I have several questions about Wither and Bloom, a new spell found in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos.
Wither and Bloom (2nd-level Necromancy)
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (a withered vine twisted into a loop) Duration: Instantaneous
You invoke both death and life upon a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within range. Each creature of your choice in that area must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Nonmagical vegetation in that area withers.
In addition, one creature of your choice in that area can spend and roll one of its unspent Hit Dice and regain a number of hit points equal to the roll plus your spellcasting ability modifier.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot above 2nd, and the number of Hit Dice that can be spent and added to the healing roll increases by one for each slot above 2nd.
1. Can you center the spell on yourself? If so, would the sphere include 9 squares with you in the center? Or would it include 25 squares with you in the center?
2. Can you choose to heal yourself if you're in the sphere?
3. Can the spell bring up an unconscious ally? Or does an ally need to be conscious to roll Hit Dice?
4. If upcast to 3rd-level, does the healing equal 2 Hit Dice + (2 x your spellcasting ability modifier)? In other words, do you add your spellcasting ability modifier to each Hit Die roll?
5. Let's assume you're playing a Circle of Stars Druid and you're in Chalice Starry Form ("Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores hit points to a creature, you or another creature within 30 feet of you can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier."). Let's assume you center Wither and Bloom (at 2nd level) on or near yourself. Let's assume you have 20 Wisdom. Would an ally then be able to regain [1 Hit Die]+5 (from Wither and Bloom) and 1d8+5 (from Chalice Starry Form) hit points?
I'm hoping to get these questions addressed before our session this weekend. Thanks in advance!!
Not exactly. You can center it on a point in your square, and the radius is 10 feet from that point, not 10 feet from the edges of your square. So generally you'd put it in a corner of your space and make a 4 x 4 square unless your table does shifty template type areas.
Yes, you count as one creature of your choice in the area.
Sure. It's magical healing. The only connection to hit die is that it spends one to fuel the magical healing. It's not the same as spending them on a rest so does not need to stick to those rules.
You do not multiply the modifier. This is the same pattern you see with upcasting spells like cure wounds as well.
Yes, your example is correct. The chalice heal is a separate mechanic that applies on top of the other healing.
1) Yes, you can target any square you can see in range, including the square you are in. There are different ways of determining what squares in a grid are effected by a spell. From what you describe it sounds like you use the token system that treats circles and squares as equivalent. In this case a circle is treated as a square who's sides are twice the radius. So Wither and Bloom would effect a 20ft by 20ft square(16 5x5 squares in total) with you occupying one of the four central squares. However there are other ways of determining the area effected and this is just one method.
2) Yes, if you are in the area of effect then you are a valid target for the healing(and similarly the damage if you so chose).
3) Yes, a targeted unconscious ally would be able to spend an available Hit Dice, if they have one, to heal the amount rolled plus your spellcasting modifier. If the creature fell unconscious as a result of taking damage then they wake up as well as regain the number of hit points healed. See 'Dropping to 0 Hit Points' in the combat chapter of the Player's Handbook.
4) No, the healing would be 2 Hit Dice + Spellcasting Modifier. This is similar to how other healing spells in the game work. The only difference is that this spell uses, and expends, the targets Hit Dice and the target gets to choose how many Hit Dice to roll if they decide to use any Hit Dice at all.
5) If you chose the same target for the healing of both Wither and Bloom and your Chalice Starry Form feature then yes. The spell would let them spend one Hit Dice to heal [1 Hit Die]+5 and then the Chalice feature would heal them 1d8+5. However the Chalice feature does not require you to target the same creature that was healed by the spell that triggered it.
I have a question, but I also think I know how it should probably be treated.
The creature that gets to spend hit die to heal, would they add their con modifier? I think no, since the wording does not follow any of the normal hit-die-spend healing.
Can you choose NOT to choose a creature to use their hit dice and just do the damage? What if there is only one creature in the zone you are targetting and no others to damage?
Yes. You can chose to only deal damage without healing any or only heal one creature without harming any when you cast the spell, since all the effects have the "of your choice" clause.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
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I have several questions about Wither and Bloom, a new spell found in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos.
Wither and Bloom (2nd-level Necromancy)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a withered vine twisted into a loop)
Duration: Instantaneous
You invoke both death and life upon a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within range. Each creature of your choice in that area must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Nonmagical vegetation in that area withers.
In addition, one creature of your choice in that area can spend and roll one of its unspent Hit Dice and regain a number of hit points equal to the roll plus your spellcasting ability modifier.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot above 2nd, and the number of Hit Dice that can be spent and added to the healing roll increases by one for each slot above 2nd.
1. Can you center the spell on yourself? If so, would the sphere include 9 squares with you in the center? Or would it include 25 squares with you in the center?
2. Can you choose to heal yourself if you're in the sphere?
3. Can the spell bring up an unconscious ally? Or does an ally need to be conscious to roll Hit Dice?
4. If upcast to 3rd-level, does the healing equal 2 Hit Dice + (2 x your spellcasting ability modifier)? In other words, do you add your spellcasting ability modifier to each Hit Die roll?
5. Let's assume you're playing a Circle of Stars Druid and you're in Chalice Starry Form ("Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores hit points to a creature, you or another creature within 30 feet of you can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier."). Let's assume you center Wither and Bloom (at 2nd level) on or near yourself. Let's assume you have 20 Wisdom. Would an ally then be able to regain [1 Hit Die]+5 (from Wither and Bloom) and 1d8+5 (from Chalice Starry Form) hit points?
I'm hoping to get these questions addressed before our session this weekend. Thanks in advance!!
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
1) Yes, you can target any square you can see in range, including the square you are in. There are different ways of determining what squares in a grid are effected by a spell. From what you describe it sounds like you use the token system that treats circles and squares as equivalent. In this case a circle is treated as a square who's sides are twice the radius. So Wither and Bloom would effect a 20ft by 20ft square(16 5x5 squares in total) with you occupying one of the four central squares. However there are other ways of determining the area effected and this is just one method.
2) Yes, if you are in the area of effect then you are a valid target for the healing(and similarly the damage if you so chose).
3) Yes, a targeted unconscious ally would be able to spend an available Hit Dice, if they have one, to heal the amount rolled plus your spellcasting modifier. If the creature fell unconscious as a result of taking damage then they wake up as well as regain the number of hit points healed. See 'Dropping to 0 Hit Points' in the combat chapter of the Player's Handbook.
4) No, the healing would be 2 Hit Dice + Spellcasting Modifier. This is similar to how other healing spells in the game work. The only difference is that this spell uses, and expends, the targets Hit Dice and the target gets to choose how many Hit Dice to roll if they decide to use any Hit Dice at all.
5) If you chose the same target for the healing of both Wither and Bloom and your Chalice Starry Form feature then yes. The spell would let them spend one Hit Dice to heal [1 Hit Die]+5 and then the Chalice feature would heal them 1d8+5. However the Chalice feature does not require you to target the same creature that was healed by the spell that triggered it.
I have a question, but I also think I know how it should probably be treated.
The creature that gets to spend hit die to heal, would they add their con modifier? I think no, since the wording does not follow any of the normal hit-die-spend healing.
No. They do not get their Con modifier. The spell is using up your HD in battle, it is not identical to healing from a short rest
Can you choose NOT to choose a creature to use their hit dice and just do the damage? What if there is only one creature in the zone you are targetting and no others to damage?
Yes. You can chose to only deal damage without healing any or only heal one creature without harming any when you cast the spell, since all the effects have the "of your choice" clause.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.