Booming blade - how does it crit, and is this legit?

[Ancalagon]

The spell description implies a visual effect.

But that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter why the target stops - they might have decided they have gone far enough, or run out of movement, or backed to the edge of a cliff. The point is, the opportunity attack is triggered by movement that occurs before the attack. The Boom effect is triggered by movement that occurs AFTER the attack hits. Ergo they are not simultaneous. Ergo the Boom effect cannot crit.


If you are playing on a grid: the target moves a square and triggers the opportunity attack, which hits with booming blade. If, and only if, they then move another square do they take the spell damage.

If you move a square and that triggers an AOO, then you are out of range for said attack... the attack has to occur before the movement to the next square is completed...

 

[jaelis]

If you move a square and that triggers an AOO, then you are out of range for said attack... the attack has to occur before the movement to the next square is completed...

Yes, opportunity attacks occur "right before the creature leaves your reach."

I would certainly say though that the creature is free to stop moving after the attack occurs. (In many cases you have to stop, if you end up restrained or unconscious for instance.)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If you move a square and that triggers an AOO, then you are out of range for said attack... the attack has to occur before the movement to the next square is completed...

Again, when you resolve the opportunity attack is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the Boom is triggered by movement that occurs AFTER the attack hits. A simple application of the law of causality tells us that something cannot occur before the thing that causes it.

 

[LudicSavant]

Rules aren't very clear on this. I would play that if the target spends its own movement to move, then BB would trigger.

This way of doing it seems reasonable and consistent with similar rules in the game (Opportunity Attacks specifically work this way, and are the closest thing we get to a clear definition of "willing movement" in the rulebooks themselves). On the other hand, on Sage Advice JC says that a creature running in fear doesn't trigger Booming Blade because the player's not "willing." Which frankly makes a whole lot less sense, especially since some causes of fear saves are purely mundane. It's hard to imagine that being scared and running away somehow allows you to beat a safer retreat from Booming Blade. But that's JC's tweets for ya.

So, I suppose it depends on if your table prefers rules that make some degree of sense or Twitter.

 

[jaelis]

Actually, JC on twitter does seem to consistently rule that "willing" means free of magical influence. That isn't crazy either.

So you can't charm/dominate a creature and then have it be a willing target for a spell. For instance, https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/03/1...rd-their-corpses-for-a-massive-ac-superstack/

 

[LudicSavant]

Actually, JC on twitter does seem to consistently rule that "willing" means free of magical influence.

I just said that. What's with the "actually?"

That isn't crazy either.

Explain why a person getting scared and running away, without magical influence, makes them safe from Booming Blade, using in-world logic that doesn't rely on Booming Blade being all in your head.

 

[jaelis]

I just said that. What's with the "actually?"

Sorry I meant "Actually it isn't crazy"

Explain why a person getting scared and running away, without magical influence, makes them safe from Booming Blade, using in-world logic that doesn't rely on Booming Blade being all in your head.

Since BB requires willing movement, your will is part of what makes the damage happen. Doesn't have to be all in your head, but you can say that anything involving will is partly in your head. (But what do you mean, without magical influence?)

Not the first thing I'd have thought of, but if you hate it, what do you think about, say, mage armor only working on a willing creature? Doesn't seem like that much difference between a protective force field and a damaging one.

 

[LudicSavant]

Sorry I meant "Actually it isn't crazy"

I see.

Since BB requires willing movement, your will is part of what makes the damage happen. Doesn't have to be all in your head, but you can say that anything involving will is partly in your head.

My will is "I'm scared and want to run away." Why does that make me safe from Booming Blade?

 

[jaelis]

'cause it isn't your will to be scared

If you are hit by BB and just decide that this is the time to retreat, then of course you would take the damage.

 

[LudicSavant]

'cause it isn't your will to be scared

If you are hit by BB and just decide that this is the time to retreat, then of course you would take the damage.

So are you saying that you would be able to avoid Booming Blade damage by just roleplaying being scared?