Level Up (A5E) Ideas involving Anticipate Spell combat maneuver

[jack00693]

The text for this maneuver is as follows, "Until the start of your next turn, when you see a creature within 5 feet of you cast a spell you can use your reaction to make either an opportunity attack or a Sleight of Hand check against it".

My question to you all is this: what kind of creativity can be had from a reaction sleight of hand check? How would they function? I have been racking my brain to think of how to implement some of these ideas. Stealing things items/weapons off of the caster is one. What about yoinking the arcane focus from the caster? How would these all mechanically play out? I'd love to hear your input!

Thanks,
Jack P

 

[lichmaster]

Well, I'd say if you steal the material component or arcane focus, the spell is broken of course.
Plus, if you stole its arcane/divine focus, the enemy caster is probably going to be much more restricted in the kind of spells he can cast.
Otherwise you may be able to steal a wand/rod/other magic item that may be either very powerful or valuable.

In a more humor/slapstick kind of game you could instead imagine the sleight of hand check performing tricks like unfastening a belt and having his pants fall off, lowering the hat on his face to blind him, and the like.

 

[MarkB]

Steal his spellbook, then use forgery skills to reset the ranges on all his area-effect spells to zero. It won't do a thing against the spell he's currently casting, but the long-term comedic pay-off will be tremendous.

 

[jack00693]

Well, I'd say if you steal the material component or arcane focus, the spell is broken of course.
Plus, if you stole its arcane/divine focus, the enemy caster is probably going to be much more restricted in the kind of spells he can cast.
Otherwise you may be able to steal a wand/rod/other magic item that may be either very powerful or valuable.

In a more humor/slapstick kind of game you could instead imagine the sleight of hand check performing tricks like unfastening a belt and having his pants fall off, lowering the hat on his face to blind him, and the like.

Great stuff! Mechanically how would you do this? Contest sleight of hand vs. what? Or some other way?

 

[Steampunkette]

Great stuff! Mechanically how would you do this? Contest sleight of hand vs. what? Or some other way?

I'd probably make it a Combat Maneuver DC situation. Since you're snatching it outta their hands and wizards are oft feeble.

 

[Mike Myler]

It'd depend on the adventurer I'm playing, but I'd use Sleight of Hand to plant a small object on the spellcaster (could be a dead rat for a buddy to cast corpse explosion on, or maybe a vial of unstable arcanum, a damning piece of evidence, something to track later with magic if the spellcaster flees, that kinda thing)