D&D (2024) Disintegrate Reverted to Old Wording

[Chaltab]

AFAIC, if you are reduced to zero hit points, you are gone, and once you are gone, the second ability never comes online. Unless the ability that brings you up to 1 hit point specifies it takes effect before other effects are applied, it clearly doesn't. by the time Mister Zombie is making his Constitution saving throw, he is already disintegrated.

They literally added errata to clarify the situation. I mean you're certainly entitled to house rule it that way but that's not RAI, at least for 2014 rules as they stand.

 

[pawsplay]

They literally added errata to clarify the situation. I mean you're certainly entitled to house rule it that way but that's not RAI, at least for 2014 rules as they stand.

I tend to ignore 2014 "clarifications" that contradict a plain reading of the text. But it's 2025, so it's fairly moot.

 

[Chaltab]

I tend to ignore 2014 "clarifications" that contradict a plain reading of the text. But it's 2025, so it's fairly moot.

That's the point. There's no obvious plain reading of the text! That's why errata exist.

 

[Chaltab]

seems perfectly clear to me. A high level spell designed to disintegrate things actually disintegrates the character if they go to 0 or below. seems to be a working as originally intended to me. I don't think Death saves were ever intended to save the character from being a pile of dust. You could make the save at my table and you'd still be a pile of dust. I think you have to reach really hard to think that errata leaves any opening for survival. Other than reincarnation or ressurrection...

The errata to the 2014 book didn't. Since taking 70 damage would still leave you with 0 (there's no negative HP in 5E) it would disintegrate you. It's a dumb quirk of 'natural language' that it doesn't with the original and 2024 PHB wording.

 

[Blue]

I would imagine they simply didn't remember why it was errata'ed. I wouldn't have. It's a narrow and rare interaction, and it's kind of exactly the sort of thing that the DM should resolve in the moment.

Please unpack that last bit. A DM making a ruling is usually a corner case where trying to detail out the rules to be that specific is a losing battle for complexity. Here's a case where they have already made the choice that this comes up enough to have errata, what about 2024 changes that, so that it should be left for the individual DMs in the heat of the moment?

And do you think that the majority of DMs, including the new ones, would prefer to be on the hook for making that call or rather have the rules clear already?

 

[pawsplay]

That's the point. There's no obvious plain reading of the text! That's why errata exist.

Crawford's interpretation requires Crawford to go, "Well I meant..."

A plain reading of the text shows that the same event that brings the recovery mechanic online also brings the disintegration consequences online. If it happened for one, it happened for the other. And as it happens, there is no rule that says having 1 hit point means you can't be dead.

 

[TiQuinn]

And as it happens, there is no rule that says having 1 hit point means you can't be dead.

I’d love to see you explain that to the player of the PC with 1 HP.

 

[Scribe]

And as it happens, there is no rule that says having 1 hit point means you can't be dead.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

That's the point. There's no obvious plain reading of the text! That's why errata exist.

Oh, but don't you see, the language is natural! Natural language is just the best. You'll love it. Everyone will play and know what words mean, because it's the words everyone uses, and they're just the best words, these natural words. You'll understand so much, you'll be sick of understanding.

 

[Guest 7037866]

So we're back to the situation before where the wording leaves it ambiguous.

I see no ambiguity. Pre-errata 2014, being reduced to 0 HP meant you were disintegrated. Post-errata being left with 0 HP meant something like Relentless Endurance could save you. In 2024, go to 0 hp and you're dust. Death Ward, however, would stop you from being "dusted* since you never actually drop to 0 hp with the spell.