D&D 5E Disarming a caster's component pouch to prevent him from casting spells

[Warmaster Horus]

That's pretty dumb. Can your armor be 'disarmed' as well? A spell focus, okay. A worn spell pouch? Nope.

 

[Guest 6801328]

If you are using the logic that the item has to be grasped, not worn, but that in order to use the item you have to grasp it, you are still only grasping it during your own turn. So the attack would then have to be on the caster's turn using a reaction, not on the attacker's turn. And you'd still be only knocking it out of their hand not to the ground, because it's still "worn" even though it's also being held at that moment.

So, yeah, Ready Action (if you are going to allow it), and doesn't require the object to be picked up afterwards. Or take the Mage Slayer feat and refluff it.

 

[Satyrn]

i expect them to exploit things they have tried and seen work. Not wink it away as a "one shot funny".

I find my players only start exploiting things when I limit what will work.

By letting them have a good chance to do the "dumb" things like we're discussing, I seem to be achieving 2 results I value highly:

1) My players do more than just those things they know have worked before.
2) My sessions plays more like an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.

 

[Cyrinishad]

Even if the optional disarm rules are not used, this question could certainly come up at a table if someone is playing a Fighter, because "Disarming Attack" is one the Maneuvers that can be chosen as a Battle Master. So, I think it is worth looking at the wording of the Maneuver when considering how to adjudicate this... It specifically states that they can "attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding"... This gives Fighters tons of interesting disarm opportunities, but it has to be something that the target is holding, not something the target is wearing.

This means a Spell-caster cannot have their Component Pouch disarmed, it is a Worn Item that contains the Material Components for Spells (similarly, you can't Disarm a Quiver, or a Sheath, or Backpack, or anything else that is being worn by a target)... but, you could certainly use a Disarm Attack to force a Spell-caster to drop an individual Material Component that they are about to use in a Spell, or anything else that they are holding... And yes, you can absolutely use Ranged Attacks when you do a Disarming Attack.

 

[schnee]

Even if the optional disarm rules are not used, this question could certainly come up at a table if someone is playing a Fighter, because "Disarming Attack" is one the Maneuvers that can be chosen as a Battle Master. So, I think it is worth looking at the wording of the Maneuver when considering how to adjudicate this... It specifically states that they can "attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding"... This gives Fighters tons of interesting disarm opportunities, but it has to be something that the target is holding, not something the target is wearing.

If you want to offer something like it to others, then it has should be VERY weak in comparison. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a class-only feature requiring a limited resource to fuel.

Just like I have to constantly fight players who want to cast spells in a clever way to get 'Subtle Spell' for free.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

...

Just like I have to constantly fight players who want to cast spells in a clever way to get 'Subtle Spell' for free.

"Phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range."

"Hey, just what you see, pal!"

 

[5ekyu]

I find my players only start exploiting things when I limit what will work.

By letting them have a good chance to do the "dumb" things like we're discussing, I seem to be achieving 2 results I value highly:

1) My players do more than just those things they know have worked before.
2) My sessions plays more like an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess.

funny but re-using things that worked before and trying new things are not exclusive.

obviously the key point was the not wink it away as a one shot.

Xena was a fun show and glad you manage to hit your mark.

 

[Cyrinishad]

If you want to offer something like it to others, then it has should be VERY weak in comparison. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a class-only feature requiring a limited resource to fuel.

Just like I have to constantly fight players who want to cast spells in a clever way to get 'Subtle Spell' for free.

Well, the optional disarm rules are considerably less powerful than the Battle Master's "Disarming Attack"... The optional "Disarm" is a contested Attack Roll versus a Target's Athletics or Acrobatics skill check, which has Disadvantage if the Target is holding the Item with both hands, and the Target has Advantage if they're larger than the attacker, and the optional "Disarm" does Zero Damage...

The Battle Master's "Disarming Attack" is declared after a successful attack hits a Target, and is a Strength Saving Throw by the Target versus the attack's Damage + Superiority Dice... So, the optional "Disarm" is very weak by comparison.

 

[Satyrn]

obviously the key point was the not wink it away as a one shot.

Oh. Well then.

That's not happening. Nothing's getting winked away as a one shot.

Your suggested fix for my game isn't needed.

 

[Krachek]

Hi,

the optional rule for Disarming says:



Usually a caster uses a component pouch (at least in our games). So, would you allow e.g. a ranged attacker to target the component pouch of a caster to shoot it off his grasp, then pick it up himself to prevent the caster from further spells?

Kind regards!

It is gonna be fun for your wizard when kobolds will take away his component pouch.