This happened today in a game I played and kind of threw me and the DM for a loop:
My level 11 Rune Knight gets attacked by a Mindflayer's tentacle attack. It has a grapple and paralysis component to it.
I react with my Cloud Rune, moving the attack to target the avatar of some death god who was the big opponent (some reskinned named lich character from an adventure I think).
The Mindflayer's attack lands, as does the grapple, he is instantly dragged 30 ft to his target, and the god lich has to burn a legendary resistance to keep from being paralyzed. But the grapple was bad enough for the party to surround and wail on him and end the encounter pretty quickly.
Thinking back, the DM probably could have just ruled that the Mindflayer released the grapple immediately and didn't even try to impose the paralyzing effect. Or he could have just done some adjustments to this villain on the fly to let him escape, or make him immune to paralysis.
Just thought this opens up an entire world of potentially weird interactions with monsters that have on hit effects, so its something DM's might want to consider if they have a player running a Rune Knight.
1. As you suggested, the MindFlayer releases the grapple suddenly because the target of the attack changed.
2. Your rune knight smacks that Mindflayer so hard that he ends up (accidently) grappling a different target which it can then release on its next turn.
The Mindflayer's attack lands, as does the grapple, he is instantly dragged 30 ft to his target, and the god lich has to burn a legendary resistance to keep from being paralyzed. But the grapple was bad enough for the party to surround and wail on him and end the encounter pretty quickly.
That's not actually correct. What actually happens is
The mindflayer makes an attack.
Cloud rune changes its target to the lich.
Damage is applied to the lich.
The lich is grappled. Neither the mind flayer nor the lich is moved (there are grapple attacks that move the target, but the mind flayer's isn't one of them).
The grapple ends instantly because the lich is outside of grapple range.
The Mindflayer's attack lands, as does the grapple, he is instantly dragged 30 ft to his target, and the god lich has to burn a legendary resistance to keep from being paralyzed. But the grapple was bad enough for the party to surround and wail on him and end the encounter pretty quickly.
That's not actually correct. What actually happens is
The mindflayer makes an attack.
Cloud rune changes its target to the lich.
Damage is applied to the lich.
The lich is grappled. Neither the mind flayer nor the lich is moved (there are grapple attacks that move the target, but the mind flayer's isn't one of them).
The grapple ends instantly because the lich is outside of grapple range.
Actually, with regard to 5, I don't think the grapple would end immediately. Cloud rune overrides any range issues:
In addition, when you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to invoke the rune and choose a different creature within 30 feet of you, other than the attacker. The chosen creature becomes the target of the attack, using the same roll. This magic can transfer the attack’s effects regardless of the attack’s range. Once you invoke this rune, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Actually, with regard to 5, I don't think the grapple would end immediately. Cloud rune overrides any range issues:
It only overrides the effects of the attack, which means it's possible to apply grappled. However, the fact that grappled ends when the target is no longer in range is not a part of the attack, it's a part of the condition.
In any case, it doesn't matter because cloud rune doesn't end the mind flayer's turn, so it can release the grapple immediately (this also applies to any effects that require an attack roll but require concentration, though aside from ray of enfeeblement I can't think of any spells where it matters).
This happened today in a game I played and kind of threw me and the DM for a loop:
My level 11 Rune Knight gets attacked by a Mindflayer's tentacle attack. It has a grapple and paralysis component to it.
I react with my Cloud Rune, moving the attack to target the avatar of some death god who was the big opponent (some reskinned named lich character from an adventure I think).
The Mindflayer's attack lands, as does the grapple, he is instantly dragged 30 ft to his target, and the god lich has to burn a legendary resistance to keep from being paralyzed. But the grapple was bad enough for the party to surround and wail on him and end the encounter pretty quickly.
Thinking back, the DM probably could have just ruled that the Mindflayer released the grapple immediately and didn't even try to impose the paralyzing effect. Or he could have just done some adjustments to this villain on the fly to let him escape, or make him immune to paralysis.
Just thought this opens up an entire world of potentially weird interactions with monsters that have on hit effects, so its something DM's might want to consider if they have a player running a Rune Knight.
As DM I'd go with 1 of the following:
1. As you suggested, the MindFlayer releases the grapple suddenly because the target of the attack changed.
2. Your rune knight smacks that Mindflayer so hard that he ends up (accidently) grappling a different target which it can then release on its next turn.
That's not actually correct. What actually happens is
Actually, with regard to 5, I don't think the grapple would end immediately. Cloud rune overrides any range issues:
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
It only overrides the effects of the attack, which means it's possible to apply grappled. However, the fact that grappled ends when the target is no longer in range is not a part of the attack, it's a part of the condition.
In any case, it doesn't matter because cloud rune doesn't end the mind flayer's turn, so it can release the grapple immediately (this also applies to any effects that require an attack roll but require concentration, though aside from ray of enfeeblement I can't think of any spells where it matters).