D&D 5E Why Eldritch Blast only targets creatures

[MechaTarrasque]

I think everyone tends to think the old positive energy damage became radiant damage, but what if that wasn't a 100% 1-to-1 conversion? Force damage might be (life)force damage. Like with positive energy, having too much causes an overload. Pumping extra lifeforce into things might damage them, but it probably takes a lot of lifeforce to do that since objects are starting with 0 lifeforce, so they have a long ways to go to overload, whereas creatures have X lifeforce, so they are closer to overload (and thus lower level spells can do it). It also seems like extra lifeforce dissipates quickly, so the time difference of blasting a door with 4 EB's might be too much, even though it is so fast as to be imperceptible to us.

 

[green_destiny]

I appreciate the attempt to explain why it does not cause objects damage.

It would be a lot better if this is called Eldritch Curse instead.

Eldritch curse + Hex!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

To me force damage is something that annihilates matter. Like a star trek phaser. Low power damages creatures. On full power it annihilates objects. Force batriers are like star trek force fields (doh).

 

[Fralex]

I think everyone tends to think the old positive energy damage became radiant damage, but what if that wasn't a 100% 1-to-1 conversion? Force damage might be (life)force damage. Like with positive energy, having too much causes an overload. Pumping extra lifeforce into things might damage them, but it probably takes a lot of lifeforce to do that since objects are starting with 0 lifeforce, so they have a long ways to go to overload, whereas creatures have X lifeforce, so they are closer to overload (and thus lower level spells can do it). It also seems like extra lifeforce dissipates quickly, so the time difference of blasting a door with 4 EB's might be too much, even though it is so fast as to be imperceptible to us.

As I understand it:
Lightning damage = overload of electrical energy
Radiant damage = overload of spiritual energy
Psychic damage = overload of mental energy
Force damage = overload of magical energy

To me force damage is something that annihilates matter. Like a star trek phaser. Low power damages creatures. On full power it annihilates objects. Force batriers are like star trek force fields (doh).

If I ever use the futuristic weapons in the DMG, I plan to change the antimatter rifle's damage to force.

It would be a lot better if this is called Eldritch Curse instead.

I'm still voting for Curséd Blast.

 

[Uchawi]

I would make the point that common magic, including eldritch blast should not be selective (have the ability to effect any target), and when you get into deeper warlock magic that truly involves a curse then it would be selective. That ties into the concept of specialization and being harder to counter. Cantrips heightens the issues since it is happening every round.

 

[Gadget]

I don't really have a problem with Eldritch Blast's "Force" damage only affecting creatures, as force is a nebulous concept that allows for many interpretations. I do have a problem with the interpretation that cantrips like Acid Splash only being able to target creatures, as 1) It is a conjuration that supposedly creates the destructive acid to do the damage and 2) we generally know how acid interacts with substances in the real world.

I mean, sure, it might be a balance thing to stop the caster from pew, pew, pew - ing through almost any mundane barrier, but I'm of the opinion that having a little added utility to the cantrip is a good thing.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

As I understand it:
Lightning damage = overload of electrical energy
Radiant damage = overload of spiritual energy
Psychic damage = overload of mental energy
Force damage = overload of magical energy

That is the common understanding, but it doesn't quite fit EB. The follow through would be that "life is magical" (and thus closer to being overloaded by force damage) and objects (including magical ones) aren't magical (thus are farther away from being overloaded by force damage). Magical items seem like the complication to that theory (and it seems like detect magic would have less utility if "life is magical").

Don't get me wrong, I am fine with Schrödinger's blast that is harmless light/force blast until it hits something (and then becomes one or the other based on what was hit). It just seems like using life as a weapon is a very GOO thing to do, and the perverse nature of fey and fiends might find it interesting as well.

 

[Fralex]

As I understand it:
Lightning damage = overload of electrical energy
Radiant damage = overload of spiritual energy
Psychic damage = overload of mental energy
Force damage = overload of magical energy

That is the common understanding, but it doesn't quite fit EB. The follow through would be that "life is magical" (and thus closer to being overloaded by force damage) and objects (including magical ones) aren't magical (thus are farther away from being overloaded by force damage). Magical items seem like the complication to that theory (and it seems like detect magic would have less utility if "life is magical").

Don't get me wrong, I am fine with Schrödinger's blast that is harmless light/force blast until it hits something (and then becomes one or the other based on what was hit). It just seems like using life as a weapon is a very GOO thing to do, and the perverse nature of fey and fiends might find it interesting as well.

My interpretation is less that life is magical and more that living things can manipulate magic (though not all of them have the skill or desire). Since creatures have a more complex relationship with magic than ordinary objects, they can be harmed by magic in more complex ways. In this case, eldritch blast is pumping them full of something weird and sinister that makes them start channeling magic force uncontrollably for a couple seconds. The blast itself isn't the magic force; it's the cursed, eldritch energy that makes the target harm themself with magic force. Magic items aren't vulnerable to the blast because they're just tools built to manipulate magic in a couple very specific ways, and thus not sophisticated enough to be hijacked (though I might make an exception for sentient ones).

That's how I'd fluff it at any rate.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

For the original post, I like the idea and it is actually cool roleplaying concept. My only issue with it is that corrupting someone's body actually making it destroy itself is the VERY essence of necromancy/necrotic damage. Were this the 3.5 Dread Necromancer and their charnal touch ability, I would be all for that description. Honestly, if if player pitched me that idea for a warlock, I'd probably give them the option to make their eldritch blast necrotic instead of force. Is it perhaps unbalanced slightly? Perhaps, but still fun.

I think one could argue many things regarding the nature of force damage. I like the overloading with magic energy theory, potentially in a splitting atoms type of way, though a good point to bring up with force damage is the inherent relationship with incorporal beings. I'm on bored with radiant energy being that of devine/life energy and necrotic being antilife/corruption. The question then is what constitutes force. From a scientific standpoint, antimatter type stuff makes sense. The disruption of atomic stability makes complete sense to be similar to raw "magical power" to a civilization with little science but developed magic. Advanced science tech would basically accomplish the same purposes. The reason I bring up ghosts and similar creatures is to bring up the topic of if they actually contain atoms like normal matter, from actually scientific perspective.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

On second thought, it can't be life force, since it affects constructs and undead. Maybe animating force (animus).....