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I'm playing a warlock in a D&D 5e campaign. I am playing a multiclassed Rogue 11/Warlock 1. For my one level in warlock, I chose the Raven Queen patron from Unearthed Arcana. According to the description for the Sentinel Raven feature:

You can see through the raven’s eyes and hear what it hears while it is within 100 feet of you.

Consider this example:

There is an enemy about 40 feet away, and there is a wall between us. I send my raven over the wall to recon, and I want to cast Hex on the enemy on the other side of the wall. The range for the Hex spell is 90 feet.

Am I able to cast Hex on this enemy given that he is within range of the spell and I can see him through my raven's eyes, even though there is a stone wall between us?

How does line of effect work with regard to casting spells at targets I can see through the raven's eyes?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Okay, just FYI, Unearthed Arcana isn't tuned for multiclassing. Just in case interactions become available that don't seem 'right'. \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 19:51
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    \$\begingroup\$ Related and possible duplicate on Casting spells on targets only my sentinel raven can see \$\endgroup\$
    – NotArch
    Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 19:54
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    \$\begingroup\$ Actually, this question seems to be distinct from that one in that it asks about line of effect (i.e. whether seeing through the raven's eyes allows you to ignore line of effect from the character). WingHacker91, I've edited the question accordingly to focus on that aspect; please review the question to make sure it still asks what you're trying to ask. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 20:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ @V2Blast Yes, the edited question actually does a better job of asking what I meant. The link that NautArch sent was still very helpful though. \$\endgroup\$
    – WingHacker91
    Commented Aug 7, 2019 at 22:03

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The general rule for targeting states:

A Clear Path to the Target

To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover.

The problem is that, while you (the warlock) can see the target via the raven, Hex is originating from the caster, not the raven. Because there is not a clear path between the warlock and the target, Hex (or any similar spell) can't be targeted at the hostile creature beyond the wall.

A spell like Sacred Flame, however, would allow you to make a "bank shot" like this because it includes the sentence:

Sacred Flame

The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw [...] The target gains no benefit from cover for this saving throw.

Additionally, an AoE spell like Fireball would work. You would be aware of the target's existence and location by using the raven's sight and then cast the AoE spell so that its effect wrapped around a corner to hit the target.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ So I showed this response to my DM. It brought up the new question of whether or not the spell Hex requires an actual line of sight. His issue was that spells such as Ray of Frost, Fireball, and Disintegrate have a physical projectile effect that requires line of sight in order to travel from point A to point B. But a spell like Hex doesn't have this, given that it's an instant effect originating on the target. The target might not even realize it's been affected. So while the spell description says you must be able to see your target, is that the same as saying you must have line of sight? \$\endgroup\$
    – WingHacker91
    Commented Aug 8, 2019 at 7:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ @WingHacker91 All spells require a "clear path to the target" (which is similar to the concept of line of effect from previous editions) unless they specifically say otherwise. This is completely independent of requirements for having to see the target of a spell. You only need to see the target of your spell if the spell says so. There are circumstances where you can see a target and don't have a clear path and vice versa. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rubiksmoose
    Commented Aug 8, 2019 at 13:51

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