Does Careful spell mean that a party member IMMEDIATELY makes their saving throw to avoid damage or can it also apply to spells where the saving throw is made later when they start their turn?
Example - fireball. Everyone immediately makes a saving throw, careful spell allows party members to automatically make the save. Easy Peasy.
But Web, where the saving throw is made when they start their turn...would careful spell also protect them there? I'm thinking I can cast Careful spell, Web and get bad guys who are close to my Martial buddies. I then tell the martials to move out of the web on their turn, which they can do since they autosave due to Careful spell. That leaves the bad guys trapped in the web (assuming they fail their saves).
For reference:
Careful Spell
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
RAW, I believe that Careful Spell only affects the spell when it is Cast, and not on lingering effects of the spell. I think it's not uncommon for DM's to be a bit more generous than that, especially since it's not very explicitly spelled out, but a strict reading of the very literal, specific wording of the feature implies that the feature only kicks during the actual casting of the spell.
Good question, and I don't think there's a clear answer either way. The language of Careful Spell clearly assumes that it's always going to be like your easy fireball example. It's up to the DM to adapt that language to use cases beyond its assumptions. If stretching the written rule as far as you possibly can is important, it says "saving throw" and not "saving throws," so at the very least, you could say "you auto-succeed the first save, and after that, Careful Spell ends," but I don't think that's in line with the intent.
The more sensible ruling is either "sure, why the **** not, it applies for the duration" or "it only applies to saves made at the time of the casting; subsequent saves aren't affected." I think the latter is more likely to be the intent, but I personally would likely go with the former. At the end of the day, it'll be the DM's call.
It says it protects from the spell, so it protects from the spell. If that spell calls for a save in the spells description, your careful spell beneficiary(s) auto saves. Immediate. Later. Tomorrow. Whatever. It is the saves of that spell that they auto save on.
"A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
It says it protects from the spell, so it protects from the spell. If that spell calls for a save in the spells description, your careful spell beneficiary(s) auto saves. Immediate. Later. Tomorrow. Whatever. It is the saves of that spell that they auto save on.
"A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell."
To Saga's excellent point, there are spells that inflict multiple saving throws, which means "its saving throw" is not defined and your DM has to interpret it.
It says it protects from the spell, so it protects from the spell. If that spell calls for a save in the spells description, your careful spell beneficiary(s) auto saves. Immediate. Later. Tomorrow. Whatever. It is the saves of that spell that they auto save on.
"A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell."
To Saga's excellent point, there are spells that inflict multiple saving throws, which means "its saving throw" is not defined and your DM has to interpret it.
DMs have to interpret the words in the books. Yes. Always true.
If a chosen creature is making a saving throw against your careful spell then that chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
I remember playing a sorcerer with careful spell and sickening radiance. The interpretation that made sense was to only allow subtle spell when the spell was cast, which is similar language to something like the star druids chalice form that only heals when you cast a spell, as opposed to life cleric bonus that is whenever you use a spell, which allows life domain to apply to all uses of aura of vitality but not with chalice form.
So careful spell wouldn't work for ongoing effects like web or hunger of hadar beyond any immediate save. It'd be like the subtle spell user constantly having to shift the dimensions of the spell around for the duration, which doesn't seem like subtle spells intent.
Hi Everyone,
Does Careful spell mean that a party member IMMEDIATELY makes their saving throw to avoid damage or can it also apply to spells where the saving throw is made later when they start their turn?
Example - fireball. Everyone immediately makes a saving throw, careful spell allows party members to automatically make the save. Easy Peasy.
But Web, where the saving throw is made when they start their turn...would careful spell also protect them there? I'm thinking I can cast Careful spell, Web and get bad guys who are close to my Martial buddies. I then tell the martials to move out of the web on their turn, which they can do since they autosave due to Careful spell. That leaves the bad guys trapped in the web (assuming they fail their saves).
For reference:
Careful Spell
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
RAW, I believe that Careful Spell only affects the spell when it is Cast, and not on lingering effects of the spell. I think it's not uncommon for DM's to be a bit more generous than that, especially since it's not very explicitly spelled out, but a strict reading of the very literal, specific wording of the feature implies that the feature only kicks during the actual casting of the spell.
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Good question, and I don't think there's a clear answer either way. The language of Careful Spell clearly assumes that it's always going to be like your easy fireball example. It's up to the DM to adapt that language to use cases beyond its assumptions. If stretching the written rule as far as you possibly can is important, it says "saving throw" and not "saving throws," so at the very least, you could say "you auto-succeed the first save, and after that, Careful Spell ends," but I don't think that's in line with the intent.
The more sensible ruling is either "sure, why the **** not, it applies for the duration" or "it only applies to saves made at the time of the casting; subsequent saves aren't affected." I think the latter is more likely to be the intent, but I personally would likely go with the former. At the end of the day, it'll be the DM's call.
It says it protects from the spell, so it protects from the spell. If that spell calls for a save in the spells description, your careful spell beneficiary(s) auto saves. Immediate. Later. Tomorrow. Whatever. It is the saves of that spell that they auto save on.
"A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell."
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
To Saga's excellent point, there are spells that inflict multiple saving throws, which means "its saving throw" is not defined and your DM has to interpret it.
DMs have to interpret the words in the books. Yes. Always true.
If a chosen creature is making a saving throw against your careful spell then that chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
This is an excellent question that I haven't seen before. I'm going to kick it to individual DMs to interpret.
I'd allow it. YMMV.
I remember playing a sorcerer with careful spell and sickening radiance. The interpretation that made sense was to only allow subtle spell when the spell was cast, which is similar language to something like the star druids chalice form that only heals when you cast a spell, as opposed to life cleric bonus that is whenever you use a spell, which allows life domain to apply to all uses of aura of vitality but not with chalice form.
So careful spell wouldn't work for ongoing effects like web or hunger of hadar beyond any immediate save. It'd be like the subtle spell user constantly having to shift the dimensions of the spell around for the duration, which doesn't seem like subtle spells intent.
I found a Crawford tweet that states that careful spell only affects saving throws that are made on that turn. So I think that this is a no. :(
https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/840017588746768384
That twitt is not official anymore as per Sage Advice.
Creatures don't immediately make saving throw against a spell that you Ready, only when you release it as a reaction.