D&D 5E What is Force Damage?

[Kobold Avenger]

Force damage seems to be the most nebulously defined damage types, sure the PHB describes it as "Pure magical energy in a damaging form" but it's not as clear as say Fire which is heat, Thunder which is sonic vibrations or concussive force, Radiant which is positive energy or occasionally radiation, or Necrotic which is negative energy or energy being drained away.

Force damage covers Magic Missile and Disintegrate, it also seems to cover teleportation mishaps or being incorporeal in solid matter. So in some cases would it be "physical pattern disruption"? But then some there's Telekinetic attacks, sometimes they're force but other times they are bludgeoning damage.

Also what's Force damage it generally supposed to supposed to look like? Some of the spells it seems to resemble concentrated light in the form of pulses like Magic Missile or beams like Disintegrate, but it could be invisible or maybe a distortion effect.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Yeah, good question; I've been thinking about this as well. Though I feel radiant is almost equally nebulous.

 

[payn]

Kinetic?

 

[Cadence]

Kinetic?

Is kinetic different than bludgeoning?

Is force damage just a magical version of it that sidesteps some of the physics?

 

[Baron Opal II]

Well, I think the trite 1/2e answer is the damage that the spell magic missile inflicts.

While not defined, I always pictured it as a shearing plane. Creatures and objects might resist fire, cold, corrosion, but very little is unaffected by being cut apart. To me this also fit with disintegration, where the target is forcibly disassembled. It doesn't quite make sense since force damage also affects incorporeal creatures, like wraiths and will-o-wisps. But, that definition works for the most part.

 

[payn]

Is kinetic different than bludgeoning?

Is force damage just a magical version of it that sidesteps some of the physics?

Well, I think kinetic energy is more about the physics than the actual mass.

In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes.

It's the best way I can come up with to try and explain it. Not saying its a slam dunk.

 

[Retreater]

“It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”

 

[payn]

“It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”

Right, your midicholrians build as you level which explains more magic missiles. It's fantasy science!

 

[Lyxen]

Yeah, good question; I've been thinking about this as well. Though I feel radiant is almost equally nebulous.

Radiant is actually fairly well defined in the PH, it's the energy of the positive material plane, the raw life force which I supposed can destroy when you apply too much of it.

As for Force, I've always seen it as something at a more "basic component" level, something that destroys the bonds of matter. Whether you call this atoms or something else depends on your cosmology, but there is a reminder with the 4 forces of standard theory that sort of bind things together.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Radiant is actually fairly well defined in the PH, it's the energy of the positive material plane, the raw life force which I supposed can destroy when you apply too much of it.

Right. But what it actually looks like? If you're hurt by radiant, what sort of wounds you have?