D&D 5E Wall of Force options

[Paul Farquhar]

Edit: though thinking more about it, I don't think you can summon inside a Wall of Force once it is up. It counts as "total cover," and the rules on total cover are clear: unless the spell description specifically stipulates otherwise, you cannot cast a spell targeting something behind total cover. In this case, they would be trying to target a summoning spell behind total cover. It would be like trying to cast it into a closed building from outside.

If you look at the wording for Moonbeam, it says "A silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range." It doesn't say anything about having to "target" the point, you certainly don't have to see the point, and the effect does not originate from the caster.

 

[Clint_L]

According to Crawford's sacred flame ruling the spell has to specifically "ignore cover," which moonbeam does not do, according to the wording of the spell. I don't think moonbeam would work with RAW; to me, it also seems intuitively like it shouldn't work because it would be going right through the wall of force, which is against the clear intent of the spell. This is assuming the dome or globe version of the spell.

DMs can rule however they want, but I think the design intent of wall of force is clearly that it is supposed to be all but impenetrable, so as a DM I would be very hesitant to let players get around it as I think it could then become very easy to cheese the spell. I don't even like the sacred flame ruling very much. YVMV.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

it shouldn't work because it would be going right through the wall of force, which is against the clear intent of the spell.

It doesn't go through the wall - the spell description says the effect comes down, same as Sacred Flame.

And if you place the effect at point in mid air over the top of the wall and above the target, the effect extends downwards 20 feet.

You can also move the beam as a bonus action, and there is nothing to indicate this movement is impeded by any sort of barrier.

But the rest the rules are open to interpretation. It doesn't need to ignore cover since it doesn't need to be targeted.

 

[Hussar]

I guess my issue is with spells that don't really need a line of effect from the caster to the target. You can see the target and presumably sound can penetrate - there's nothing stating you can't hear inside a wall of force. So, if I drop a wall of force around the target and then Banishment, would that work? After all, I just need to see the baddy. What about Phantasmal Killer? Again, I just need to see it.

The problem I have with Wall of Force, isn't that it ties up one of the party's casters. It's that if you have a few casters in the group - then you can get around the negatives of the Wall pretty easily and more or less autokill anything that cannot teleport.

I watched the party Vicious Mockery the baddy to death and there was nothing that could be done about it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I guess my issue is with spells that don't really need a line of effect from the caster to the target. You can see the target and presumably sound can penetrate - there's nothing stating you can't hear inside a wall of force. So, if I drop a wall of force around the target and then Banishment, would that work? After all, I just need to see the baddy. What about Phantasmal Killer? Again, I just need to see it.

The problem I have with Wall of Force, isn't that it ties up one of the party's casters. It's that if you have a few casters in the group - then you can get around the negatives of the Wall pretty easily and more or less autokill anything that cannot teleport.

I watched the party Vicious Mockery the baddy to death and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Vicious Mockery is targeted, and thus, RAW, it can't be used through a wall of force. "Is psionic" isn't a rule in 5e.

 

[Samloyal23]

Also on that note, could you cast Steel Wind Strike from within a Wall of Force? The spell sort of implies that you're teleporting between each attack.

Do you need to teleport out of the dome? Bamf 5 feet away inside of it.

 

[Hussar]

Vicious Mockery is targeted, and thus, RAW, it can't be used through a wall of force. "Is psionic" isn't a rule in 5e.

But the target is simply, someone you can see. The wall doesn’t block sight. Why would it block the effect?

 

[Samloyal23]

It seems like instead of a defense for the caster the Wall of Force is more like a prison that protects the BBEG from the wizard in the party. What good is it?

 

[Hussar]

It seems like instead of a defense for the caster the Wall of Force is more like a prison that protects the BBEG from the wizard in the party. What good is it?

Well it lets the other three or four PCs freely murderize the baddy. Basically it’s an I win spell.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But the target is simply, someone you can see. The wall doesn’t block sight. Why would it block the effect?

Because rulz. It's described above. "To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover." The wall of force counts as total cover, as per sage advice.