting a vampire).
But you end up with ... something undefined, since photons don't have mass.
You thus end up with ???? something undefined.

Interesting idea for cheese, certainly, but it does have its drawbacks if you are trying to physics cheese that. (Like the double portal acceleration idea for a siege engine a lot better).

But let's say that you can bring 10 pounds of the sun which you have seen.
You are playing in Ravenloft.
You are indoors.
You have conjured up sunlight when facing the vampire, the only question is how long it lasts.

I like that. I think it might work, discuss with DM.

The down side is, if it's as hot as the sun, and you are within range, you burn. How many d6 the surface of the sun is will probably be a DM call.

[Douche]

Even if it could be sustained with no air and no energy source, they would have no mass. What is the planet orbiting around?

Who are you to say that the sun isn't magical? Everything is magical. Life is magical.

[comk59]

1. Fill a bag of holding with 1500 lbs of manure.

2. Fly.

3. Upturn the bag over your enemy.

4. Watch them get crushed by the weight.

5. ???

6. Profit!

[Segev]

Everything is magical. Life is magical.Anti-magic fields must be devastating in your games. :smallamused:

[RickAllison]

1. Fill a bag of holding with 1500 lbs of manure.

2. Fly.

3. Upturn the bag over your enemy.

4. Watch them get crushed by the weight.

5. ???

6. Profit!

You can only do 500 pounds of manure, though!

[MaxWilson]

Repelling blast also is "up to 10 feet away from you," which I see forgotten almost every time repelling blast is brought up. And since every blast happens simultaneously, there's not even a chance of moving in-between blasts.

The devs, in their confusing way, have clarified that the only spell with multiple attacks that happen "simultaneously" is Magic Missile, which is why it has special rules for damage. (d4+1)x(Number of Missiles) instead of (Number of Missiles)d4+(Number of Missiles).

So, because EB is not an AoE nor does it have the special "simultaneous" language like Magic Missile: Repelling Eldritch Blast does not happen simultaneously, and it can push you up to 40 feet away from the caster. (Which could put you out of range in some cases.)

[comk59]

You can only do 500 pounds of manure, though!

Really? Oh well, my point still stands.

[dragsvart]

1. Cast mage hand

2. give mage hand flask of oil

3. have ally prepare action to shoot flaming arrow/firebolt at target

4. dump oil on target

5. prepared action goes off

6. enjoy barbequed target


Arcane Trickster's invisible mage hand makes it even better with alchemist's fire/acid/holy water as the enemy can't tell where it is coming from

[HoodedHero007]

Make an illusion of a gamma ray, since (presumably) illusions are constructs of pure light/sound/heat, gamma rays would work

[KorvinStarmast]

Make an illusion of a gamma ray, since (presumably) illusions are constructs of pure light/sound/heat, gamma rays would work How do you make an illusion of something that isn't seen? I get an audio illusion, a sound, but gama rays are out of normal detection frequency/wavelength.

[Lines]

The devs, in their confusing way, have clarified that the only spell with multiple attacks that happen "simultaneously" is Magic Missile, which is why it has special rules for damage. (d4+1)x(Number of Missiles) instead of (Number of Missiles)d4+(Number of Missiles).

So, because EB is not an AoE nor does it have the special "simultaneous" language like Magic Missile: Repelling Eldritch Blast does not happen simultaneously, and it can push you up to 40 feet away from the caster. (Which could put you out of range in some cases.)

They are correct however that it says 'if a creature enters the spells area for the first time on a turn', which means you can't set up a trampoline and repeatedly blast them back and forth into it. It's still a decent combo (always aim to blast foes towards the moonbeam), but it's nowhere near as potent as I thought.

[Drackolus]

The devs, in their confusing way, have clarified that the only spell with multiple attacks that happen "simultaneously" is Magic Missile, which is why it has special rules for damage. (d4+1)x(Number of Missiles) instead of (Number of Missiles)d4+(Number of Missiles).

So, because EB is not an AoE nor does it have the special "simultaneous" language like Magic Missile: Repelling Eldritch Blast does not happen simultaneously, and it can push you up to 40 feet away from the caster. (Which could put you out of range in some cases.)

Ah, you're very correct. Still, my focus was more on the "away from you" part. You can't knock a target two different ways with a single casting, unless you can somehow move in that time. Even if you push it into a trampoline, while the blasts aren't instantaneous, I would assume they are still hitting almost simultaneously, since you're casting and hitting all within less than 6 seconds.

I don't see any way to use repelling blast to push someone in more than one direction with a single casting.

[JoeJ]

They are correct however that it says 'if a creature enters the spells area for the first time on a turn', which means you can't set up a trampoline and repeatedly blast them back and forth into it. It's still a decent combo (always aim to blast foes towards the moonbeam), but it's nowhere near as potent as I thought.

Although the idea of trying to set up a trampoline in just the right spot during combat is pretty hilarious.

[Lines]

Although the idea of trying to set up a trampoline in just the right spot during combat is pretty hilarious.

It has legitimately been the fighter's job, he runs in with a trampoline, the druid moonbeams so the target is one space away from the trampoline and the warlock knocks him 10 feet per blast, 5 feet out of it and 5 feet back in. If the trampoline is secure, the fighter starts using pushing attack to do the same. Really not looking forward to mentioning the once a turn thing D=

It's been great, the fighter's gruff response to the fact that they were going to need to take out a camp of frost giants was "we're going to need a bigger trampoline".

[Talyn]

Grapple someone and jump off a cliff. Cast feather fall on your way down.

Spread caltrops on the ground and then use the Shield Master feat to knock your opponent prone on to them.

Arcane trickster uses mage hand to steal potions off of an enemy's belt. For a real dirty trick, replace them with vials of poison.

Use animate objects on ladders or ropes to shake climbing enemies off. Anyone who survives the fall can then be bludgeoned or strangled by the animated ladder/rope.

[Lines]

Side note, the other favourite technique of my own (to my knowledge) invention: The Super Smash Brother.

Use something like an aarakocra battlemaster fighter/open hand monk/spell-less ranger who uses open hand technique and the pushing attack maneuver to push the target 15 feet further in the air with each hit - please note push doesn't state the direction can't be up, get below the target and juggle them into the air. Eventually he'll run out of movement, that's when he action surges and starts flinging pebbles at the target, pushing them a further fifteen feet every hit - the combo can get up to 120 feet a round, which will be 12d6 falling damage when they hit the ground and a further 12d6 when wait 'til they fall past you, follow them down and land on you.

For optimal benefit bring a friend, a warlock/sorcerer who quickens eldritch blast with repelling blast for 8 attacks a round and a further ten feet per attack. Note that if you can get below your target, this is a very useful trick in most any circumstance if your opponent can't fly - a further 1d6 damage per blast that hits.

[RickAllison]

Side note, the other favourite technique of my own (to my knowledge) invention: The Super Smash Brother.

Use something like an aarakocra battlemaster fighter/open hand monk/spell-less ranger who uses open hand technique and the pushing attack maneuver to push the target 15 feet further in the air with each hit - please note push doesn't state the direction can't be up, get below the target and juggle them into the air. Eventually he'll run out of movement, that's when he action surges and starts flinging pebbles at the target, pushing them a further fifteen feet every hit - the combo can get up to 120 feet a round, which will be 12d6 falling damage when they hit the ground and a further 12d6 when wait 'til they fall past you, follow them down and land on you.

For optimal benefit bring a friend, a warlock/sorcerer who quickens eldritch blast with repelling blast for 8 attacks a round and a further ten feet per attack. Note that if you can get below your target, this is a very useful trick in most any circumstance if your opponent can't fly - a further 1d6 damage per blast that hits.

I discussed this with my IRL group! A halfling Sorclock can Hex, get underneath anyone size Medium or up and then Quicken EB + EB for anywhere from 4d10 + 12 + 8d6 (62 damage) at level 5 to 8d10 + 40 + 16d6 (140 damage) at level 17 for medium sized creatures. They decided that anyone who was willing to crotch-rocket someone 80 ft in the air automatically qualified as Chaotic Evil :smallbiggrin:

[Lines]

I discussed this with my IRL group! A halfling Sorclock can Hex, get underneath anyone size Medium or up and then Quicken EB + EB for anywhere from 4d10 + 12 + 8d6 (62 damage) at level 5 to 8d10 + 40 + 16d6 (140 damage) at level 17 for medium sized creatures. They decided that anyone who was willing to crotch-rocket someone 80 ft in the air automatically qualified as Chaotic Evil :smallbiggrin:

It works so well with sorclock, it's just a free 1d6 extra damage from 10 feet of push per attack, no size or save involved. I just love the idea of someone who can fly rising and punching someone further into the air.

[HoodedHero007]

How do you make an illusion of something that isn't seen? I get an audio illusion, a sound, but gamma rays are out of normal detection frequency/wavelength.
keyword: Normal

[RickAllison]

It works so well with sorclock, it's just a free 1d6 extra damage from 10 feet of push per attack, no size or save involved. I just love the idea of someone who can fly rising and punching someone further into the air.

Huh. I just realized I can't find anywhere in the books that fall damage changes for larger creatures. Guess we've been ruling wrong the entire time!

[Lines]

Huh. I just realized I can't find anywhere in the books that fall damage changes for larger creatures. Guess we've been ruling wrong the entire time!

This is a world in which you reach terminal velocity after precisely 200 feet regardless of air resistance, but somehow reach your maximum falling speed instantly. And terminal velocity and maximum falling speed aren't the same thing!?

[JoeJ]

This is a world in which you reach terminal velocity after precisely 200 feet regardless of air resistance, but somehow reach your maximum falling speed instantly. And terminal velocity and maximum falling speed aren't the same thing!?

The physics of D&D is not the physics of our universe.

[Lines]

The physics of D&D is not the physics of our universe.

Oh cool, so all those improvised actions the game encourages us to make are impossible because we haven't any guidelines regarding how this imaginary system of physics works. We only have a few hints from things like falling distance, but the only actions allowed are those rigidly defined in the rules because we don't have anything to go off in trying to work out if something could be done.

Oooorrr people don't want to do vector calculus to work out how much falling damage someone takes, so 1d6 per ten feet is an easy shortcut.

[JoeJ]

Oh cool, so all those improvised actions the game encourages us to make are impossible because we haven't any guidelines regarding how this imaginary system of physics works. We only have a few hints from things like falling distance, but the only actions allowed are those rigidly defined in the rules because we don't have anything to go off in trying to work out if something could be done.

Or you could just ask your DM.

[Lines]

Or you could just ask your DM.

But your DM doesn't know. It's some illogical arbitrary system of physics which the PHB never explains, improvising actions is impossible.

Oooorrr it was simplified to 1d6 per ten feet because anything more would be needlessly complicated. But really, which seems more likely, that the edition of simplicity wouldn't make something insanely complex for very little gain or that they invented an entirely new system of physics?

[JoeJ]

But your DM doesn't know. It's some illogical arbitrary system of physics which the PHB never explains, improvising actions is impossible.

Odd, then, that I don't seem to have any problem adjudicating improvised actions.


Oooorrr it was simplified to 1d6 per ten feet because anything more would be needlessly complicated. But really, which seems more likely, that the edition of simplicity wouldn't make something insanely complex for very little gain or that they invented an entirely new system of physics?

Let's see. Considering that:

1) Every object either has full gravity or none.

2) Gravity on elongated objects takes the form of a double-sided plane.

3) If you fly off into space, your own gravity will bring enough of an air envelope to let you breathe for several minutes.

4) When you enter the gravity field of a larger object, your own gravity realigns to match its direction.

5) The entire system of sun and planets is surrounded by a gigantic crystal sphere.

6) On the other side of the crystal sphere is a breathable but highly flammable substance called phlogiston. Other crystal spheres with their own planets and suns float in the phlogiston.

7) Only some planets move in orbits around the center of their system. Some don't move, or move randomly.

8) Sometimes there's a planet at the center of the system, with the sun orbiting it.

9) The ambient temperature in space is within the comfort zone for humans in most places.

10) Instead of moving independently, some planets are carried by immense creatures called star beasts.

11) Sails don't provide propulsion in space, but they do make your spaceship more maneuverable.

Given that all of the above are true, I'd say they definitely invented an entirely new system of physics.

[JackPhoenix]

Outside Spelljammer:

Dragons can fly in antimagic zone

Giants don't collapse under their own weight

You can create matter and energy out of nowhere.

FTL Teleport. Say goodbye to causality

Peasant railgun (that doesn't work, because no conservation of momentum)

Some of those still doesn't make sense, even if you consider them just a simplification for the purpose of gameplay. D&D's universe runs on rule of cool/fun, not the laws of physics. Oh, and the elements aren't Hydrogen, Helium, ... , Ununoctium, but Air, Earth, Fire and Water (even though one of those is a chemical reaction in our world)

[Lines]

Outside Spelljammer:

Dragons can fly in antimagic zone

Giants don't collapse under their own weight

You can create matter and energy out of nowhere.

FTL Teleport. Say goodbye to causality

Peasant railgun (that doesn't work, because no conservation of momentum)

Some of those still doesn't make sense, even if you consider them just a simplification for the purpose of gameplay. D&D's universe runs on rule of cool/fun, not the laws of physics. Oh, and the elements aren't Hydrogen, Helium, ... , Ununoctium, but Air, Earth, Fire and Water (even though one of those is a chemical reaction in our world)

Magic don't gotta work with physics, by its very definition it doesn't obey the laws of physics. That doesn't mean they're different - just because you see magic in a setting doesn't mean you assume physics doesn't exist and you can skid forever by leaping onto the ground because there's no friction.

[JackPhoenix]

Magic don't gotta work with physics, by its very definition it doesn't obey the laws of physics. That doesn't mean they're different - just because you see magic in a setting doesn't mean you assume physics doesn't exist and you can skid forever by leaping onto the ground because there's no friction.

Nope. Magic is part of the laws of physics in D&D. "It's magic" isn't an excuse for something to ignore the laws of physics, it's a sign that our understanding of those laws is incomplete or incorrect. The laws of physics are different in D&D land than in the real world. Giants aren't magic, Antimagic Field doesn't crush their bones under their own weight. Dragons are magic, but they don't blink out in Antimagic Field, they can still fly and breathe fire (or cold, or lightninig) in it, because not magic is not all they are, and D&D physics allows them to do such things.

Thousand years ago, people believed that lightning bolt is magic or wrath of God. Today, we know how it works, we can even recreate it. They "knew" that diseases are caused by curses or evil spirits... we now know that diseases have biological causes, and can even cure many of them... even create our own in the labs. In Star Trek (and many sci-fi), there's a FTL travel that breaks the laws of physics as we know them... do they say it works because its magic? No, it's because our understanding of physics isn't perfect, and their advances in science and technology supposedly allows them to do things that seems magical to us.

[krugaan]

It's hard to tell if someone is merely arguing for the sake of it ... or if their immersion is ruined unless they're up to their eyebrows in physics.

[Socratov]

It's hard to tell if someone is merely arguing for the sake of it ... or if their immersion is ruined unless they're up to their eyebrows in physics.

"I felt a great disturbance across the Planes, as if millions of catgirls suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear someone is talking DnD physics."

[HoodedHero007]

Hey, this is where you can have unlimited space (theoretically) in your component pouch!

[JackPhoenix]

"I felt a great disturbance across the Planes, as if millions of catgirls suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear someone is talking DnD physics."

Good. Suffer not the furry to...wait, wrong board...I mean, site.

[Alejandro]

Technically you can silver any weapon in 5th edition and not just metal ones. For most this makes sense but how do you silver a net or a whip?

Well, you can have a metal whip. Silver could be incorporated. Hey, here's my friend Adam Crack with his metal whip! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0dV3lVK0hc

[krugaan]

"I felt a great disturbance across the Planes, as if millions of catgirls suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear someone is talking DnD physics."

"Don't mix physics and DnD... think of the catgirls."

also:

"That's impossible! Even for a computer."

"Pheh, magic missle."

[Lines]

Ah, you're very correct. Still, my focus was more on the "away from you" part. You can't knock a target two different ways with a single casting, unless you can somehow move in that time. Even if you push it into a trampoline, while the blasts aren't instantaneous, I would assume they are still hitting almost simultaneously, since you're casting and hitting all within less than 6 seconds.

I don't see any way to use repelling blast to push someone in more than one direction with a single casting.

Sure there is, there's no reason you can't move between blasts.

[HoodedHero007]

Well, you can have a metal whip. Silver could be incorporated. Hey, here's my friend Adam Crack with his metal whip! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0dV3lVK0hc
What about a metal club?

[RulesJD]

It has legitimately been the fighter's job, he runs in with a trampoline, the druid moonbeams so the target is one space away from the trampoline and the warlock knocks him 10 feet per blast, 5 feet out of it and 5 feet back in. If the trampoline is secure, the fighter starts using pushing attack to do the same. Really not looking forward to mentioning the once a turn thing D=

It's been great, the fighter's gruff response to the fact that they were going to need to take out a camp of frost giants was "we're going to need a bigger trampoline".

Solution:

Don't use Moonbeam, use Spike Growth. 2d4 per 5ft, no limits.

1. Each EB (so 2 past level 5, 3 past 11, etc) with Repelling blast does an additional 4d4 damage (10 damage average). So at level 5, that's an additional 20 damage if both EB hit.

2. Grapple. Sweet baby jebus the damage you can do with a grapple. Assuming 30 movement speed and a successful grapple = you can move a similar sized target 15ft, so 6d4 (15 damage) extra damage each turn, more if you're a rogue and can cunning action Dash.

3. Thorn Whip. Extra 10 damage on the cantrip.

[Lines]

Solution:

Don't use Moonbeam, use Spike Growth. 2d4 per 5ft, no limits.

1. Each EB (so 2 past level 5, 3 past 11, etc) with Repelling blast does an additional 4d4 damage (10 damage average). So at level 5, that's an additional 20 damage if both EB hit.

2. Grapple. Sweet baby jebus the damage you can do with a grapple. Assuming 30 movement speed and a successful grapple = you can move a similar sized target 15ft, so 6d4 (15 damage) extra damage each turn, more if you're a rogue and can cunning action Dash.

3. Thorn Whip. Extra 10 damage on the cantrip.

Yeah, spiked growth tends to be something done with grapple more - it works out to precisely 1 damage per foot of movement, though said movement is halved when carrying someone. My dream is a monk/druid with a level in rogue for expertise - cast spike growth, (longstrider before the fight), transform into dire wolf. Grapple foe, bonus action dash, enjoy dealing 70 damage by racing back and forth next to the spikes, dragging foe next to it. If next turn someone hastes you and you use your action to dash, that's 140 damage!

Trying to work out what build best abuses it while being useful in its own right.

[KorvinStarmast]

I was thinking through the grapple to feather fall trick, and came up with this.

The creature has a lot of hit points. You grapple, but you get advantage because an ally helps you. That helps sweeten the grapple in terms of a higher chance of success, or overcoming disadvantage due to a size mismatch.

You then move ... and have just enough move left to go over that cliff.

Your bonus action "feather fall" as you let go does not violate the action economy.

Here's how I see it:
1. Action (Grapple that succeeds)
2. Move
3. Interact (free) with X (let go of grappled opponent)
4. Bonus action (available with feather fall)

My only worry RAW-wise is 3. Is an opponent an object?

Do you have to wait until next turn to ungrapple, while your opponent tries to grapple you while you float down?

[Mellack]

Sure there is, there's no reason you can't move between blasts.

Since EB has a duration of instantaneous, I am pretty sure you cannot move between blasts. You literally have zero time to move.

[RickAllison]

Since EB has a duration of instantaneous, I am pretty sure you cannot move between blasts. You literally have zero time to move.

Then you wouldn't be able to break up an Attack action either, as that would have the same duration. Based on the same rule that a fighter can attack four different people in the same turn and move between each one despite all four attacks being one action, it would make sense that a warlock can split up his four rays.

[Degwerks]

Then you wouldn't be able to break up an Attack action either, as that would have the same duration. Based on the same rule that a fighter can attack four different people in the same turn and move between each one despite all four attacks being one action, it would make sense that a warlock can split up his four rays.

You can only move between Weapon Attacks, not other attacks. You can split up your movement provided that you have multiple weapon attacks and enough movement left to do so. Its in the PHB.

[KorvinStarmast]

Even if it could be sustained with no air and no energy source, they would have no mass. What is the planet orbiting around? In a world where the four elemental planes exist as a part of the fantastic reality, any assumption made about the world being a planet is not necessarily valid. Gravity can work for a different reason than it does in our reality; likewise sunlight, starlight, moonlight, etc. The trick is to only change enough to make the Secondary World different enough from ours to make the fantastic possible and enjoyable, while still allowing for the suspension of disbelief. (The inspiration for the preceding sentence is Tolkien's essay on Fairy Stories and his bit about building Secondary Worlds).

Insofar as games versus reality ...

Some attempt to down-grade the game aspect of our hobby and pretend to simulate reality. We ... believe that it is impossible to simulate real-life situations, although some of the excitement and challenge of reality can be reflected in a game, although a game always remains a game.

Thus, we try to publish rules and games which are easy to play, logical, and still give some of the 'flavor' of the particular era or battle or whatever it is they cover.

This, of course, cannot apply to those fantasy and science fiction titles where reality is not usually relevant. In these cases the stress is on providing a framework which excites and challenges the players as they develop their own games.

The keynote in all of our publications has been flexibility, tempered with playability, and mixed with the proper amount of "authenticity" so as to retain the sense of historical realism or game realism. Brian Blume, TSR, 1975.

What he said then still applies, regarding game-reality.

[JoeJ]

I was thinking through the grapple to feather fall trick, and came up with this.

The creature has a lot of hit points. You grapple, but you get advantage because an ally helps you. That helps sweeten the grapple in terms of a higher chance of success, or overcoming disadvantage due to a size mismatch.

You then move ... and have just enough move left to go over that cliff.

Your bonus action "feather fall" as you let go does not violate the action economy.

Here's how I see it:
1. Action (Grapple that succeeds)
2. Move
3. Interact (free) with X (let go of grappled opponent)
4. Bonus action (available with feather fall)

My only worry RAW-wise is 3. Is an opponent an object?

Do you have to wait until next turn to ungrapple, while your opponent tries to grapple you while you float down?

No action is required to release a creature that you're grappling. You can do it whenever you want.

Also, one minor correction: Feather Fall is cast as a reaction, not a bonus action.

[Logosloki]

A pact of blade warlock can give his magic weapon to anyone, she just has to use her action every minute to summon it. A bladelock has full control over th appearance of her weapon so you can make it look innocuous. Technically if someone carries a warlock they can have the blade pact weapon for as long as they want because it only dissipates if the warlock is more than 5ft away.

[Sir cryosin]

I'm more of a caster, so...

Arcane gate creates portals perpendicular to the ground, so you need a cliff, a wall of earth or a hole so you can make two portals, one directly above another. Have them face each other, drop in a huge pile of projectiles (I suggest ballista bolts or specially fabricated shapes) and wait for them to hit terminal velocity, then as a bonus action change the facing of the top portal so its facing whichever castle you don't like. Falling damage caps out at 20d6 and with a 10ft diameter circle you can comfortably fit enough missiles to level pretty much anything. For bonus points, shape them like this for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

Use minor conjuration can be used to create 10 pounds of nonmagical object you have seen, and I am fairly sure your character has seen the sun (or any star, really) before. Hydrogen at such density and heat will immediately expand when created, which is another way of saying cause a very, very large explosion. Your DM may rule you can only recreate materials from the surface of the sun, in which case you will need to either scry the center of the sun or teleport into the center and have someone cast true resurrection on you (and you're going to need true resurrection anyway if you don't figure out a way to do this without avoiding the damage).

Find steed shares self targeted spells with your steed while you're mounted. Magic jar targets yourself. Cast magic jar, return to your own body, have your horse possess your choice of enemy humanoids (it gets any abilities not based on class levels, which is most of them). Note that depending on how the DM interprets the wording, you may have to kill yourself as part of the spellcasting to avoid the spell ending. Still worth it, but since killing yourself at the exact instant you cast a spell will probably require you to use contingency, you'll need another party member around to resurrect you.

Have your druid cast moonbeam with as high a spell slot as possible. Have the party battlemaster or open hand monk use their push to repeatedly knock an enemy through it - push them 15 feet through it, they take (say assuming a 5th level slot) an average 27.5 bonus damage, run round and push them through it again. For bonus points have somebody hold a trampoline on the other side of the moonbeam and have a sorclock spam eldritch (repelling) blast, knocking them out and in again every time a blast hits for a total of 55 bonus radiant damage per blast. Or have someone big and fast grapple a foe and move them back and forth in and out of the moonbeam. Also works with spiked growth, run around the outside and drag them along with you.

Remember that minor illusion is your friend - it's basically free partial concealment in combat. Other cantrip wise, this is much more minor but frequently helpful, having several party members with mould earth and create bonfire means that if you have a couple of rounds to spare you get to create your own battlefield. A space of 1d8 fire damage and two spaces of difficult terrain per person can turn even an open battlefield into a difficult space according to your choice. The catapult spell only does 3d8 damage, but is an amazing way of spreading the love - get a clay pot and put caltrops, alchemists fire and ball bearings in it. Or just use a higher level one and fill it with acid vials - the spell now does 3d8 bludgeoning plus 10d6 acid, increasing by 1d8 and 10d6 per spell level.

For the sun nuclear bomb thing you can cast rope trick and stick half way out cast it and have some or you pull you back in befor it gos boom.

[Madbox]

Use Misty Step to get to an elevated spot, like the roof of a building or 30ft up a tree. Snipe with impunity.

Find Familiar is awesome. Have it use the help action on an ally's attack by distracting an enemy. It also counts as hostile to an enemy, so rogues get sneak attack. Also, RAW, familiars can do any action in combat other than attack, so they can do a medicine check to stabilize KO'd teammates.

The Rogue Rush Party: 1 Battlemaster, 2-3 rogues of any subclass, 1 healer of any class. Battlemaster uses push or Trip Attack to knock enemy prone, Goading Attack to keep party safe. Rogues run in, sneak attack with advantage X 2 or X 3. Healer patches up Battlemaster, and rogues in the event they get hurt. Enemies are reduced to swiss cheese.

[soldersbushwack]

While a monk does need to use a monk weapon or unarmed strike at least once during his Attack Action to activate a free unarmed strike as a bonus action he does not need to use a monk weapon or unarmed strike before hand. There's no reason a Barbarian 1/Monk couldn't attack with a Lance during his first turn of combat use up his ki on Flurry of Blows and then drop his weapon and start using unarmed strikes. It's really only about 2 extra damage and reach though anyway.

[KorvinStarmast]

Also, one minor correction: Feather Fall is cast as a reaction, not a bonus action.
Oops. Thanks.

[Mr Adventurer]

No action is required to release a creature that you're grappling. You can do it whenever you want.

Also, one minor correction: Feather Fall is cast as a reaction, not a bonus action.

Which means you hit the ground on your turn before you can cast Feather Fall?

[JoeJ]

Which means you hit the ground on your turn before you can cast Feather Fall?

If you choose not to cast it. But why would you do that?

[Mr Adventurer]

If you choose not to cast it. But why would you do that?

I thought you couldn't use Reactions on your turn. So on your turn, you grapple and step off the cliff - then hit the ground. Then your turn ends. Then you could cast Feather Fall, if it would have helped.

[JoeJ]

I thought you couldn't use Reactions on your turn. So on your turn, you grapple and step off the cliff - then hit the ground. Then your turn ends. Then you could cast Feather Fall, if it would have helped.

You can take a reaction any time the trigger occurs, no matter whose turn it is (but only one per round). The trigger for Feather Fall is that either you or somebody else within 60' starts falling, so as long as you haven't already taken a reaction that round, you're fine.

[Misterwhisper]

Find unsuspecting enemy.

Cast wall of force horizontally 95 feet in the air above them.

Then cast reverse gravity.

Massive falling damage into the wall and then again back down.

[RulesJD]

Find unsuspecting enemy.

Cast wall of force horizontally 95 feet in the air above them.

Then cast reverse gravity.

Massive falling damage into the wall and then again back down.

WoF and Reverse Gravity both require concentration.

Better trick: Use WoF as a half-dome that floats 1/2 off the ground. Too small to move under, plenty of room to throw non-concentration spells into (Fireball, etc).

[BelowAvgNinja]

Not sure if this idea really works, but The description for Heat Metal has some ambiguity.

Let's say you get someone to cast heat metal on an arrowhead or a spear head. The metal part glows red hot and deals damage if touched. But would the wooden part be safe to handle? IE: attack with red hot spear, then break it off inside the enemy, where the caster can still maintain concentration and use bonus action each turn to make it flare up and deal more damage. And the victim has to cut it out in order to stop taking damage.
Description of Heat Metal specifies the object has to be within sight when you cast, doesn't say anything about after the casting.

[Mellack]

Not sure if this idea really works, but The description for Heat Metal has some ambiguity.

Let's say you get someone to cast heat metal on an arrowhead or a spear head. The metal part glows red hot and deals damage if touched. But would the wooden part be safe to handle? IE: attack with red hot spear, then break it off inside the enemy, where the caster can still maintain concentration and use bonus action each turn to make it flare up and deal more damage. And the victim has to cut it out in order to stop taking damage.
Description of Heat Metal specifies the object has to be within sight when you cast, doesn't say anything about after the casting.

That trick requires a lot of DM buy-in. The rules say if you hit with an arrow or a spear that it does HP damage, but does not require that you actually stuck the point in their flesh. It goes back to the HP as meat argument. The arrow could glance off their helm dazing them, or graze off their thigh. So even say that they might dodge at the last minute, giving them a strain. Only if you can describe it as the arrow actually buried in them will that work. Then your DM also needs to determine what action it is to remove, I would say it was a free object interaction like pulling an item from a pouch or off the ground.

I give you points for a creative idea, and as such it should probably work once under rule of cool.

[Socratov]

Not sure if this idea really works, but The description for Heat Metal has some ambiguity.

Let's say you get someone to cast heat metal on an arrowhead or a spear head. The metal part glows red hot and deals damage if touched. But would the wooden part be safe to handle? IE: attack with red hot spear, then break it off inside the enemy, where the caster can still maintain concentration and use bonus action each turn to make it flare up and deal more damage. And the victim has to cut it out in order to stop taking damage.
Description of Heat Metal specifies the object has to be within sight when you cast, doesn't say anything about after the casting.

you know you can do it easier, right? Just target the bracers, chest armour, leg armour, greaves, or armour in general: Doffing armour takes 10 minutes, so it's easy to keep them being damaged every round.

I have used this trick often to cook duergar and other unpleasant people alive. Very cruel, extremely effective. My DM was surprised to find that the dmg didn't offer a save of sorts, but no, it doesnt. It's quite literally one of the best direct dmg spells out there.

[Degwerks]

you know you can do it easier, right? Just target the bracers, chest armour, leg armour, greaves, or armour in general: Doffing armour takes 10 minutes, so it's easy to keep them being damaged every round.

I have used this trick often to cook duergar and other unpleasant people alive. Very cruel, extremely effective. My DM was surprised to find that the dmg didn't offer a save of sorts, but no, it doesnt. It's quite literally one of the best direct dmg spells out there.

I agree, this is an amazing spell, and its also scales well.

[BelowAvgNinja]

Yep, I'm aware of the awesomeness of Heat Metal. The above idea was geared to spread it's effectiveness to things that don't obligingly wear metal armor.

[Socratov]

why not create a whip out of steel cable or adorn it with metal shackles, grapple the enemy with it, heat metal and shocking grasp?

[BelowAvgNinja]

why not create a whip out of steel cable or adorn it with metal shackles, grapple the enemy with it, heat metal and shocking grasp?

There we go.

[Lawful Good]

Find Familiar is awesome. Have it use the help action on an ally's attack by distracting an enemy. It also counts as hostile to an enemy, so rogues get sneak attack. Also, RAW, familiars can do any action in combat other than attack, so they can do a medicine check to stabilize KO'd teammates.

This is brilliant. Medicine wielding bird/spider/weasel.:smallwink:

Find Familiar is also brilliant for rogues, as said above. It's like perma-advantage. I have a rogue with Find Familiar via Magic Initiate. Advantage and Sneak Attack every round.

Also, by RAW, can't familiars Grapple as an action?

[Safety Sword]

How are they not? What other logically consistent explanation is there?

It's magic.

Stars are Gods.

Mythology.

Literally anything you can think up.

[RickAllison]

This is brilliant. Medicine wielding bird/spider/weasel.:smallwink:

Find Familiar is also brilliant for rogues, as said above. It's like perma-advantage. I have a rogue with Find Familiar via Magic Initiate. Advantage and Sneak Attack every round.

Also, by RAW, can't familiars Grapple as an action?

Grapple is taken as a special attack under the Attack acion, which is verboten for familiars.

[Lawful Good]

Grapple is taken as a special attack under the Attack acion, which is verboten for familiars.

Ah, my bad. I was thinking it was a separate action.

[soldersbushwack]

why not create a whip out of steel cable or adorn it with metal shackles, grapple the enemy with it, heat metal and shocking grasp?

Why not fill a metal ball with thermite powder, gun powder and iron fragments, throw the ball and then use heat metal on it?

[Degwerks]

Why not fill a metal ball with thermite powder, gun powder and iron fragments, throw the ball and then use heat metal on it?

You just used a 2nd lvl spell for a 1 time use item, assuming that those alchemical ingredients are in your campaign. Better just using a fuse & lighting it.

[JoeJ]

Why not fill a metal ball with thermite powder, gun powder and iron fragments, throw the ball and then use heat metal on it?

What are these "thermite powder" and "gun powder" you speak of?