D&D 5E Wall of Force Reality Check (as used by DM not players)

[Uller]

The difference between Globe of Invulnerability and WoF is WoF stops ALL spells from BOTH sides. WoF is just as inconvenient to the caster as it is to his foes. GoI stops 5th level and lower from outside so the caster can still sling all his spells. Wall of Force is best used for cutting off a portion of the battlefield to suppress a portion of your foes while you deal with the rest (or cut off the entire battlefield so you can beat feet). Also WoF blocks physical attacks. GoI has no effect on those.

Some ways around WoF if you have them:

Misty Step: It is range self. The only requirement for your teleportation target is that you can see it.
Shadow Step: Same thing.

 

[jaelis]

The difference between Globe of Invulnerability and WoF is WoF stops ALL spells from BOTH sides. WoF is just as inconvenient to the caster as it is to his foes. GoI stops 5th level and lower from outside so the caster can still sling all his spells. Wall of Force is best used for cutting off a portion of the battlefield to suppress a portion of your foes while you deal with the rest (or cut off the entire battlefield so you can beat feet). Also WoF blocks physical attacks. GoI has no effect on those.

Some ways around WoF if you have them:

Misty Step: It is range self. The only requirement for your teleportation target is that you can see it.
Shadow Step: Same thing.

Some other spells that (might) work:
- Blink can technically get you past the wall, though some DMs might balk (yes WoF blocks ethereal travel, but you aren't actually moving through the ethereal, you just return in a different location than you left).
- Dimension door certainly gets you through
- Eyebite would seem to work through the wall, though it could be debated.
- Meld into Stone can get you around a wall that is anchored in stone
- Stone Shape can open a passage around a wall that is anchored in stone
- Arguably Sunburst works through the wall (since the light passes through)
- Similarly the effect of a Symbol might penetrate the sphere (again because it seems to be based on light)

Eyebite seems like a pretty good spell for this purpose, if your DM buys that it works.

 

[Oofta]

Some other spells that (might) work:
- Blink can technically get you past the wall, though some DMs might balk (yes WoF blocks ethereal travel, but you aren't actually moving through the ethereal, you just return in a different location than you left).
- Dimension door certainly gets you through
- Eyebite would seem to work through the wall, though it could be debated.
- Meld into Stone can get you around a wall that is anchored in stone
- Stone Shape can open a passage around a wall that is anchored in stone
- Arguably Sunburst works through the wall (since the light passes through)
- Similarly the effect of a Symbol might penetrate the sphere (again because it seems to be based on light)

Eyebite seems like a pretty good spell for this purpose, if your DM buys that it works.

Sunburst has range of 150 feet, so no.

Sunbeam on the other hand has a range of self, but you're send out a ray of radiant energy. Expect rulings to vary on that one, I can see it going either way since it's not just the light but the radiant energy contained in the light. I'd rule that it would work since zapping someone with a laser beam of death should work through a window.

I would say Eyebite would work, it has a range of self. The only requirement is that you can see the target.

 

[jaelis]

Sunburst does have a range of 150 ft, but you can put the point of origin on your side of the wall. Then light fills a 60 ft radius, which the wall doesn't block. Then it says creatures in the light make a Con save.

I wouldn't allow Sunbeam though because it says each creature in the line is affected and the "line area" is blocked even if the light itself isn't. (If it said each creature in the light is affected, then I'd be more inclined.) But I agree there's room for variance on it.

 

[MNblockhead]

Some ways around WoF if you have them:

Misty Step: It is range self. The only requirement for your teleportation target is that you can see it.
Shadow Step: Same thing.

So long as there is unoccupied space. A WoF an be shapped into a sphere or dome, in which case there may not be a sufficiently large unoccupied space in which to Misty Step to.

But it is certainly useful to step past a WoF-block doorway, etc.

 

[MNblockhead]

- Arguably Sunburst works through the wall (since the light passes through)
- Similarly the effect of a Symbol might penetrate the sphere (again because it seems to be based on light).

From the RAW and official interpretations, apparently no magic requiring targeting can get through, so not sure sunburst and symbol should work. I have to look carefully at eyebite to see if that one will work.

This is another thing that I don't like about the description. Nothing physical can pass, but light can? Everything that exists, can be observed, and measured is physical. Therefore, light should no be able to pass through the invisible wall of force.

But even if mundane environmental light can pass through the WoF, since it effectively provides cover, it prevents magic from passing through it.

This is the only spell that I've seriously thought about homeruling on. But instead of homeruling, I'll just enforce literally.

You case a WoF dome/sphere around yourself? Okay, you can't see.

You would only use it to block a retreat or give yourself time to quaff some healing potions and cast some buffing spells on yourself.

The problem is that this makes it even more powerful against medium-sized foes without the right spells.

 

[Oofta]

From the RAW and official interpretations, apparently no magic requiring targeting can get through, so not sure sunburst and symbol should work. I have to look carefully at eyebite to see if that one will work.

This is another thing that I don't like about the description. Nothing physical can pass, but light can? Everything that exists, can be observed, and measured is physical. Therefore, light should no be able to pass through the invisible wall of force.

But even if mundane environmental light can pass through the WoF, since it effectively provides cover, it prevents magic from passing through it.

This is the only spell that I've seriously thought about homeruling on. But instead of homeruling, I'll just enforce literally.

You case a WoF dome/sphere around yourself? Okay, you can't see.

You would only use it to block a retreat or give yourself time to quaff some healing potions and cast some buffing spells on yourself.

The problem is that this makes it even more powerful against medium-sized foes without the right spells.

Why not just eliminate the spell if you're going to nerf it? If you can't see through it, you might was well cast Wall of Stone. At least you can make a wall of stone permanent if you concentrate long enough.

I look at it like an unbreakable pane of glass. Nothing can pass through it except light ... it's effectively invisible. Whether radiant energy is just a way to say that the light is so intense that it damages is up to the DM.

Next thing, you'll be ruling that invisible creatures are blind because the light doesn't strike their corneas.

 

[MNblockhead]

Why not just eliminate the spell if you're going to nerf it? If you can't see through it, you might was well cast Wall of Stone. At least you can make a wall of stone permanent if you concentrate long enough.

I look at it like an unbreakable pane of glass. Nothing can pass through it except light ... it's effectively invisible. Whether radiant energy is just a way to say that the light is so intense that it damages is up to the DM.

Next thing, you'll be ruling that invisible creatures are blind because the light doesn't strike their corneas.

I don't think I'm nerfing it. A wall of stone can be smashed apart. It has hit points. A WoF does not. You can't destroy it. You either break the spell-caster's concentration or you wait 10 minutes. That is really, really powerful, especially in battle.

You are racing out of a dungeon with big baddies at your heals. You cast WoF to block the passage behind you. You've got 10 minutes to run and hide.

You can put a dome on or sphere around an enemy. Without misty step, blink, or teleportation, they are stuck there.

You ware down to just a few hit point. You won't be able to take another hit. Encase yourself in a WoF. Take 10 minutes to drink potions and cast buffs on yourself. Or do the same for a comrade.

All that said, I will allow non-magical light through the WoF, because it seems that is what is intended. I just blocks magic, at least any magic that requires you to target a creature, object, or space on the other side of a WoF or requires any magic force or energy to pass through it. That appears to be the intent of the RAW.

But that raises some interesting questions. So I can't send a magical light ray through it. But if natural light can go through it, can I use mirrors to focus a strong beam of light through it? Perhaps hot enough to cause burning damage to someone behind it?

What about sound? Can you hear through a WoF or will it block out sound if you have it in dome or sphere around you? If so could a beast or instrument with be loud enough to harm or deafen someone within a WoF dome/sphere?

 

[Delazar]

Does the dome have to rest on the ground? Can't I create it one inch off the floor? So who ever is inside is stuck (unless he has a way to squeeze through one inch) and I can still pellet them with ranged spell (nothing requiring an attack roll)?

 

[Alatar]

Player's Handbook, page 196

A target with total cover can’t be targeted directly
by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach
such a target by including it in an area o f effect. A
target has total cover if it is completely concealed by
an obstacle.

Player's Handbook, page 285

An invisible wall of force springs into existence at a
point you choose within range.