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Weird says

On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened for the duration. The illusion calls on the creature's deepest fears, manifesting its worst nightmares as an implacable threat. At the end of each of the frightened creature's turns, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends for that creature.

Calm Emotions Says

You can suppress any effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends, any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

From this question, we've determined that calm emotions does not prevent saving throws against fear effects. This implies you would still make the saving throw against Weird. Does that mean that despite suppressing the effects of Weird, you might still take damage?

I'd like to know how people interpret the rules here, but also how you might rule it at your table. I'm inclined to think it's silly to still take damage despite suppressing the fear, and would probably rule that you make the saving throw to end the effects of Weird, but if you fail you do not take damage.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Weird is already the worst 9th level spell. Why not let it be countered by a 2nd level spell?! \$\endgroup\$
    – SeriousBri
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 19:29

2 Answers 2

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The damaging effect from weird is suppressed while under calm emotions.

Calm emotions says:

You can suppress any effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends, any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime.

Thus, while under calm emotions, you can suppress the effect of weird that causes you to be frightened. But because of how weird is worded, this also suppresses the damage effect:

At the end of each of the frightened creature's turns, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage.

While the frightening effect of weird is suppressed, you are not a frightened creature, so you are not subject to the weird effect that makes a frightened creature roll a saving throw.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Does this imply that you cannot recover from Weird (via successful saving throw) so long as you are under the effects of Calm Emotions? \$\endgroup\$
    – zach
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 19:13
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    \$\begingroup\$ @zach That is correct, see the second sentence from calm emotions in my quote: "When this spell ends, any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the meantime." You are not rolling saving throws against the effect because it is suppressed. \$\endgroup\$
    – Thomas Markov
    Commented Mar 2, 2021 at 19:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ Interesting. My gut reaction was that the target still takes damage. Some effects (like Paladin's Abjure Enemy) are worded like "While frightened in this way, <additional effect>". This spell does not use that language, so I thought there might be a distinction. However, I think your interpretation is better. \$\endgroup\$
    – Glasses2C_Sharp
    Commented Mar 3, 2021 at 15:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ My gut reaction agrees with you @Glasses2C_Sharp, but it was on the basis of whether suppressing the effects of a frightening spell (such as Weird) with Calm Emotions actually removes the frightened condition, or just suppressed the effects of it. I might argue you could still be frightened will not being effected by the fact that you are frightened, meaning you are still a "frightened creature", but I think that's a stretch and in the end I agree with Thomas. \$\endgroup\$
    – zach
    Commented Mar 3, 2021 at 22:30
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I would say NO, you don't take damage from Weird while under the effects of Calm Emotions.

And I'm basing it on this part of the spell:

At the end of each of the frightened creature's turns, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage.

While under the effects of Calm Emotions, you are not a "frightened creature", which suggests that the Psychic damage is a direct consequence of being afraid, which you're not.

Had it merely said "creature's turns", then I probably would've said that you do take the damage.

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