D&D 5E Magic Jar aftermath question

[NotAYakk]

I'd argue that Clone's "creature must be alive" is covered by magic jar. The body is dead, but the creature's soul isn't.

This is based off (a) the rule of cool, (b) when something isn't abusive and is ambiguous, bias in favor of permitting it, (c) the spell is about rehousing a soul in a duplicate body, so the state of the soul is fair game.

Now, biologically dead bodies cannot grow clones, but this isn't biological cloning. I wouldn't permit a sufficiently decayed body to contribute to this, but either a recent corpse or one protected by gentle ripose is fair game.

 

[Nebulous]

Not sure about previous editions, but in 5e it requires a living person to clone when cast.

"This spell grows an inert duplicate of a living, Medium creature as a safeguard against death."

Salthorae, later on it says: V S M (A diamond worth at least 1,000 gp and at least 1 cubic inch of flesh of the creature that is to be cloned, which the spell consumes,

Thus, from the pinky finger it grows a full size living medium clone, that was the meaning.

 

[Umbran]

I'd argue that Clone's "creature must be alive" is covered by magic jar. The body is dead, but the creature's soul isn't.

I have a wacky reading that could make for a great deal of fun...

The BBEG is in a stolen body. He casts clone...

Now the villain sets up a situation in which the party confronts him or her... and the party gets to break the jar. The trapped soul returns to it's body... and the PCs think everything is fine. They'v'e rescued the NPC, and they've won!

But, the mage's soul is shunted into the clone! While it wasn't his original body, it was his spiritual essence driving the spell. Now there are two copies of the body walking around. One good, the other evil, and the wizard can set about his revenge! Bwahahahaha!