D&D 5E Can a Phantom Steed pull a wagon?

[gyor]

That's one interpretation. Another is that it's a spell that while for simplicity sake it uses the stats of a horse, it is not a horse. It's a spell that can only be ridden by the specified creature.

No where does say or suggest anywhere that it can only be ridden by a specified creature. Its not even hinted at.

 

[Sadras]

No where does say or suggest anywhere that it can only be ridden by a specified creature. Its not even hinted at.

I believe what Oofta means by specified is that the creature that may ride the phanton steed is selected by the caster. i.e. specified.

 

[Oofta]

No where does say or suggest anywhere that it can only be ridden by a specified creature. Its not even hinted at.

Other than the spell, which specifically states

For the duration, you or a creature you choose can ridethe steed.

 

[jaelis]

It is interesting that there are such different ways to read the spell.

Some people interpret it as "The steed is like a horse, except that the only person it can carry is A."
Others as "The steed is like a horse, except that the only thing it can do is carry person A."

I can see both meanings, but the first is a lot more natural to me. When I rent a car and they say only I can drive it, I don't think they mean that I can't sell knockoff PHBs out of the trunk. But I don't think there is an objective truth here.

 

[Oofta]

It is interesting that there are such different ways to read the spell.

Some people interpret it as "The steed is like a horse, except that the only person it can carry is A."
Others as "The steed is like a horse, except that the only thing it can do is carry person A."

I can see both meanings, but the first is a lot more natural to me. When I rent a car and they say only I can drive it, I don't think they mean that I can't sell knockoff PHBs out of the trunk. But I don't think there is an objective truth here.

It's not my job as a DM to make rulings so that anything my players try to do works. I have to make rulings that are consistent and as fair as I can make them. I've always envisioned a phantom steed as, well, a phantom. A spell that serves as a mode of transportation for an individual. Maybe the player just needs to invest in researching a new spell "phantom wagon".

But just to be clear - I'm perfectly okay with either interpretation.

 

[jaelis]

It's not my job as a DM to make rulings so that anything my players try to do works. I have to make rulings that are consistent and as fair as I can make them. I've always envisioned a phantom steed as, well, a phantom. A spell that serves as a mode of transportation for an individual. Maybe the player just needs to invest in researching a new spell "phantom wagon".

It sounds like you are saying that you have an existing notion of what the spell is supposed to do, and you are interpreting the wording in light of that notion. I would ask where your existing notion comes from, but we have been down that road and it seems to go nowhere useful.

Perhaps here we can point to the 2e spell, which I think was the first version. It includes the line "It can bear the weight of the creature it was created for, plus 10 lbs per caster level." That tilts heavily toward your interpretation.

I suppose also the spell name also leans against serving as a draft animal, since "steed" is pretty much used for a horse carrying a rider.

 

[Oofta]

It sounds like you are saying that you have an existing notion of what the spell is supposed to do, and you are interpreting the wording in light of that notion. I would ask where your existing notion comes from, but we have been down that road and it seems to go nowhere useful.

Perhaps here we can point to the 2e spell, which I think was the first version. It includes the line "It can bear the weight of the creature it was created for, plus 10 lbs per caster level." That tilts heavily toward your interpretation.

I suppose also the spell name also leans against serving as a draft animal, since "steed" is pretty much used for a horse carrying a rider.

Maybe I'm prejudiced, or maybe I just wrote my response poorly. It's a phantom creature, and only quasi-real. While it may use the statistics for a riding horse, it's not a horse. You decide the appearance, whether it looks like a horse or a Harley Davidson chopper (which would be kind of awesome in an anachronistic 4th wall kind of way) is completely up to the caster.

Add in the "you or a creature you choose can ride the steed" and I come to the conclusion that it's meant as a personal conveyance and nothing more.

Feel free to rule differently, the spell is open to interpretation.

 

[jaelis]

Indeed, but the question is, what about being a phantom makes it unable to pull a wagon? To me a wagon drawn by phantom horses seems perfectly reasonable. I understand that to you it does not, and that is, as you say, fine.

 

[Oofta]

Indeed, but the question is, what about being a phantom makes it unable to pull a wagon? To me a wagon drawn by phantom horses seems perfectly reasonable. I understand that to you it does not, and that is, as you say, fine.

When evaluating spells I assume they do what they say and only what they say. There are many, many times when a spell can be used creatively, there are times when a player tries to have a spell do more than what it says it does.

The spell says it provides transportation for a single creature. Pretty much everything else is fluff.

 

[gyor]

Maybe I'm prejudiced, or maybe I just wrote my response poorly. It's a phantom creature, and only quasi-real. While it may use the statistics for a riding horse, it's not a horse. You decide the appearance, whether it looks like a horse or a Harley Davidson chopper (which would be kind of awesome in an anachronistic 4th wall kind of way) is completely up to the caster.

Add in the "you or a creature you choose can ride the steed" and I come to the conclusion that it's meant as a personal conveyance and nothing more.

Feel free to rule differently, the spell is open to interpretation.

I know it's not an actual horse, but it shares the stats of one, which means it capabilities of a horse, so if a horse can do it, so can your creature. Quasireal means it's got a physical substance to it, so it can interact with physical reality, the illusion part is the creatures appearance, its simular to the creation spell, but with animal level intelligence and horse like attributes.

Why give the Phantom Steed attributes at all if it can't to anything, but carry a single rider?

Why not make it more like Unseen Servant.