D&D 5E Dispel Magic, Ready action and Fireball

[Ilbranteloth]

Bullets are kind of ridiculously fast, so I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. A better comparison would be with a baseball. (I'm pretty sure that we're talking about Dispelling the Fireball as it's forming, though - before it's launched.)

I think 'instantaneous' is ridiculously faster than a bullet, or a baseball for that matter. Otherwise I'd just carry around a staff and bat the fireballs away!

I think Tim the Enchanter throws some pretty realistic fireballs.

Ilbranteloth

 

[ryan92084]

RaW no
RaI no
RaF maybe? Up to the DM as Crawford pointed out. I wouldn't but to each their own.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I think 'instantaneous' is ridiculously faster than a bullet, or a baseball for that matter. Otherwise I'd just carry around a staff and bat the fireballs away!

"Instantaneous" just means that that it's initiated and resolved as part of the same action. Notably, it takes the same amount of in-game time to cast a Fireball at someone 150 feet away, as it does to fire an arrow at someone 600 feet away. We don't have enough information to determine anything more definitive about its speed. That loss of information is kind of a necessary concession for using six-second rounds.

 

[Celtavian]

I beg to differ
http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/12/11/can-silence-interrupt-a-spell-caster/
And with this answer I see no difference in dispel magic

When Crawford says "As a DM", it's not an official ruling. It's how he runs it at his table. And should be taken as such meaning if you want to run it that way, it's a DM call, not an official stance on a rule.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

Instantaneous actually means that the effects of the spell cannot be dispelled--"because its magic only lasts for an instant". The magic of the fireball spell lasts only for an instant, but the hit point damage it causes is "normal" and cannot be dispelled (as opposed to the Concentration-based effect of hold person or what not). However, it doesn't say the spell itself cannot be dispelled in that instant, using the ready rules and an ability to cancel magic spells (i.e. dispel magic).

However, the dispel magic text asks you to target "one creature, object or magical effect". You cancel spells on the target, but you don't target the spells themselves. Unless a spell can be considered 'on' its own magical effect. And can you cast spells onto magical effects? What would be the point? I'm so confused...

 

[seebs]

As written, dispel magic is confused; you can target a "magical effect", but then you dispel only the spells on that "magical effect". Also there is no way to dispel any effect which is not a spell.

This is clearly wrong and does not do what it seems to be intended to do.

 

[S'mon]

I'd use DM's judgement and make it an opposed casting check (both sides make a spell attack roll) - if the Dispeller wins, he snuffs out the fireball as it travels through the air, before it explodes.

 

[Mirtek]

Frankly, if the mage wants to be able to stop spells, he needs to learn and prepare counterspell at the cost of one other spell he would otherwise choose.

If he rather took that other spell, then he can not counterspell.

 

[Horwath]

I dont see why not. You're giving up an action and a reaction to do that with more or less same spell. Both disrupt magic.
Might as well be the same spell with 2 usages.

As reaction, dispel spell while casting. As an action dispel ongoing spell effects.

 

[Noctem]

Dispel Magic cannot be used as a readied action to function like Counterspell. Learn Counterspell if you want to stop spells from being cast.

Dispel Magic can only interact with a spell which does not have the instantaneous duration. Dispel Magic also only interacts with magical effects, it does not target spellcasting like Counterspell does.

Silence =/= Dispel Magic. These are two vastly different spells in both function and design.

Crawford stating that "as a DM" he would allow it vs what the RAW and RAI are is an important difference to note. The truth is that as he responded to another question, Counterspell is used to stop spell casting and not dispel magic. Also note that he's talking about a completely different spell in the former.

However, DM's should not feel forced to follow the RAW or RAI at the table outside of Adventure League. If you feel it makes sense and would be fun, go with it.