We had a bit of a debate with a player of mine in tonight's sessions about the timeline of the spirit guardian spell:
A monster started its turn withing the area of spirit guardian, so I made my player roll the damage, and in the mean time I rolled to hit because in my mind, both thing were happening simultaenously (i.e the creature trying to attack while the spirit guardians were attacking it). It happened that the damage of spirit guardian was enough to kill the monster, but I ruled that the player still took damage from the monster attack.
Then later they came to ask me about the timeline of the spell, and now I am having second thoughts so I would like to have opinions on it. Do you consider that the damage taken at the begining of one's turn happens before it can take its turn and attack? Should the monster have died before it could have attacked?
As a new DM, I wasn't quite sure what to do in the moment, so I'd love some insight for the future, thank you in advance!
Spirit Guardians does damage at the start of the turn or when the creature moves. If the creature needs to move to attack, it moves (and the damage occurs) before the attack is made.
Reading the text of the spell, yes, the monster should have been killed before it had the chance to attack.
[Edit] That said, it doesn't sound like anything particularly bad happened as a result of that attack going through when it should not have? So probably not a big deal, decide which way you want to do it going forward, and make that statement to your party and all things should be fine.[/Edit]
Alright, thank you all for your responses, I'll adjust next time and talk it out with the player!
Also, follow up question, as a clarification because this spell is giving me quite the headache haha: it seems to be the consensus that the damage doesn't take effect when it's cast, only when a creature starts its turn there, or when it enters it: https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-april-2016. About this sentence:
Creating the area of effect on the creature or moving it onto the creature doesn’t count
So if the player runs 15ft away from the monster, then moves back 15ft so that the monster is in the radius, the damage occurs only at the starts of the monster's turn, or also when the player "rams it" into the creature?
So if the player runs 15ft away from the monster, then moves back 15ft so that the monster is in the radius, the damage occurs only at the starts of the monster's turn, or also when the player "rams it" into the creature?
Only the latter. 'Entering' an area means the victim moves into the area, not the area moves onto the victim (however, using forced movement to push the victim in the area does work).
We had a bit of a debate with a player of mine in tonight's sessions about the timeline of the spirit guardian spell:
A monster started its turn withing the area of spirit guardian, so I made my player roll the damage, and in the mean time I rolled to hit because in my mind, both thing were happening simultaenously (i.e the creature trying to attack while the spirit guardians were attacking it). It happened that the damage of spirit guardian was enough to kill the monster, but I ruled that the player still took damage from the monster attack.
Then later they came to ask me about the timeline of the spell, and now I am having second thoughts so I would like to have opinions on it. Do you consider that the damage taken at the begining of one's turn happens before it can take its turn and attack? Should the monster have died before it could have attacked?
As a new DM, I wasn't quite sure what to do in the moment, so I'd love some insight for the future, thank you in advance!
Spirit Guardians does damage at the start of the turn or when the creature moves. If the creature needs to move to attack, it moves (and the damage occurs) before the attack is made.
Reading the text of the spell, yes, the monster should have been killed before it had the chance to attack.
[Edit] That said, it doesn't sound like anything particularly bad happened as a result of that attack going through when it should not have? So probably not a big deal, decide which way you want to do it going forward, and make that statement to your party and all things should be fine.[/Edit]
I do think the monster should have died before it could attack, that is how I interpret any effects that take place at the start of a turn.
Alright, thank you all for your responses, I'll adjust next time and talk it out with the player!
Also, follow up question, as a clarification because this spell is giving me quite the headache haha: it seems to be the consensus that the damage doesn't take effect when it's cast, only when a creature starts its turn there, or when it enters it: https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-april-2016. About this sentence:
So if the player runs 15ft away from the monster, then moves back 15ft so that the monster is in the radius, the damage occurs only at the starts of the monster's turn, or also when the player "rams it" into the creature?
Only the latter. 'Entering' an area means the victim moves into the area, not the area moves onto the victim (however, using forced movement to push the victim in the area does work).
Okayyy I see the nuance, thank you very much!