13
\$\begingroup\$

Reading through the features of the light domain Cleric I've discovered:

Corona of Light which states (Emphasis added):

Starting at 17th level, you can use your action to activate an aura of sunlight that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. You emit bright light in a 60-foot radius and dim light 30 feet beyond that. Your enemies in the bright light have disadvantage on saving throws against any spell that deals fire or radiant damage.

Now the Aasimar race has subrace racial features that allow them to add radiant damage to any spell that deals damage, which causes that spell to now do radiant damage as well as their normal damage.

These features are: Radiant Soul and Radiant Consumption

Which both state (Emphasis added):

"You can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell"

So if you combine these two features you can cause any damage dealing spell saving throw to be made at disadvantage. As far as I know this all perfectly works RAW. What I want to know is if there is any rule (excluding adventure league rules) I am forgetting that would prevent me from using this combination in games?

\$\endgroup\$

1 Answer 1

17
\$\begingroup\$

The timing of these features prevents your plan from working

The Aasimar features occur at the same time as damage

The Protector Aasimar's Radiant Soul feature and the Scourge Aasimar's Radiant Consumption feature both state (emphasis mine):

[...] you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. [...]


Corona of Light applies before damage

[...] Your enemies in the bright light have disadvantage on saving throws against any spell that deals fire or radiant damage.

This gives a target disadvantage on their saving throw which clearly must occur before they actually make their save. Thus whether a spell deals fire or radiant damage must be known before the creature makes their save. (This is possible, for example, if the spell's description states that it deals radiant or fire damage)


We know that Corona of Light occurs before the saving throw, and therefore it must also be before the damage; meanwhile, the Aasimar features occur at the same time as damage. This means that Corona of Light must occur before the Aasimar features and it is for this reason that Corona of Light cannot benefit any spell modified by the Aasimar features (unless the spell already ordinarily dealt radiant or fire damage).

\$\endgroup\$
7
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ Unfortunately I think your right. \$\endgroup\$ Jun 10, 2020 at 22:21
  • 5
    \$\begingroup\$ @GersonLopez Whether a spell deals any damage when its target is immune to that damage is something people actually don't agree upon (to my surprise, there are a few instances on this site of people disagreeing whether damage dealt and damage taken are the same thing or not). That said, if you wanted to define "a spell that deals fire/radiant damage" as a spell you expect to deal fire/radiant damage you could certainly do so. Just know that different people may have different amounts of knowledge regarding what damage types the spell might end up dealing \$\endgroup\$ Jun 10, 2020 at 22:22
  • 5
    \$\begingroup\$ Wouldn't this reading render whole Corona of Light useless? It grants disadvantage for spell that deals damage, and as you wrote, spell deals damage, or not, only after the save. What's the difference between that and additional use of the radiant soul? \$\endgroup\$
    – Mołot
    Jun 11, 2020 at 6:52
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ If a spell pushes somebody into a fire or off a cliff, did the spell deal fire/bludgeoning damage? If a spell attack is modified by hex, did the spell deal necrotic damage? It's stuff I've had GMs not agree on and so I stick to the spell descriptions. My argument is the same for the various features that state "when you cast a spell that deals X damage"; the fact that it deals that type of damage must be known when you cast the spell not when the spell deals damage (an important distinction), which can be determined by the spell's description, or perhaps whether you expect it to do so \$\endgroup\$ Jun 11, 2020 at 12:25
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ @Molot I think Media's reading is that the spells aren't effected by the radient soul or radient consumption feature until you decide to cause the extra damage when damage is being dealt, which is why he says my combination wouldn't work. This combination would work however if you rule that Radient consumption and radient soul effects spells bebefore the decision to add the extra damage is made. This all Heavily rely on interpretation unfortunately \$\endgroup\$ Jun 11, 2020 at 12:29

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .