Sage Advice Compendium Update 1/30/2019

[Oofta]

Shouldn't be any question. You took the Attack action as long as you already made one attack with your action (since, you know, you're committed at that point).

So Shield Master with this ruling works as many in that recent thread thought it should: Make the first attack of your action, but after that you can shove before making your other attack(s).

That is one interpretation. Others rule that the action must be completed (all attacks) before you've "taken" it. I go the other extreme of saying that it doesn't even require an attack - simply saying "I'm attacking the ___" is good enough.

It's been debated ad nauseam over on other threads.

 

[DQDesign]

No more resistant than they are against everything else that does damage.

you are right, no 20th level wizard should be able to turn into ash any 1st level half orc, fiction would suffer a lot.

I wonder why half-orc are classified as uncommon race in PHB, they should have conquered the multiverse, the tremendously 'grunts who cannot be destroyed by Elminster or Mordenkainen with a single shot'.

 

[Charlaquin]

you are right, no 20th level wizard should be able to turn into ash any 1st level half orc, fiction would suffer a lot.

I wonder why half-orc are classified as uncommon race in PHB, they should have conquered the multiverse, the tremendously 'grunts who cannot be destroyed by Elminster or Mordenkainen with a single shot'.

I’m just saying, this isn’t unique to disintegrate. Literally no one can one-shot half-orcs, unless they’ve already used their relentless endurance for the day.

 

[dave2008]

having a character especially resistant against one of the most iconic game spells just because she is a half-orc is totally silly, IMO.

Hmm that is not how I interpreted the rulings:

Because of this Sage Advice:
"What happens if a druid using Wild Shape is reduced to 0 hit points by disintegrate? Does the druid simply leave beast form? The druid leaves beast form. As usual, any leftover damage then applies to the druid’s normal hit points. If the leftover damage leaves the druid with 0 hit points, the druid is disintegrated."

I assumed that this Sage Advice:
"If the damage from disintegrate reduces a half-orc to 0 hit points, can Relentless Endurance prevent the orc from turning to ash? Yes. The disintegrate spell turns you into dust only if the spell’s damage leaves you with 0 hit points. If you’re a half-orc, Relentless Endurance can turn the 0 into a 1 before the spell can disintegrate you."

Meant that the half-orc is reduced to 0, jumps back to 1; but if there is leftover damage the half-orc is again reduced to 0 and turned to ash. IMO, only in the very rare case where the disintegrate reduces the half-orc to exactly 0 HP does it not get turned to ash. I think that is OK by me.

Now, looking at it and the spells and Wild Shape more closely, I realize that is not explicitly correct, but it works for me!

 

[Gladius Legis]

That is one interpretation. Others rule that the action must be completed (all attacks) before you've "taken" it. I go the other extreme of saying that it doesn't even require an attack - simply saying "I'm attacking the ___" is good enough.

It's been debated ad nauseam over on other threads.

This Sage Advice entry could've been worded more clearly, but from this part "During your turn, you do get to decide when to take the bonus action after you’ve taken the Attack action" the intent seems clear enough that at the very least, you're not required to complete the Attack action, just make the first attack of it and thus commit yourself to it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

"left over damage" is specifically a property of wildshape. It is not a general rule or a characteristic of half orcs.

 

[Oofta]

This Sage Advice entry could've been worded more clearly, but from this part "During your turn, you do get to decide when to take the bonus action after you’ve taken the Attack action" the intent seems clear enough that at the very least, you're not required to complete the Attack action, just make the first attack of it and thus commit yourself to it.

It depends on your definition of "take an attack action" is. You can move between the attacks granted by an attack action because it's explicitly stated that you can. Others would rule that you can't "interrupt" an attack action with anything else.

Suffice to say I think this ruling is overly-finicky in addition to a contradiction to previous sage advice tweets. I know how I rule even if it is technically a house rule, do what makes sense for you.

 

[flametitan]

I see that the ruling on Magic Initiate remains unchanged by the errata, which is nice.

 

[André Soares]

Meant that the half-orc is reduced to 0, jumps back to 1; but if there is leftover damage the half-orc is again reduced to 0 and turned to ash. IMO, only in the very rare case where the disintegrate reduces the half-orc to exactly 0 HP does it not get turned to ash. I think that is OK by me.

Now, looking at it and the spells and Wild Shape more closely, I realize that is not explicitly correct, but it works for me!

Sorry but that's not how it works. there is no leftover damage with the half-orc, youreceive all the damage and than it goes back to 1. Leftover damage is not a general rule, its an exeption that is applied to wild shape.

 

[DQDesign]

friends, do what you prefer, but at my table a player who played so long to be able to cast disintegrate is able to turn to ash anything she brings to 0 hp, half-orc or not. especially when she is a high-level spellcaster and the target a low-level half-orc. the other way around will have no justification at all in fiction and would ruin the suspension of disbelief.