now i know what you are thinking "what does Optional Concentration mean?"
my favorite 2 examples of this are Witch Bolt, and Vampiric Touch. both these spells have a initial effect, Witch bolt is the ranged spell attack, and Vampiric Touch is the melee spell attack. and then they have their "Concentration" effect. Witch bolt's damage can be reactivated Sans attack rolls as an action, if you concentrate on the spell, and Vampiric Touch can be essentially recast without costing a spell slot, if you are concentrating on it.
my question, and this is where it gets to the confusing rules part for me is, what about if i want a different concentration effect prior to these abilities to stay active? can i just do the first initial effect and choose not to do the concentration bit from the get-go?
for example: Scenario 1:
Sorcerer Class: Turn 1 Quickened Elemental Bane, into Action Witch Bolt. E,Bane Concentration officially broken as Witch Bolt Concentration Takes over no matter what.
Scenario 2:
Sorcerer Class: Turn 1 Quick E,Bane, into Action W,Bolt. the Caster gets to choose "Hey i only want the Damage bit of W,Bolt so im gonna keep my E,Bane Concentration instead."
Some spells require you to maintain concentration in order to keep their magic active. If you lose concentration, such a spell ends.
If a spell must be maintained with concentration, that fact appears in its Duration entry, and the spell specifies how long you can concentrate on it. You can end concentration at any time (no action required).
Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn't interfere with concentration. The following factors can break concentration:
Casting another spell that requires concentration. You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another spell that requires concentration. You can't concentrate on two spells at once.
...
As you can see, there is no optional concentration and I think this is very much intentional. The druid cantrip Create Bonfire, for example, has a very different power level because of exactly this rule.
rather than look at it as "Optional concentration" it helps if you look at it as a standard spell that requires concentration. As per all spells that require concentration, you may choose to drop concentration and end the spell early.
Casting another spell that requires concentration. You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another spell that requires concentration. You can't concentrate on two spells at once.
As can be seen the Witch Bolt requires concentration.
This means that you MUST drop concentration on your previous spell, to be able to cast Witch Bolt.
You may then choose to drop concentration on the Witch Bolt spell, rather than maintain it for the additional effect. That is your choice though.
In your examples - this isn't possible, as you may NOT cast two spells in the same turn, even by quickening one of them. You may combine a spell and a cantrip however. source
If you cast Elemental Bane and were concentrating on maintaining it, then decided on the following turn to cast Witch Bolt, then you would need to stop concentrating on the Elemental Bane spell PRIOR to casting the Witch Bolt (meaning that the target would not be affected by the Elemental Bane at the point where the Witch Bolt strikes it).
now i know what you are thinking "what does Optional Concentration mean?"
my favorite 2 examples of this are Witch Bolt, and Vampiric Touch. both these spells have a initial effect, Witch bolt is the ranged spell attack, and Vampiric Touch is the melee spell attack. and then they have their "Concentration" effect. Witch bolt's damage can be reactivated Sans attack rolls as an action, if you concentrate on the spell, and Vampiric Touch can be essentially recast without costing a spell slot, if you are concentrating on it.
my question, and this is where it gets to the confusing rules part for me is, what about if i want a different concentration effect prior to these abilities to stay active? can i just do the first initial effect and choose not to do the concentration bit from the get-go?
for example: Scenario 1:
Sorcerer Class: Turn 1 Quickened Elemental Bane, into Action Witch Bolt. E,Bane Concentration officially broken as Witch Bolt Concentration Takes over no matter what.
Scenario 2:
Sorcerer Class: Turn 1 Quick E,Bane, into Action W,Bolt. the Caster gets to choose "Hey i only want the Damage bit of W,Bolt so im gonna keep my E,Bane Concentration instead."
This is not possible per RAW. Per the Player's Handbook:
As you can see, there is no optional concentration and I think this is very much intentional. The druid cantrip Create Bonfire, for example, has a very different power level because of exactly this rule.
Hi there,
rather than look at it as "Optional concentration" it helps if you look at it as a standard spell that requires concentration. As per all spells that require concentration, you may choose to drop concentration and end the spell early.
The rules here specify:
As can be seen the Witch Bolt requires concentration.
This means that you MUST drop concentration on your previous spell, to be able to cast Witch Bolt.
You may then choose to drop concentration on the Witch Bolt spell, rather than maintain it for the additional effect. That is your choice though.
In your examples - this isn't possible, as you may NOT cast two spells in the same turn, even by quickening one of them. You may combine a spell and a cantrip however. source
If you cast Elemental Bane and were concentrating on maintaining it, then decided on the following turn to cast Witch Bolt, then you would need to stop concentrating on the Elemental Bane spell PRIOR to casting the Witch Bolt (meaning that the target would not be affected by the Elemental Bane at the point where the Witch Bolt strikes it).
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Whoops i wrote out my examples wrong.
I meant 1st turn Quick E,Bane then Shocking Grasp cantrip. 2nd turn Witch Bolt. Or something to that effect.
Either way tho this answers my question, thanks