Simply put if a Wizard casts Time Stop and then places a Delayed Fireball next to a creature, then casts another spell at the creature say Magic missile at 8th level. What is your idea of what happens? My understanding is that as soon as you cast Magic Missile the creature is hit by the magic missile, time continues and the Delayed Fireball could explode. Or would explode, even though the spell only mentions concentration as an after thought.
Second question is about the saving throw of the creature if you attack it during Time Stop. I do not understand why no information is given about what happens if you attack a creature or character while Time Stopped. (Other than the spell ending.) No advantage on attack? or quite honestly an automatic hit or failed saving throw? I can accept that in my above scenario the character gets a Dex save on the fireball, even though most all that I described would happen nearly instantaneously. What do you think? Thank you as always.
Delayed Blast Fireball during Time Stop is an age old tradition. It still seems to work in 5th edition, although not as potently as some past ones (it's still devastating, but it uses up two very limited slots nowadays).
The Concentration for the Delayed Blast Fireball is a very potent trigger. It detonates if you lose concentration for any reason - bad if you're in the area of effect and someone disrupts it, but if you read the Concentration rules they mention that you can drop it at any time, without requiring an action, bonus action, or reaction. Gone are the days that an enemy could pick it up and toss it back; you can now simply drop your concentration when he touches it. Similarly, you can drop your concentration when Time Stop ends, for immediate gratification. Plus, you potentially have the turns during Time Stop to build up the fireball's damage a bit.
However, as per usual in 5th edition, you cannot assume what is not there. Time Stop does not mention any bonuses to attacks or penalties on saves or similar. If something you do during it affects another, the spell ends and the target is affected normally - no automatic attacks, no failed saves. Your best course of action during the Time Stop is buffing and positioning (and, admittedly, a well placed Delayed Blast Fireball that the opponents have no chance to react to - or Counterspell - before it detonates is potent enough).
You are saying a character can not Counter Spell the Delayed fireball when you end the Time Stop, right?
Correct. The counterspell would need to be used to prevent the Timestop spell.
You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell.
The Delayed Blast Fireball is actually cast during the Time Stop, so once the time stop ends, it's too late to counter spell it (or any other spell cast during the Time Stop).
What Stormknight said above. During the Time Stop, no time passes for other creatures. They cannot perceive, much less react to, anything you cast during that time. If whatever you cast affects them (such as a non-delayed Fireball), then the Time Stop ends - interesting bit: they still cannot counter that spell; the effect it creates that will end the Time Stop is only created after it is successfully cast. They can just defend themselves normally against the spell's effects.
Yeah, Counterspell would not be effective, however I think one would be able to cast Dispel Magic on the Delayed Blast Fireball bead to attempt to end the effects of the spell, if the caster who used Time Stop doesn't end their concentration immediately.
And to address why you might not get any bonus attacking other creatures during a time stop (other than the rules not granting such a thing), let's imagine an explanation using color: when you cast time stop you don't just get a frozen world full of statues, maybe the world looks more like Frodo's viewpoint when he wears the ring in the movies - all a bit blurry and murky to move through. Other creatures in this frozen world are surrounded by their own bubbles of shimmering temporal energy (which is how you have magically frozen them and not yourself) and attacking through those bubbles is not an easy thing to do - particularly since the moment you try to attack the spell ends and time snaps jarringly back to its normal flow.
And to address why you might not get any bonus attacking other creatures during a time stop (other than the rules not granting such a thing), let's imagine an explanation using color: when you cast time stop you don't just get a frozen world full of statues, maybe the world looks more like Frodo's viewpoint when he wears the ring in the movies - all a bit blurry and murky to move through. Other creatures in this frozen world are surrounded by their own bubbles of shimmering temporal energy (which is how you have magically frozen them and not yourself) and attacking through those bubbles is not an easy thing to do - particularly since the moment you try to attack the spell ends and time snaps jarringly back to its normal flow.
I like that explanation :) I'm going to steal it :P *mine now
Simply put if a Wizard casts Time Stop and then places a Delayed Fireball next to a creature, then casts another spell at the creature say Magic missile at 8th level. What is your idea of what happens? My understanding is that as soon as you cast Magic Missile the creature is hit by the magic missile, time continues and the Delayed Fireball could explode. Or would explode, even though the spell only mentions concentration as an after thought.
Second question is about the saving throw of the creature if you attack it during Time Stop. I do not understand why no information is given about what happens if you attack a creature or character while Time Stopped. (Other than the spell ending.) No advantage on attack? or quite honestly an automatic hit or failed saving throw? I can accept that in my above scenario the character gets a Dex save on the fireball, even though most all that I described would happen nearly instantaneously. What do you think? Thank you as always.
Delayed Blast Fireball during Time Stop is an age old tradition. It still seems to work in 5th edition, although not as potently as some past ones (it's still devastating, but it uses up two very limited slots nowadays).
The Concentration for the Delayed Blast Fireball is a very potent trigger. It detonates if you lose concentration for any reason - bad if you're in the area of effect and someone disrupts it, but if you read the Concentration rules they mention that you can drop it at any time, without requiring an action, bonus action, or reaction. Gone are the days that an enemy could pick it up and toss it back; you can now simply drop your concentration when he touches it. Similarly, you can drop your concentration when Time Stop ends, for immediate gratification. Plus, you potentially have the turns during Time Stop to build up the fireball's damage a bit.
However, as per usual in 5th edition, you cannot assume what is not there. Time Stop does not mention any bonuses to attacks or penalties on saves or similar. If something you do during it affects another, the spell ends and the target is affected normally - no automatic attacks, no failed saves. Your best course of action during the Time Stop is buffing and positioning (and, admittedly, a well placed Delayed Blast Fireball that the opponents have no chance to react to - or Counterspell - before it detonates is potent enough).
You are saying a character can not Counter Spell the Delayed fireball when you end the Time Stop, right?
The Delayed Blast Fireball is actually cast during the Time Stop, so once the time stop ends, it's too late to counter spell it (or any other spell cast during the Time Stop).
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What Stormknight said above. During the Time Stop, no time passes for other creatures. They cannot perceive, much less react to, anything you cast during that time. If whatever you cast affects them (such as a non-delayed Fireball), then the Time Stop ends - interesting bit: they still cannot counter that spell; the effect it creates that will end the Time Stop is only created after it is successfully cast. They can just defend themselves normally against the spell's effects.
Yeah, Counterspell would not be effective, however I think one would be able to cast Dispel Magic on the Delayed Blast Fireball bead to attempt to end the effects of the spell, if the caster who used Time Stop doesn't end their concentration immediately.
And to address why you might not get any bonus attacking other creatures during a time stop (other than the rules not granting such a thing), let's imagine an explanation using color: when you cast time stop you don't just get a frozen world full of statues, maybe the world looks more like Frodo's viewpoint when he wears the ring in the movies - all a bit blurry and murky to move through. Other creatures in this frozen world are surrounded by their own bubbles of shimmering temporal energy (which is how you have magically frozen them and not yourself) and attacking through those bubbles is not an easy thing to do - particularly since the moment you try to attack the spell ends and time snaps jarringly back to its normal flow.
I like that explanation :) I'm going to steal it :P *mine now
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