Simple RAW 3

[coredump]

Spirit Shield reduces the damage that the rogue takes. The damage that the rogue takes is half the source damage (if Uncanny Dodge is used). Spirit Shield has no effect to reduce the incoming damage, only to reduce the damage taken, which has already been halved in this case.

So, Uncanny Dodge first, Spirit Shield second. It could not work the other way round, because if the rogue takes full damage he already didn't use Uncanny Dodge to half it.

To put it another way.
UD triggers when hit
SS triggers when damaged.

[CrackedChair]

Q 266

An example: I have a Glaive, and I am an Eldritch Knight with Polearm Mastery as a feat. If I cast Booming Blade, and make a melee attack, am I allowed to use the d4 attack with Polearm mastery?

[Varlon]

Q 266

An example: I have a Glaive, and I am an Eldritch Knight with Polearm Mastery as a feat. If I cast Booming Blade, and make a melee attack, am I allowed to use the d4 attack with Polearm mastery?

A 266
No. Polearm Master requires you to use the Attack action, while Booming Blade uses the Cast a Spell action (but has you make a weapon attack as part of that).

[sightlessrealit]

Q 267 If I have both Sanctuary & Spiritual Weapon up will attacking with Spiritual Weapon break Sanctuary? Will simply the casting of Spiritual Weapon break Sanctuary?

[Lombra]

A 267

Sanctuary breaks whenever you use the spiritual weapon to attack. It doesn't stop as long as you summon the weapon and don't attack with it.

[Dmdork]

Q268 if my ally is grappled, can I shove him (not sure if there would be any rolling involved because my ally is not trying to resist), possibly freeing him from the grapple?

[Lombra]

Q268 if my ally is grappled, can I shove him (not sure if there would be any rolling involved because my ally is not trying to resist), possibly freeing him from the grapple?

A 268

The grappling creature makes an athletics check against your athletics check to shove the ally.

[Dmdork]

A268 I meant can I shove my ally....

[Arkhios]

A268 I meant can I shove my ally....

Clarifying: I'm sure Lombra realized that, and I agree with him, because the grappling creature would still try to resist your attempt to release the grappled ally.

[LtPowers]

A 268

The grappling creature makes an athletics check against your athletics check to shove the ally.

That's a reasonable interpretation but I don't see any written rule supporting it. RAW, you can shove your ally and if successful, move your ally away from the grappling creature, thus breaking the grapple.


Powers &8^]

[No brains]

A 268 I'm sorry to make this more complicated, but I think by RAW, characters are not allowed to forfeit a save unless specified, as in calm emotions. Thus, you can shove your teammate away from a creature grappling it, but it would only be beneficial to try that if you can beat your teammate's athletics check more reliably than the check of the creature grappling them.

[BeefGood]

Q. 269
What does this part of the suffocation rules mean?
"...it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again."
(quotation from Player Basic Rules because I'm away from the PHB, but I think PHB says the same thing)
Specifically I don't know what "is dying" means. for example, does the creature make death saving throws and automatically fail them?

[Arkhios]

Q. 269
What does this part of the suffocation rules mean?
"...it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again."
(quotation from Player Basic Rules because I'm away from the PHB, but I think PHB says the same thing)
Specifically I don't know what "is dying" means. for example, does the creature make death saving throws and automatically fail them?

"0 hit points and is dying" means you're not at "0 hit points and stable", and you must make death saving throws every turn as normal. Suffocation is very dangerous exactly for the reason that you can't stabilize until you can breathe again. Basically, suffocation can kill you as fast as in two rounds (1 x natural one + 1 failed save), despite your hit point maximum.

[PantsDragon]

Q270


As a Druid, if I have a staff which is my Druidic focus and functions as a quarterstaff, can I cast a spell with somatic and material components if my staff is in one hand and a shield in in the other?

It seems that from PHB203 the hand holding the focus can be the same hand performing the somatic components.

[BeefGood]

A269

"0 hit points and is dying" means you're not at "0 hit points and stable", and you must make death saving throws every turn as normal. Suffocation is very dangerous exactly for the reason that you can't stabilize until you can breathe again. Basically, suffocation can kill you as fast as in two rounds (1 x natural one + 1 failed save), despite your hit point maximum.

It makes sense that if a suffocating creature fails death saving throws, it dies. But what happens if the creature succeeds on the death saving throws (while still not being able to breathe)? According to the death saving throws rules, the creature would become stable. But according to the suffocating rules, the creature can't be stabilized until it can breathe. So there's a contradiction.
If you resolve the contradiction by specific (suffocation) beats general (death saving throws) then there's no point in making death saving throws because successful saving throws are useless.
I think the problem is that the only two mechanics for "dying" are death saving throws and massive damage and neither works in the case of suffocation.

[Erys]

A269

It makes sense that if a suffocating creature fails death saving throws, it dies. But what happens if the creature succeeds on the death saving throws (while still not being able to breathe)? According to the death saving throws rules, the creature would become stable. But according to the suffocating rules, the creature can't be stabilized until it can breathe. So there's a contradiction.
If you resolve the contradiction by specific (suffocation) beats general (death saving throws) then there's no point in making death saving throws because successful saving throws are useless.
I think the problem is that the only two mechanics for "dying" are death saving throws and massive damage and neither works in the case of suffocation.

R269: Specific (suffocation) beats general (successful Death Save rules).

As long as you are still drowning you cannot stabilize. The purpose of the Death Save is to see how long you last before you either A) get to breathable air, or B) die.

Q270


As a Druid, if I have a staff which is my Druidic focus and functions as a quarterstaff, can I cast a spell with somatic and material components if my staff is in one hand and a shield in in the other?

It seems that from PHB203 the hand holding the focus can be the same hand performing the somatic components.

A270: I believe technically you can. Oddly, for spells that are have somatic requirements but not material, you would have to have a hand free.

Material (M)

Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a component pouch or a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place of the components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.

If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell.

A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these components, but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic components.

[PantsDragon]

A270: I believe technically you can. Oddly, for spells that are have somatic requirements but not material, you would have to have a hand free.

As written, that actually makes a strange amount of sense. So for spells with Material and Somatic requirements I can cast with my staff and shield but if it’s only Somatic, I cannot.

Thanks!

[Lord Il Palazzo]

R269: Specific (suffocation) beats general (successful Death Save rules).

As long as you are still drowning you cannot stabilize. The purpose of the Death Save is to see how long you last before you either A) get to breathable air, or B) die.

R269To put it another way, "can't stabilize" isn't the same as "can't roll a success on a death saving throw". If you roll three (or more) successes, you don't gain the benefit and stabilize, but at least you don't suffer the penalty of failing those saves and die (yet).

[NecessaryWeevil]

Yes, it's another question about attacks and Uncanny Dodge. I'm sorry.

Q271 Does Uncanny Dodge reduce the net damage from an attack, including extra effects, or just from the raw impact? For example, if I take 5 piercing damage and 10 poison damage from a poison arrow, do I take [5+10] /2 = 7, or do I take [5/2] + 10 = 12? Why?

If it's the latter, what about an attack where none of the damage is impact damage, like a firebolt? Does your answer change, and why?

Thanks!

[Erys]

Yes, it's another question about attacks and Uncanny Dodge. I'm sorry.

Q271 Does Uncanny Dodge reduce the net damage from an attack, including extra effects, or just from the raw impact? For example, if I take 5 piercing damage and 10 poison damage from a poison arrow, do I take [5+10] /2 = 7, or do I take [5/2] + 10 = 12? Why?

If it's the latter, what about an attack where none of the damage is impact damage, like a firebolt? Does your answer change, and why?

Thanks!

A271: Uncanny Dodge is a reaction used against an Attack (something offensive against you using an Attack Roll); if the attack is a dagger with poison doing a total of 15 damage- the rogue takes 7 (rounding down) if he spends his reaction using Uncanny Dodge.

The damage types associated with the Attack are moot in this instance; but may have merit if there are resistances or vulnerabilities at play.

[Alerad]

Q272-a Can you hide while holding a torch or another light source?

Q272-b What happens to the torch if you are Invisible (as per the spell)? Follow up question - esp. if you don't have darkvision?

[Erys]

Q272-a Can you hide while holding a torch or another light source?

Q272-b What happens to the torch if you are Invisible (as per the spell)? Follow up question - esp. if you don't have darkvision?

Be advised: the RAW on hiding is not 100% concrete.

YMMV

A272a: Technically yes. So long as you, yourself, are not in view of an enemy you can hide. Now, that said, if at any point the enemy moves to a vantage point where he might be able to Spot you- he does so automatically. Remember, while the rogue is technically hidden, the light is not and it will serve as a beacon to anyone able to see it.

A272b: The torch itself goes invisible with the caster, but still sheds light that is visible to all. You cannot hide if you are invisible and holding a lit torch as you can never be, strictly speaking, hidden. (Unless you are also behind something as in the example above, naturally).

(Having Darkvision or not is moot, ).

[Clockwork333]

Q273


I'm a fifth level ranger, I know four spells. I have 4, Level One spellslots, and 2 Level Two spellslots.

I can still only cast four spells a day correct?

I just have the option of using a higher level spellslot for two of them.

I can't cast a 1st level spell and then cast it again next round as a 2nd level spell, am I understanding this properly?

[CrackedChair]

Q274:

The Spell Alter Self is supposed to alter your shape, right? Does it include clothing? I had a use for Alter Self, but it involves getting rather big. (But not big enough to be a Large Creature)

[Millstone85]

A273 No, you are mistaken.

You have 6 spell slots, and regain expended spell slots on a long rest. That means you can cast 6 spells a day.

And you can absolutely cast a 1st-level spell and then cast it again next round as a 2nd-level spell.

Spell slots in 5e are a mana system.

[Varlon]

Q273


I'm a fifth level ranger, I know four spells. I have 4, Level One spellslots, and 2 Level Two spellslots.

I can still only cast four spells a day correct?

I just have the option of using a higher level spellslot for two of them.

I can't cast a 1st level spell and then cast it again next round as a 2nd level spell, am I understanding this properly?

A273
No. You still know, and can cast, a spell after you cast it. You can cast from your known spells as long as you have a spell slot, so you can cast up to six spells per day, picking from your known spells.

[Dmdork]

Q275does barkskin stack with armor, shield, and dex?

[Arkhios]

Q275does barkskin stack with armor, shield, and dex?

No. RAW, Barkskin sets your minimum AC to 16.

However, I know that quite a few DMs (myself and mine included) lets the Shield stack with Barkskin.

[Potato_Priest]

Q276

Is there a published (UA or Splatbook) warlock subclass for making a pact with a kraken or similar underwater powers?

[Godshoe]

Q277 roguish ASSASSINATE says

Starting at 3rd levei, you are at your deadliest when you
get the drop on your enemies. Vou have advantage on
attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn
in the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against
a creature that is surprised is a criticai hit.

Could creature be surprised more than once per battle? If rogue sneak, running to different direction and hit from new position, for example.