Simple RAW for 5e V: The Disadvantage Strikes Back

[firelistener]

A 396

Several water vehicles are given statblocks in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, I believe the rowboat is the only vehicle that is Large instead of Gargantuan. But I think a very small sailing ship could potentially qualify, if it differs from the usual one listed in the PHB and GoS. It would probably be really good thing to check with a DM.

[Draconi Redfir]

Q397

if i pick up the Magic Initiate feat and pick up the Warlock's Eldrich Blast cantrip, will that spell still grow in power as i level up? or is it locked to a single beam of 1d10 damage?

Playing Baulder's gate 3 and picked up the feat on my 4th level bard. feeling like it's doing less damage then the party warlock's, and not sure if that's because the warlock has something that buffs the spell, or if my bard is stuck with the lowest-level version of the spell.

[Chaos Jackal]

Q397

if i pick up the Magic Initiate feat and pick up the Warlock's Eldrich Blast cantrip, will that spell still grow in power as i level up? or is it locked to a single beam of 1d10 damage?

Playing Baulder's gate 3 and picked up the feat on my 4th level bard. feeling like it's doing less damage then the party warlock's, and not sure if that's because the warlock has something that buffs the spell, or if my bard is stuck with the lowest-level version of the spell.

A 397

It scales.

[Hairfish]

Q397
feeling like it's doing less damage then the party warlock's, and not sure if that's because the warlock has something that buffs the spell

A397

To elaborate on the above, level 2+ warlocks may choose from a number of invocations as a class feature, one of which adds their CHA bonus to the damage of each beam.

While there is a feat that lets non-warlocks take an invocation, there are several which have prerequisites, including that one. One of the limitations of the feat is that any invocation w/ prerequisites requires you to both meet those and be a warlock.

[Arkhios]

Q397

if i pick up the Magic Initiate feat and pick up the Warlock's Eldrich Blast cantrip, will that spell still grow in power as i level up? or is it locked to a single beam of 1d10 damage?

Playing Baulder's gate 3 and picked up the feat on my 4th level bard. feeling like it's doing less damage then the party warlock's, and not sure if that's because the warlock has something that buffs the spell, or if my bard is stuck with the lowest-level version of the spell.

A397 continuum. It scales depending on your character level, but without being a Warlock you won't get your Charisma to damage, because it's an Eldritch Invocation called Agonizing Blast the Party Warlock (Wyll) likely has chosen.

[Psyren]

A397

While there is a feat that lets non-warlocks take an invocation, there are several which have prerequisites, including that one. One of the limitations of the feat is that any invocation w/ prerequisites requires you to both meet those and be a warlock.

One more addendum - the feat in question (Eldritch Adept) is not in BG3 save perhaps via modding. So a non-Warlock has no way to make their Eldritch Blast as powerful as that of a Warlock. Your best bet is likely going to be multiclassing/dipping to pick up Agonizing Blast.

[HoboKnight]

Q398
say, a wizard uses Planar Ally and requests a Balor. He will ask Balor to ravage the settlement for five minutes, getting 500gp in return. Is this OK? Can wizard be provided with another demon? Lower CR? What are the limitations of Planar Ally?

thanks

[Hairfish]

Q398
say, a wizard uses Planar Ally and requests a Balor. He will ask Balor to ravage the settlement for five minutes, getting 500gp in return. Is this OK? Can wizard be provided with another demon? Lower CR? What are the limitations of Planar Ally?

thanks

A398

There is no RAW here. The outcome of this spell is almost entirely subject to DM fiat. The only guarantee is that you get a celestial, elemental, or fiend that's loyal to the entity you asked for help when you performed the spell.

The rules of the spell explicitly say the DM is under no obligation to give you the creature you want, nor for it to agree to any deal you propose.

That said, the guidelines provided in the spell's description do say that a creature that likes the task might agree to perform the task at a reduced rate or even for free and a non-hazardous task may also merit a discounted rate. Unless this is a particularly well-defended settlement, both of those considerations would probably apply to a balor.

[Shomeking]

Q 399

If a Samurai Fighter uses Fighting Spirit and decides to attack with Unarmed Attack, do they get the advantage on the attack? Since fighting spirit says advantage on all weapon attack rolls.

Fighting Spirit
Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level.

You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Q 399

If a Samurai Fighter uses Fighting Spirit and decides to attack with Unarmed Attack, do they get the advantage on the attack? Since fighting spirit says advantage on all weapon attack rolls.

Fighting Spirit
Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on all weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of hit points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level.

You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

A399

Unarmed attacks are weapon attacks, because they're not spell attacks and those are the only two highest-level categories of attacks[1]. However, they are not attacks with weapons, which matters for some abilities (e.g. Improved Divine Smite).

Thus, a Samurai who uses Fighting Spirit and then punches someone has advantage on the attack roll.

[1] The hierarchy goes:

1. Weapon vs Spell. This determines what modifier is applied (in the absence of other features)--Weapon attacks use STR or DEX, depending on the weapon. Spell attacks use INT/WIS/CHA depending on the feature that granted them. Spell attacks are also automatically magical.

2. Ranged vs Melee. Ranged attacks incur disadvantage if an enemy is within 5 feet, even if that enemy is not the target of the attack. Melee attacks do not. You can make a ranged weapon attack with a melee weapon by throwing it (either via the thrown property or as an improvised weapon or some other feature). You can make a Melee Weapon Attack with a ranged weapon by using it as an improvised weapon.

3. With a(n) [melee|ranged] weapon/-- Some abilities specify that they only apply to attacks made with a specific type of weapon (usually melee or ranged). These exclude Unarmed Attacks, because Unarmed Attacks are not weapons, despite being used for Weapon Attacks. Some are even more specific--Melee Weapon Attack with a Melee Weapon is a theoretically-possible (although I'm unaware of any that are that specific).

The statement is always [melee|ranged] [weapon|spell] attack [with a [qualifier] weapon]. Things in [square brackets] are not necessary--if not stated, they apply to all categories of that value. Thus, if it just says "you have advantage on attack rolls", that means all attack rolls, regardless of source. Fighting Spirit specifies weapon attack rolls, so it doesn't apply to spell attacks. But applies to all non-spell attack rolls.

[Dualight]

Q 400
Can cantrips be counterspelled? There was a disagreement between the DM and another player in a campaign I'm in. I think they can, but a plot development hinges on this, so I need the confirmation.

[Hairfish]

Q 400
Can cantrips be counterspelled? There was a disagreement between the DM and another player in a campaign I'm in. I think they can, but a plot development hinges on this, so I need the confirmation.

A 400
A cantrip is a level 0 spell, so Counterspell will cause that casting of the cantrip to fail without requiring an ability check.

[Wacky89]

Q 401
Enhanced Bond from Wildfire Druid
If I cast Scorching Ray, does the damage only apply to one ray or each ray by RAW?
If I cast Healing Spirit, does it apply 1d8 extra healing each time it heals? or only once?

[Chaos Jackal]

Q 401
Enhanced Bond from Wildfire Druid
If I cast Scorching Ray, does the damage only apply to one ray or each ray by RAW?
If I cast Healing Spirit, does it apply 1d8 extra healing each time it heals? or only once?

A 401

Whenever you cast a spell that deals fire damage or restores hit points while your wildfire spirit is summoned, roll a d8, and you gain a bonus equal to the number rolled to one damage or healing roll of the spell.

You roll the d8 only for one roll of any spell. So one ray, the first roll of healing spirit and so on.

Remember that for spells simultaneously hitting many enemies, you roll damage only once and apply it to everyone. So if you somehow cast fireball with this feature, you'd deal the extra 1d8 to everyone hit.

[No brains]

Q 402
The Mighty Servant of Leuk-O is an artifact that can behave as a creature with immunity to all conditions except prone and invisible. If it is brought to 0 hit points, what happens? It cannot become unconscious or incapacitated because it is immune to those conditions. If they count as 'conditions', it may be immune to being dead or dying. What is supposed to happen to an artifact that cannot be incapacitated, but has not yet met the specific conditions for its destruction?

[Chaos Jackal]

Q 402
The Mighty Servant of Leuk-O is an artifact that can behave as a creature with immunity to all conditions except prone and invisible. If it is brought to 0 hit points, what happens? It cannot become unconscious or incapacitated because it is immune to those conditions. If they count as 'conditions', it may be immune to being dead or dying. What is supposed to happen to an artifact that cannot be incapacitated, but has not yet met the specific conditions for its destruction?

A 402 For starters, the conditions the Servant is immune to are listed in its statblock, so yes, it can "die". And dropping to 0 hit points means unconsciousness for PCs; while the DM can of course choose to implement that for monsters as well, the baseline rule is that if a creature other than a player drops to 0 hit points, it dies. The Servant has a Regeneration trait, but it explicitly doesn't function when it is at 0. The same trait also mentions repairing the Servant, though it doesn't say how and nothing of the kind is included in the item's description either. I suppose the method is up to the DM here.

Now, the Servant can act as both a creature and an item, but these can certainly be separate states. As a creature, the Servant "dies" when it drops at 0 hit points and getting it back to function requires its repair so its Regeneration can kick in. However, just because its creature iteration is "dead" doesn't mean that the item is destroyed; hell, the Servant can literally explode into pieces and it still isn't considered destroyed. So no rules are broken here; the item still functions, per the rules, and the creature does not, also per the rules.

I won't claim there's no weirdness here or that this is perfectly intuitive, but that's the most reasonable read I can give.

[Ferris]

Q 402

Can a Divine Soul sorcerer use subtle spell on Geas, given the much longer casting time than for other ‘charm’ spells?

[Hairfish]

Q 402

Can a Divine Soul sorcerer use subtle spell on Geas, given the much longer casting time than for other ‘charm’ spells?

A 402
Yes. Unlike metamagics like Quicken Spell (which specifically only works with spells that take 1 action to cast), Subtle Spell doesn't have any restrictions on what sort of spell you use it on.

[Menji]

Q 403

The Order of Scribes wizard's Manifest Mind feature states "Whenever you cast a wizard spell on your turn, you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind’s space, instead of your own, using its senses."

Spirit Guardians (as acquired to wizard spell list from the Lorehold or Orzhov Initiate background) has a range of Self (15 foot circle). So as I understand it, it can be cast through Manifest Mind but then after casting and for the duration, the range still extends from one's self rather than either the Manifested Mind or the space it occupies.

What is the correct interpretation of this combination, given the specific language and range involved?

Relevant Treantmonk interpretation below (his take is that no, the combo doesn't allow SG on the MM beyond casting)

https://youtu.be/jJvg7-FHUlI?si=cNOVY8cw-r2vvuJ-&t=877

Thanks!

[Dualight]

The fighter's Unarmed Fighting Fighting Style contains the following language:

At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.

This leads me to the following questions:
Q404: If the grappled creature has resistance or immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks, does this resistance/immunity apply to this bludgeoning damage from starting the turn while grappling the creature?

Q405: do any modifiers apply to the 1d4 bludgeoning damage?

[Arkhios]

A 403 To my understanding, if a rule states that you cast a spell as if you were in a space (whether your own or someone/something else's), the spell functions for its whole duration as stated.

As an aside, whatever Treantmonk says is irrelevant. The guy isn't a Wizards of the Coast (or, more specifically, D&D Team) employee, so whatever he says are just his own interpretations or opinions. Nothing more. You'd do well to just ignore him as far as rules interpretations go. In other words, his words don't necessarily follow RAW, but rather his own interpretation of RAI (and talking about RAI is a can of worms best left unopened)

Q404: Yes.

Q405: No.

[Psyren]

A403 Dispute: I agree with Treantmonk's reading. Spirit Guardians surrounds/emanates from you (as do some similar spells like Antimagic Field), so casting them through your Manifest Mind does not allow you to emanate them remotely. Nothing in Manifest Mind's wording changes the fact that those spells surround and emanate from you.

[Arkhios]

A403 Continued: My argument is based on that otherwise the AoE would teleport from the Manifest Mind's space instantly to wherever You are on the next turn as a no action, which may or may not be considered cheesy, depending on the circumstances, SINCE because the spell emanates and surrounds You as the center of the emanation.

[Psyren]

A403 Continued: My argument is based on that otherwise the AoE would teleport from the Manifest Mind's space instantly to wherever You are on the next turn as a no action, which may or may not be considered cheesy, depending on the circumstances, SINCE because the spell emanates and surrounds You as the center of the emanation.

Per the dispute resolution procedure in the opening post, feel free to start a thread on manifest mind to discuss further if you wish.

[LtPowers]

Q404: Yes.

R404: I had the same thought initially, but then I realized the questioner may have a point. The 1d4 damage is not an attack. The immunity/resistance clauses for physical damage specifically say "from nonmagical attacks". As a result, such a creature does not reduce the damage taken from, say, falling from a great height. Wouldn't the Unarmed Fighting Style damage be similar?


Powers &8^]

[da newt]

Q406

Is there any RAW published that allows or prohibits CONJURE ANIMALS from conjuring swarms? For example "Swarm of Ravens CR 1/4"

[Psyren]

A406: No. This was answered in Sage Advice as well.

[Kamunami]

Q407: A Simulacrum you create obeys your commands without qualification. Should it follow orders from someone convincingly disguised as you? In the same vein, would it obey you if it cannot recognize you? Or does the text imply it inherently knows who "you" are?

[Psyren]

A407: As written it follows your commands, not those of other people who look like you. Anything beyond that is up to your DM.

[Ferris]

Q408: Do characters under the influence of hypnotic pattern retain any memory from their time being charmed?

For example, if a thief stole their jewelled necklace, would the person remember the theft (but was just incapable of responding) or is the spell a total memory ‘blackspot’?