Simple RAW 3

[Arkhios]

A159: The cold damage is dependent on spell level, not on the amount of damage done to the temporary hit points. The spell is worded as "If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes 5 cold damage" with the upcasting text specifying that both the number of hit points and the damage per hit scale with level.

In your specific example the Armor of Agathys retaliates for 25 cold damage.

Thanks. For some reason, I've been reading this spell so wrong for a long time. Then again, we haven't had a warlock in our group before, so there haven't been a situation where this would've come up. Anyway, thanks. It seems that I have seriously underestimated the spell.

[Arial Black]

Thanks. For some reason, I've been reading this spell so wrong for a long time. Then again, we haven't had a warlock in our group before, so there haven't been a situation where this would've come up. Anyway, thanks. It seems that I have seriously underestimated the spell.

For further clarification (for readers who want it), Armour of Agathys does the full damage even if some of the temporary hit points it grants have been lost.

Example: a 9th level warlock cast AofA on herself; the Pact Magic slot is 5th level so AofA grants 25 temporary hit points AND any creature hitting her with a melee attack takes 25 cold damage. This is the case every time she is hit for as long as the spell lasts, but the spell ends early if those temporary hit points are all gone (or are replaced by a different set of temporary hit points from a different source).

She is hit by an arrow for 7 damage. She now only has 18 THP, but the attacker did not take any cold damage because it was not a melee attack.

Next, she is hit with a greatsword for 12 damage. She is down to 6 THP, but the attacker takes the full 25 cold damage.

Then she is hit by a shortsword for 5 damage. She is down to 1 THP and the attacker takes 25 cold damage.

Then she is hit by a greatsword crit for 20 damage! She loses her last THP and 19 from her actual hit points, but the attacker takes 25 cold damage because AofA was still active when she was hit.

Since the THP granted by the spell are now all gone, AofA has ended. Any further hit she takes will not cause the attacker any cold damage.

[Arkhios]

For further clarification (for readers who want it), Armour of Agathys does the full damage even if some of the temporary hit points it grants have been lost.

Example: a 9th level warlock cast AofA on herself; the Pact Magic slot is 5th level so AofA grants 25 temporary hit points AND any creature hitting her with a melee attack takes 25 cold damage. This is the case every time she is hit for as long as the spell lasts, but the spell ends early if those temporary hit points are all gone (or are replaced by a different set of temporary hit points from a different source).

She is hit by an arrow for 7 damage. She now only has 18 THP, but the attacker did not take any cold damage because it was not a melee attack.

Next, she is hit with a greatsword for 12 damage. She is down to 6 THP, but the attacker takes the full 25 cold damage.

Then she is hit by a shortsword for 5 damage. She is down to 1 THP and the attacker takes 25 cold damage.

Then she is hit by a greatsword crit for 20 damage! She loses her last THP and 19 from her actual hit points, but the attacker takes 25 cold damage because AofA was still active when she was hit.

Since the THP granted by the spell are now all gone, AofA has ended. Any further hit she takes will not cause the attacker any cold damage.

Otherwise that's how I re-read it too, BUT, any other source than AofA that grants temporary hit points does not, to my understanding, prolong the duration of AofA. Gaining THP from False Life, for example, is not added to the remaining THP of AofA. THP do not stack, unless mentioned otherwise (and as I recall, there isn't any official ability that says otherwise)

[Escribblings]

Q160 - Chains of Carceri wording

Prerequisite: 15th level, Pact of the Chain feature

You can cast Hold Monster at will—targeting a celestial, fiend, or elemental—without expending a spell slot or material Components. You must finish a Long Rest before you can use this invocation on the same creature again.

I'm guessing, but seeking clarification that "same creature" refers to type and not individual.

E.g. there are 2 fiends.

In the literal interpretation, you would be able to hold both of them once.

However, I believe the intended use would mean that after you have held the first fiend, you would have to rest before you could hold the second.

BUT you are still able to holdba celestial or an elemental once each, before resting.

[Lombra]

Q160 - Chains of Carceri wording



I'm guessing, but seeking clarification that "same creature" refers to type and not individual.

E.g. there are 2 fiends.

In the literal interpretation, you would be able to hold both of them once.

However, I believe the intended use would mean that after you have held the first fiend, you would have to rest before you could hold the second.

BUT you are still able to holdba celestial or an elemental once each, before resting.

A 160
RAW, a "creature" is different from a "type of creature", so you could hold unlimited different celestials for instance. Too bad that hold person is concentration and you can't concentrate at the same time on two or more spells, even if they are the same spell.

[Escribblings]

A160

Wow, so your saying the literal translation is correct?

That's VERY powerful!

[Lombra]

A160

Wow, so your saying the literal translation is correct?

That's VERY powerful!

Yes, you still have to concentrate on the spell, and if what you are holding passes the save you can no longer target it for a day. It's not that powerful unless the campaign is filled with fiends, elementals and celestials in every encounter.

[Arenabait]

Yes, you still have to concentrate on the spell, and if what you are holding passes the save you can no longer target it for a day. It's not that powerful unless the campaign is filled with fiends, elementals and celestials in every encounter.

Cough Princes of the Apocalypse Cough Out of the Abyss Cough

[Clistenes]

Q161 If I ask a friend to summon monsters and order them to attack me... would I get xp from killing them?

[Dudewithknives]

Q162

Can you choose not to use bonuses to your rolls if you have them, or do you always have to use the additives?

Ex. Warlock has Agonizing blast and Repelling Blast and just wants to blast a team mate to move him 10 feet for some reason.
Do you HAVE to roll the + Cha bonus from Agonizing blast or can you choose to just roll the D10?

Ex. You are rolling a skill check against a team mate but you want to let them win, can you roll and ignore your proficiency or expertise if you have it?

Ex. You are rolling to hit an NPC but do not want to hurt them very bad, do I have to add my stat to the damage if I don't want to?

Thanks for your time.

[Dalebert]

A 161 The ability to summon creatures affects the CR and xp of the creature that summons them. They don't grant any extra xp. So basically you would need to calculate the CR of your friend, get through all his minions, and then defeat him to get xp. I forget where it's at, but you also can't ever get xp for the same creature again. So if you don't kill your friend, you won't get xp the next time you defeat him. Now whether you can actually get xp for defeating another PC... I'm not sure that's addressed in the RAW but I imagine most DMs won't allow it.

A 162

Can you choose not to use bonuses to your rolls if you have them, or do you always have to use the additives?

Maybe. Depends on the wording of the specific ability.

Do you HAVE to roll the + Cha bonus from Agonizing blast or can you choose to just roll the D10?

Look at the wording of that specific ability. Does it say "you can add your cha bonus" or "you add your cha bonus"?
If the latter, then no, you don't have the choice not to add it.

Ex. You are rolling a skill check against a team mate but you want to let them win, can you roll and ignore your proficiency or expertise if you have it?

Pretty sure this scenario is not addressed anywhere in the RAW so up to your DM. FWIW, DMs are given great power to circumstantially grant advantage or impose disadvantage. It's probably reasonable to impose disadvantage if you're purposefully not trying at your full potential, for instance.

Ex. You are rolling to hit an NPC but do not want to hurt them very bad, do I have to add my stat to the damage if I don't want to?

Yes. 5e doesn't have any mechanic for pulling your punches, so to speak. What it DOES allow is if you drop someone to 0 hp with a melee attack, you can choose to knock them unconscious instead in which case they are stable and don't need to make death saves.

[Clistenes]

A 161 The ability to summon creatures affects the CR and xp of the creature that summons them. They don't grant any extra xp. So basically you would need to calculate the CR of your friend, get through all his minions, and then defeat him to get xp. I forget where it's at, but you also can't ever get xp for the same creature again. So if you don't kill your friend, you won't get xp the next time you defeat him. Now whether you can actually get xp for defeating another PC... I'm not sure that's addressed in the RAW but I imagine most DMs won't allow it.

I was thinking that if your friends doesn't take any other action after summoning the monster, your foe would be the summoned creature alone, not the summoner... but I guess your answer makes sense from a RAW point of view (and from an "avoiding xp farming" point of view...).

[LtPowers]

Q163

When casting conjure elemental, does the conjuror need to be able to speak a language that the elemental understands in order to give it verbal commands?


Powers &8^]

[Dalebert]

A 163 It doesn't matter what language you speak the commands in.

"It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you)."

[Maxilian]

Q164 How does Spellturning work for the sake of type of creature a spell affect? (For example, i cast a Beast only spell on a Crag Cat, and it pass the save -Affecting the caster with the spell-)

Q165 In the same case of Spellturning, when a spell is reflected, who is the caster (For the spell sake?) the original caster or the creature that reflected the spell? (And what happens if its a concentration based spell? does the creature that reflect the spell holds the Concentration?)

Q166 Can a Female / Male Steeder be affected by the Jump Spell (tripple jump distance) and use its Leap ability (forfeit all its movement to jump) to increase the distance of the jump up to 3 times? Having in mind that the Leap ability mentions:

Leap. The steeder can expend all its movement on its turn to jump up to 90/60 (if male) feet vertically or horizontally, provided that its speed is at least 30 feet.

And the Jump spell says: You touch a creature, the creature’s jump distance is tripled until the spell ends.

[Clistenes]

About this:

Q161 If I ask a friend to summon monsters and order them to attack me... would I get xp from killing them?

A 161 The ability to summon creatures affects the CR and xp of the creature that summons them. They don't grant any extra xp. So basically you would need to calculate the CR of your friend, get through all his minions, and then defeat him to get xp. I forget where it's at, but you also can't ever get xp for the same creature again. So if you don't kill your friend, you won't get xp the next time you defeat him. Now whether you can actually get xp for defeating another PC... I'm not sure that's addressed in the RAW but I imagine most DMs won't allow it.

Q167: If I create a trap that summons an Elemental when triggered, and I trigger it on purspose, I would get the xp if I defeat it, wouldn't I?

[Maxilian]

About this:




Q167: If I create a trap that summons an Elemental when triggered, and I trigger it on purspose, I would get the xp if I defeat it, wouldn't I?

You are asking the DM to add the Milestone system.

Note: No, as you are still the summoner (But if you beat the summoner, yourself, you would get the exp, but only if you were not defeated, but as you were not defeated, you won't get exp for defeating yourself, and even if you do, you won't get exp cause you are defeated.)

Note2: Ignoring the stupidity of the above note, no, cause.... as you are the summoner, the exp will be added to the CR of the summoner (So... to you, so if you get killed by your party, your party will get more exp, not you)

Note3: If you happen to summon an elemental (lets say a fire elemental) and you lose control of it and it start attacking you, and you defeat it, you won't get exp either.

[Arial Black]

Otherwise that's how I re-read it too, BUT, any other source than AofA that grants temporary hit points does not, to my understanding, prolong the duration of AofA. Gaining THP from False Life, for example, is not added to the remaining THP of AofA. THP do not stack, unless mentioned otherwise (and as I recall, there isn't any official ability that says otherwise)

From the PHB p198:-

"Healing can’t restore temporary hit points, and they can’t be added together. If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a spell grants you 12 temporary hit points when you already have 10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22."

The warlock in my previous example happens to have a fiendish patron. From Dark One's Blessing, she gains 12 THP whenever she reduces a hostile creature to 0 hp.

From the rules for THP, if she gains THP while she already has some, she must choose to either keep the old THP and not gain the new lot, OR take the new lot and lose the THP she already has.

So, if she is down to, say, 1 THP remaining from AofA, and then takes an enemy to 0 hp, she has a choice: either keep the single THP from AofA and ignore the new 12 THP from DOB, OR take the new 12 and lose the single THP from AofA.

Why would anyone choose to have 1 THP when they can have 12?

Because AofA ends as soon as the THP it grants are gone. So if she takes the new 12 THP then AofA is over and baddies can hit her without taking any cold damage. But if she keeps the single THP from AofA and ignores the new 12 from DOB then she has fewer THP but the next person to hit her in melee takes 25 cold damage.

Choose wisely!

[Lombra]

Q168
Are the warlock's invocations based on warlock class level or character level?

[Rysto]

A168

Assuming that you're talking about the level restrictions on the invocations, you must be Warlock Level X if the invocation requires "Level X".

[Flashy]

Q168
Are the warlock's invocations based on warlock class level or character level?

A168: Warlock level

"Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level. A level prerequisite in an invocation refers to warlock level, not character level."

[Arenabait]

Q168
Are the warlock's invocations based on warlock class level or character level?

As far as I can tell, Warlock level, but it's pretty shaky.

At 2nd level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. Your invocation options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the invocations known column of the Warlock table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.

EDIT: It's in the Phb errata.

Eldritch Invocations (p. 110). A level prerequisite in an invocation refers to warlock level, not character level.

[Escribblings]

Q169 - Levelling - Constitution HP

Each time you gain a level, you gain 1 additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution modifier to the roll, and add the total to your hit point maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the die roll (rounded up).

When your Constitution modifier increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. For example, if your 7th-level Fighter has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit point maximum then increases by 8.

I've just hit level 4 in a campaign. Assuming I take the ASI and add to my constitution, I will increase my Con mod.

My current Con is 17 (+3)

so here is the question:

If I increase my con score (and therefore the mod from +3 to +4), do I roll the hit die I gain for levelling with a +4 as per my new con mod? Or as a +3 as per my old con mod, because the con mod increase increases my HP max by +1 for each level, which will include the level I have currently attained?

[TrinculoLives]

Q169 - Levelling - Constitution HP



I've just hit level 4 in a campaign. Assuming I take the ASI and add to my constitution, I will increase my Con mod.

My current Con is 17 (+3)

so here is the question:

If I increase my con score (and therefore the mod from +3 to +4), do I roll the hit die I gain for levelling with a +4 as per my new con mod? Or as a +3 as per my old con mod, because the con mod increase increases my HP max by +1 for each level, which will include the level I have currently attained?

A169
As I understand it, you're asking whether the order in which ASI and hit dice rolling is done should lead to an additional point of health on levels when your CON modifier increases.

The order in which these ideas are presented in the PHB with hit dice covered first, and ASIs covered next, would seem to suggest the order of operations is to first roll the die with +3, and then increase CON, which would in this case add +1 health per level.

I can't offer any more RAW answer than that, except to say that this strikes me as very intuitive. Additionally, the hitpoints of all Monsters are calculated in such a way that their CON modifier is used once for every hit die they have. So a creature with 5d8 hit dice and a +1 CON modifier has 5d8+5 health in its stat block.

[Escribblings]

A169
As I understand it, you're asking whether the order in which ASI and hit dice rolling is done should lead to an additional point of health on levels when your CON modifier increases.

The order in which these ideas are presented in the PHB with hit dice covered first, and ASIs covered next, would seem to suggest the order of operations is to first roll the die with +3, and then increase CON, which would in this case add +1 health per level.

I can't offer any more RAW answer than that, except to say that this strikes me as very intuitive. Additionally, the hitpoints of all Monsters are calculated in such a way that their CON modifier is used once for every hit die they have. So a creature with 5d8 hit dice and a +1 CON modifier has 5d8+5 health in its stat block.

That makes the most sense, and was the answer I was leaning towards as I was typing out the question... but I thought it best to ask anyway...

[TrinculoLives]

That makes the most sense, and was the answer I was leaning towards as I was typing out the question... but I thought it best to ask anyway...

This is the place for it!

[Flashy]

Q169 - Levelling - Constitution HP



I've just hit level 4 in a campaign. Assuming I take the ASI and add to my constitution, I will increase my Con mod.

My current Con is 17 (+3)

so here is the question:

If I increase my con score (and therefore the mod from +3 to +4), do I roll the hit die I gain for levelling with a +4 as per my new con mod? Or as a +3 as per my old con mod, because the con mod increase increases my HP max by +1 for each level, which will include the level I have currently attained?

The RAW answer is that when your constitution increases you act as though your constitution had ALWAYS been that score. From the Constitution section of the SRD:

If your Constitution modifier changes, your hit point maximum changes as well, as though you had the new modifier from 1st level. For example, if you raise your Constitution score when you reach 4th level and your Constitution modifier increases from +1 to +2, you adjust your hit point maximum as though the modifier had always been +2. So you add 3 hit points for your first three levels, and then roll your hit points for 4th level using your new modifier.

So in your case you would add three more hit points and then roll a hit die +4.

[TrinculoLives]

Ah, so the order is ASI >>> Hit Die rolling.

[LtPowers]

Ah, so the order is ASI >>> Hit Die rolling.

Seems to me the order doesn't matter in this case. You get the extra hit point regardless of the order you do it in, because CON increases are retroactive for HP.


Powers &8^]

[TrinculoLives]

Seems to me the order doesn't matter in this case. You get the extra hit point regardless of the order you do it in, because CON increases are retroactive for HP.


Powers &8^]

You're right: it doesn't matter.