Questions tagged [targeting]
For questions about targeting, the process by which something is chosen as the origin or recipient of an effect.
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Can a College of Swords bard use the Slashing Flourish option to apply a Smite spell to all creatures in range?
The description of the Wrathful Smite spell says (PHB, p. 289):
The next time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell's
duration, your attack deals an extra 1d6 psychic damage. ...
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What are some use cases for attack rolls that target a location? [closed]
In D&D 5e, a location is effectively a space in a place or a point on a map, as opposed to constituting a discrete object (a location can be a point in midair, for instance). They are defined ...
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If a net is 10×10, can it hit four medium creatures, by RAW?
This whole question assumes that the canonical Net weapon used for immobilizing a Large creature, is 10ft across; if your answer is based on a presumption that a net weapon isn't 10ft across, please ...
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Does casting Dispel Magic on the Illusion created by a Mislead spell also end the Mislead's invisibility?
The Mislead spell has two effects: It creates an illusory copy of the caster that lasts for the duration (concentration, up to 1 hour), and it makes the caster invisible (same conditions as the ...
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If you're mounted and forced to make a melee attack, do you attack your mount?
I'm a new DM running a 5e combat encounter in which the NPC attacker is mounted on a Riding Horse.
One of the players' characters has just cast Confusion, which indicates that
Each creature in a 10-...
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Can I shoot or use spells from one room to another?
Can I shoot or use spells from one room to another? I can see my opponents through an open door that is between the rooms. My DM told me I could not do that.
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Can someone target a square rather than a creature and how does that work?
In Pathfinder 2, most weapons are obviously design to directly target a foe, but for those that can deal splash damage you may be tempted in some situations not to target any foe in particular and ...
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Does Chain Lightning deal damage to its original target first?
When Chain Lightning deals damage, does it deal damage to all targets at once, or does it's original target takes damage first? I ask this question because after damage was taken concentration checks ...
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Clarification on spells that require the caster to see the target vs those that don't [duplicate]
Some spells like Command specify that you need to see your target:
You speak a one-word command to a creature you can see within range.
Some other spells like Animate Objects don't specify that you ...
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When and how can targets be chosen for concentration spells such as Fly or Invisibility?
Spells like fly or invisibility have a casting time of 1 action and a range of touch. The spells are worded so that you touch a creature and they can either fly or become invisible with limits up to ...
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How easy is it to pinpoint someone's location when you can't see them?
Let's say a Darkness spell is casted on a specific point:
Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within range to fill a 15-foot-radius sphere for the duration. The darkness spreads around ...
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Can a Tricksy fey from the Summon Fey spell place a cube of darkness partially on an enemy, so allies can still target what’s visible at advantage?
The summon fey spell (TCoE, p. 112) summons a fey spirit marked by a chosen mood, which determines the secondary effect of its Fey Step bonus action (after teleporting 30 feet). For the Tricksy mood, ...
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Does the Wish spell allow me to cast a lower-level spell (that normally targets a willing creature) on an unwilling creature?
Wish allows casting a lower-level spell 'without meeting its requirements'.
A major restriction to many spells is that it can only be cast on a willing creature. Can I use wish to avoid this ...
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Is a container full of objects a valid target for the Enlarge/Reduce spell?
In the last session, my party and I had to rob the major of a city. We needed to retrieve a particular object that proves his actual corruption by the local thieves' guild.
We managed to get into the ...
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Can a familiar be resummoned on the other side of a door? [duplicate]
There is a thread about Conjure Elemental not being able to be cast on the other side of a wall due to targeting rules. Does this also apply to bringing a familiar from its extradimensional space? Or ...
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Can you move Flaming Sphere to a point you can't see?
Let's say you are outside a room and the door is open. You cast Flaming Sphere inside, on a square you can see through the door and then move away so you no longer have vision of the sphere.
On the ...
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Can a bard who takes Contingency at 14th level use Spell Glyphs to Contingency-Revivify the party?
Here's the premise- Upcast your glyph of warding as a 7th level spell slot, select spell glyph. Trigger for glyph is "When [Desired Party Member] touches this glyph."
Cast Contingency->...
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Found Greater Steed and Mislead
The same bard who was using a Hat of Disguise on her Found Greater Steed is now thinking of picking up Mislead.
I agree with the accepted answer on the previous question, that when Find Greater Steed ...
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Is a "clear path to the target" needed for non-spell effects?
The PHB (p.205) specifies the general rule that a "clear path to the target" is required to cast a spell. The rules on cover (p.196) tell us that total cover prevents an attack or a spell.
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Wall of Fire - Melee Attack with Reach
A huge creature, having melee attacks with a 15-foot range, can attack a target (the red target in the picture) on the opposite side of the wall of fire without necessarily going through the wall.
In ...
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Underground Combat - Melee Attack with Reach
About combat possibilities with a creature remaining underground (0 feet away from the surface, as in the picture).
Can a huge monster, with the burrow speed to stay completely underground, having ...
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Can meteor swarm trigger in the air?
The wording of METEOR SWARM, a 9th level spell, starts with:
Blazing orbs of fire plummet to the ground at four different points you can see within range. Each creature in a 40-foot-radius sphere ...
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How do I rationalize to my players that the Mirror Image is completely useless against the Beholder rays? (also non-attack spells)
Some context:
We're running Dragon Heist and the party is brainstorming on a smart combo game plan to fight the Xanathar himself. In this question I've clarified why in our encounter and generally it ...
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Are golems immune to indirect spells?
Golem Antimagic is not that clear:
A golem is immune to spells and magical abilities other than its own
Grease is however cast on the ground, not on the golem:
Area All solid ground in the area is ...
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While wearing an Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location, can I cast Divination spells with a range of Self? [duplicate]
Consider the situation: I am wearing an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location, giving me the following effect:
While wearing this amulet, you are hidden from divination magic. You can't be ...
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Spell Targeting, Or: Can I use the fire bolt cantrip as a flare gun? [duplicate]
This is intended as a very general question on spell targeting but let's focus on a very specific example.
The fire bolt cantrip description states:
You hurl a mote of fire at a creature or object ...
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Can Temple of the Gods be cast on a small floating area at sea?
Players want to cast Temple of the Gods on a small floating square at sea. (It involves the shape water cantrip, but I want to put that aside for this question). The spell says it requires to be cast ...
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Who holds the bond when the Warding Bond spell is cast through a familiar?
The text of the spell Find Familiar states (emphasis mine):
when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell.
The spell Warding Bond's ...
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Who does the Hellish Rebuke spell target when the Warding Bond spell has been cast?
The description of the warding bond spell says, in part (emphasis mine):
This spell wards a willing creature you touch and creates a mystic connection between you and the target until the spell ends.
...
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By a strict reading of RAW: does Revivify work?
Given the following two facts, through a strict RAW reading (a DM of course can and likely should handwave this issue), is a typical corpse a valid target of Revivify?
Creatures are Objects.
...
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If the Raulothim's Psychic Lance spell "dissipates without effect", is the spell slot consumed?
I was reading the description of the Raulothim's Psychic Lance spell (Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, p. 21) and I was left with a question. Raulothim's Psychic Lance gives the following alternative ...
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What happens when Wand of Wonder allows you to cast Detect Thoughts on a creature?
Wand of Wonders has an effect that allows you to target a creature with Detect Thoughts, but Detect Thoughts has a range of self. This is obviously an inconsistency, but how to resolve this?
Do you ...
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What counts as a "specific effect" of the Guards and Wards spell if the Dispel Magic spell is cast on it?
The description of the Guards and Wards spell says:
Guards and wards creates the following effects within the warded area.
Corridors. Fog fills all the warded corridors, making them heavily obscured. ...
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Can climbing up a tree prevent a creature from being targeted with Magic Missile?
Is climbing treated the same as movement in a combat round? Will my Magic Missile still work, with all the monsters up a tree?
It's a scenario about being attacked in a dense forest, by monsters ...
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Does the caster of a tiny hut know whom it affects?
I DM for a party that includes a bard and a warlock, both of whom can cast tiny hut. In a typical dangerous area long rest, the bard casts tiny hut to include the entire party, and then the warlock ...
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Do you choose targets as part of the casting of a spell, or as part of the effect of it? [duplicate]
When casting a spell, do you select targets at the time of casting the spell or when the spell's effects take place?
For an example of when the distinction might matter, consider casting a single-...
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Can spells that target creatures affect (damage) the layers of a Prismatic Wall spell?
I know that spells, in general, state what they can target - which is often only creatures. Spells which can target other things like objects (as in Fire Bolt) or magical effects (as in Dispel Magic) ...
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Heat Metal vs Sanctuary
My druid cast Heat Metal on an armor-wearing enemy's armor. Then the enemy cast Sanctuary. Then, when while Sanctuary was in effect, I used my bonus action to heat the armor.
The DM said I was ...
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Is there a rule that enables Sending to ignore the spell targeting rules regarding Total Cover?
SRD, page 102 - Spell Targeting:
To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind total cover.
SRD, page 177 - Sending:
Sending
Range: Unlimited
The spell doesn't seem ...
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Can a Leonin avoid targeting allies with the Daunting Roar ability if the Leonin is blinded?
I saw an interesting interaction today about the Leonin Daunting Roar ability. There was a blinded Leonin adjacent to allies and enemies. He wanted to use the Daunting Roar ability. The relevant text ...
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Managing the Manifest Mind
We had our first session with an Order of Scribes wizard the other night, from Tasha's.
Where we left off in our session is that the OoS wizard sent the Mind ahead of the party and encountered what is ...
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Can Locate Object find the orb of a Scrying sensor?
The Scrying spell states (emphasis mine):
On a failed save, the spell creates an invisible sensor within 10 feet of the target. You can see and hear through the sensor as if you were there. The ...
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What can spells cast into a Shield Guardian target?
There is already this question clarifying that you cannot cast spells with a range of self on the Shield Guardian, as you need to be able to target the guardian with the spell. It is clear that you ...
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How does the sorcerer's Distant Spell Metamagic option interact with an upcast Hold Person spell?
Hold Person is a spell that upcasts as follows:
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional humanoid for each slot level above 2nd. The humanoids ...
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When is a spell "on" a target for the purposes of Dispel Magic?
Suppose my character is currently under the effects of the Heat Metal spell (targeting his breastplate) and is also caught by the Entangle spell (i.e., I was in the Entangle area of effect when it was ...
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Chain Lightning and Expansive Spellstrike
Expansive Spellstrike allows for using spells that can "target a creature or that [have] an area of a burst, cone, or line (abiding by any other restrictions of Spellstrike)" with ...
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Can I successfully cast the Message cantrip targeting a familiar creature in range when I have no idea where they are to "point toward"?
This came up last night in-session, and RAW, I do not believe the verbiage of the Message Cantrip matches RAI. The issue arises due to the fact that the spell seems to be two spells in one.
You point ...
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What mechanics allow you to target an Unseen Servant?
It appears that the spell unseen servant creates a shapeless force that is neither an object nor a creature. Because it does not fall into either of those categories, what mechanical options are there ...
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Can See Invisibility and Dispel Magic detect a target affected by Sequester?
Sorry if it's dumb, but my reading of sequester (PHB, 274) suggests that it prevents any locate X spell (target) from detecting the target, as well as scrying (PHB, 273) and clairvoyance (PHB, 222) ...
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How does the target of Telepathy become aware that it has been cast so they can decide if they are a "willing creature"?
Without warning, a wizard casts telepathy targeting a friend who is on a different continent.
You create a telepathic link between yourself and a willing creature with which you are familiar.
How is ...
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