D&D 5E Warcaster

[Arial Black]

The Warcaster feat allows you to cast a cantrip (instead of making a melee attack) as an opportunity attack, as long as the cantrip only targets one creature.

Can you choose to cast eldritch blast (when you have more than one beam) as long as you target the same creature with all the beams?

Simply put, does 'only targets one creature' mean 'is only able to only target one creature' or 'the spell is able to target one or more creatures, but you choose to target only one'?

 

[bid]

This is a "ask your DM" issue.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

The official stance on this is that "only targets one creature" means "cannot choose to target more than one creature", but as [MENTION=6801270]bid[/MENTION] says, ask your DM as they may not agree with the official stance.

 

[Kreinas]

Sage Advice has stated that effects that COULD target other characters without an outside effect (like twinned spell) do not qualify for warcaster.

As a DM, however, I would allow it.

 

[Kreinas]

[Duplicate Post]

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Maybe not RAW or RAI but for me, I'd allow it - the basis that an opportunity attack is an attack that one creature triggers against themselves as they move through/out of your reach. The OA if delivered in melee form has to be targeted against that creature, you can't hit his mate. Same with the spell.

So as long as you don't use an AOE spell, or use the OA to target other creatures too, I'd allow it - all firepower has to be aimed at the creature triggering the OA, so all your beams have to be at Kobold Sebastian, you can't take out Giles, Arabella and Malcolm* too.


*kobolds can be upper class too, you know

 

[Mouseferatu]

The problem with that is that blasting a critter with three beams of eldritch blast as an opportunity attack is far, far more potent than making a single melee attack.

If I were to house rule Warcaster to allow such things, I'd only allow a single beam/missile/ray/whatever to be used, even if the caster is normally entitled to more--just as even a high-level fighter, who can make three or four attacks a round, only gets one on an OA.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Was the feat changed? I don't recall anything about only cantrips. It just says you can cast a spell. I use Inflict Wounds for that on my tempest cleric.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The problem with that is that blasting a critter with three beams of eldritch blast as an opportunity attack is far, far more potent than making a single melee attack.

If I were to house rule Warcaster to allow such things, I'd only allow a single beam/missile/ray/whatever to be used, even if the caster is normally entitled to more--just as even a high-level fighter, who can make three or four attacks a round, only gets one on an OA.

Casting Shocking Grasp or one of the SCAG cantrips is almost as effective as casting Eldritch Blast. At higher levels, Warcaster will give you an OA that makes the melee types envious, and that seems to be intentional IMO. Also, Eldritch Blast isn't a great option unless you have some way of canceling the disadvantage for casting a ranged spell in melee. A bladelock with Booming Blade is a better choice for an OA, IMO.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

The official stance on this is that "only targets one creature" means "cannot choose to target more than one creature", but as [MENTION=6801270]bid[/MENTION] says, ask your DM as they may not agree with the official stance.

Link to the Sage Advice in question? I remember a similar ruling for Twin Spell but not Warcaster.

As others have observed, Booming Blade is a better OA than Eldritch Blast-at-disadvantage anyway, so in some sense this is a moot point, but I'm curious.