This is a touch spell. An spell attack roll is required. But it doesnt seem to make sense that the cleric will miss the spell attack roll. How to explain the cleric missing the attack roll, if he does miss?
The game rules assume that people are facing off at a few feet distance, not hugging. If there's no way to dodge the touch, the DM can rule the attack roll automatically succeeds. Dice rolls are used when there's a chance of failure. If there's no chance of failing, there's no need.
Inflict wounds has somatic components. Your cleric's going to have to stop hugging the dragon to perform those, and that sudden change startles the dragon into twitching away.
No idea, I haven't really played 3.5 aside from like two sessions when I was first introduced to D&D. It just makes intuitive sense to me to think of it like that.
The dragon's will was too strong and shrugged it off? I'm still wondering the circumstances of the hug? There was a piece of gold or treasure stuck to its side where the hand transmitting the spell/"touch" is?
Honestly if the players are able to get close enough to a dragon to hug it, I think they should be rewarded with a free hit... If I were to DM it I'd probably have the dragon roll a perception and/or insight check to see if it trusts you enough to let down it's guard.
I view it as a similar situation to you sneaking up on a sleeping person and wanting to attack them.. I guess RAW would want you to roll an attack with advantage, but I believe those rules are made with a combat scenario in mind, and not a carefully planned approach.
Well... dragons may be not very kind in most cases... but there are cases dragons in which dragons are somewhat easier to handle given the situations. (a) dragons that are too proud and ignore dangers (b) Or may be in the case like the film how to tame a dragon (c) like in the film dragonheart (d) like in GOT that you are the dragon queen (e) being a Gith who has a pact with Tiamat which allows you riding one (f) you are simply just superior in stealth ... or the dragon was asleep while you sneaked up to it... just like Bilbo in Hobbits
Well... dragons may be not very kind in most cases... but there are cases dragons in which dragons are somewhat easier to handle given the situations. (a) dragons that are too proud and ignore dangers (b) Or may be in the case like the film how to tame a dragon (c) like in the film dragonheart (d) like in GOT that you are the dragon queen (e) being a Gith who has a pact with Tiamat which allows you riding one (f) you are simply just superior in stealth ... or the dragon was asleep while you sneaked up to it... just like Bilbo in Hobbits
The way I've always viewed spells isn't that they're hit-or-miss, but rather that channeling and directing them is hard to do. Sure, sometimes you'll hurl a cantrip and just whiff it, but just as many times I describe it as the spell fizzling out before it reaches its destination. Casters aren't perfect either!
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
This is a touch spell. An spell attack roll is required. But it doesnt seem to make sense that the cleric will miss the spell attack roll. How to explain the cleric missing the attack roll, if he does miss?
A miss on an attack roll hasn't necessarily meant an actual miss since the game's inception, or ac wouldn't work the way it does. The Dex portion of AC traditionally represents actual dodging, while other portions mean other things - armor (including natural armor) represents hitting impregnable armor rather than the wearer. In this case, a miss would be your spell fizzling harmlessly into the dragon's scales. Dexterity saves are *also* dodging.
The way I try to view it is that you can hit without scoring damage. For example, you're wearing armor, I can score a hit on you, but the armor holds and it does no damage. In D&D terms, that's a 'miss'. Same thing with a spell. Touching is not enough to guarantee that you can do damage, your magic still has to penetrate the scales of the dragon to do damage. That's going to require an attack roll that you can 'miss' with. The miss is just the scales of the dragon being adequate to absorb the magic's blow, regardless of whether or not you are physically touching the dragon.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
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This is a touch spell. An spell attack roll is required. But it doesnt seem to make sense that the cleric will miss the spell attack roll. How to explain the cleric missing the attack roll, if he does miss?
The game rules assume that people are facing off at a few feet distance, not hugging. If there's no way to dodge the touch, the DM can rule the attack roll automatically succeeds. Dice rolls are used when there's a chance of failure. If there's no chance of failing, there's no need.
Inflict wounds has somatic components. Your cleric's going to have to stop hugging the dragon to perform those, and that sudden change startles the dragon into twitching away.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
I also have subtle spell ... so no need for somantic component by spending 1 sorcery point
Think of it not as "does my PC physically make contact or not," but as "does my spell work or not."
Interesting thought but thats a 3.5e concept right? I never played 3.5e ... basically skipped the whole of it but I heard about it vaguely.
No idea, I haven't really played 3.5 aside from like two sessions when I was first introduced to D&D. It just makes intuitive sense to me to think of it like that.
The dragon's will was too strong and shrugged it off? I'm still wondering the circumstances of the hug? There was a piece of gold or treasure stuck to its side where the hand transmitting the spell/"touch" is?
Honestly if the players are able to get close enough to a dragon to hug it, I think they should be rewarded with a free hit... If I were to DM it I'd probably have the dragon roll a perception and/or insight check to see if it trusts you enough to let down it's guard.
I view it as a similar situation to you sneaking up on a sleeping person and wanting to attack them.. I guess RAW would want you to roll an attack with advantage, but I believe those rules are made with a combat scenario in mind, and not a carefully planned approach.
Well... dragons may be not very kind in most cases... but there are cases dragons in which dragons are somewhat easier to handle given the situations. (a) dragons that are too proud and ignore dangers (b) Or may be in the case like the film how to tame a dragon (c) like in the film dragonheart (d) like in GOT that you are the dragon queen (e) being a Gith who has a pact with Tiamat which allows you riding one (f) you are simply just superior in stealth ... or the dragon was asleep while you sneaked up to it... just like Bilbo in Hobbits
Well... dragons may be not very kind in most cases... but there are cases dragons in which dragons are somewhat easier to handle given the situations. (a) dragons that are too proud and ignore dangers (b) Or may be in the case like the film how to tame a dragon (c) like in the film dragonheart (d) like in GOT that you are the dragon queen (e) being a Gith who has a pact with Tiamat which allows you riding one (f) you are simply just superior in stealth ... or the dragon was asleep while you sneaked up to it... just like Bilbo in Hobbits
The way I've always viewed spells isn't that they're hit-or-miss, but rather that channeling and directing them is hard to do. Sure, sometimes you'll hurl a cantrip and just whiff it, but just as many times I describe it as the spell fizzling out before it reaches its destination. Casters aren't perfect either!
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
A miss on an attack roll hasn't necessarily meant an actual miss since the game's inception, or ac wouldn't work the way it does. The Dex portion of AC traditionally represents actual dodging, while other portions mean other things - armor (including natural armor) represents hitting impregnable armor rather than the wearer. In this case, a miss would be your spell fizzling harmlessly into the dragon's scales. Dexterity saves are *also* dodging.
The way I try to view it is that you can hit without scoring damage. For example, you're wearing armor, I can score a hit on you, but the armor holds and it does no damage. In D&D terms, that's a 'miss'. Same thing with a spell. Touching is not enough to guarantee that you can do damage, your magic still has to penetrate the scales of the dragon to do damage. That's going to require an attack roll that you can 'miss' with. The miss is just the scales of the dragon being adequate to absorb the magic's blow, regardless of whether or not you are physically touching the dragon.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha