If a character is blinded or under the blind condition, how does this affect them casting lightning bolt? How would you handle this? Does it auto hit still?
If the caster has the blinded condition, he cannot see targets that must be seen. Lightning bolt does not require that you see what you are casting at, so your blind spellcaster can blast away in a direction of their choosing and good luck to anyone in the path!
To add to this: Even while blinded, the character likely has some sort of idea of where people are based on sounds being made. Stealth can disrupt that, but typically they'll know they're likely to hit certain enemies in the right direction.
Note, I think that Eldritch Blast does not actually require sight. Which means you can theoretically use it to attack an unseen target, but with disadvantage, just like a fighter could do it with disadvantage.
I would have him roll a D12, and use that like a clock and that is the direction he shoots. Maybe narrow to half a clock and a D6 roll.
That’s objectively not how RAW works and honestly would be rather bad form to add on mid-game, and regardless a d8 is the most practical “random direction” determiner for the traditional square grid.
If the caster has the blinded condition, he cannot see targets that must be seen. Lightning bolt does not require that you see what you are casting at, so your blind spellcaster can blast away in a direction of their choosing and good luck to anyone in the path!
But the spellcaster much "choose a direction" for the bolt to travel. (And creatures "in the line" of the bolt's direction must make a DEX saving throw to determine damage taken.) If the spellcaster isn't using vision as the method for choosing the direction for the bolt to travel, as DM I would need an explanation of the method the spellcaster is using to choose the direction for the lightning bolt.
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Started playing AD&D in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in 2023
If the caster has the blinded condition, he cannot see targets that must be seen. Lightning bolt does not require that you see what you are casting at, so your blind spellcaster can blast away in a direction of their choosing and good luck to anyone in the path!
But the spellcaster much "choose a direction" for the bolt to travel. (And creatures "in the line" of the bolt's direction must make a DEX saving throw to determine damage taken.) If the spellcaster isn't using vision as the method for choosing the direction for the bolt to travel, as DM I would need an explanation of the method the spellcaster is using to choose the direction for the lightning bolt.
The RAW of combat is that even if a creature is invisible, its position on the board is known unless it has also taken the Hide Action. It’s a bit of a stretch, but so is the constant omnidirectional awareness the top-down view of the grid provides everyone. Given that certain spells specifically require sight to set a target, adding additional hoops to a blinded character is at the very least running contrary to RAI.
If the caster has the blinded condition, he cannot see targets that must be seen. Lightning bolt does not require that you see what you are casting at, so your blind spellcaster can blast away in a direction of their choosing and good luck to anyone in the path!
But the spellcaster much "choose a direction" for the bolt to travel. (And creatures "in the line" of the bolt's direction must make a DEX saving throw to determine damage taken.) If the spellcaster isn't using vision as the method for choosing the direction for the bolt to travel, as DM I would need an explanation of the method the spellcaster is using to choose the direction for the lightning bolt.
Being blinded in combat does not affect the caster's memory of where targets were prior to being blinded, nor does it deafen them to footsteps, weapon noises, shouts, etc. it also doesn't impact smell, taste, touch, or any other sense. Unless a target has taken the "hide" action after the caster was blinded, the rules say that the targets location is known.
If a character is blinded or under the blind condition, how does this affect them casting lightning bolt? How would you handle this? Does it auto hit still?
Caster of lightning bolt makes a perception check at disadvantage, ( due to various factors such as time between when caster is blinded and casting LB, etc. ), and rolls a d8.
D8 represents one of the 8 coordinal directions, perception check gauges if caster is in right direction, or off in some other direction possibly way off target. ( thus d8 random direction LB is fired in ).
Unlike prior editions, being blinded in combat is expected to be only a minor liability, not a major incapacitating effect. This is probably a side effect of making the use of invisibility in combat less obnoxious.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
if the check is high enough, D8 lets DM advise you to which direction you want to face to hit your targets, check is low or bad, D8 serves to random fire in a direction that may good or bad.
work smarter, not harder. Nothing like possible friendly fire to make things interesting.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
In IRL, yes. In D&D 5e, no. That's not how Blinded works. There's a reason they set specific spells to require a target you can see.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
In IRL, yes. In D&D 5e, no. That's not how Blinded works. There's a reason they set specific spells to require a target you can see.
Yet the Lighting Bolt spell states: “A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.”
Nothing in that description says anything about having to see the direction you choose to fire that spell in. Oversight? Possibly? RAW allows you to cover your eyes and fire away, whether or not it effects whatever is DM and player decides.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
In IRL, yes. In D&D 5e, no. That's not how Blinded works. There's a reason they set specific spells to require a target you can see.
Yet the Lighting Bolt spell states: “A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.”
Nothing in that description says anything about having to see the direction you choose to fire that spell in. Oversight? Possibly? RAW allows you to cover your eyes and fire away, whether or not it effects whatever is DM and player decides.
It's technically whatever the DM and player decide, but it's very bad form for a DM to unilaterally decide to make the use of spells harder or otherwise impose penalties like you're describing, particularly if the group has not agreed to a more "real" campaign ahead of time. The RAW of the Blinded condition is not that you are unable to locate all other creatures on the grid, it's that you have disadvantage making attack rolls against them and they have advantage on rolls against you.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
In IRL, yes. In D&D 5e, no. That's not how Blinded works. There's a reason they set specific spells to require a target you can see.
Yet the Lighting Bolt spell states: “A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.”
Nothing in that description says anything about having to see the direction you choose to fire that spell in. Oversight? Possibly? RAW allows you to cover your eyes and fire away, whether or not it effects whatever is DM and player decides.
It's technically whatever the DM and player decide, but it's very bad form for a DM to unilaterally decide to make the use of spells harder or otherwise impose penalties like you're describing, particularly if the group has not agreed to a more "real" campaign ahead of time. The RAW of the Blinded condition is not that you are unable to locate all other creatures on the grid, it's that you have disadvantage making attack rolls against them and they have advantage on rolls against you.
By the way, if your going to quote me, do so in totality, as I previously stated:
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
if the check is high enough, D8 lets DM advise you to which direction you want to face to hit your targets, check is low or bad, D8 serves to random fire in a direction that may good or bad.
work smarter, not harder. Nothing like possible friendly fire to make things interesting.
what part of that possible solution imposes a negative when you as the blinded caster is already in a negative situation? You can’t see shit, been possibly jostled around ( attacked and pushed possibly), and the enemy may have moved from their previous position to somewhere and you couldn’t see where, yet the spell auto hits because the enemy didn’t try to sneak off in the din of the sounds of combat?
Yet as a DM I’m imposing a penalty in giving the caster a chance, even by rules of having the blind condition, to make out where the enemy possibly is and shock the shit out of them ( pun intended) when the caster figures out where the enemy went to, or because the ability to determine where the enemy went was unsuccessful, both DM and player understand that should the course of action the caster wants to take may result in a miss, and the direction of this miss might present a unique situation that might have consequences, then where is the impasse?
The D8 is nothing more than a tool if needed, it’s the check that really sets the tone of what might happen.
When you attack a target that you can’t see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or you’re targeting a creature you can hear but not see.
This phrase means that if you can hear the target, you know where it is. In addition
If you are hidden — both unseen and unheard — when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.
means that you know the location of anyone who has made an attack, and that's all you generally need to target an area attack.
Yet as a DM I’m imposing a penalty in giving the caster a chance, even by rules of having the blind condition, to make out where the enemy possibly is and shock the shit out of them ( pun intended) when the caster figures out where the enemy went to, or because the ability to determine where the enemy went was unsuccessful, both DM and player understand that should the course of action the caster wants to take may result in a miss, and the direction of this miss might present a unique situation that might have consequences, then where is the impasse?
The D8 is nothing more than a tool if needed, it’s the check that really sets the tone of what might happen.
But that's a check that the rules don't expect you to have to make. It's just an additional hurdle that you as the DM have decided to impose on the characters.
And even if I could see situations where a character could get a perception check to try and perceive "more" than the standard knowledge (trying to find a hidden opponent or trying to find/identify a specific opponent while Blinded or something similar) I still don't see why the D8 would ever come into it. The character has the information is has and then gets to decide where to direct its attack/spell, it should never be forced to to do so in a random/dice determined direction unless there is something specific that mandates it (like Confusion or something similar).
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If a character is blinded or under the blind condition, how does this affect them casting lightning bolt? How would you handle this? Does it auto hit still?
If the caster has the blinded condition, he cannot see targets that must be seen. Lightning bolt does not require that you see what you are casting at, so your blind spellcaster can blast away in a direction of their choosing and good luck to anyone in the path!
"Not all those who wander are lost"
To add to this: Even while blinded, the character likely has some sort of idea of where people are based on sounds being made. Stealth can disrupt that, but typically they'll know they're likely to hit certain enemies in the right direction.
Note, I think that Eldritch Blast does not actually require sight. Which means you can theoretically use it to attack an unseen target, but with disadvantage, just like a fighter could do it with disadvantage.
I would have him roll a D12, and use that like a clock and that is the direction he shoots. Maybe narrow to half a clock and a D6 roll.
That’s objectively not how RAW works and honestly would be rather bad form to add on mid-game, and regardless a d8 is the most practical “random direction” determiner for the traditional square grid.
But the spellcaster much "choose a direction" for the bolt to travel. (And creatures "in the line" of the bolt's direction must make a DEX saving throw to determine damage taken.) If the spellcaster isn't using vision as the method for choosing the direction for the bolt to travel, as DM I would need an explanation of the method the spellcaster is using to choose the direction for the lightning bolt.
Started playing AD&D in the late 70s and stopped in the mid-80s. Started immersing myself into 5e in 2023
The RAW of combat is that even if a creature is invisible, its position on the board is known unless it has also taken the Hide Action. It’s a bit of a stretch, but so is the constant omnidirectional awareness the top-down view of the grid provides everyone. Given that certain spells specifically require sight to set a target, adding additional hoops to a blinded character is at the very least running contrary to RAI.
Being blinded in combat does not affect the caster's memory of where targets were prior to being blinded, nor does it deafen them to footsteps, weapon noises, shouts, etc. it also doesn't impact smell, taste, touch, or any other sense. Unless a target has taken the "hide" action after the caster was blinded, the rules say that the targets location is known.
Caster of lightning bolt makes a perception check at disadvantage, ( due to various factors such as time between when caster is blinded and casting LB, etc. ), and rolls a d8.
D8 represents one of the 8 coordinal directions, perception check gauges if caster is in right direction, or off in some other direction possibly way off target. ( thus d8 random direction LB is fired in ).
Unlike prior editions, being blinded in combat is expected to be only a minor liability, not a major incapacitating effect. This is probably a side effect of making the use of invisibility in combat less obnoxious.
Using a d8 is still wrong. That's simply not how it works in 5e. Either they don't know the location (likely because the invisible enemy isn't using a Stealth check) or they do (because they can hear signs of movement, which can be heard even if footsteps make no sound due to clothes shuffling, possible heavy breathing, etc).
Your in the middle of a battle blinded and can only hear what’s going on, things are going off in several directions, and in the confusion get turned around.
if the check is high enough, D8 lets DM advise you to which direction you want to face to hit your targets, check is low or bad, D8 serves to random fire in a direction that may good or bad.
work smarter, not harder. Nothing like possible friendly fire to make things interesting.
If you have a familiar, switch to seeing through it's eyes (takes an action).
Food, Scifi/fantasy, anime, DND 5E and OSR geek.
In IRL, yes. In D&D 5e, no. That's not how Blinded works. There's a reason they set specific spells to require a target you can see.
Yet the Lighting Bolt spell states: “A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.”
Nothing in that description says anything about having to see the direction you choose to fire that spell in. Oversight? Possibly? RAW allows you to cover your eyes and fire away, whether or not it effects whatever is DM and player decides.
It's technically whatever the DM and player decide, but it's very bad form for a DM to unilaterally decide to make the use of spells harder or otherwise impose penalties like you're describing, particularly if the group has not agreed to a more "real" campaign ahead of time. The RAW of the Blinded condition is not that you are unable to locate all other creatures on the grid, it's that you have disadvantage making attack rolls against them and they have advantage on rolls against you.
By the way, if your going to quote me, do so in totality, as I previously stated:
what part of that possible solution imposes a negative when you as the blinded caster is already in a negative situation?
You can’t see shit, been possibly jostled around ( attacked and pushed possibly), and the enemy may have moved from their previous position to somewhere and you couldn’t see where, yet the spell auto hits because the enemy didn’t try to sneak off in the din of the sounds of combat?
Yet as a DM I’m imposing a penalty in giving the caster a chance, even by rules of having the blind condition, to make out where the enemy possibly is and shock the shit out of them ( pun intended) when the caster figures out where the enemy went to, or because the ability to determine where the enemy went was unsuccessful, both DM and player understand that should the course of action the caster wants to take may result in a miss, and the direction of this miss might present a unique situation that might have consequences, then where is the impasse?
The D8 is nothing more than a tool if needed, it’s the check that really sets the tone of what might happen.
The RAW of this situation is covered by the rules for Unseen Attackers and Targets:
This phrase means that if you can hear the target, you know where it is. In addition
means that you know the location of anyone who has made an attack, and that's all you generally need to target an area attack.
But that's a check that the rules don't expect you to have to make. It's just an additional hurdle that you as the DM have decided to impose on the characters.
And even if I could see situations where a character could get a perception check to try and perceive "more" than the standard knowledge (trying to find a hidden opponent or trying to find/identify a specific opponent while Blinded or something similar) I still don't see why the D8 would ever come into it. The character has the information is has and then gets to decide where to direct its attack/spell, it should never be forced to to do so in a random/dice determined direction unless there is something specific that mandates it (like Confusion or something similar).