Maybe you guys are right, I didn't check the RAW to see if it was the weapon or the ammo that does the damage. I know there are both ranged weapons and ammo that can give a bonus to hit and damage.
It would be interesting to see a definitive ruling on this, either one that is already in an official printed rules source or from one of the game designers.
It does affect ammunition in the same way that magical crossbows/bows impart their enchantment onto their ammunition. — Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) December 6, 2018
This sounds like the magic is imparted to the ammo which then does the damage... and the weapon is just used to fire the ammo, not deal the damage. If the magical enchantment is imparted onto the ammo and the ammo is striking the target while the ranged weapon remains in your hand and doesn't actually deal any damage itself doesn't that mean the hand crossbow created with minor conjuration would be ok?
This sounds like the magic is imparted to the ammo which then does the damage... and the weapon is just used to fire the ammo, not deal the damage. If the magical enchantment is imparted onto the ammo and the ammo is striking the target while the ranged weapon remains in your hand and doesn't actually deal any damage itself doesn't that mean the hand crossbow created with minor conjuration would be ok?
If you're not dealing damage with the crossbow then where is your damage coming from?
Another way of looking at it is to consider the implications of this "ammo does the damage, not the weapon" line of thinking; if the ammunition is the only part dealing damage, then isn't this also true of a longsword wielded by a character, since the weapon is dealing the damage but the character isn't? That could set a very destructive precedent in the rules as you'd lose any ability to trigger features that occur when you deal damage (since only creatures performing unarmed strikes could ever truly be doing that). Consider a Fiend Warlock who gains temporary hit-points when they reduce an enemy to 0 hit-points; if it was in fact their ammunition that did the damage, then the Warlock could never reduce a target to 0 hp, since it's never them doing it.
If we instead assume that a creature wielding a melee weapon is said to have dealt damage when it uses the weapon, then so too must a creature that throws a weapon (such as a dagger) to make a ranged attack, and what is a bow and arrow if not another means of throwing/propelling a projectile? So following that line of reasoning, the ammo, bow/crossbow, and creature must all be dealing damage for rules purposes, especially since the bow/crossbow sets the damage dice, the creature sets the modifier (usually Dexterity for ranged) and the ammo makes it possible to use the weapon etc.
Prestidigitation can also be broken (depending on the DM). Using a similar example with purple worm poison, cast prestidigitation on the poison to make it appear (to the senses) as wine (garnet colored, smells and tastes like wine, etc). Send over a complimentary glass of purple worm poison wine to someone you want to off. Collect XP.
Prestidigitation can also be broken (depending on the DM). Using a similar example with purple worm poison, cast prestidigitation on the poison to make it appear (to the senses) as wine (garnet colored, smells and tastes like wine, etc). Send over a complimentary glass of purple worm poison wine to someone you want to off. Collect XP.
That would depend a lot on how much like wine your DM rules the poison to be; prestidigitation can only affect the flavour and smell, not the appearance or consistency. You could certainly use it to help you mask the poison, e.g- by mixing it into ordinary wine, but that feels like some kind of check is needed to see how well you mask the poison, in which case prestidigitation might only be giving you a bonus to the roll (e.g- advantage).
It also wouldn't affect detect poison and disease, which you have to assume high value targets might have some kind of access to through a bodyguard, magic item or such. Or they can just do it old-school and have someone test their food and drink, so it's not just about poisoning the drink, it's about doing so in a way that the tester isn't affected, or poisoning it after it's tested.
In short, there's plenty of ways for a DM to reasonably rein in any potential abuse of this.
RAW, prestidigitation allows the caster to control the (surface) color, flavor and odor of a substance. That said, you'd have to cast the spell 3 times--1 time for each sensory affect. But the spell does allow up to 3 sensory affects to be active at a time. Still, given the ambiguities in the spell, I agree that the specific combination desired by the caster would need to be approved by the DM.
This spell is a minor magical trick that novice spellcasters use for practice. You create one of the following magical effects within range:
You create an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor.
You instantaneously light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
You instantaneously clean or soil an object no larger than 1 cubic foot.
You chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving material for 1 hour.
You make a color, a small mark, or a symbol appear on an object or a surface for 1 hour.
You create a nonmagical trinket or an illusory image that can fit in your hand and that lasts until the end of your next turn.
If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.
Another thing that makes the Conjuration wizard secretly OP (or maybe not so secretly) is their 6th level feature Benign Transposition.
This isn't a spell so can't be countered.
You can switch places with an ally, even a familiar (possibly even an NPC if they're willing).
But what I found really interesting is that you can use your action to do Benign Transposition and then as a bonus action cast Misty Step for a second 30 foot teleport in the same turn and the Misty Step recharges the Benign Transposition feature since it's a conjuration spell. Regular movement can be used before, in between, or afterward as desired to get you just about anywhere you need to be in a fight.
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Maybe you guys are right, I didn't check the RAW to see if it was the weapon or the ammo that does the damage. I know there are both ranged weapons and ammo that can give a bonus to hit and damage.
It would be interesting to see a definitive ruling on this, either one that is already in an official printed rules source or from one of the game designers.
I did find this on sage advice:
Blood Hunter: will the ammunition shot from the bow deal the additional Crimson Rite damage?
It does affect ammunition in the same way that magical crossbows/bows impart their enchantment onto their ammunition. — Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) December 6, 2018
This sounds like the magic is imparted to the ammo which then does the damage... and the weapon is just used to fire the ammo, not deal the damage. If the magical enchantment is imparted onto the ammo and the ammo is striking the target while the ranged weapon remains in your hand and doesn't actually deal any damage itself doesn't that mean the hand crossbow created with minor conjuration would be ok?
If you're not dealing damage with the crossbow then where is your damage coming from?
Another way of looking at it is to consider the implications of this "ammo does the damage, not the weapon" line of thinking; if the ammunition is the only part dealing damage, then isn't this also true of a longsword wielded by a character, since the weapon is dealing the damage but the character isn't? That could set a very destructive precedent in the rules as you'd lose any ability to trigger features that occur when you deal damage (since only creatures performing unarmed strikes could ever truly be doing that). Consider a Fiend Warlock who gains temporary hit-points when they reduce an enemy to 0 hit-points; if it was in fact their ammunition that did the damage, then the Warlock could never reduce a target to 0 hp, since it's never them doing it.
If we instead assume that a creature wielding a melee weapon is said to have dealt damage when it uses the weapon, then so too must a creature that throws a weapon (such as a dagger) to make a ranged attack, and what is a bow and arrow if not another means of throwing/propelling a projectile? So following that line of reasoning, the ammo, bow/crossbow, and creature must all be dealing damage for rules purposes, especially since the bow/crossbow sets the damage dice, the creature sets the modifier (usually Dexterity for ranged) and the ammo makes it possible to use the weapon etc.
Characters: Bullette, Chortle, Dracarys Noir, Edward Merryspell, Habard Ashery, Legion, Peregrine
My Homebrew: Feats | Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Races
Guides: Creating Sub-Races Using Trait Options
WIP (feedback needed): Blood Mage, Chromatic Sorcerers, Summoner, Trickster Domain, Unlucky, Way of the Daoist (Drunken Master), Weapon Smith
Please don't reply to my posts unless you've read what they actually say.
Prestidigitation can also be broken (depending on the DM). Using a similar example with purple worm poison, cast prestidigitation on the poison to make it appear (to the senses) as wine (garnet colored, smells and tastes like wine, etc). Send over a complimentary glass of purple worm poison wine to someone you want to off. Collect XP.
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.
That would depend a lot on how much like wine your DM rules the poison to be; prestidigitation can only affect the flavour and smell, not the appearance or consistency. You could certainly use it to help you mask the poison, e.g- by mixing it into ordinary wine, but that feels like some kind of check is needed to see how well you mask the poison, in which case prestidigitation might only be giving you a bonus to the roll (e.g- advantage).
It also wouldn't affect detect poison and disease, which you have to assume high value targets might have some kind of access to through a bodyguard, magic item or such. Or they can just do it old-school and have someone test their food and drink, so it's not just about poisoning the drink, it's about doing so in a way that the tester isn't affected, or poisoning it after it's tested.
In short, there's plenty of ways for a DM to reasonably rein in any potential abuse of this.
Characters: Bullette, Chortle, Dracarys Noir, Edward Merryspell, Habard Ashery, Legion, Peregrine
My Homebrew: Feats | Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | Races
Guides: Creating Sub-Races Using Trait Options
WIP (feedback needed): Blood Mage, Chromatic Sorcerers, Summoner, Trickster Domain, Unlucky, Way of the Daoist (Drunken Master), Weapon Smith
Please don't reply to my posts unless you've read what they actually say.
RAW, prestidigitation allows the caster to control the (surface) color, flavor and odor of a substance. That said, you'd have to cast the spell 3 times--1 time for each sensory affect. But the spell does allow up to 3 sensory affects to be active at a time. Still, given the ambiguities in the spell, I agree that the specific combination desired by the caster would need to be approved by the DM.
Started playing 1e in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in the last year.
Another thing that makes the Conjuration wizard secretly OP (or maybe not so secretly) is their 6th level feature Benign Transposition.
This isn't a spell so can't be countered.
You can switch places with an ally, even a familiar (possibly even an NPC if they're willing).
But what I found really interesting is that you can use your action to do Benign Transposition and then as a bonus action cast Misty Step for a second 30 foot teleport in the same turn and the Misty Step recharges the Benign Transposition feature since it's a conjuration spell. Regular movement can be used before, in between, or afterward as desired to get you just about anywhere you need to be in a fight.