D&D (2024) Playtest Packet 6: They knocked Druid out of the Park

[Stalker0]

It seems highly unlikely the druid will be shoved into their own moonbeam. I don't think I've ever heard of that happening.

I mean why not. If the enemy has any arcane knowledge and knows moonbeam messes up shapeshifting, seems a reasonable tactic to me. Also if you throw in any NPC fighters with those new push masteries, becomes a lot easier to knock people around.

 

[Vael]

There's no action to stop concentrating on a spell, though, so the Druid could stop the spell before entering the moonbeam

 

[Stalker0]

There's no action to stop concentrating on a spell, though, so the Druid could stop the spell before entering the moonbeam

Sure, you are trading keeping your wildshape but losing the spell. I mean pretty solid deal for one push.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I mean why not. If the enemy has any arcane knowledge and knows moonbeam messes up shapeshifting, seems a reasonable tactic to me. Also if you throw in any NPC fighters with those new push masteries, becomes a lot easier to knock people around.

Why are you standing directly next to your own ranged zone of damage?

And, again, I've never heard of a caster being thrown into their own effect. Maybe it will start happening now, but if we are making Moon Druids immune to their own moonbeams, why not make wizards immune to their own wall of fire or clerics immune to their own Blade Barriers too? It is the exact same logic at play.

 

[mellored]

Why are you standing directly next to your own ranged zone of damage?

Moon druids have melee attacks. They need to be next to the enemy
Moonbeam also needs to be where the enemy is.

And, again, I've never heard of a caster being thrown into their own effect. Maybe it will start happening now, but if we are making Moon Druids immune to their own moonbeams, why not make wizards immune to their own wall of fire or clerics immune to their own Blade Barriers too? It is the exact same logic at play.

What is the logic of a fire sorcerer having disadvantage on fire saves and making them lose a sorcerer points each time they take fire damage?

This would be like giving a storm cleric resistance to thunder and lighting.

Maybe immune is too strong. But they shouldn't be extra vulnerable to their own class feature.

 

[WanderingMystic]

I think the easiest thing would be that the druid doesn't count as a shapeshifter for the moonbeam spell. If they get pushed, pulled into the spell then yeah they take damage but they should not lose their form if it happens.

Usually for me I would not be using the moonbeam spell on someone I was meleeing, instead I would be using it in a different target but that is just me.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Moon druids have melee attacks. They need to be next to the enemy
Moonbeam also needs to be where the enemy is.

As Wandering Mystic points out, there is no reason those have to be the same enemy. And if you are dealing with only one enemy, you aren't the only one who might be thrown into the moonbeam.

What is the logic of a fire sorcerer having disadvantage on fire saves and making them lose a sorcerer points each time they take fire damage?

There is no Fire Sorcerer, and there are no fire spells that drain magic from those they hit. In this case you would be ADDING effects to the spell specifically to hurt the caster. This is not like that. The draconic sorcerer who focuses on fire gets resistance to all fire damage, regardless of source, but they otherwise suffer all the effects of the fire spell.

This would be like giving a storm cleric resistance to thunder and lighting.

Maybe immune is too strong. But they shouldn't be extra vulnerable to their own class feature.

The difference between giving the Storm cleric resistance and your proposal is that resistance to a single element is very different than pointing out a specific spell. If you were talking about resistance to radiant damage, we would have a different point.

And, frankly, it isn't the damage you are concerned with. You aren't asking them to be immune to their own call lightning, their own wall of fire, their own spike growth, ect. They are equally vulnerable to those effects. What you are concerned with is the shapechanger aspect. And, re-reading the spell.... you may not need to worry about that. It is a tricky definition, but since Shapechanger is a specific monster trait, it may be argued that Moonbeam only works on those creatures, and not anything that has been polymorphed.

 

[Stalker0]

The difference between giving the Storm cleric resistance and your proposal is that resistance to a single element is very different than pointing out a specific spell.

We have precedence for this though. There are plenty of areas that lets you get a free cast of a spell, or use a spell without requiring the material components. In fact in the moon druid itself it says you cast moonbeam without material components.

It would be trivial to add a clause to combat wild shape that says: "You always have moonbeam prepared, it doesn't cost material components to cast, and you are not a shapeshifter for the spell"

 

[mellored]

In this case you would be ADDING effects to the spell specifically to hurt the caster

Exactly how moonbeam works againt a moon druid.

This is not like that. The draconic sorcerer who focuses on fire gets resistance to all fire damage, regardless of source, but they otherwise suffer all the effects of the fire spell.

And it would be really silly if they got disadvantage on saving throws against fire spells.

since Shapechanger is a specific monster trait, it may be argued that Moonbeam only works on those creatures, and not anything that has been polymorphed.

I really don't know how many DM you would be able to convince that wild shape isn't shapeshifting (not capitalized).

you are not a shapeshifter for the spell

That would be enough to avoid the worst of it.

But it would still be cool if a moon druid wasn't afraid of the moon.
Or even wanted to stand in it.

 

[Chaosmancer]

We have precedence for this though. There are plenty of areas that lets you get a free cast of a spell, or use a spell without requiring the material components. In fact in the moon druid itself it says you cast moonbeam without material components.

It would be trivial to add a clause to combat wild shape that says: "You always have moonbeam prepared, it doesn't cost material components to cast, and you are not a shapeshifter for the spell"

Sure, they could, but they might not feel the need, since it is unclear if a druid is a Shapechanger^tm