D&D 5E The Mysterious 8th Ray

[Cristian Andreu]

Reading the description of Prismatic Spray in 5e's PHB I noticed the text mentions eight rays, but only describes seven, leaving the last for rerolling.

Now, this could mean two things: A typo, or the much more likely scenario that there's a hidden 8th ray someone at WotC doesn't want us to know about.

So I ask you, wise men and women of EN World, what's the mysterious 8th ray about?

 

[RhaezDaevan]

It resets time by a few milliseconds. Thus, the re-roll.

 

[Astrosicebear]

Dont have my PHB handy but previous editions had :

8 Struck by two rays; roll twice more, ignoring any “8” results.

 

[fuindordm]

If you had a martian airship, the eighth ray could make it fly.

 

[thalmin]

Dont have my PHB handy but previous editions had :

8 Struck by two rays; roll twice more, ignoring any “8” results.

That's what 5E has as well

 

[Nergal Pendragon]

The eighth ray is ultraviolet. It has random effects of two rays.

 

[Astrosicebear]

If it's the 8th ray of the 8th ray from a beholder.... is it insta-kill?

 

[steeldragons]

Dont have my PHB handy but previous editions had :

8 Struck by two rays; roll twice more, ignoring any “8” results.

That's what 5E has as well

Yeah. So, the 8th ray is explained, right there...in the spell description. So I'm not really sure what the OP is on about.

Unless this is just a "let's have some creative fun and just make up something else for the 8th ray to do besides 2 of the others".

In which case, one can never go wrong with "failed save permanently Polymorphs into a chinchilla."

Or, to follow the utterly useless and anticlamactic Violet/Planeshift mode as written [Aside: Want a thread about rewriting Prismatic Spray? Rewrite the Violet beam to be, actually bad and not 50% chance of "blinded for 1 round and nothing happens"], make it that the 8th beam "restrains" the target on a failed target and then, on the next round [for gods know what reason] if they fail again, they're polymorphed into a chinchilla or, if successful, the incapacitated condition ends.

 

[Cristian Andreu]

Yeah. So, the 8th ray is explained, right there...in the spell description. So I'm not really sure what the OP is on about.

That's the mystery! Every previous incarnation of the spell -even Pathfinder's- reads "Seven shimmering rays", while in 5e it reads "Eight shimmering rays"! Yet there is no description of the 8th one, only of the 8th result (which refers to the other 7 rays)! There never has been an 8th ray... until now.

My theory is that the secret world-wide cabal of DMs in charge of vetting each edition of D&D missed it this time, thus revealing a hint of what lies beneath.

Who knows what else is being kept from us!

 

[Crothian]

Reading the description of Prismatic Spray in 5e's PHB I noticed the text mentions eight rays, but only describes seven, leaving the last for rerolling.

Now, this could mean two things: A typo, or the much more likely scenario that there's a hidden 8th ray someone at WotC doesn't want us to know about.

So I ask you, wise men and women of EN World, what's the mysterious 8th ray about?

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the 8th Ray is. You have to see it for yourself.