Elven Trance, Spell Scrolls, Grappling & More: New Sage Advice

Jeremy Crawford's September Sage Advice column has appeared, and it deals with elven traces, thief features, various combat questions, plus a couple of queries about spells and scrolls. As usual, these questions and answers have also been added to the Sage Advice Compendium. "Elven Trance, spell scrolls, grappling, and other rules bits. This month, we touch on several rules questions that have come up quite a few times over the past year." (thanks to Ghost Matter for the scoop)

 

[sidonunspa]

The ruling on Darkness/Light spells is goofy, adds complexity, and doesn't match RAW. Yet another ruling that I plan to ignore.

except both darkness and light spells don't even seem to have an option to cast them as a higher level spell..

unless a spell states it can be cast at higher level.. I don't think they can be cast at a higher level.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

I'm pretty sure you can use any higher slot to cast a spell, but if it doesn't specify any effect then the effect is exactly the same for every spell slot.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

except both darkness and light spells don't even seem to have an option to cast them as a higher level spell..

unless a spell states it can be cast at higher level.. I don't think they can be cast at a higher level.

See PHB 201, Casting A Spell At A Higher Level. A spell assumes whatever level you cast it with.

This is why, for example, Tiamat's stats explicitly state that she is immune to spells under 7th level and spells that were originally under 7th level but were boosted with higher-level spell slots. Otherwise she'd work like a Rakshasa. Tasha's Hideous Laughter VII can affect a Rakshasa even though it is otherwise identical to Tasha's Hideous Laughter I. (When all you've got is a hammer....)

 

[Orlax]

except both darkness and light spells don't even seem to have an option to cast them as a higher level spell..

unless a spell states it can be cast at higher level.. I don't think they can be cast at a higher level.

Actually a spell can be cast in any slot that is of at least the lowest level of the spell. So a level 2 spell can be cast in a level three slot no problem. It just so happens that some spells have increased effect in higher level slots. If I want to use a 5th level slot to cast misty step that's totally fine and within RAW. However RAW also states, on the same page of the PHB (201), in a subsection of the spell slots section, that, "...The spell assumes the higher level for casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level.". So while you are incorrect about casting darkness with a higher level slot Jeremy is also wrong about how using a higher level slot works, so yeah disregardable ruling.

 

[Grainger]

5e is great, but it does still have vestiges of fiddliness in it, that . In particular, there are some very poorly-worded rules, some poor cross-referencing, and some very confusing terminology ("using an item" doesn't apparently doesn't encompass "activating a magic item", which is just...; why not say "using a non-magical item" if they needed to draw the distinction; instead, it's another thing we need to remember). These Sage Advice rulings may be clarifying the intent of the rules, but they end up being pretty convoluted, and working against the intuitive nature of 5e.

Really, if they're going to update the core books, they should think carefully about making all terminology and concepts as clear and intuitive as possible. They're 90% of the way there, but there's a layer of unnecessary fiddliness on top, often just caused by terminology or concepts that they haven't explained clearly (or at least, it turns out they weren't clear, as it has had to be "cleared up" in these Sage Advice columns).

 

[bganon]

Actually a spell can be cast in any slot that is of at least the lowest level of the spell. So a level 2 spell can be cast in a level three slot no problem. It just so happens that some spells have increased effect in higher level slots. If I want to use a 5th level slot to cast misty step that's totally fine and within RAW. However RAW also states, on the same page of the PHB (201), in a subsection of the spell slots section, that, "...The spell assumes the higher level for casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level.". So while you are incorrect about casting darkness with a higher level slot Jeremy is also wrong about how using a higher level slot works, so yeah disregardable ruling.

Darkness doesn't say it dispels light spells of lower level than itself. It says it dispels light from spells of 2nd level or lower. This text would not change regardless of what level you cast Darkness at. The Sage Advice ruling is completely RAW, and apparently RAI.

Frankly, I don't see the harm in altering it, but DM fiat is DM fiat.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Elven Trance - Really wish Jeremy would have specified if you can use those 4 hours of light activity for identifying magic items.

Based on the rules we already know I don't see why not. You can identify a magic item during a short rest, and you can attune to a magic item during a different short rest. Neither of those activities negates the bonus of a short rest. Therefore, my ruling would be that an elf could identify /attune to up to 4 items per long rest.

 

[Dragonsbane]

An affirmation of stacking bonuses. As another poster put it, yet another ruling I intend to ignore. Stacking is the enemy of bounded accuracy.

 

[Agamon]

Elven Trance - Really wish Jeremy would have specified if you can use those 4 hours of light activity for identifying magic items.

Where is the line for this, though? To be thorough, he'd need to list every single thing a PC could possibly do. That's not the intention. The rules can't cover everything, the DM needs to be able to cover the corner cases himself with a ruling.

I think most people would agree that studying a magic item isn't any more hard on a person than reading or talking.

 

[Agamon]

An affirmation of stacking bonuses. As another poster put it, yet another ruling I intend to ignore. Stacking is the enemy of bounded accuracy.

It is an ally, however, of those that dislike PC christmas trees. Stacking isn't much of an issue unless magic items are handed out like candy.