Simple RAW for 5e V: The Disadvantage Strikes Back

[Dmdork]

Q138 vampire can shapechange as an action (polymorph). Does it take an action to change back?

[Narbaculus]

A138: Yes, shapechanging from any form to any other is an action.

[BeefGood]

Q139 When a creature attempts to hide, there's a contest between that creature's Stealth check and other creatures' Passive Perception. If the contest is a tie, does the creature successfully hide?

[No brains]

A139

When ability scores are contested and the result is a tie the situation remains as it had been before the contest. If the creature were not already hidden, it fails to hide. If it were already hidden and needed to roll another stealth for some reason, it would stay hidden.

[MaXenzie]

Q140
Per Bonus Action Spells, casting a spell as a bonus action stops you from casting action levelled spells.

"A spell cast with a Bonus Action is especially swift. You must use a Bonus Action on Your Turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven’t already taken a Bonus Action this turn. You can’t cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a Casting Time of 1 action."

However, there's no stipulation saying that casting an action spell disallows you from casting a bonus action spell afterwards, only that casting a bonus action spell stops you from casting levelled spells after.

So, RAW, you can cast an action levelled spell and then a bonus action spell, but not the other way around?

[Draconi Redfir]

Q 141: got into a bit of a back and fourth with a DM about this awhile ago, just wanted to see what an outside opinion says.

Is it impossible to just be holding one weapon, while attacking with another?


to be specific, i was 30ft away from an enemy and using my left hand to huck Javelins at it, with the intent that my right hand was holding (but not using!) my longsword so I'd be ready once the baddie came out of the wizard's tangling vines. DM said this was impossible to do despite Javelins only requiring one hand to wield. Ultimately decided that i wasn't holding the sword after finding out it's a free action to draw it, but i just wanted to see what other people had to say on the matter.

[Varlon]

Q140
Per Bonus Action Spells, casting a spell as a bonus action stops you from casting action levelled spells.

"A spell cast with a Bonus Action is especially swift. You must use a Bonus Action on Your Turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven’t already taken a Bonus Action this turn. You can’t cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a Casting Time of 1 action."

However, there's no stipulation saying that casting an action spell disallows you from casting a bonus action spell afterwards, only that casting a bonus action spell stops you from casting levelled spells after.

So, RAW, you can cast an action levelled spell and then a bonus action spell, but not the other way around?

A140
No, you're still "casting another spell during the same turn", the order does not matter.

[Hellpyre]

A141: You can of course hold two weapons at once - two-weapon fighting requires you to, in fact, but doesn't require you to take the bonus action attack each turn in order to keep hold of your other weapon.

[Sholos]

Q 142: Is the save DC for a giant wolf spider's poison based on any ability or is it always a flat 11?

[Hellpyre]

A142: It appears to be calculated based on CON mod (8+proficency mod [by CR]+CON mod), but explicitly speaking it is static.

[Segev]

Q 143: Sentinel has three bullets. One says anybody you hit with an opportunity attack has their speed set to 0 for the rest of the turn. One says the Disengage action doesn't prevent them from provoking OAs. And the third says that if they attack anybody other than you while they're within 5 ft. of you, you can spend your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against them.

I assume the wording is clear and precise, but want to make sure: The third bullet's reaction attack is not an OA, and thus doesn't set the target's speed to 0, right?

[Narbaculus]

A143: Right

[Chronos]

143 Addendum:

However, Polearm Master does grant you an opportunity attack. So if you have both feats, you can stop someone's movement as soon as they enter your reach (potentially preventing them from attacking at all, if your reach is longer than theirs).

[Dmdork]

Q144 My vampire bites the bear totem barb. She takes half dam. Do I heal half dam?

[Dmdork]

Q145 My necromancer casts Life Transference. I take half dam cuz of Inured to Death. Is the number of hp gained halved also?

[Hellpyre]

Q144 My vampire bites the bear totem barb. She takes half dam. Do I heal half dam?

A144: the amount healed is based on the actual necrotic damage taken, so yes, resistance to to necrotic will reduce what the vampire heals from biting a target.

[Dmdork]

Q146 can u use your reaction on your turn?

[Zhorn]

A146 you can use your reaction at any point where the trigger occurs, be it on another creature's turn or your own.
Just be aware of the one reaction per round limitation. From the start of your turn you have one reaction until the start of your next turn.

[RangerStranger]

Q147 Shove and grapple actions do not require attack rolls. Does this also mean that when attempting to shove or grapple a Wizard using the Blur spell or a displacer beast, your opposed strength check is not at disadvantage even though you are making a special melee attack?

[Varlon]

A147 That's correct; shoving and grappling involve ability checks, not attack rolls.

[Dmdork]

Q148 can a shove break a grapple?
Q149Can a player get shoved voluntarily by another player to get out of a grapple?

[Hellpyre]

Q148 can a shove break a grapple?
Q149Can a player get shoved voluntarily by another player to get out of a grapple?

A148: Yes, forced movement can be used to break a grapple, and a shove can be used to force movement.

A149: You can't voluntarily fail the contested check, although a willing player could pick the skill they are worse in.

[LtPowers]

A149: You can't voluntarily fail the contested check, although a willing player could pick the skill they are worse in.

R149

This seems off to me. You're forced to make the contested roll? How does that make any sense?


Powers &8^]

[Hellpyre]

R149

This seems off to me. You're forced to make the contested roll? How does that make any sense?

There's no RAW provision preventing it. There's a general provision under ability checks for not rolling if there is no possibility of either sucess or failure, but that's something a DM would have to clear for voluntarily failing opposed checks. Not an answer I like to give for the simple RAW thread

In this situation, probably fluff it as being related to you struggling in the grapple with an actively engaged enemy or something.

[No brains]

R 148/149: Be aware that the major caveat of attempting to shove an ally out of a grapple is that you must shove them beyond the range or reach of what is causing the grapple. Creatures with ranged grapples may be able to reach further than a character can be shoved.

[zinycor]

Q 150: Can a creature summoned by the Spell "Find Steed" attack while not being mounted.

[Chronos]

A 150:
A warhorse (or whatever other creature you summon) has attacks listed in its statblock, and so the steed can choose to use them at its discretion (it's an intelligent creature, and can make choices). It's loyal to you, and so it will generally use its attacks and other abilities in the manner you tell it to.

[zinycor]

Q 151: Is there a way to benefit from using 2 shields, one in each hand.

[Narbaculus]

A151: No. "You can benefit from only one shield at a time." (PHB p.144)

[No brains]

Re 151: Fire Giant Dreadnoughts (Volo's Guide to Monsters) can benefit from two shields, but that appears to be entirely unique to them. They also take a dex penalty in heavy armor? Who wrote that?