jojosskul
2021-07-13, 07:59 AM
So, I'm considering making use of Gaseous form on a character I'm working on, and had a few clarifying questions on what the spell is capable of. When I search, the only things I find are people trying to explode people form the inside (obviously that doesn't work), questions on whether you can concentrate while in Gaseous form (you can), and whether you can be grappled (weirdly, yes.)
After this research, I was still left with several questions. I have my own opinions on the answer to each of these, but would love the insight of the community into these as well.
1. How do movement affecting spells affect Gaseous form? For instance, does Longstrider take your movement from 10 feet to 20 feet? What about Haste (obviously one person concentrating on one spell and another person the other.) Or does the line "The target's only method of movement is a flying speed of 10 feet" override any movement affecting spell?
My opinion on this is that movement affecting buffs, like Longstrider, would apply. But so would debuffs, such as ray of frost. Specific beats general, and in this case I would consider Gaseous form to the be the "general" and the other spells to be the "specific".
2. If you already had other spells going before being turned in to Gaseous form, do those effects persist? For example, if you had Armor of Agathys up, would anyone who hits you still take damage? Another example, if you had spiritual weapon up, or someone else had cast dragon's breath on you, would you still be able to use that bonus action/action? (Also do you still have a mouth since dragon's breath requires one, but that's more of a philosophical question.)
My opinion on this is the only restrictions the spell imposes are the inability to interact with your environment/objects and the inability to attack or cast spells. Nothing is said about cancelling other spells, so things like spiritual weapon/armor of agathys/call lightning should still work (once again this is if someone else casts Gaseous form on you for that last example.)
3. The spell states the recipient can enter and occupy the space of another creature. On the slip side, can another creature enter and occupy the targets space? Or can they still, for instance block a 5 ft wide hallway with their gaseous body?
This one is tricky. On the one side, "spells do what they say they do." And the spell doesn't say anything about other creatures being able to walk through the target. And Gaseous form does NOT grant incorporeal, but I don't think incorporeal is an official "thing" in 5e, unlike 3.5. I could be wrong there. And since you only get resistance to non magical damage and not full immunity, it seems like there is still some sort of "substance" there. My inclination is that the gaseous form is still solid enough that it can fully "occupy" it's own space, but I could likely be swayed the other way.
4. If you are over encumbered with a ton of cool loot and can't move, and are targeted with gaseous form, can you now move or are you still over encumbered even though everything you were carrying is also in a gaseous form?
Basically can you use this spell as a more reliable/versatile/slower tenser's floating disk to get all that cool stuff you found out of the dark dark pit. I think yes, but RAW seems hazy.
After this research, I was still left with several questions. I have my own opinions on the answer to each of these, but would love the insight of the community into these as well.
1. How do movement affecting spells affect Gaseous form? For instance, does Longstrider take your movement from 10 feet to 20 feet? What about Haste (obviously one person concentrating on one spell and another person the other.) Or does the line "The target's only method of movement is a flying speed of 10 feet" override any movement affecting spell?
My opinion on this is that movement affecting buffs, like Longstrider, would apply. But so would debuffs, such as ray of frost. Specific beats general, and in this case I would consider Gaseous form to the be the "general" and the other spells to be the "specific".
2. If you already had other spells going before being turned in to Gaseous form, do those effects persist? For example, if you had Armor of Agathys up, would anyone who hits you still take damage? Another example, if you had spiritual weapon up, or someone else had cast dragon's breath on you, would you still be able to use that bonus action/action? (Also do you still have a mouth since dragon's breath requires one, but that's more of a philosophical question.)
My opinion on this is the only restrictions the spell imposes are the inability to interact with your environment/objects and the inability to attack or cast spells. Nothing is said about cancelling other spells, so things like spiritual weapon/armor of agathys/call lightning should still work (once again this is if someone else casts Gaseous form on you for that last example.)
3. The spell states the recipient can enter and occupy the space of another creature. On the slip side, can another creature enter and occupy the targets space? Or can they still, for instance block a 5 ft wide hallway with their gaseous body?
This one is tricky. On the one side, "spells do what they say they do." And the spell doesn't say anything about other creatures being able to walk through the target. And Gaseous form does NOT grant incorporeal, but I don't think incorporeal is an official "thing" in 5e, unlike 3.5. I could be wrong there. And since you only get resistance to non magical damage and not full immunity, it seems like there is still some sort of "substance" there. My inclination is that the gaseous form is still solid enough that it can fully "occupy" it's own space, but I could likely be swayed the other way.
4. If you are over encumbered with a ton of cool loot and can't move, and are targeted with gaseous form, can you now move or are you still over encumbered even though everything you were carrying is also in a gaseous form?
Basically can you use this spell as a more reliable/versatile/slower tenser's floating disk to get all that cool stuff you found out of the dark dark pit. I think yes, but RAW seems hazy.