Sage Advice Compendium Update 1/30/2019

[epithet]

The cloud of daggers ruling. The way I read that, it implies that I can position the cube in the corner of the square, effectively allowing it to cover 4 squares...which is a pretty tremendous power boost

The way we apply area effects is that a square (and anyone in it) is in the area if the effect covers half or more of the square. That means a 5 ft square area could cover half of two adjacent squares and effect both, but if the area were placed at the junction of 4 squares it would cover less than half of each square, and would effect no one (unless that creature were itself situated across two or more of those squares.)

 

[DQDesign]

Be like Elsa... Let it go.

you are right. thanks, Azzy.

it's just another point in the endless list of wotc discombobulating moves

 

[epithet]

friends, do what you prefer, but at my table a player who played so long to be able to cast disintegrate is able to turn to ash anything she brings to 0 hp, half-orc or not. especially when she is a high-level spellcaster and the target a low-level half-orc. the other way around will have no justification at all in fiction and would ruin the suspension of disbelief.

I think for any NPC with a bounce-back ability (like undead fortitude, or the half-orc racial) I would just give the NPC advantage on the saving throw vs. disintegration. Succeed and it has 1 hp, fail and it is dust. In the wind.

 

[dave2008]

COMPLETELY missed that sentence hahah sorry XD

No worries!

 

[epithet]

This Sage Advice entry could've been worded more clearly, but from this part "During your turn, you do get to decide when to take the bonus action after you’ve taken the Attack action" the intent seems clear enough that at the very least, you're not required to complete the Attack action, just make the first attack of it and thus commit yourself to it.

I think the commitment is the key. I have no problem with saying that you can strictly adhere to the published rule and still take your bonus action first, but doing so means you can only use your Action to take the Attack Action on that turn. You are committed.

There is a huge distinction between "taking the Attack action" and "making an attack" everywhere else in the rules, it seems silly to conflate the two in this instance.

 

[JohnnyZemo]

In my experience, Relentless Endurance creates a fun play experience, while villains that can kill a PC with a single spell do not. So, I'm all for Relentless Endurance.

 

[ad_hoc]

The cloud of daggers ruling. The way I read that, it implies that I can position the cube in the corner of the square, effectively allowing it to cover 4 squares...which is a pretty tremendous power boost

Yeah, that is pretty silly.

The rules were not designed with squares in mind. I think the rulings on them are of the 'anything goes' sort.

Playing this way all of those sorts of spells get a big boost. What then when PCs and creatures start deciding they will be in one half of a square and one of half of another one.

I think you should either play with squares or don't.

 

[MiraMels]

you are right, no 20th level wizard should be able to turn into ash any 1st level half orc, fiction would suffer a lot.

I wonder why half-orc are classified as uncommon race in PHB, they should have conquered the multiverse, the tremendously 'grunts who cannot be destroyed by Elminster or Mordenkainen with a single shot'.

A 20th level wizard can still one shot a 1st level half-orc. The text of Relentless Endurance reads "when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright". Massive damage will kill you outright. A disintegrate spell that deals double the maximum hit points of any half-orc will still dust them.

 

[pukunui]

I'm curious: What sort of abuse is the Shield Master ruling supposed to prevent? That is, what is the issue? What's wrong with being able to knock someone over with your shield before you attack them with your sword? From a tactical point of view, that makes much more sense than attacking them with your sword and then knocking them down with your shield afterwards, or even attacking them, then knocking them over, then attacking them again.

Besides, the NPC gladiator can do this: they've got a Shield Bash action, and they can use it as any (or all) of their three melee attacks. I've used this to devastating effect against the PCs - knocking them down and then attacking them twice with advantage. It seems only fair that PCs should be able to do it too.

A 20th level wizard can still one shot a 1st level half-orc. The text of Relentless Endurance reads "when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright". Massive damage will kill you outright. A disintegrate spell that deals double the maximum hit points of any half-orc will still dust them.

They could also use power word kill instead (assuming the half-orc in question has fewer than 100 hp).

 

[flametitan]

I'm curious: What sort of abuse is the Shield Master ruling supposed to prevent? That is, what is the issue? What's wrong with being able to knock someone over with your shield before you attack them with your sword? From a tactical point of view, that makes much more sense than attacking them with your sword and then knocking them down with your shield afterwards, or even attacking them, then knocking them over, then attacking them again.

I think it's less a balance concern, and more of a case of changing the rules interpretation to line up better with the natural language used. Likewise, it's also undoing a precedent of being able to do bonus actions before taking the action that triggers it, which while not a major concern for shield master specifically, could become one in situations where events that happen between the bonus action and the requisite action end up preventing the requisite action from being taken.

Besides, the NPC gladiator can do this: they've got a Shield Bash action, and they can use it as any (or all) of their three melee attacks. I've used this to devastating effect against the PCs - knocking them down and then attacking them twice with advantage. It seems only fair that PCs should be able to do it too.

The PCs already can, if they have the extra attack feature. You can trade any of your attacks for grapples or shoves, and it's easy enough to just flavour a shove attack as a shield bash.