Simple RAW for 5e 4: Smackdown v. RAW

[Pinjata]

Re: 358:

The only guidance I can find in the rules is the text of the Invisibility spell: "Anything the target is wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the target's person". The debate would then be whether that means the things the target was wearing or carrying at the time the spell was cast, or anything that the target ever wears or carries.

The only place I know of that talks about invisibility in general is the condition summary, which doesn't say anything about equipment.

This is an exact problem I'm facing ATM.

[Misterwhisper]

Q359

Say a creature with reach of 10 feet has a target grappled that only has a reach of 5ft.

Can the target being grappled attack the grappler with a melee weapon, or is it out of reach?

[E’Tallitnics]

This is an exact problem I'm facing ATM.

R358: The bottle does not become invisible unless the creature secrets it upon their person. (i.e.: hides it under their already invisible clothes.)

Spells in 5e are always exceptions and they say exactly what they do. So the spell description would say if anything handled after the spell is cast becomes invisible also.

[E’Tallitnics]

Q359

Say a creature with reach of 10 feet has a target grappled that only has a reach of 5ft.

Can the target being grappled attack the grappler with a melee weapon, or is it out of reach?

A359: Yes the creature can be attacked. It is, after all, physically limiting the movement of the grappled creature by some appendage that it has and that appendage can be attacked.

ProTip: If you're ever attacked by a Roper you can more easily escape by damaging the tendrils that have grabbed you than by attacking the main form of the creature.

[Misterwhisper]

A359: Yes the creature can be attacked. It is, after all, physically limiting the movement of the grappled creature by some appendage that it has and that appendage can be attacked.

ProTip: If you're ever attacked by a Roper you can more easily escape by damaging the tendrils that have grabbed you than by attacking the main form of the creature.

It came up because a giant with a reach of 10 Feet grappled a rogue with a dagger...

It was a long debate.

[ThePolarBear]

It came up because a giant with a reach of 10 Feet grappled a rogue with a dagger...

It was a long debate.

Q359

RAW, on a grid, you shouldn't be able to. TOTM, yes, you can.

Logically, you should be able to do it anyway. It's a stupid corner case.

[Eldariel]

Q360

(Spellcaster) multiclass Wizard has a spellbook. He gets higher level slots than what a singleclassed Wizard would get. If he's scribed e.g. a level 2 spell into his spellbook as a Bard 2/Wizard 1, is there anything that would prevent him from casting said level 2 spell from his level 2 slot?

[ThePolarBear]

Q360

(Spellcaster) multiclass Wizard has a spellbook. He gets higher level slots than what a singleclassed Wizard would get.

A360

No, he doesn't. As for the multiclass rules, you are considered as a single classed member of the class while considering both known or prepared spells. This includes wizards and spells added to the spellbook, as the examples in that paragraph make clear.

[Afgncaap5]

Q 361

Can a multiclass caster with the magic initiate feat who took the feat for one of the classes they can cast in use their spell slots for the 1st level spell granted by magic initiate?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q 361

Can a multiclass caster with the magic initiate feat who took the feat for one of the classes they can cast in use their spell slots for the 1st level spell granted by magic initiate?

A361: From the Sage Advice Compendium...

If you have spell slots, can you use them to cast the 1st-level spell you learn with the Magic Initiate feat?
Yes, but only if the class you pick for the feat is one of your classes. For example, if you pick sorcerer and you are a sorcerer, the Spellcasting feature for that class tells you that you can use your spell slots to cast the sorcerer spells you know, so you can use your spell slots to cast the 1st-level sorcerer spell you learn from Magic Initiate. Similarly, if you are a wizard and pick that class for the feat, you learn a 1st-level wizard spell, which you could add to your spellbook and subsequently prepare.

In short, you must follow your character’s normal spellcasting rules, which determine whether you can expend spell slots on the 1st-level spell you learn from Magic Initiate.

[No brains]

Q362 When a creature takes 'overflow' damage that breaks Wildhsape or Polymorph, how do immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities work?

Example A: A salamander is polymorphed into crab and hit with fireball for 30 damage. Is the salamander immune to the overflow damage?

Example B: A commoner is polymorphed into a skeleton* and takes 30 bludgeoning damage. Is the overflow damage still doubled by the skeleton's vulnerability to bludgeoning damage?

*I know polymorph can't turn a creature into a skeleton, I was just reaching for some creature that had a vulnerability.

Q363 Are there any beasts that have a damage vulnerability?

[Man on Fire]

Q364
Can I use my standard action to take extra bonus actions instead?

To explain on an example, let say I have Insightful Rogue 3/Fighter 2/Monk 2 character. I have access to Insightful Fighting, allowing me to take a bonus action to try to gain sneak attack bonus against an opponent even without an advantage, Martial Arts allowing me to make an extra unarmed strike as a bonus action after an attack and Action Surge, which allows me to take additional action. Could I perform following turn action: Use my action to activate insightful fighting, use action surge to attack and use martial arts as a bonus action?

[Millstone85]

Q364
Can I use my standard action to take extra bonus actions instead?

A364 Unfortunately, no.

[Arkhios]

Q365: Improvised Weapon and Martial Arts

If you're wielding with an Improvised Weapon, do you lose the benefits of Martial Arts?

[leogobsin]

Q365: Improvised Weapon and Martial Arts

If you're wielding with an Improvised Weapon, do you lose the benefits of Martial Arts?

A365 Yes, unless your DM decided the improvised weapon is similar enough to a monk weapon to be treated as that weapon. Martial Arts functions "while you are unarmed or wielding only monk weapons". Wielding an improvised weapon would disqualify you from that, unless it's an improvised weapon that could be treated as a shortsword or a simple melee weapon that doesn't have the two-handed or heavy property.

[Dalebert]

Q365: An improvised weapon by definition isn't a weapon. You can be holding a pumpkin. You are not "weilding" a pumpkin. You can then hit someone with it and it would in that moment be treated as an improvised weapon to determine proficiency (usually none) and dmg (usually 1+mod). A monk can be "holding" non-weapon objects and still use martial arts.

That said, an exception is if the DM considers it similar enough to a weapon to just treat it as that weapon. I believe the text example was a table leg as a club. Clubs are really simple.

[Zeros]

I have two questions that are related

Q366: In mounted combat you can either control your mount or you can allow your mount to act independently. Can you switch this between rounds? Eg: First round the knight has its mount rush him into combat and he attacks. Second round he allows the mount to control itself allowing him and his mount to attack (assuming the mount is disposed to attack rather than run away). Third round the knight takes control again to direct the mount to charge a new target.

Q367: Revised Ranger Beastmaster's animal companion "obeys your commands as best you can." Assuming a ranger uses his animal companion as a mount can he allow his mount to act independently but then give it verbal commands to control the mount? (this would put the mount and ranger at separate initiatives of course, but would increase the action options the mount has).

Thanks in advance!

[Nagog]

Q368: What does SCAG stand for? I know it refers to Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade, but I have no idea what the acronym stands for.

[E’Tallitnics]

Q368: What does SCAG stand for? I know it refers to Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade, but I have no idea what the acronym stands for.

A368: Sword Coast Adventurers Guide.

[Nagog]

A368: Sword Coast Adventurers Guide.

Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

[E’Tallitnics]

I have two questions that are related

Q366: In mounted combat you can either control your mount or you can allow your mount to act independently. Can you switch this between rounds? Eg: First round the knight has its mount rush him into combat and he attacks. Second round he allows the mount to control itself allowing him and his mount to attack (assuming the mount is disposed to attack rather than run away). Third round the knight takes control again to direct the mount to charge a new target.

Q367: Revised Ranger Beastmaster's animal companion "obeys your commands as best you can." Assuming a ranger uses his animal companion as a mount can he allow his mount to act independently but then give it verbal commands to control the mount? (this would put the mount and ranger at separate initiatives of course, but would increase the action options the mount has).

Thanks in advance!

A366: When you mount up you choose whether the mount is controlled by you (and its initiative changes to match yours) or you allow it to be independent (and its initiative doesn't change). After that point there are no RAW that allow the mount's initiative to change again.

You'd have to dismount, and then mount up again, to affect the change you seek.

A367: Yes.

[Psyren]

Q369: Is it possible to delay your whole turn in the initiative order? Or can you only Ready as an action + reaction?

[Millstone85]

Q369: Is it possible to delay your whole turn in the initiative order? Or can you only Ready as an action + reaction?

A369 No, it is the latter.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Q369: Is it possible to delay your whole turn in the initiative order? Or can you only Ready as an action + reaction?

A369: The second option. Sage Advice is quite clear on this. Delay is not a thing, very intentionally.

[jdizzlean]

Q370

Is masterwork a thing in 5e the way it is in 3.5? or do things just automatically upgrade into the +x bonus's beyond the base armor as rare/uncommon/etc items?

(( playing my first pbp 5e game, and ac seems awfully low, but still have like 500g to blow, just not on rare/uncommon/etc's ))

[Dalebert]

Q370 No such thing as masterwork in 5e.

[Arkhios]

Q371

If I'm wearing any armor and I have Defense Fighting Style, will I still benefit from the Fighting Style even if under the effects of Barkskin?

[E’Tallitnics]

Q371

If I'm wearing any armor and I have Defense Fighting Style, will I still benefit from the Fighting Style even if under the effects of Barkskin?

A371: Barkskin is an odd spell in that no matter what conditions the recipient finds themselves in their AC can never be less than 16. It is not an AC calculation nor an addition to AC, it simple sets the minimum AC to 16 regardless of anything else.

Example: A creature is wearing ring mail (AC = 14), then dons a shield (AC + 2 = AC 16). They then have Barkskin cast upon them. Their AC is 16.

[Skunky]

A character is under the effects of Reduce (enlarge/reduce transmutation 2nd level) and fires a crossbow bolt.
The spell description says, that objects dropped return to full size.
Does this mean that said bolt would return to full size after being fired and hit for normal damage?

Another example a: party member with a large shield is fleeing down a tiny tunnel, she sticks it into the tunnel wall before continuing to flee.
Would it return to full size, potentially blocking the tunnel allowing her to escape?

[E’Tallitnics]

A character is under the effects of Reduce (enlarge/reduce transmutation 2nd level) and fires a crossbow bolt.
The spell description says, that objects dropped return to full size.
Does this mean that said bolt would return to full size after being fired and hit for normal damage?

Another example a: party member with a large shield is fleeing down a tiny tunnel, she sticks it into the tunnel wall before continuing to flee.
Would it return to full size, potentially blocking the tunnel allowing her to escape?

A372: Yes to both of your examples.