D&D (2024) Warcaster Cheesy Fondue 2024

[Zardnaar]

I didn't. I posted it in the context of players casting "helpful" spells on enemies to debilitate them.

Yeah it's really up to the player to define hostile.

AFAIK there's no RAW definition of hostile.

 

[mellored]

Yeah it's really up to the player to define hostile.

AFAIK there's no RAW definition of hostile.

A Hostile creature views you unfavorably. You have Disadvantage on an ability check to influence a Hostile creature. See also “Influence.”

So if you're a jerk to your allies in 2014, you can cast Haste on them.
Wait till they kill the boss
End it and grab the loot while they are stunned, and dimension door out.

 

[Guest 7037866]

Probably not the first time I do it he isn't.

You can't do it a "first time" since he never provokes OA as he is not your enemy. If you want him to provoke OA, he is your enemy and unwilling.

Regardless, why would the second enemy be "friendly" with the dead Wizard you are impressonating? It is the DM who decides what relationships exist between NPCs, and bad guys tend not to trust each other. So, the second enemy would never likely be "willing", even if they believed you were the dead Wizard.

However, if a DM wanted to let you get away with such a farce, more power to you!

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

I mean, it is suspicious they changed both Warcaster and Opportunity Attack. Feels like it could be intentional.

It could be intentional, but it's also really weird.

I mean think about it, the thing it enables is something clearly unique and not something I have seen anywhere else in D&D. I haven't seen this possible in any other system either except maybe if you use prepared actions in 3.0, 3.5 or PF1.

In fact it's so incredibly different that I would say it qualifies as being a feature that entirely reshapes how the feat itself is perceived. It so thematically dominates what the rest of the feat does that I am convinced this not intentional.

 

[Sulicius]

To repeat the comment @Plaguescarred made, the full description is pretty clear:

Opportunity Attacks (page 26)​

Combatants watch for enemies to drop their guard. If you move heedlessly past your foes, you put yourself in danger by provoking an Opportunity Attack.

Avoiding Opportunity Attack. You can avoid provoking an Opportunity Attack by taking the Disengage action. You also don't provoke an Opportunity Attack when you Teleport or when you are moved without using your movement, action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. For example, you don't provoke an Opportunity Attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe's reach or if you fall past an enemy.​

Making an Opportunity Attack. You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach. To make the attack, take a Reaction to make one melee attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike against that creature. The attack occurs right before it leaves your reach.​

The very first sentence gives the intent.

 

[Zardnaar]

To repeat the comment @Plaguescarred made, the full description is pretty clear:


The very first sentence gives the intent.

Except specifics over rule general.

 

[Lazybones]

Except specifics over rule general.

That seems like a stretch. The entire passage quoted by Sulicius is the rule. The words "foe" or "enemy" are used four times.

The intent of the rule seems obvious to me, but I'll add this to my House Rules list, just in case any of my players are ENWorld legalists.

 

[Sulicius]

Except specifics over rule general.

I get that losing the word hostile in the opportunity attack description feels intentional, but it's not more intentional than everything else in this passage.

So if you fall past an ally, they still get to make an attack of opportunity?

Whatever the case, you can run it that way at your table. If one tries it at my table, they can leave if they want.

 

[Mistwell]

It could be intentional, but it's also really weird.

I mean think about it, the thing it enables is something clearly unique and not something I have seen anywhere else in D&D. I haven't seen this possible in any other system either except maybe if you use prepared actions in 3.0, 3.5 or PF1.

In fact it's so incredibly different that I would say it qualifies as being a feature that entirely reshapes how the feat itself is perceived. It so thematically dominates what the rest of the feat does that I am convinced this not intentional.

I suspect the "grapple an ally as they succumb to fright and run past you" might have been the intent of the Opportunity Attack change. I hadn't thought of that before but it's neat and makes sense. As for Warcaster, it might be similar. Maybe you cast a healing spell on the fleeing ally. Or heroism.

 

[Stalker0]

BY RAW....no you cannot.

From the book

Opportunity Attacks​

In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for a chance to strike an enemy who is fleeing or passing by. Such a strike is called an opportunity attack.
You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach. To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature. The attack occurs right before the creature leaves your reach.


The new 2024 War Caster Feat says:

"When a creature provokes an Opportunity Attack from you by leaving your reach ...."


War Caster doesn't change how an opportunity attack is generated, just utilizes them for its mechanic. The RAW says opportunity attacks are only generated against HOSTILE creatures, so you cannot use them against allies.


What people are trying to do is say "well warcaster doesn't say hostile, so it overwrites the definition of opportunity attack". But....that's not how language works. If the feat had said "you can make opportunity attacks against all non-hostile creatures" or something....than absolutely go nuts. But the definition of an opportunity attack has not changed, and so the hostile criteria still applies.

Here's another example. lets say a hostile creature moves pasts me while I am prone. I get an Opportunity attack....and since the rules for an opportunity attack doesn't mention disadvantage, I don't take disadvantage on teh roll right?
No, the rules for an attack still apply, the opportunity attack is simply using the attack mechanic in a special circumstance. Warcaster is the same way, its utilizing an opportunity attack in a special way, but just because it doesn't replicate all of the language of an opportunity attack doesn't mean you get to throw out that language.