In the event that a Balor hits a wizard with its lightning blade attack, can the wizard cast shield to attempt to turn the hit into a miss?
Yes. The trigger for the Shield spell's reaction is being hit by an attack roll, so it happens immediately after that, but before any effects of the hit are applied. That includes both damage and other non-damaging effects, such as the loss of reactions caused by that monster's attack.
If it didn't work this way, then the spell would be largely useless, because it wouldn't be able to prevent you from taking damage from attacks.
It is also true of some other reactions that increase AC such as the parry feature from the Defensive Duelist Feat and also true of Shield's ability to nullify magic missile.
Jared: You take 4 Piercing damage, and one of them attacks Mirabella with a roll of 14. Maeve: Hits. No, wait! I cast Shield, so that misses. Jared: The skeleton’s blade bounces off your shield of magical force. Then two of them attack Gareth. One misses with a 5, but the other one lands a solid blow with a 21, dealing 7 piercing damage.
Spells and Reactions. Mirabella casts the Shield spell. It’s a special property of this spell that it can be cast even when it’s not the caster’s turn, using her Reaction (see “Actions” earlier in this chapter).
As wagnarokkr explained, we can see where Shield interrupt the hit before damage and effect are applied within Making an Attack sturcture:
Resolve the Attack. Make the attack roll, as detailed earlier in this chapter. On a hit, you roll damage unless the particular attack has rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special effects in addition to or instead of damage.
Thanks for the explanation. It appears the consensus is that the shield spell happens before the ability to react is lost rather than happening after the fact and turning back the clock, so to speak.
Yeah Shield is a retcon spell. In all logic, you should cast it before the attack roll is made, but the rules say otherwise, so instead the dynamic goes like: DM: the enemy attacks, you get hit. PC: no I didn't. DM: *rewinds time* the enemy attacks, you don't get hit.
The more I think about this, the more obvious the answer was from the beginning. This is no different that being at 1 hit point and getting hit with an attack. We would all agree you can still cast shield in that situation even though the hit would knock you unconscious and make you unable to take a reaction.
Yeah Shield is a retcon spell. In all logic, you should cast it before the attack roll is made, but the rules say otherwise, so instead the dynamic goes like: DM: the enemy attacks, you get hit. PC: no I didn't. DM: *rewinds time* the enemy attacks, you don't get hit.
I always see it more as:
DM: The enemy attacks. You're going to get hit (damage/effects not yet resolved) PC: No I don't (casts Shield)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In the event that a Balor hits a wizard with its lightning blade attack, can the wizard cast shield to attempt to turn the hit into a miss?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Yes. The trigger for the Shield spell's reaction is being hit by an attack roll, so it happens immediately after that, but before any effects of the hit are applied. That includes both damage and other non-damaging effects, such as the loss of reactions caused by that monster's attack.
If it didn't work this way, then the spell would be largely useless, because it wouldn't be able to prevent you from taking damage from attacks.
It is also true of some other reactions that increase AC such as the parry feature from the Defensive Duelist Feat and also true of Shield's ability to nullify magic missile.
The timing is found in the Reaction description but not in the Rule Glossary itself.
Case where one triggers upon being hit and grant AC bonus can indeed turn a hit into a miss.
Shield is also used as an example in Chapter 1:
Jared: You take 4 Piercing damage, and one of them attacks Mirabella with a roll of 14.
Maeve: Hits. No, wait! I cast Shield, so that misses.
Jared: The skeleton’s blade bounces off your shield of magical force. Then two of them attack Gareth. One misses with a 5, but the other one lands a solid blow with a 21, dealing 7 piercing damage.
Spells and Reactions. Mirabella casts the Shield spell. It’s a special property of this spell that it can be cast even when it’s not the caster’s turn, using her Reaction (see “Actions” earlier in this chapter).
As wagnarokkr explained, we can see where Shield interrupt the hit before damage and effect are applied within Making an Attack sturcture:
Thanks for the explanation. It appears the consensus is that the shield spell happens before the ability to react is lost rather than happening after the fact and turning back the clock, so to speak.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
It was pointed out to me that the trigger for shield is the attack roll, not the attack itself. That handles my question perfectly.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Yeah Shield is a retcon spell. In all logic, you should cast it before the attack roll is made, but the rules say otherwise, so instead the dynamic goes like:
DM: the enemy attacks, you get hit.
PC: no I didn't.
DM: *rewinds time* the enemy attacks, you don't get hit.
The more I think about this, the more obvious the answer was from the beginning. This is no different that being at 1 hit point and getting hit with an attack. We would all agree you can still cast shield in that situation even though the hit would knock you unconscious and make you unable to take a reaction.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
I always see it more as:
DM: The enemy attacks. You're going to get hit (damage/effects not yet resolved)
PC: No I don't (casts Shield)
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I don't see Shield so much as a rewind time but as a recalculation to determine if the attack roll still equals or exceeds the target’s AC +5.
And when targeted by Magic Missile taking no damage as any darts strike you.