D&D 5E Cloudkill when you play it RAW

[BigBadDM]

Let's play an interesting RAW game. I cast Cloudkill on my targets. On the start of their turn they take damage then leave the cloud. Start of my turn the cloud moves 10 feet away from me (presumably away from the creatures who left). I then run through the cloud to the other side. I'm a 10th lvl conjuration wiz-so no break concentration, Halfling with resistance to poison saves-so minimal dmg. Or misty step by rounding half the circle through movement. Now here is the question, at the start of my next turn then does it start moving back the way it came as it 'moves away from the caster' at 10ft-potentially going toward the initial targets? RAW would seem to indicate it moves away from me, so if I go to a specific side I can make it move specific directions... All in all it does not seem very RAI, but might open up interesting battlefield control. Obviously the creatures would move as the cloud was redirected their way--a strange cat and mouse game.

As mostly a DM I wouldn't allow it, but you by-the-rules-peeps would you?

 

[pogre]

I think it is kind of a fun idea. I might allow it because it is amusing. I agree it probably is not RAI.

 

[coolAlias]

Barring a strong wind or other such circumstances, I would rule that once in motion its direction does not change.

But you're right, the way it is written it would seem it should move away from wherever you currently are.

 

[Blue]

I don't see anything in the spell description that implies in the slightest that the movement is set in a single direction. And what is written clearly lists that it moves away from the caster at the start of your turn, not away from the point of casting.

As a matter of fact, if I cast the spell and a DM surprised me with the ruling that it moves away from the point of casting as opposed to me, I would argue with them.

 

[coolAlias]

I don't see anything in the spell description that implies in the slightest that the movement is set in a single direction. And what is written clearly lists that it moves away from the caster at the start of your turn, not away from the point of casting.

As a matter of fact, if I cast the spell and a DM surprised me with the ruling that it moves away from the point of casting as opposed to me, I would argue with them.

And you'd be right.

I made my imaginary ruling before re-reading the spell description. It's counter-intuitive to me, but it's right there in the PHB.

 

[Quartz]

The text says that the cloud moves away from the caster and that it sinks. Being that 5E is exception-based, the explicit instruction that it moves away from the caster takes priority.

 

[Oofta]

I don't see anything in the spell description that implies in the slightest that the movement is set in a single direction. And what is written clearly lists that it moves away from the caster at the start of your turn, not away from the point of casting.

Which is how I would rule as well. It moves at the start of the caster's turn so direction would be determined round by round

As a matter of fact, if I cast the spell and a DM surprised me with the ruling that it moves away from the point of casting as opposed to me, I would argue with them.

But here's where we part ways. I don't argue with the DM. I may disagree with them and discuss it after the game, but argue? Nope. During the game my opinion on how I would rule doesn't really matter. If I disagree often enough, I'll find a different DM.

 

[Blue]

But here's where we part ways. I don't argue with the DM. I may disagree with them and discuss it after the game, but argue? Nope. During the game my opinion on how I would rule doesn't really matter. If I disagree often enough, I'll find a different DM.

To each their own. Around the table, we're all people trying to have fun playing a game. If someone isn't following a rule, I'll bring it up to them, regardless if it's the DM or player.

If I leveled up, picked my spell assuming that it works as written in the book, gave a copy of my character to my DM like I always do so they know I now have that spell, and then mid session I got surprised with "oh, I'm going to make it do something explicitly different then the book says", I'll argue.

Mind you, that's different then a DM making a ruling or clarifying something unclear. And plenty of times I question something the answer is "there's something you don't know so it's working like X" - that's more than acceptable.

But it's unlikely either of those hold in a case like this. Now, what I may arguing for may just be to "let it does as I expected when I cast it (i.e. what the book) says for now, since that was my expectation when I cast it, and we'll do it your way moving forward".

This case is a fairly small change, I'd mention to the DM to see if they just misunderstood the rules but only argue if it invalidates my character's plan in a big way.

And again, all of this is for a surprise, mid-session issue. If I knew about it previously, I've either accepted it outright or brought up my concerns to the DM and we've gotten to the point where I accept it.

 

[jasper]

I heard of herding cats but herding farts!!!! You are killing me. The rotten dm in me think you are trying to cheese the spell. But I will try this on the next party.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*