Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ovinomancer" data-source="post: 6879974" data-attributes="member: 16814">I actually already answered this, with a case that wasn't your 1 or 2.  UD doesn't interrupt the hit, because it doesn't say it does.  Therefore the hit takes place.  In the case of shocking grasp, this mean that, since you were hit, you can't react.  Why?  Because that's what shocking grasp says it does.  UD, on a normal hit, says it reduces the damage of that hit, so that's what it does.  The timing doesn't matter because it's not acting on a timer -- it just does what it says it does.  The only thing that needs to be determined here is which happens first, the Shocking Grasp effect on a hit, or the UD effect of halving damage on a hit.  For this, the DMG provides the guidance that the reaction occurs after it's trigger, so the shocking grasp effect goes first.  There's no need for any more specific timing here -- the shocking grasp effect goes first because that's the rule -- the hit goes first.  As for timing on when UD precisely modifies the damage, it's just not needed.  UD halves damage if you use it.  In the shocking grasp case, you can't.Sigh.  My personal ruling on ghoul attacks, based on how I like to run my table, isn't a mark of inconsistency unless you're presupposing that my arguments must mean only what you think they should mean.  You're welcome to read ghoul saves as not enough of a break (personally, I view a switch in dramatic focus from my actions as a DM to the player as somewhat significant, YMMV) and I think that's perfectly fine with the rule that UD wouldn't be able to be used on a failed save.  Works for me, which is why I said you're good to go.  I've chosen, for other reasons*, to not to at my table, but I'm only presenting that ruling since you asked, I'm not arguing in it's defense.  *The reason is mostly that it's simpler to allow it than to have the player have to wait until after the save to declare his reaction.  It's not harder for me to say 'no reactions' to a hit from shocking grasp.  End of reasoning.</blockquote>

Verification