D&D (2024) Warcaster Cheesy Fondue 2024

[Guest 7037866]

Sure but the flavor text does not say or imply you can't make attacks against allies, it just states that enemies put themselves in danger.

It most certainly does imply that:

Opportunity Attacks​

Combatants watch for enemies to drop their guard. If you move heedlessly past your foes, you put yourself in danger by provoking an Opportunity Attack.

As I said above...

Under OA it still discusses enemies and foes. And the very language "provoking creature" signifies enemy, foe, or otherwise hostile. You do not make OA on allies or friendly creatures.

With that being said, it isn't going to hurt anything if a group wanted to allow War Caster to buff allies as the move past them. I would be more concerned about the issues I raise above.

 

[pukunui]

It most certainly does imply that:

Opportunity Attacks​

Combatants watch for enemies to drop their guard. If you move heedlessly past your foes, you put yourself in danger by provoking an Opportunity Attack.

That's the fluff text but it ain't the rule. The actual rule is "You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach." It used to say "hostile creature" but now it does not. I do not think they removed the word "hostile" by accident, although it is technically possible.

 

[ECMO3]

It most certainly does imply that:

Opportunity Attacks​

Combatants watch for enemies to drop their guard. If you move heedlessly past your foes, you put yourself in danger by provoking an Opportunity Attack.

Yes this is exactly what I said - moving past enemies puts you in danger by provoking an opportunity attack, allies also provoke an opportunity attack but do not put you in danger.

 

[pukunui]

Yes this is exactly what I said - moving past enemies puts you in danger by provoking an opportunity attack, allies also provoke an opportunity attack but do not put you in danger.

Yes, but that's just the descriptive text. It's not the rule. The rule doesn't say that the creature has to be hostile. You could argue that it's a hidden exploit for experienced players only, but I maintain it's a deliberate one.

 

[Guest 7037866]

I do not think they removed the word "hostile" by accident, although it is technically possible.

I don't think it was accidental either. However, I think it was removed to make the game "nice" and please someone somewhere... as happens with many such changes someone somewhere took offense to.

I don't think this was their intended result, however, to buff allies by using the OA mechanic in a wierd cheesy manner.

 

[pukunui]

I don't think this was their intended result, however, to buff allies by using the OA mechanic in a wierd cheesy manner.

I do. There are multiple instances of subtle team-oriented changes in the 2024 rules. This is but one of them. I suspect someone has been pulling a Monte Cook and hiding some system mastery exploits in the new rules that won't be obvious to new / casual players.

 

[Milieu]

Well a rules lawyer woukd also point out it would be up to the pkayer who they percieve as an enemy.

you can always argue that it is you who decides, who is and when hostile from your point of view.

Not in 2024. The rules tell you who your enemies and allies are.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/free-rules/rules-glossary#Enemy

A creature is your enemy if it fights against you in combat, actively works to harm you, or is designated as your enemy by the rules or DM.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/free-rules/rules-glossary#Ally

A creature is your ally if it is a member of your adventuring party, your friend, on your side in combat, or a creature that the rules or the DM designates as your ally.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

That's the fluff text but it ain't the rule. The actual rule is "You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach." It used to say "hostile creature" but now it does not. I do not think they removed the word "hostile" by accident, although it is technically possible.

Fluff text gives us an indication (perhaps falsely) about what they intended the rules to be. Personally I think they did remove the word Hostile by accident, or more precisely it wasn't literally an "accident" but I think they removed it thinking that the word was not required and didn't catch how it would impact the scenario with War Caster feat.

All we know for certain at this point is Rules As Written, but until WotC confirms or denies otherwise it is not a stretch to conclude that RAI is that this literally correct interpretation is not intended

 

[pukunui]

Fluff text gives us an indication (perhaps falsely) about what they intended the rules to be. Personally I think they did remove the word Hostile by accident, or more precisely it wasn't literally an "accident" but I think they removed it thinking that the word was not required and didn't catch how it would impact the scenario with War Caster feat.

All we know for certain at this point is Rules As Written, but until WotC confirms or denies otherwise it is not a stretch to conclude that RAI is that this literally correct interpretation is not intended

If it was an oversight on their part, there’s absolutely no way they weren’t aware of it before the PHB went live on DDB. I reckon It would have been in their first round of fixes along with the Goliath’s Powerful Build wording and such.

The fact that it still hasn’t been changed suggests to me that it was very much an intentional change.

Intentional or not, they might be taking a wait and see approach to this as well. If it proves to be a much-complained-about problem in actual play, they may issue errata or sage advice. Otherwise, they’ll probably leave it as a white room issue.

 

[Zardnaar]

If it was an oversight on their part, there’s absolutely no way they weren’t aware of it before the PHB went live on DDB. It would have been in their first round of fixes along with the Goliath’s Powerful Build wording and all that.

The fact that it still hasn’t been changed suggests to me that it was very much an intentional change.

Or they didn't know.