D&D 5E Uncanny Dodge (Rogue)

[Celtavian]

Boy, disintegrate was a bad example. It's a dex save for no damage on a success. Rogues do fine against it.

 

[pepticburrito]

Boy, disintegrate was a bad example. It's a dex save for no damage on a success. Rogues do fine against it.

Evasion does nothing for Disintegrate. For evasion to be used, the affect must require a save for half damage. Disintegrate doesn't do that, therefore evasion is of no use for it.

 

[Celtavian]

Evasion does nothing for Disintegrate. For evasion to be used, the affect must require a save for half damage. Disintegrate doesn't do that, therefore evasion is of no use for it.

Doesn't matter. Disintegrate does no damage on a successful Dex save. Rogues have good Dex save and good Dex stat. They'll be fine.

 

[pepticburrito]

Doesn't matter. Disintegrate does no damage on a successful Dex save. Rogues have good Dex save and good Dex stat. They'll be fine.

Assuming the caster is also properly made, his Dex and all but 2 of his proficiency bonus is negated by the save calculation. That gives him a 60% of passing the check.

 

[Joe Liker]

The primary bolt is targeted too. Evasion pretty specifically says it is for area effects. I agree that the designers probably intended it to be as the crunchy bit says and is for any effect that allows a dex save for half. But then they added that bit of color at the beginning. My point is, it's pretty easy to get off the rails when you limit your decisions as a DM to rules text and not to the plain meaning of words.

The fluff at the start of the Evasion description does not say you cannot use Evasion to dodge out of the way of non-area effects, and the next sentence opens the door to all effects that allow Dex saves for half damage. I see no reason to view the color text as an exhaustive list of the things you can dodge with Evasion. It's just there as, you know, color -- to spur the imagination and give examples of what the class feature represents.

One of my personal guidelines of rules adjudication is that, when there is any doubt or ambiguity, flavor text does not restrict; it only enhances.

 

[guachi]

The first sentence of many spells and abilities is often filled with flavor text. Even so, an area of effect for a spell is defined as something that targets multiple targets at the same time. Chain Lightning does so.

In any event, like Joe Liker said, if an effect allows a Dex save for half damage you can use Evasion on it.

How about this one:

Large boulder(s) rolling towards one or more party members. How, mechanically, will you determine what it does to a party member? And would you allow Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Shield Mastery or any other ability you can think of to work?

Me, I'd say one boulder is an attack using an attack roll. Many boulders or a Raiders of the Lost Ark style huge boulder is an effect requiring a Dex save.

 

[aramis erak]

I think its' odd that folks want to take a relatively low, but pretty powerful ability (which essentially doubles a Rogue's HP in melee) and expand it to fit any situation that could possibly be construed to be an attack.

In my game, if there's a roll to attack, they'll get the Uncanny Dodge.

Same here, but with the caveat, "and not if there isn't an attack roll."

 

[aramis erak]

The first sentence of many spells and abilities is often filled with flavor text. Even so, an area of effect for a spell is defined as something that targets multiple targets at the same time. Chain Lightning does so.

In any event, like Joe Liker said, if an effect allows a Dex save for half damage you can use Evasion on it.

How about this one:

Large boulder(s) rolling towards one or more party members. How, mechanically, will you determine what it does to a party member? And would you allow Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, Shield Mastery or any other ability you can think of to work?

Me, I'd say one boulder is an attack using an attack roll. Many boulders or a Raiders of the Lost Ark style huge boulder is an effect requiring a Dex save.

I'd be using a dex save to avoid being rolled over; all or nothing. Evasion isn't much help on it.

 

[guachi]

I concede the point about Rogue Sneak attacks. I read the rule, figured you could take one per turn and thus could do it on someone else's turn, read the tweets, changed my mind, read the thread you referenced, and changed my mind back.

You can bonus action whenever, right? So you could in theory get three sneak attacks a round?

 

[Dausuul]

I concede the point about Rogue Sneak attacks. I read the rule, figured you could take one per turn and thus could do it on someone else's turn, read the tweets, changed my mind, read the thread you referenced, and changed my mind back.

You can bonus action whenever, right? So you could in theory get three sneak attacks a round?

No, bonus actions are only on your turn. From the PHB, p. 189: "Various class features, spells, and other abilities let you take an additional action on your turn called a bonus action." (Emphasis added.)