123
votes
Accepted
My Wizard is conjuring a piece of the sun. How will this affect my setting?
This could go a number of ways, depending on how you rule it. I'll address the problems first.
What is an Object?
First and foremost, you have to consider what the definition of an Object is. The ...
- 66.1k
57
votes
Accepted
What do I do about a game-breaking ruling on how summoning works?
No, you are not overreacting.
First off, every "Conjure Something" spell I checked specifically calls out that the summoned being appears "in unoccupied space". I'm curious how the DM thought it was ...
- 41.2k
41
votes
Accepted
What does "Summoned creature has maximum hit points" actually mean?
It means that the elementals will have 144 Hit Points
If the designers instead wanted the air elementals to have rolled or average hit points they could have said:
Summoned elementals have their ...
- 76.7k
37
votes
Accepted
How do I, as the DM, decide what creatures are conjured by a summoning spell?
I play a druid character who regularly uses conjuration spells. To make life easy on my DM I prepared a cheat sheet of all the summonable subjects. It's just a little sheet that has AC, relevant ...
- 32.2k
35
votes
Accepted
How to effectively deal with advanced "remote control" tactics in dungeons?
What you are thinking is a problem is actually players engaging with the exploration pillar
The issue I think you have is that the exploration pillar is talked about, but never explained very well.
...
- 30.2k
33
votes
Accepted
Can I summon an otherworldly creature with the Gate spell without knowing its true name?
You must know the target's actual name to summon them via Gate (but there's no indication that Orcus's name isn't really Orcus)
As the gate spell describes:
When you cast this spell, you can speak ...
- 66.4k
33
votes
Accepted
Is the vial necessary to Summon Greater Demon?
A vial is (probably) not needed but is a good idea
It's a fair question
On the one hand, "a vial of blood" could mean you need a literal vial. On the other hand, perhaps you need a 'vial's ...
- 56.8k
31
votes
Accepted
Can you voluntarily end concentration on part of a spell?
No
You can stop concentrating to make them all disappear but concentration is either on or off - it's never half on.
- 215k
31
votes
Accepted
What's the difference between the Find Steed and Find Greater Steed spells?
Find Greater Steed generally provides more powerful creatures
Below is a table showcasing the creatures that can be summoned by each spell.
Find Steed
Name
CR
HP
Speed
Attack(s)
Special
Warhorse
1/...
- 52.9k
30
votes
Accepted
Can invisibility be countered by "ramming" the whole room with lots of conjured animals?
You know where the invisible creature is
Invisible is not hidden.
Your BBEG needed to become invisible and then take an action to hide. This would likely require 2 turns unless he had some way of ...
- 215k
29
votes
Can "Minor Conjuration" create a physical key?
Yes (no other requirements)
The text for this feature clearly spells out the limitations for items it can conjure:
This object can be no larger than 3 feet on a side and weigh no more than 10 pounds, ...
- 10.3k
29
votes
Is the Conjure Woodland Beings spell (to summon pixies) broken?
As answered in Sage Advice (see How to decide what creatures are summoned?), the spell is expected to work like this: the caster chooses the number and CR of creatures, and the DM fills the request (...
- 30k
29
votes
Accepted
Can the rats summoned using a Hat of Vermin allow a character to use the Pipes of the Sewers to call forth a swarm of rats?
Ask your DM and hope they majored in philosophy.
You're asking, "when have I added enough rats to make a swarm?" This is identical to the 2400 year old Sorites Paradox:
The sorites paradox (...
- 153k
28
votes
Accepted
Can a single casting of Dispel Magic dispel every creature conjured by a Conjure Animals spell?
No, it only ends the spell on a single target
We can extrapolate an answer based on how dispel magic interacts with spells like bless:
From the Sage Advice Compendium:
If dispel magic targets the ...
- 22.3k
28
votes
Accepted
How can I make combat with a lot of summoned creatures quicker?
There is no easy answer
This is a tough situation and the solutions are all generally things that can make players feel that their strategies are being specifically targeted. That doesn't leave you ...
- 126k
27
votes
Why use the Conjure Minor Elemental spell when its results are so unpredictable?
You Can Request
From the Sage Advice Compendium:
When you cast a spell like conjure woodland beings, does the spellcaster or the DM choose the creatures that are conjured? [...]
Some spells of this ...
- 40.5k
27
votes
Is this 9th-level spell Find Greatest Steed balanced with respect to other 9th-level spells?
Frame challenge: Find 'whatever' steed is a class feature, not a spell
Attempting to balance this as a spell is a poor idea, because this is just a 5e method of giving a Paladin a steed in a similar ...
- 30.2k
26
votes
Accepted
Which summoning spells conjure willing creatures, and which unwilling?
Most creatures are summoned unwillingly, or are otherwise unhappy about being summoned.
The Monster Manual is rife with examples of creatures that hate being summoned, under almost any circumstances. ...
- 63.7k
26
votes
Accepted
Does "resistance to damage from spells" reduce damage caused by summoning spells?
No
The spell Conjure Animals doesn't deal any damage, since no damage is mentioned in the text. Thus, the damage dealt by any creatures summoned by the spell comes from the creature, not the spell.
- 2,938
26
votes
Accepted
How does the summoned monster know who is my enemy?
It somehow automagically knows without being told.
From the spell description of summon monster I:
It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the ...
- 84k
25
votes
How do I, as the DM, decide what creatures are conjured by a summoning spell?
Cutting through the red tape
The most straightforward way to deal with this is just to let your players choose the creatures they want. In my experience, players casting these spells know what they ...
- 145k
25
votes
How can I design a witch (or other enemy) that summons/controls lightning birds at sea to attack the party while hidden on a ship?
My idea is that there is a hidden pirate witch on board that can get a lightning bird to attack once a day, or something, but that she needs to burn incense as a consumable part of the spell.
This is ...
- 30k
24
votes
Accepted
Can the Conjure Animals spell summon swarms?
No; conjure animals summons a specified number of beasts of a certain CR, not a swarm of them
As written, the conjure animals spell summons a specified number of beasts, and a swarm is a collection of ...
- 50.2k
24
votes
Do animals of the same CR summoned by Conjure Animals have to be the same animal?
There is nothing that says they have to be the same creature
The only thing the spell says about what creatures are summoned is:
You summon fey spirits that take the form of beasts and appear in ...
- 95.3k
24
votes
Can I use the Conjure Animals spell to drop cows on targets in order to deal damage to the targets?
Yes! Anvil Cows is a creative and fun idea
With the Conjure Animals spell, you can definitely try this!
You summon fey spirits that take the form of beasts and appear in unoccupied spaces that you ...
- 46.8k
22
votes
Can Mage Hand be used to scribe the circle of blood used in the Summon Lesser Demons and Summon Greater Demon spells?
No, mage hand can't be used to cast spells
The vial of blood and using it in that way are spell components. Spell components have to be performed by the caster, or the spell isn't cast. Having a mage ...
- 244k
21
votes
Can "Minor Conjuration" create a physical key?
A key
Yes without any other requirements. Key fits requirements of the spell.
The key
There are currently no rules specifically saying one way or the other. It is, thus, a DM call to say if created ...
- 26.1k
21
votes
Accepted
Do animals summoned by the Conjure Animals spell get extra HP from the Circle of the Shepherd druid's Bear Spirit Totem?
Conjured animals would gain temporary hit points
The Bear Spirit option of the Shepherd Druid's Spirit Totem feature states (XGtE, p. 23):
The bear spirit grants you and your allies its might and ...
- 76.7k
20
votes
My Wizard is conjuring a piece of the sun. How will this affect my setting?
Regardless of whether or not the player would be able to conjure bits of the sun, let's take a look at what would happen if he could.
After all, one of the joys of tabletop games is letting the ...
- 5,973
20
votes
Accepted
If a creator of a Shield Guardian gives the control amulet to the Shield Guardian, what would happen?
A shield guardian that owned its own amulet would guard itself.
It would simply protect itself as that is its only focus.
A shield guardians solitary focus is to protect the amulet's wearer. The ...
- 34.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible