D&D 5E If you use thunderstep but teleport less than 10 feet do you take damage?

[Irlo]

What?

Then why can't you cast a spell and withdraw? Casting the spell isn't relevant, as that's not a trigger for an OA, just like you can walk circles around someone and not trigger an OA. Only leaving the reach is. Your in-fiction explanation doesn't explain why leaving reach via teleport doesn't trigger the OA.

Balance reason: would you use a 2nd level spell slot to cast misty step to move 30' if you provoked OAs? The most prevalent use of that spell that I've seen in-game is to get away from enemies without provoking OAs.

In-fiction reason: The physical act of withdrawing, moving your feet and shifting your body to change postion and direction, leaves openings in your defenses. If you maintain defenses while you move (disengage) or if you maintain defenses while you cast and teleport, you don't provoke.

 

[glass]

I guess that could explain it, but again, the spell doesn't say that's what it does, so I have to assume it, like a blue dragon's breath weapon, are significantly slower than natural electricity.

It says that you can dodge it, and you can aim it, without explaining how either of those are possible. Your explanation only accounts for the former, so you still need some reason why you can aim it. My explanation accounts for both.

So I was watching a video on youtube, and while I couldn't find any source, I heard a claim that if you jump more distance than your speed you have to complete the jump on the next turn. If that's true, does that mean someone is hanging in the air for 6 seconds?

That was true in third edition IIRC (the completing the jump on your next turn bit, not the hanging in midair for six seconds bit), but I did not think it was the case in 5e.

I really like it when players and DMs imagine and describe spell effects that both match the mechanical spell descriptions and also provide interesting visuals or incidental effects. The idea of a perceptible path forming for a lightning bolt during spell casting but before completion is awesome. If it gets countered, the path fades away and no bolt appears.

Thanks! I just came up with it now, but is is certainly how I will describe lighning bolts from here on out. I guess I should say "thank you" to @James Gasik for the inspiration!

_
glass.

 

[Maxperson]

Balance reason: would you use a 2nd level spell slot to cast misty step to move 30' if you provoked OAs?

In a heartbeat. I mostly use it to move into combat or position myself better, not to get out of combat. Even if I did, though, there are MANY situations where it would be beneficial to take the attack. Further, it's one of the strongest spells of that level. Opening it up to OAs would better balance the spell and make it only really good.

The most prevalent use of that spell that I've seen in-game is to get away from enemies without provoking OAs.

My experience is the opposite, with paladins and bladesingers using it to get into combat. Move 30 or 40, teleport 30 and still attack. Even so, it's better to get one attack against you than multiple attacks.

In-fiction reason: The physical act of withdrawing, moving your feet and shifting your body to change postion and direction, leaves openings in your defenses.

Covered by withdraw action and spellcasting. Spellcasting doesn't provoke, and neither does withdrawing in a certain way. And you don't have to position your feet or shift your body to teleport.

There's no in fiction reason why teleport wouldn't other than speed that I can see.

 

[Maxperson]

It says that you can dodge it, and you can aim it, without explaining how either of those are possible. Your explanation only accounts for the former, so you still need some reason why you can aim it. My explanation accounts for both.

Or you could just go with Occam's Razor and the simplest explanation is that the magic guides the lightning to the target, which is chosen before the bolt is released.

 

[Irlo]

In a heartbeat. I mostly use it to move into combat or position myself better, not to get out of combat. Even if I did, though, there are MANY situations where it would be beneficial to take the attack. Further, it's one of the strongest spells of that level. Opening it up to OAs would better balance the spell and make it only really good.

Fair enough. Lack of OAs affects balance, even if we don't agree on how well that achieves balance.

My experience is the opposite, with paladins and bladesingers using it to get into combat. Move 30 or 40, teleport 30 and still attack. Even so, it's better to get one attack against you than multiple attacks.

Understood. My experience differs.

Covered by withdraw action and spellcasting. Spellcasting doesn't provoke, and neither does withdrawing in a certain way. And you don't have to position your feet or shift your body to teleport.

That's what I'm saying. One can teleport without shifting position of feet and body, allowing the caster to keep up defenses. Thus, no OA.

There's no in fiction reason why teleport wouldn't other than speed that I can see.

You literally just said it. And you don't have to position your feet or shift your body to teleport.

 

[Maxperson]

That's what I'm saying. One can teleport without shifting position of feet and body, allowing the caster to keep up defenses. Thus, no OA.

Okay. I can see that. I still think they exempted it due to the speed of an instantaneous removal from reach, but that's also a valid reason.

 

[Lyxen]

No. You're just so excited to try and catch me at one, that you're inventing contradictions that don't exist.

OK, at this stage, since the only explanation that you have for all your contradictions (e.g. you've never even been able to explain the length of a round in your game, since it's both 6 seconds and 6 s times the number of combattants) is that the game does not make sense, and since I think that I've been verbose enough on the subject, I'll leave you to all your imaginary rules and hope that you can still enjoy playing with that game that does not make any sense.

 

[Maxperson]

OK, at this stage, since the only explanation that you have for all your contradictions (e.g. you've never even been able to explain the length of a round in your game, since it's both 6 seconds and 6 s times the number of combattants) is that the game does not make sense, and since I think that I've been verbose enough on the subject, I'll leave you to all your imaginary rules and hope that you can still enjoy playing with that game that does not make any sense.

Leave it or not, there were still no contradictions by me.

 

[glass]

Or you could just go with Occam's Razor and the simplest explanation is that the magic guides the lightning to the target, which is chosen before the bolt is released.

That's not how Occam's Razor works. If you model requires two separate explanations for what mine covers with one, yours is the one that falls foul of the Razor, not mine.

_
glass.

 

[Maxperson]

That's not how Occam's Razor works. If you model requires two separate explanations for what mine covers with one, yours is the one that falls foul of the Razor, not mine.

_
glass.

One explanation. The magic guides the spell to the target. End of single explanation. It's less complex than having slow lightning or dealing with grounding, etc.