D&D (2024) 2024 Spell Changes

[Lanefan]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Mordenkainen’s Sword has gotten some much-needed buffs: it now deals 4d12 damage and can be moved up to 30 feet.

Spike Growth’s wording is a bit weird. The 2014 version specified that it spread out in a 20-foot radius on the ground (so basically a 2D circle). The 2024 version states that it affects a 20-foot sphere on the ground. A sphere is 3D, so that’s awkward phrasing.

Probably to allow for steeply-sloping or uneven ground...or maybe to allow it to spike up tree trunks in the area as well to prevent victims from climbing out of the spikes?

 

[pukunui]

Probably to allow for steeply-sloping or uneven ground...or maybe to allow it to spike up tree trunks in the area as well to prevent victims from climbing out of the spikes?

I think it’s just because they wanted all AOE spells to use one of the codified shapes, none of which is a 2D circle.

 

[Lanefan]

I think it’s just because they wanted all AOE spells to use one of the codified shapes, none of which is a 2D circle.

This site really needs a 'facepalm' emoji in the Like options...

Probably done to make it easier to program into a VTT; which is one thing that should NOT be driving the design of what is in theory supposed to be a tabletop game.

One of the fun things about old-school spells is they often had funky AoEs, which added one more element to the player's decision process of which spell to cast next.

 

[pukunui]

This site really needs a 'facepalm' emoji in the Like options...

Probably done to make it easier to program into a VTT; which is one thing that should NOT be driving the design of what is in theory supposed to be a tabletop game.

One of the fun things about old-school spells is they often had funky AoEs, which added one more element to the player's decision process of which spell to cast next.

Agreed. The other issue with making it a sphere is that, if you want to get the full effect, the center of the sphere has to be at ground level, otherwise you'd end up with a radius smaller than 20 feet. Effectively, this means it's only a hemisphere, since half the sphere is uselessly under the ground.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Agreed. The other issue with making it a sphere is that, if you want to get the full effect, the center of the sphere has to be at ground level, otherwise you'd end up with a radius smaller than 20 feet. Effectively, this means it's only a hemisphere, since half the sphere is uselessly under the ground.

It does mean you can voluntarily shrink the effect by centering it above the ground.

I assume my 18 int wizard would be able to do the trigonometry in their head to get the radius they want.

 

[pukunui]

It does mean you can voluntarily shrink the effect by centering it above the ground.

I assume my 18 int wizard would be able to do the trigonometry in their head to get the radius they want.

Maybe? The spell description reads "The ground in a 20-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point within range ...". Although it doesn't say "up to 20-foot-radius", as far as I can tell, the rules* don't put any limits on where you can place the center of a sphere within the 3D space of the game world, so you potentially could position the center of the Spike Growth sphere above the ground, thus affecting an area smaller than a 20-foot-radius.

I guess it's up to the DM.


*In fact, the rules are rather unhelpful in this matter. The description for Area of Effect states that the "rules for each shape specify how to position its point of origin", and yet the description for Spheres does nothing of the sort, indicating only that a sphere "extends in straight lines from a point of origin outward in all directions". That doesn't tell me how to position the sphere's point of origin, only where it is relative to the rest of the effect!

 

[MarkB]

*In fact, the rules are rather unhelpful in this matter. The description for Area of Effect states that the "rules for each shape specify how to position its point of origin", and yet the description for Spheres does nothing of the sort, indicating only that a sphere "extends in straight lines from a point of origin outward in all directions". That doesn't tell me how to position the sphere's point of origin, only where it is relative to the rest of the effect!

What else do you need? It's basically saying "place it wherever you want the centre of your sphere to be".

 

[pukunui]

What else do you need? It's basically saying "place it wherever you want the centre of your sphere to be".

Can the point of origin be placed anywhere in any open direction as long as it's within the range (meaning that the sphere itself can extend beyond the spell's range limit)?

The description of Spike Growth implies to me that you have to place the point of origin on the ground since it specifies a 20-foot-radius rather than "up to" that radius.

 

[MarkB]

Can the point of origin be placed anywhere in any open direction as long as it's within the range (meaning that the sphere itself can extend beyond the spell's range limit)?

The description of Spike Growth implies to me that you have to place the point of origin on the ground since it specifies a 20-foot-radius rather than "up to" that radius.

No, it says "20 ft radius sphere". It doesn't say the effect on the ground has to be a 20 ft radius.

 

[Nijay]

I could see it being centered on a point on the ground. At first I thought it just grew material, which might be climbable. But now I'm wondering the opposite. If all the ground 20’ down twists (into vines?) and sprouts spikes and thorns, is this a create pit trap spell? Would creatures take fall damage?