Gaming_Unplugged
First Post
Relevant Text: Medusa:
Ok. I have a question about the interaction. I believe I know the interaction, but a player in my campaign was quite emphatic as to how "wrong" I was. The mage player argued that he didn't have to look at the Medusa's eyes to cast the spell, that he can instead look at a foot and cast the spell. I argued that when a player "avert's their eyes," the rules are that the medusa is effectively invisible to the player, pursuant to extensive searching. Therefore, you can't cast sight based spells. However, you could cast projectile spells toward a specific square, and try damage it but it would be at disadvantage against the location. This degraded to a discussion about the mechanics of "how medusas work within mythology," a topic I didn't exactly want to get into. However, the question I have to you guys is this:
Can a mage cast sight based spells on a creature if they can't see said creature. In another set of language, can a player look at said medusa's body without provoking the gaze attack? And finally, (as after extensive debate that was quite frankly exhausting on my own part) I ruled the player could deliver the spell as a touch attack and just walk up and try and hit him. A bad ruling I realize, but I was just trying to progress the game beyond what was clearly a major hurdle.
Example Spell Text (Blight):Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see the medusa's eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the medusa, the medusa can force it to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw if the medusa isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained . The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the medusa until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the medusa in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.
If the medusa sees itself reflected on a polished surface within 30 feet of it and in an area of bright light, the medusa is, due to its curse, affected by its own gaze.
Necromantic energy washes over a creature of your choice that you can see within range,draining moisture and vitality from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. The target takes 8d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs. lf you target a plant creature or a magical plant, it makes the saving throw with disadvantage, and the spell deals maximum damage to it.
lf you target a non-magical plant that isn't a creature, such as a tree or shrub, it doesn't make a saving throw; it simply withers and dies.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by Id8 for each slot level above 4th.
Can a mage cast sight based spells on a creature if they can't see said creature. In another set of language, can a player look at said medusa's body without provoking the gaze attack? And finally, (as after extensive debate that was quite frankly exhausting on my own part) I ruled the player could deliver the spell as a touch attack and just walk up and try and hit him. A bad ruling I realize, but I was just trying to progress the game beyond what was clearly a major hurdle.