Simple RAW for 5e 4: Smackdown v. RAW

[LtPowers]

Q34

Say I have a +2 shield and the Shield Master feat. Do I add +2 to Dex saves (against single-target spells) or +4?


Powers &8^]

[Kadesh]

A34
Yes. Edited for clarity, you add the AC bonus provided by the shield. A +2 Shield procides a +4 Bonus to AC.

If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.

While holding this shield you have a bonus to AC determined by the shields rarity. This bonus is in addition to the shield's normal bonus to AC.

[leogobsin]

A 34 (To clarify since the previous poster answered 'yes' to an either/or question, with a +2 shield Shield Master lets you add +4 to dex saves, since the shield is giving you a total AC bonus of +4).

[MeeposFire]

A28 Yes you can.

Since they occur during other peoples turns, spells Cast as Reactions do not have the same stipulations/restrictions as Spells Cast through Bonus Actions.

Your answer is correct but the reasoning is not. The rule preventing the casting of a leveled spell in the same turn you cast a bonus action spell is bonus action spell only. Spells cast as reactions do not affect your ability to cast leveled spells on your turn even if you cast them on your turn (this is possible as one example you can cast shield to defend yourself if you provoke an opportunity attack from walking away from an enemy and that would be on your turn and then you can cast fireball in that same turn if you wanted to).

Note that the bonus action spell rule affects all spells that turn so while you can cast shield, cure wounds, action surge: cure wounds as a fighter/cleric/wizard if you cast a healing word in there you could not cast shield or cure wounds that turn including the action surge.

[leogobsin]

Q 35

How do effects that increase/decrease speed work on creatures with multiple speeds? Do they affect only walking speed or is the increase/decrease applied to all speeds?Say a creature with walking speed 30 flying speed 60 gets hit with Ray of Frost, is their speed now 20 walking 50 flying?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q 35

How do effects that increase/decrease speed work on creatures with multiple speeds? Do they affect only walking speed or is the increase/decrease applied to all speeds?Say a creature with walking speed 30 flying speed 60 gets hit with Ray of Frost, is their speed now 20 walking 50 flying?

A35 The effect affects all forms of a creatures speed unless the description says otherwise.

Examples:

Boots of Speed, “…the boots double your walking speed…”. No other form of speed that the creature has is affected by the boots.

Ray of Frost: “…and its speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.” All forms of the creatures speed are affected.

[Arial Black]

A35 The effect affects all forms of a creatures speed unless the description says otherwise.

Examples:

Boots of Speed, “…the boots double your walking speed…”. No other form of speed that the creature has is affected by the boots.

What if you have a flying speed that is defined as equal to your walking speed, like Winged Boots? Does the wearer's flying speed increase if their walking speed increases?

[E’Tallitnics]

What if you have a flying speed that is defined as equal to your walking speed, like Winged Boots? Does the wearer's flying speed increase if their walking speed increases?

R35 Yes, because that magic item explicitly ties the two together.

[AugustNights]

Q 36
Wayfinder's Guide to pathfinder, p.70. Warforged.
Can an envoy warforged select Constitution as one of their two +1 ability scores from their Ability Score Increase feature? Specifically such that the Warforged has a net +3 Constitution and +1 [Any other]?

I had thought there was a specific rule that prevented this, but I cannot find it.

[Kadesh]

Q 36
Wayfinder's Guide to pathfinder, p.70. Warforged.
Can an envoy warforged select Constitution as one of their two +1 ability scores from their Ability Score Increase feature? Specifically such that the Warforged has a net +3 Constitution and +1 [Any other]?

I had thought there was a specific rule that prevented this, but I cannot find it.

A36
I do not know if anything has changed recently, but Warforged Racial Bonus is a +1 Con, and Envoy Model allow two different ability scores (of which one may be Con) to be increased by +1.

[AugustNights]

I missread the Warforged's base Ability, thank you for the clarity!

[No brains]

Q37
aIf a halfling gets swallowed by a giant frog, can the halfling grab the frog to immobilize it?
bCould the same swallowed creature shove the creature that swallowed it?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q37
aIf a halfling gets swallowed by a giant frog, can the halfling grab the frog to immobilize it?
bCould the same swallowed creature shove the creature that swallowed it?

A37a Whilst swallowed you’re blind and restrained. So almost anything you do is going to be at disadvantage. That being said the RAW for the Swallow action by the Giant Frog, the RAW for Grappling, the RAW for the restrained nor blind conditions negate each other.

So…RAW it can be done, but common sense dictates that it cannot. Expect such a severe edge case to be shot down by any and all DMs, unless you know something about the internal anatomy of a Giant Frog that we don’t…

A37b Almost the same RAW above, with the same limitations, but common sense is more forgiving on this one because having a small creature inside a medium creature that’s trying to unbalance the medium creature is at least physically possible.

So…RAW this can be done, and I’d think that any and all DMs would at least consider this as a possible action that the snack, er...halfling could take.

[Koury]

Q38

Does the extra damage from Brute Force (from UA Fighter subclass Brute) apply to ranged weapons?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q38

Does the extra damage from Brute Force (from UA Fighter subclass Brute) apply to ranged weapons?

A38 Yes it does. It says “weapon” without specifying “melee” or “ranged” so it includes both.

[2D8HP]

Q39

Does Action Surge and Extra Attack stack,?

Can a 5th level+ Fighter do four attacks in one round?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q39

Does Action Surge and Extra Attack stack,?

Can a 5th level+ Fighter do four attacks in one round?

A39 yes, they stack.

[2D8HP]

A39 yes, they stack.

WOO HOO!

Thanks!

[Illven]

Q 40

By strictest raw since sleep inflicts unconsciousness, and elves and half elves are immune to being put through sleep through magic, does that mean elves and half elves cannot be fireballed to below 1 hp?

[leogobsin]

Q 40

By strictest raw since sleep inflicts unconsciousness, and elves and half elves are immune to being put through sleep through magic, does that mean elves and half elves cannot be fireballed to below 1 hp?

A 40 No, on a couple counts. First off, unconsciousness is not the same thing as sleep (in fact, there isn't any strict mechanical definition of sleep in 5e, just the logical conclusion that you're unconscious while you're asleep). Secondly, when a fireball reduces you to 0 HP, the spell doesn't put you to sleep, the spell reduces you to 0 HP and then being at 0 HP makes you go unconscious.

[Koury]

Q41

Male Steeder (Out of the Abyss) has a Leap action. Is this a standard action, or a Move action replacement? Can a Druid shape into it then also leap that turn?

[Kadesh]

Q41

Male Steeder (Out of the Abyss) has a Leap action. Is this a standard action, or a Move action replacement? Can a Druid shape into it then also leap that turn?

A41 - Partial There is no such thing in 5E as a Standard Action nor Move Action. A creature can take one action per turn unless they have some means of making multiple actions, i.e Haste, or Action Surge.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Q41

Male Steeder (Out of the Abyss) has a Leap action. Is this a standard action, or a Move action replacement? Can a Druid shape into it then also leap that turn?

A 41 There are no move actions (or standard actions, for that matter). Movement is something you can do on your turn, in addition to an action and possible bonus action or reaction.

That said, if the Leap ability is in the Actions portion of the stat block, it's an action (and thus would conflict if the druid used his action to wildshape). A Circle of the Moon druid uses his bonus action to wildshape, and thus there are no conflicts.

If the Leap ability is not in the section labeled Actions, then it's a passive trait that activates without an action (unless it says otherwise).

I don't have the stat block, so I can't say definitively.

[Ogun]

Q 042
Can a cleric with the Forge Domain use Artisan's Blessing to create a Spellbook, complete with inscribed spells?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q 042
Can a cleric with the Forge Domain use Artisan's Blessing to create a Spellbook, complete with inscribed spells?

A42: This is really going to depend on your DM but strict RAW would allow you to duplicate an existing spellbook (that contains metal) that's worth less than 100 GP. But the game doesn't give any guidance on how to determine the value of a spellbook. (Rough Cost: Each spell inscribed takes 50 GP per spell level, half that amount if they're from your chosen school of magic.)

You could use that channel divinity feature to create a blank spellbook, say with a simple metal lock. These costs 50 GP.

RAW there's nothing in the game that states that a spellbook is magical. If it contains say a Glyph of Warding then it would register as magical, but otherwise it's just a book, collection of paper, etc. that contain writings made with fine inks.

[Arvin Natsuko]

Q41

Male Steeder (Out of the Abyss) has a Leap action. Is this a standard action, or a Move action replacement? Can a Druid shape into it then also leap that turn?

A41

The "Leap" of the OotA Steeders, both Male and Female, uses "all its movement", so no action required, only all your movement for the turn (provided that it's speed is at least 30 feet).

This versions of Steeders are beasts, so a Druid, any druid, can use it's action or bonus action (Moon Druid) to take the form of a Steeder and uses its movement to "Leap".

But just for you to know, the "most recent" Steeder, releasead as a monster entry in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, is a "monstrosity", and so impossible to became by Wild Shape. You should check with your DM with version is avaliable for your game.

Also, the rule of the "Leap" in MToF (called Extraordinary Leap) is different: It says that the long jump distance of the Steeder is tripled, so for every foot of it's walking speed that it spends on the jump allows it to move 3 feet. Both Male and Female have 30 feet walking speed.

[Corran]

Q 43
If an ally is already frightened, and my 10th level paladin (who has aura of courage) moves within 10' of said ally, does my ally remain frightened (because he was already frightened), does aura of courage suppress the effect while I am within 10' of them and conscious, or does it nullify it?

[No brains]

Q 44 I recall that a sage advice clarifying that a naturally blind creature that a creature can effectively see within its blindsight radius, but would this mean that an Intellect Devourer is subject to a Medusa's petryfying gaze?

Spoiler: tangential minutiae

Show

(Assuming that naturally blind creatures can't 'see' at all stops an Intellect Devourer from using its Devour Intellect power, as it must target a creature it can see)

[E’Tallitnics]

Q 43
If an ally is already frightened, and my 10th level paladin (who has aura of courage) moves within 10' of said ally, does my ally remain frightened (because he was already frightened) or does aura of courage suppress the effect while I am within 10' of them and conscious?

A 43 RAW the Aura of Courage has no effect on an already frightened creature. RAI in the Aura of Courage suspends the frightened condition while the creature is in its area: https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/...60204459630592

EDIT: Some of you may note in the tweet Jeremy Crawford states that the RAW are "unclear". This is a classic example of him not wanting to admit that the text of the rules is incorrect. RAW is clear because it says nothing about pre-existing conditions. But when this was brought to his attention instead of saying, "My Bad" he backpedals into "RAI" territory and (now) clearly indicates that pre-existing conditions are affected.

[E’Tallitnics]

Q 44 I recall that a sage advice clarifying that a naturally blind creature that a creature can effectively see within its blindsight radius, but would this mean that an Intellect Devourer is subject to a Medusa's petryfying gaze?

Spoiler: tangential minutiae

Show

(Assuming that naturally blind creatures can't 'see' at all stops an Intellect Devourer from using its Devour Intellect power, as it must target a creature it can see)

A 44 RAW the Intellect Devourer is affected by the Medusa's gaze. D&D is a game of exceptions, and in this case the Medusa's gaze make no exception for the blindsight trait.