D&D 5E AoE spells: Do you play by RAW or RAI?

[FrogReaver]

Because the creature didn’t enter the spell’s area. The caster created the spell’s area in a space where the creature already was.

That would depend on what enter actually means in this context.

Let's try an example. Sign at Beach says do not enter water. You sit at the edge of the water. The tide comes in and engulfs you. Most people would conclude you entered the water even though you never moved from your position.

That is, at least some uses of "enter" don't necessarily require action on your part.

Running it where casting the spell counts as the creature entering the space also causes the spell to do double its normal damage per round on the turn you cast it. Under RAI, the spell can only damage any given creature up to once on that creature’s turn - either when the creature moves into the space, or when the creature starts its turn already in the space. Under the other interpretation, you cast it over a creature’s space, that creature immediately takes damage, and it takes damage again at the start of its turn. That creature has now been damaged by the spell twice since its last turn. Twice as many times as it’s supposed to have done.

Sure. There might be a good argument that the other interpretation is obviously imbalanced and thus cannot be the correct one in light of a viable alternative. I'm not sure that's the case though as flaming sphere can do it's damage twice per round as well (unless it was errated at some point). Once when you bonus action attack with it and the next if the creature doesn't move (might be more afraid of the OA's than the sphere).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Let's try an example. Sign at Beach says do not enter water. You sit at the edge of the water. The tide comes in and engulfs you. Most people would conclude you entered the water even though you never moved from your position.

Er, no, you English teacher just spun in her grave.

 

[FrogReaver]

Er, no, you English teacher just spun in her grave.

Does that mean your logic teacher spun in his? Did the person in the ocean somehow manage to get there without entering the ocean?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Why? Did the person in the ocean somehow manage to get there without entering the ocean?

Yes, of course, the ocean moved.

 

[FrogReaver]

Yes, of course, the ocean moved.

Theory of Relativity = there is no fixed/preferred frame of reference. Therefore, it is just as true that you moved. Therefore, you entered the ocean.

 

[Charlaquin]

That would depend on what enter actually means in this context.

Let's try an example. Sign at Beach says do not enter water. You sit at the edge of the water. The tide comes in and engulfs you. Most people would conclude you entered the water even though you never moved from your position.

That is, at least some uses of "enter" don't necessarily require action on your part.

This is boring semantics. RAW is somewhat ambiguous, but since we know RAI and it is consistent with one of the ways RAW can be interpreted, I don’t think there’s a problem.

Sure. There might be a good argument that the other interpretation is obviously imbalanced and thus cannot be the correct one in light of a viable alternative. I'm not sure that's the case though as flaming sphere can do it's damage twice per round as well (unless it was errated at some point). Once when you bonus action attack with it and the next if the creature doesn't move (might be more afraid of the OA's than the sphere).

Flaming sphere can deal damage to any given creature up to once on its turn, and up to once on the caster’s turn. The non-RAW interpretation allows it to do 50% more damage on the turn you cast it.

 

[Shiroiken]

"When a creature enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there,"

The question would be whether casting moonbeam on a creature counted as entering the spells area for the first time on a turn. I've always thought yes. Why do others think no?

Something else to take into consideration is when you move the area. If I have spiritual guardians up, running down the line of enemies would then damage all of them, even the ones no longer in the area of effect after the movement. Same thing with moving a moonbeam or similar area of effect. This would greatly increase the power of these spells, allowing them to hit more enemies, and potentially multiple times per round (your turn and their turn).

 

[Mistwell]

Theory of Relativity = there is no fixed/preferred frame of reference. Therefore, it is just as true that you moved. Therefore, you entered the ocean.

OK dude, you know this isn't a helpful point, right?

To enter something, you must actively go into it. You know that's how the word is being used in common English usage here.

 

[tetrasodium]

Something else to take into consideration is when you move the area. If I have spiritual guardians up, running down the line of enemies would then damage all of them, even the ones no longer in the area of effect after the movement. Same thing with moving a moonbeam or similar area of effect. This would greatly increase the power of these spells, allowing them to hit more enemies, and potentially multiple times per round (your turn and their turn).

I just checked, both spirit guardians & moonbeam say for the first time on a turn. wall of fire wall of ice cloudkill incendiary cloud cloud of daggers & so on all have a similar if not identical phrase. On top of that, nearly every one of those spells is concentration. You seem to be making a case to safeguard against a situation that's not an issue. some of these spells have ways of moving them (ie moonbeam' bonus action, spirit guardians centered on caster, fog spells & wind, etc) while there are a wide array of ways to force an opponent into their effect ranging from the mundane shove to various magic spells where moving an opponent is the point of the spell.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Theory of Relativity = there is no fixed/preferred frame of reference. Therefore, it is just as true that you moved. Therefore, you entered the ocean.

That is not how you combine this principle with basic grammar...