Simple RAW for 5e V: The Disadvantage Strikes Back

[Miele]

Q334: What happens when a Wraith drains all your HP and bring the meximum to 0 (zero)?

1) You die and nothing can be done.
2) You still roll death saves, but if you pass 3 of them you stay at zero but stable even if you roll a 20.
3) You can get stabilized through usual means.

If the first answer is #3, how can you be raised? For what I know PCs at zero HP don't benefit from rests.

Follow-up Q335: Does casting Aid raises you to 5 hp? THe spell states it raises both current and maximum HP. RAW I'd say it raises you, but I'm definitely not sure.

[Chaos Jackal]

Q334: What happens when a Wraith drains all your HP and bring the meximum to 0 (zero)?

1) You die and nothing can be done.
2) You still roll death saves, but if you pass 3 of them you stay at zero but stable even if you roll a 20.
3) You can get stabilized through usual means.

If the first answer is #3, how can you be raised? For what I know PCs at zero HP don't benefit from rests.

Follow-up Q335: Does casting Aid raises you to 5 hp? THe spell states it raises both current and maximum HP. RAW I'd say it raises you, but I'm definitely not sure.

A 334 A wraith's Life Drain states "The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0." The answer is 1).

A 335 Aid will not raise someone whose maximum hit points have been reduced to 0 by a wraith, because they're dead, not unconscious.

[ElSpivo]

Q336
Twilight Sanctuary - does the dim light from this feature suppress or override bright light, magical, natural, or otherwise, to maintain a sphere of dim light?

[Segev]

Q336
Twilight Sanctuary - does the dim light from this feature suppress or override bright light, magical, natural, or otherwise, to maintain a sphere of dim light?

It says it sets the level of light. Anything that would block it from doing so would have to specify its class of lighting as being overridden or blocked; without that, it is pretty absolute.

[ElSpivo]

It says it sets the level of light. Anything that would block it from doing so would have to specify its class of lighting as being overridden or blocked; without that, it is pretty absolute.

Does it though? I can't find any wording in the description that specifies it as setting anything, just filling, like any light would. In fact, the exact wording is as follows: "The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light." Which leads me to believe that it is simply dim light and has no effect on bright light, ie it adds but does not subtract from the light in the area.

[Segev]

Does it though? I can't find any wording in the description that specifies it as setting anything, just filling, like any light would. In fact, the exact wording is as follows: "The sphere is centered on you, has a 30-foot radius, and is filled with dim light." Which leads me to believe that it is simply dim light and has no effect on bright light, ie it adds but does not subtract from the light in the area.

DM rulings, obviously, trump all. To me, it says it "fills with" dim light, not that you "radiate" dim light, or anything like that. So it seems to me you're magically creating an area of twilight. It's not a spell effect, and it doesn't "radiate," so it may even ignore cover.

[Psyren]

I definitely read it as setting the light level within the sphere (overriding natural ambient conditions.) Overriding magical light/darkness is going to be a DM call.

[ElSpivo]

DM rulings, obviously, trump all. To me, it says it "fills with" dim light, not that you "radiate" dim light, or anything like that. So it seems to me you're magically creating an area of twilight. It's not a spell effect, and it doesn't "radiate," so it may even ignore cover.

The feature does say it emanates from you, so not sure what the mechanical difference is between radiate and emanate. And despite the fact that you are magically creating an area of dim light I don't see the difference between this and say any other feature that produces magical light, Fire Shield (...shedding bright light...) or Guiding Bolt (...dim light glittering...)for example. And I don't see how it would ignore cover since it never mentions this in the description, thus defaulting back to the general rules, since this feature doesn't specify that it does behave differently than any other light.

[ElSpivo]

I definitely read it as setting the light level within the sphere (overriding natural ambient conditions.) Overriding magical light/darkness is going to be a DM call.

This is why I asked the question because it's seemingly ambiguous to some whereas I find it to be clear due to the absence of any wording giving any specificity to override the general rules of light. With regard to the darkness spell it does override it since it is not a spell and the darkness spell only cares about spells and what level they are cast at, eg
sageadvice.eu/does-light-from-a-magic-weapons-count-as-magical-that-can-illuminate-a-darkness-spell/amp/

[Psyren]

ElSpivo - if you'd like to discuss this make a thread, as it goes beyond Simple RAW.

[Twelvetrees]

Q337

Surprise (PHB 189) reads as follows "If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't."

Does "an action" here apply to bonus actions? Could a surprised rogue still use the bonus action from their Cunning Action feature to Dash, for example?

[Eriol]

Q337

Surprise (PHB 189) reads as follows "If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't."

Does "an action" here apply to bonus actions? Could a surprised rogue still use the bonus action from their Cunning Action feature to Dash, for example?

A337: Yes it applies. If you cannot take an action, you cannot take a Bonus Action either. Straight from the PHB, p.189 under the "Bonus Actions" header:

You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus action's timing is specified, and anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions also prevents you from taking a bonus action.

Bold was added by me, but the point stands.

[Twelvetrees]

A337: Yes it applies.

Thanks! Looks like I should have just kept reading.

[Draconi Redfir]

Q338: To your knowledge, is there any guide on how to make homebrew "Otherworldly Patron" features for the Warlock class? I'm talking expanded spell lists and abilities, not Patrons as characters. What the Patron is is already dealt with. but none of the abilities or expanded spell lists I've been able to find seem to fit with it. And looking up "Guide to making your own otherworldly patron" just gives Fluff advice for who / what the patron is and what it's motivations are.

@V Figured as much on all fronts, just thought I'd shoot my shot here for a hassle-free attempt. Thank you regardless!

[Segev]

Q338: To your knowledge, is there any guide on how to make homebrew "Otherworldly Patron" features for the Warlock class? I'm talking expanded spell lists and abilities, not Patrons as characters. What the Patron is is already dealt with. but none of the abilities or expanded spell lists I've been able to find seem to fit with it. And looking up "Guide to making your own otherworldly patron" just gives Fluff advice for who / what the patron is and what it's motivations are.

A338: Short answer: "No."

Medium answer: try to match power level to what other existing Patrons grant.

Longer answer: This is actually not a simple question, but I promise you that this board will be eager to help you design one if you start a thread for it!

[Jervis]

Q 339 Ranged weapons can be used in melee to deal 1d4 damage. Additionally, objects similar to a weapon can be used as said weapon, the example given is a chair leg for a club. This is to ask: can a hand crossbow be used as a club in melee? And if yes, can that qualify as the melee weapon for Booming Blade? (Yes this is jank but I had a mad science idea for a crossbow expert Gith Bladesinger)

[Ortho]

Q 339 Ranged weapons can be used in melee to deal 1d4 damage. Additionally, objects similar to a weapon can be used as said weapon, the example given is a chair leg for a club. This is to ask: can a hand crossbow be used as a club in melee?

A:339
The RAW answer is to ask your DM, since the DM decides what an improvised weapon counts as, if anything.

That being said, I can't imagine any weapons that are less similar than a crossbow and a club. One is a lightweight precision-engineered weapon capable of hurling projectiles dozens of feet, whereas the other is a big, heavy stick. They don't resemble each other at all.

And if yes, can that qualify as the melee weapon for Booming Blade?

No, Booming Blade requires a melee weapon specifically. A crossbow is still a ranged weapon, you're just making a melee attack with it.

[ender241]

A:339
The RAW answer is to ask your DM, since the DM decides what an improvised weapon counts as, if anything.

That being said, I can't imagine any weapons that are less similar than a crossbow and a club. One is a lightweight precision-engineered weapon capable of hurling projectiles dozens of feet, whereas the other is a big, heavy stick. They don't resemble each other at all.



No, Booming Blade requires a melee weapon specifically. A crossbow is still a ranged weapon, you're just making a melee attack with it.

I would argue the answer to the first question is clearer than the second one. From the PHB:

"An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage."

So if the object doesn't resemble a weapon OR it's a ranged weapon, it deals 1d4 damage. A DM can obviously overrule that but that's true of anything.

For the second question, you could argue that the weapon is treated as a melee weapon for the sake of the attack/spell, but I'd lean towards no. That one is more DM dependent imo.

[da newt]

Q 340:

Is the Chult Yklwa a spear (to qualify as a PAM weapon)?

[ender241]

Q 340:

Is the Chult Yklwa a spear (to qualify as a PAM weapon)?

A 340: No, not RAW. A DM might allow it to work with PAM since it's similar but it's worth noting that it is an upgrade from the spear when used one-handed (1d8 vs 1d6 damage die).

[da newt]

340

Depending on sources it is often referred to as a spear (both DnD and real world sources), but it makes sense for it to not be compatible with PAM as it would be the best weapon for shield and PAM fighting, but it would also be the most realistic weapon for PAM and shield too, so ...

[Jervis]

Q 341 The RAI on this is obvious but, in there any rule in 5e stopping you from taking the Skill Expert feat and later gaining expertise in that skill via a class feature, effectively letting you add triple proficiency? Yeah skill expert doesn't let you choose a skill already benefiting from it, but the feature has no such restriction as far as I can tell.

Yeah i know this is some 3.5 level Raw foo, though i don't think this edition has the protection against this that 3.5 did ironically. I mostly just thought the idea of having +23 to a check at level 17 sounds hilarious.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Q 341 The RAI on this is obvious but, in there any rule in 5e stopping you from taking the Skill Expert feat and later gaining expertise in that skill via a class feature, effectively letting you add triple proficiency? Yeah skill expert doesn't let you choose a skill already benefiting from it, but the feature has no such restriction as far as I can tell.

Yeah i know this is some 3.5 level Raw foo, though i don't think this edition has the protection against this that 3.5 did ironically. I mostly just thought the idea of having +23 to a check at level 17 sounds hilarious.

A341. Expertise explicitly does not stack. It replaces proficiency with 2x proficiency, it's not a bonus.

[Millstone85]

A341. Expertise explicitly does not stack. It replaces proficiency with 2x proficiency, it's not a bonus.

This, to which I will add a PHB quote.

Your proficiency bonus can't be added to a single die roll or other number more than once. For example, if two different rules say you can add your proficiency bonus to a Wisdom saving throw, you nevertheless add the bonus only once when you make the save.

Occasionally, your proficiency bonus might be multiplied or divided (doubled or halved, for example) before you apply it. For example, the rogue's Expertise feature doubles the proficiency bonus for certain ability checks. If a circumstance suggests that your proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll, you still add it only once and multiply or divide it only once.

[Dmdork]

Q342: Combat lava: When in combat, if you fall in lava, do u take damage when you fall in AND on the beginning of your turn?

[Psyren]

A342: You take damage from the fall itself and from the lava. The latter however is improvised damage.

FALLING INTO WATER

A creature that falls into water or another liquid can use its reaction to make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to hit the surface head or feet first. On a successful check, any damage resulting from the fall is halved.

Improvising Damage

A monster or effect typically specifies the amount of damage it deals. In some cases, though, you need to determine damage on the fly. The Improvising Damage table gives you suggestions for when you do so.

10d10 - Wading through a lava stream
18d10 - Being submerged in lava

Note that the improvised values could be adjusted depending on your tier.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Q343:

Undead Archives. Though they seldom bother to do so, mummies can speak. As a result, some serve as Undead repositories of lost lore, and can be consulted by the descendants of those who created them. Powerful individuals sometimes intentionally Sequester mummies away for occasional consultation.

If you decided it was desirable, could you reanimate a fellow PC's corpse into a mummy using a 9th level Create Undead and make them a free-willed undead? How much of their class features etc. would they retain?

[Chaos Jackal]

Q343:
If you decided it was desirable, could you reanimate a fellow PC's corpse into a mummy using a 9th level Create Undead and make them a free-willed undead? How much of their class features etc. would they retain?

A 343 The easiest way to make a free-willed mummy as a player is to cast create undead, like you said, and then simply not reassert control once 24 hours pass. RAW, whoever you raised as a mummy, be it a fellow PC or somebody else, will not have any of their old features, they'd just be using the mummy statblock.

Anything else regarding setting them free earlier, how much they know or remember and whether they actually retain any of their faculties and/or abilities alongside the mummy statblock is entirely in the hands of the DM.

[Psyren]

Q343:
If you decided it was desirable, could you reanimate a fellow PC's corpse into a mummy using a 9th level Create Undead and make them a free-willed undead? How much of their class features etc. would they retain?

A343 Addendum: To keep class features you need to make a Mummy Lord, which Create Undead cannot do - you'll need DM fiat for that.

[Dualight]

Q344:
Does the Battlemaster Fighter's 10th level Improved Combat Superiority feature also changes superiority dice gained through means other than the subclass, such as the Superior Technique Fighting Style or the Martial Adept feat?