Planning on putting my players up against a blackguard and his minions and I'm pretty sure my Bard will use heat metal, as he recently discovered it, against the blackguard's plate. Looking around the web man seem to think that a failed con save throw means victim has to remove the armour, essentially taking them out of the game. Unless of course the Bard gets hit and fails con save. However the RAW referes to 'dropping if it can', my question is, is removing a set of plate armour (long drawn out series of actions) really dropping something which to me seems to be a reflex (innvoluntary) action?
"If a creature is holding or wearing the object and takes the damage from it, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or drop the object if it can."
You can't just drop plate armor. So, the blackguard will keep it on. Of course, it has dispel magic and command, so it'll probably either dispel the spell or command the bard to stop concentration.
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"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
If you fail your save against Heat Metal and are unable to drop the item, you have disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of the caster's next turn. That would be the effect on a blackguard.
If you fail your save against Heat Metal and are unable to drop the item, you have disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of the caster's next turn. That would be the effect on a blackguard.
If the target is something that can't be dropped, the saving throw is irrelevant. The victim automatically gains disadvantage on any round that it takes damage from the spell. [SageAdvice]
In addition to Dispel Magic, the Blackguard might be able to use Command to force the Bard to stop concentrating.
I think that seems fair, the bard gets to inflict some damage and the Blackguard either has disadvantage or burns a spell slot using their action. Pretty good for a level 2 spell slot, having to stop and undress from full plate felt too like an insta-win button.
Dispel Magic has both Verbal and Somatic Components. If it’s also in an are of Silence or is Restrained it wouldn’t be able to Dispel a darned thing.
Oops - saw this was already commented on ...
Just curious but why would being restrained prevent casting a spell like Dispel Magic?
Restrained simply sets your speed to zero and has no impact on your ability to cast spells. All of the other effects of the restrained condition are related to attacks or making dexterity saving throws. It doesn't say a restrained creature is incapable of the movements required to cast spells. If it is a house rule you use that's fine but it would be best to make that clear.
What single word Command can cause the target to break Concentration?
Depends on DM flexibility. "Stop" could either be interpreted as "Halt" to stop movement, or to end whatever behavior is currently being performed.
I would personally choose "Dismiss" to avoid ambiguity, as dismissing a spell is equivalent to dropping concentration and there is isn't really anything else that it applies to.
What single word Command can cause the target to break Concentration?
Depends on DM flexibility. "Stop" could either be interpreted as "Halt" to stop movement, or to end whatever behavior is currently being performed.
I would personally choose "Dismiss" to avoid ambiguity, as dismissing a spell is equivalent to dropping concentration and there is isn't really anything else that it applies to.
Stop - I would interpret as don't move.
Dismiss - I would probably reply, "but I don't have anything summoned".
What single word Command can cause the target to break Concentration?
Depends on DM flexibility. "Stop" could either be interpreted as "Halt" to stop movement, or to end whatever behavior is currently being performed.
I would personally choose "Dismiss" to avoid ambiguity, as dismissing a spell is equivalent to dropping concentration and there is isn't really anything else that it applies to.
Stop - I would interpret as don't move.
Dismiss - I would probably reply, "but I don't have anything summoned".
If someone said "Drop", my first instinct would be to lay prone as in "Stop, Drop, and Roll", but the spell is magical, so I'm assuming there is an element of magical context clues.
The description requires that the target understands your language, but doesn't get granular with semantics or dialects. If the DM is willing to allow Command to influence concentration, then they should give the caster the benefit of the doubt, if not, then that can be stated outright.
If you prefer, I could offer a list of other words that could be used, but they all have a certain level of ambiguity. In the real world, we don't associate any word with practical magic, since it doesn't actually exist, so Real Language doesn't really translate well to Fantasy Language in this context.
What single word Command can cause the target to break Concentration?
Depends on DM flexibility. "Stop" could either be interpreted as "Halt" to stop movement, or to end whatever behavior is currently being performed.
I would personally choose "Dismiss" to avoid ambiguity, as dismissing a spell is equivalent to dropping concentration and there is isn't really anything else that it applies to.
Stop - I would interpret as don't move.
Dismiss - I would probably reply, "but I don't have anything summoned".
If someone said "Drop", my first instinct would be to lay prone as in "Stop, Drop, and Roll", but the spell is magical, so I'm assuming there is an element of magical context clues.
The description requires that the target understands your language, but doesn't get granular with semantics or dialects. If the DM is willing to allow Command to influence concentration, then they should give the caster the benefit of the doubt, if not, then that can be stated outright.
If you prefer, I could offer a list of other words that could be used, but they all have a certain level of ambiguity. In the real world, we don't associate any word with practical magic, since it doesn't actually exist, so Real Language doesn't really translate well to Fantasy Language in this context.
I've always hated the one-word aspect of Command. I suppose a 1st level spell has to be LESS useful than a 2nd level spell that does almost the same thing - Suggestion.
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Hi all,
Planning on putting my players up against a blackguard and his minions and I'm pretty sure my Bard will use heat metal, as he recently discovered it, against the blackguard's plate. Looking around the web man seem to think that a failed con save throw means victim has to remove the armour, essentially taking them out of the game. Unless of course the Bard gets hit and fails con save. However the RAW referes to 'dropping if it can', my question is, is removing a set of plate armour (long drawn out series of actions) really dropping something which to me seems to be a reflex (innvoluntary) action?
"If a creature is holding or wearing the object and takes the damage from it, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or drop the object if it can."
You can't just drop plate armor. So, the blackguard will keep it on. Of course, it has dispel magic and command, so it'll probably either dispel the spell or command the bard to stop concentration.
"Ignorance is bliss, and you look absolutely miserable."
Doh forgot about Dispel Magic!
If you fail your save against Heat Metal and are unable to drop the item, you have disadvantage on attack rolls until the start of the caster's next turn. That would be the effect on a blackguard.
Dispel Magic has both Verbal and Somatic Components. If it’s also in an are of Silence or is Restrained it wouldn’t be able to Dispel a darned thing.
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If the target is something that can't be dropped, the saving throw is irrelevant. The victim automatically gains disadvantage on any round that it takes damage from the spell. [SageAdvice]
In addition to Dispel Magic, the Blackguard might be able to use Command to force the Bard to stop concentrating.
Heat metal is a concentration spell. The target will have seen who cast it and could focus fire on them to try to force them to drop concentration.
I think that seems fair, the bard gets to inflict some damage and the Blackguard either has disadvantage or burns a spell slot using their action. Pretty good for a level 2 spell slot, having to stop and undress from full plate felt too like an insta-win button.
Thanks folks.
Restrained? Did you maybe mean Incompacitated?
...cryptographic randomness!
I was a bit distracted.
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Now-a-days.... aren't we all my friend... aren't we all...
...cryptographic randomness!
Truth.
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Oops - saw this was already commented on ...
Just curious but why would being restrained prevent casting a spell like Dispel Magic?Restrained simply sets your speed to zero and has no impact on your ability to cast spells. All of the other effects of the restrained condition are related to attacks or making dexterity saving throws. It doesn't say a restrained creature is incapable of the movements required to cast spells. If it is a house rule you use that's fine but it would be best to make that clear.What single word Command can cause the target to break Concentration?
Depends on DM flexibility. "Stop" could either be interpreted as "Halt" to stop movement, or to end whatever behavior is currently being performed.
I would personally choose "Dismiss" to avoid ambiguity, as dismissing a spell is equivalent to dropping concentration and there is isn't really anything else that it applies to.
"Everyone, focus fire the bard" is a perfectly viable command that should solve this situation :)
or you could give a ring of fire resistance etc...
Stop - I would interpret as don't move.
Dismiss - I would probably reply, "but I don't have anything summoned".
If someone said "Drop", my first instinct would be to lay prone as in "Stop, Drop, and Roll", but the spell is magical, so I'm assuming there is an element of magical context clues.
The description requires that the target understands your language, but doesn't get granular with semantics or dialects. If the DM is willing to allow Command to influence concentration, then they should give the caster the benefit of the doubt, if not, then that can be stated outright.
If you prefer, I could offer a list of other words that could be used, but they all have a certain level of ambiguity. In the real world, we don't associate any word with practical magic, since it doesn't actually exist, so Real Language doesn't really translate well to Fantasy Language in this context.
I've always hated the one-word aspect of Command. I suppose a 1st level spell has to be LESS useful than a 2nd level spell that does almost the same thing - Suggestion.