Bestow Curse ruling

[Gtdead]

Hey guys, I was thinking of creating a build that uses bestow curse like hex/mark, but the wording is a bit different and I wonder how would you rule it.

Curse:
While the target is cursed, your attacks and spells deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target.

Hex:
Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target whenever you hit it with an attack.

What confuses me is that curse mentions spells, so lets say I use a scorching ray to attack a cursed enemy, would that be a total of 1d8, or 3d8, one for each ray?
Also how it would work with a spell like Animate Objects? Technically it's not you that attack but your animated pets.

[Rhaegar]

Hey guys, I was thinking of creating a build that uses bestow curse like hex/mark, but the wording is a bit different and I wonder how would you rule it.

Curse:
While the target is cursed, your attacks and spells deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target.

Hex:
Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target whenever you hit it with an attack.

What confuses me is that curse mentions spells, so lets say I use a scorching ray to attack a cursed enemy, would that be a total of 1d8, or 3d8, one for each ray?
Also how it would work with a spell like Animate Objects? Technically it's not you that attack but your animated pets.

As I understand it, an animated object, or a raised dead creature attacking, is not your spell hitting it, so it wouldn't count. Hitting something with an attack to me implies an attack roll, or some kind of single target spell, where as "your spells" in the generic sense would also include aoe spells that didn't target the creature with an attack.

For spells that hit a target multiple times, I would rule that you get the bonus only once per "attack" or once per action.

[Foxhound438]

by RAW bestow curse does the following:

Every time an attack you make (ie not your summons) hits the cursed creature it takes an extra d8; this means every attack, if you have an action to make more than one.

Attacks in 5e are defined as any action that requires an attack roll, so something like scorching ray would in fact count, and each ray is its own attack, meaning it does proc every time.

Applying to spells indicates any spell you cast that deals damage, to include both burning hands and scorching ray. However, it's redundant for the latter case; you don't get to add once for being an attack and again for being a spell.

Burning hands on the target would add the d8 to the spell's damage. I don't think the d8 would count for being halved on a successful save, IE the spell does 3d6 fire damage, or half as much on a successful save, plus 1d8 necrotic damage.

PS personally I wouldn't go for curse, for multiple reasons. First off, it takes an action, meaning you deal (probably) no damage that turn. Second, it has a saving throw, meaning you can lose your spell slot and your turn with no benefit. Third, costing a 3rd level slot is steep for a minor dpr boost. It'd usually be stronger to just cast fireball or something. And fourth, it only applies to one creature, meaning after you(r team) kill(s it before you can hit it once with the curse applied) the effect is over and done, while hex can be retargeted every turn.

Edit: the curse damage probably would be halved on a successful save of a spell, on second thought.

[Douche]

PS personally I wouldn't go for curse, for multiple reasons. First off, it takes an action, meaning you deal (probably) no damage that turn. Second, it has a saving throw, meaning you can lose your spell slot and your turn with no benefit. Third, costing a 3rd level slot is steep for a minor dpr boost. It'd usually be stronger to just cast fireball or something. And fourth, it only applies to one creature, meaning after you(r team) kill(s it before you can hit it once with the curse applied) the effect is over and done, while hex can be retargeted every turn.

You're forgetting the fact that the target has to make a wisdom save each turn to avoid losing it's turn completely, which I think is the real use of the spell. Not sure why they gave the options for a nerfed version of hex, really.

I play a cleric and have a warlock in the party, I think it'd be fun to have him hex to target wisdom, then use bestow curse.

I think the spell is also cool for more of a roleplaying aspect, considering the upcast versions make it last until dispelled.

[MarkTriumphant]

I play a cleric and have a warlock in the party, I think it'd be fun to have him hex to target wisdom, then use bestow curse.


That wouldn't help - Hex only affects Ability checks, not Saving rolls.