D&D 5E Sunbeam and Sculpt Spell

[Blue]

Our evocation wizard will likely be taking Sunbeam at some point and I'm wondering how it will work with his Sculpt Spell ability.

The wording of Sculpt Spell is a little wonky anyway, To my mind, it infers that the caster creates static "pockets" within the area of the spells effect that are exempt from the spells effect. But then again, it says that you choose creatures that are immune to the effect. Currently I've ruled that he can create those pockets of safety within the area, and this has worked fine so far, but Sunbeam is cast once with multiple round effects.

So now, he casts it and designates the areas where his comrades are standing as safe on the first turn, but in the second turn his buddies have moved around. So can he re-designate those pockets of safety? Not according to Sculpt Spell. But maybe I'm ruling it wrong and he would instead designate creatures who are simply immune to the spell effects on the first and all preceding turns no matter where they're positioned.

What do you think?

That doesn't match what Sculpt Spell does.

1. A foe couldn't shove a PC out of the "safe pocket" and go there themselves. That eliminates it as spots.

2. Also, the metamagic makes no distinction about instantaneous vs. ongoing spells, so the effect should continue. If the safe target moves is irrelevant to the metamagic description.

The metamagic description reads that the targets auto-save (for no damage), and the effect is for any and all saves made for that casting of that evocation spell.

So yes, that's pretty powerful with a multi-round damage spell.

You could describe it as continuing to sculpt as you maintain concentration if you want a description that matches, but by the metamagic it will work on any spell that requires saves, regardless of concentration or duration.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

That doesn't match what Sculpt Spell does.

1. A foe couldn't shove a PC out of the "safe pocket" and go there themselves. That eliminates it as spots.

2. Also, the metamagic makes no distinction about instantaneous vs. ongoing spells, so the effect should continue. If the safe target moves is irrelevant to the metamagic description.

The metamagic description reads that the targets auto-save (for no damage), and the effect is for any and all saves made for that casting of that evocation spell.

So yes, that's pretty powerful with a multi-round damage spell.

You could describe it as continuing to sculpt as you maintain concentration if you want a description that matches, but by the metamagic it will work on any spell that requires saves, regardless of concentration or duration.

In other words, it's a poorly written ability in which the fluff and the crunch don't mesh. Yuck!

 

[cthulhu42]

In other words, it's a poorly written ability in which the fluff and the crunch don't mesh. Yuck!

It is oddly written. If they'd just left off that first sentence in the description it would have clarified things.

I'm about 75% convinced that I've been reading it wrong though. I'm probably going to switch back to letting the mage choose creatures to be immune to his spell. He will love that.

 

[Blue]

In other words, it's a poorly written ability in which the fluff and the crunch don't mesh. Yuck!

Umm, no. It means that the fluff you have picked that is not at all declared in the spell don't mesh.

Feel free to quote the part of the metamagic description where it makes static openings to prove me wrong.

 

[Mort]

What do you think?

The name doesn't quite match the spell description, true, and the "pockets of relative safety" doesn't help. But the actual wording of what the spell does is completely clear.

If you want to try and keep with the first sentence wording, you can say the pocket of safety moves with the character. But even that can create confusion if a situation occurs where two creatures are in the same square.

I think I would just have the spell "wash over" the characters (as suggested earlier) and keep not affecting them.

If for no other reason, Sculpt spells is decent, but the evokers 6th level ability (potent cantrip) is all but useless (even if you have Xanathar's, where they introduced Thunderclap , it's still terrible) no need to kick the evoker while he's down by nerfing sculpt spell.

[Edited to correctly state thunderclap not Thundercats]

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[WayOfTheFourElements]

Umm, no. It means that the fluff you have picked that is not at all declared in the spell don't mesh.

Feel free to quote the part of the metamagic description where it makes static openings to prove me wrong.

I was referring to Sculpt Spell, not careful spell.

 

[cthulhu42]

The name doesn't quite match the spell description, true, and the "pockets of relative safety" doesn't help. But the actual wording of what the spell does is completely clear.

If you want to try and keep with the first sentence wording, you can say the pocket of safety moves with the character. But even that can create confusion if a situation occurs where two creatures are in the same square.

I think I would just have the spell "wash over" the characters (as suggested earlier) and keep not affecting them.

If for no other reason, Sculpt spells is decent, but the evokers 6th level ability (potent cantrip) is all but useless (even if you have Xanathar's, where they introduced Thundercats, it's still terrible) no need to kick the evoker while he's down by nerfing sculpt spell.

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Yeah, I think it'll probably be easier (and correct) to let him grant immunity to chosen creatures. It answers my question about Sunbeam too.

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