D&D 5E messy's 5e newbie questions thread

[messy]

39. what is a ranged spell attack? it's mentioned in the firebolt description, among many other attack spells.

40. is it possible to make more than one attack with an off-hand weapon (while dual-wielding)?

41. is the dualing fighting style usable while holding a shield in one's off-hand?

42. does the druid's nature's ward class feature give immunity to both poison damage and the poisoned condition?

 

[MarkB]

39. what is a ranged spell attack? it's mentioned in the firebolt description, among many other attack spells.

It's a ranged attack that uses your spell attack bonus. Spell attacks are described in the Spellcasting chapter, with the note that most spell attacks are ranged, and are subject to the normal rules for ranged attacks - in particular, you roll with disadvantage if you're within 5 feet of a hostile creature.

40. is it possible to make more than one attack with an off-hand weapon (while dual-wielding)?

There's no such thing as an off-hand. The rule is that if you make at least one attack with a light weapon in one hand as part of the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to attack with a light weapon in your other hand.

So, if you had Extra Attack and were wielding two light weapons, you could choose to attack once with each weapon as part of your Attack action, then use a bonus action to attack again with either weapon.

41. is the dualing fighting style usable while holding a shield in one's off-hand?

A shield isn't considered a weapon, so yes.

42. does the druid's nature's ward class feature give immunity to both poison damage and the poisoned condition?

Yes.

 

[Dausuul]

39. what is a ranged spell attack? it's mentioned in the firebolt description, among many other attack spells.

Attacks break down in a couple of ways: Ranged versus melee, and weapon versus spell. You can have ranged weapon attacks, melee weapon attacks, ranged spell attacks, and melee spell attacks.

Ranged versus melee: Ranged attacks are made at disadvantage if there is an active enemy within 5 feet. Melee attacks do not suffer this penalty. Casters often overlook the fact that this rule applies to all ranged attacks, weapon or spell.

Weapon versus spell: Weapon attacks use Dexterity or Strength as the attack stat1, depending on the weapon; and you add the stat bonus to both attack and damage rolls2. Spell attacks use your spellcasting ability as the attack stat3; and you add the stat bonus to the attack roll but not the damage roll4.

1. Unless otherwise specified, e.g., hexblade warlocks.
2. Unless otherwise specified, e.g., dual wielding without the fighting style.
3. Unless otherwise specified, e.g... uh... can't think of an exception to this one.
4. Unless otherwise specified, e.g., warlock using Agonizing Blast.

Side note: There is also some confusing terminology around "melee" and "ranged." An attack with a melee weapon is different from a melee weapon attack. For example, throwing a spear is an attack with a melee weapon (because the spear is on the Melee Weapons list) but it is a ranged weapon attack (can hit from a distance and suffers disadvantage if an enemy is close). This is why I play spellcasters.

40. is it possible to make more than one attack with an off-hand weapon (while dual-wielding)?

The short answer: No. No matter how many attacks you make with the main hand, you only ever get a single off-hand attack.

The long answer: 5E doesn't really have "off hands," per se. If you have a weapon in each hand, and you take the Attack action with one of them, you can make a single bonus-action attack with the other. You're free to switch up which weapon you use for the regular attack and which for the bonus action. But the bonus action only ever gives you one attack.

41. is the dueling fighting style usable while holding a shield in one's off-hand?

Yes. In fact, that is the normal way to use that fighting style. It's the "sword and board" option.

42. does the druid's nature's ward class feature give immunity to both poison damage and the poisoned condition?

Yes. "Immune to poison" covers both.

 

[messy]

18. where are the magic item creation rules? in the dmg?

just stumbled on something that opens up a can of worms in the description for the herbalism kit:

proficiency with this kit is required to create antitoxin and potions of healing.

doesn't this imply that other magic items, or at least potions, can be crafted? if so, don't we need prices for those items? if a character with an herbalism kit can create a potion of healing, then certainly he/she can create a potion of greater healing, but no price for it is given.

 

[MarkB]

doesn't this imply that other magic items, or at least potions, can be crafted? if so, don't we need prices for those items? if a character with an herbalism kit can create a potion of healing, then certainly he/she can create a potion of greater healing, but no price for it is given.

Being able to create a basic healing potion doesn't necessarily mean you can craft a higher-level one. In any case, there are rules for crafting magic items in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

 

[FarBeyondC]

just stumbled on something that opens up a can of worms in the description for the herbalism kit:



doesn't this imply that other magic items, or at least potions, can be crafted? if so, don't we need prices for those items? if a character with an herbalism kit can create a potion of healing, then certainly he/she can create a potion of greater healing, but no price for it is given.

Prices for most magic items aren't explicitly given; instead suggested magic item value ranges are listed based on said item's rarity. These value ranges are:

Rarity	Minimum Suggested Value	Maximum Suggested Value
Common	50 gp	100 gp
Uncommon	101 gp	500 gp
Rare	501 gp	5000 gp
Very Rare	5001 gp	50000 gp
Legendary	50001 gp	∞ gp

Note that these value ranges are for non-consumable magic items; consumable magic items, like potions, have value ranges that are half of the ones listed above. For instance, a Potion of Greater Healing- a consumable of uncommon rarity- would have a suggested price range of ~51 gp to 250 gp (In Adventure League for example, the price to buy one is currently set at 100 gp, which is closer to the lower end of the said price range).

 

[TheCosmicKid]

on the other hand, the arcane/divine designation doesn't really seem to exist anymore.

Correct. IIRC there's a little bit of fluff text in the intro to the magic chapter that mentions it, but it does not exist as a rules concept. You won't find anything that refers to "arcane spells" or "divine spells". You can run a paladin as a sort of warrior-sorcerer or a bard as a charismatic holy man, if you want. There is actually an official sorcerer bloodline that's very, very divine.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

35. There's no such thing as a double weapon, as far as I know.

Double Bladed Scimitar, Wayfinders Guide to Eberron. Double-Bladed Scimitar

 

[Paul Farquhar]

39. what is a ranged spell attack? it's mentioned in the firebolt description, among many other attack spells.

It's a ranged attack that uses your spellcasting ability for it's "to hit" bonus.

40. is it possible to make more than one attack with an off-hand weapon (while dual-wielding)?

If you are holding a weapon in each hand you can attack with either weapon. If you have the Extra Attack class ability you could attack with each weapon.

The bonus action attack for having two light weapons equipped is in addition to that.

41. is the dualing fighting style usable while holding a shield in one's off-hand?

Yes. This one has beein specifically and unequivocally addressed in sage advice.

However, if you make an improvised weapon attack with your shield, then clearly no.

 

[Dausuul]

doesn't this imply that other magic items, or at least potions, can be crafted? if so, don't we need prices for those items? if a character with an herbalism kit can create a potion of healing, then certainly he/she can create a potion of greater healing...

Not so. Being able to craft a potion of healing does not mean you can also craft a potion of greater healing. It's like saying that a human being who can run 12 miles an hour must also be able to run 60 miles an hour--there is only so much you can crank the performance of a thing before you have to create a different thing.

The general rule of 5E is that PCs cannot create or buy magic items unless the DM specifically enables them to. The optional item creation rules in the DMG are little more than a sketch, designed to involve the DM at every step (in particular, the requirement of a "formula" which the DM must make available), so the DM can control the flow of items into the campaign.

Potions of healing are an exception to the general rule, presumably because the formula is widely known and the skills required are very basic. As such, PCs can create potions of healing without having to get the DM's explicit permission first*. Like hit dice, it's a way of allowing parties to function without a divine caster.

*Obviously, this is subject to house-ruling like anything else.