D&D 5E Booming Blade seems a bit powerful

[Arial Black]

The rider won't stack with itself. If he takes the Booming Blade damage initially as he's moving around (before he goes out of your reach and triggers an opportunity attack), then that's fine and it works--but if he hasn't, then even if you hit him, all you're doing is renewing the "booming energy" around him (whatever that is). You don't double the rider, because spells don't stack with themselves. If you're 10th level, he'll take 2d8 damage when he moves, not 4d8.

So, if the same PC is hit by two fireballs from the same caster, he only takes damage from the first?

In this example, the victim has been hit by two castings of the same spell. If the spell in question gave you, say, a constant bonus of +1d4 to damage for one minute, then the +1d4s would not stack to make +2d4s if you cast the spell twice. The weapon either makes the weapon do +1d4 damage, or it doesn't, no matter how many times you cast the spell.

But if the spell directly damages the victim, it's not that the damage 'stacks', it's that damage is done twice.

The question is, does the thunder damage occur when triggered and then end while two castings each do what they say they do (damage effectively 'stacks')? Or does the spell give you a constant effect (of a sonic sheath existing until you move) that cannot stack; you either have a sonic sheath around you or you don't?

 

[jaelis]

Sage says no stacky
http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/27/if-a-creature-is-affected-by-3-booming-blades-does-effect-stack/
I'm inclined to agree.

 

[AesirsChampion]

The difference between fireball and BB is that fireball has a duration of instantaneous, while BB has a duration of 1 round. So, you can be affected by multiple fireballs, as the durations don't overlap, but the 1 round duration of multiple BB do overlap, hence the riders not being able to stack.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Would someone remind me: would booming blade from two PCs stack? If no, my group will be notably less effective by remembering that rule...

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It doesn't matter if it's the same caster or different casters. Overlapping identical effects don't stack. The example on PHB pg 205 uses two castings of bless, but I see no reason why it wouldn't apply to the secondary effect of BB as well.

 

[Al2O3]

It doesn't matter if it's the same caster or different casters. Overlapping identical effects don't stack. The example on PHB pg 205 uses two castings of bless, but I see no reason why it wouldn't apply to the secondary effect of BB as well.

Thanks!
I'm not sure if I want to remind my group about that. The DM does seem to think that we are overpowered (and the initial extra damage should still come from each person, right?), so "nerfing" by remembering an actual rule might be good.

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[Fanaelialae]

Thanks!
I'm not sure if I want to remind my group about that. The DM does seem to think that we are overpowered (and the initial extra damage should still come from each person, right?), so "nerfing" by remembering an actual rule might be good.

Sent from my Huawei P10 plus

The initial extra damage still applies for each casting, since that part is instantaneous. It's only the ongoing part (damage if the target moves) that overlaps, and can therefore only apply once.

 

[Arial Black]

Sage says no stacky
http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/11/27/if-a-creature-is-affected-by-3-booming-blades-does-effect-stack/
I'm inclined to agree.

Fair enough. I'm okay with the reasoning that the effect is a sonic shell (that does damage if you leave it) that you either have or don't have.

 

[Arceliar]

About the stacking, Booming Blade says the spell effect ends when the damage is triggered. If I'm RAWing this correctly, then a target which is affected by multiple instance of the Booming Blade spell would trigger the damage from (and thereby end) 1 instance of the spell each time they willingly move 5 feet.

 

[CapnZapp]

About the stacking, Booming Blade says the spell effect ends when the damage is triggered. If I'm RAWing this correctly, then a target which is affected by multiple instance of the Booming Blade spell would trigger the damage from (and thereby end) 1 instance of the spell each time they willingly move 5 feet.

Spells don't stack with themselves.

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[CapnZapp]

The initial extra damage still applies for each casting, since that part is instantaneous. It's only the ongoing part (damage if the target moves) that overlaps, and can therefore only apply once.

As long as it means multiple booms on the same target is not optimal, I'm good.

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