Character is a 8th level Illrigger Architect of Ruin with Charisma 18 (+4)
Has Vengeful Blade: You brandish the weapon used in the spell’s casting and make a melee attack with it against one creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects and then radiates a dark aura of energy until the start of your next turn. If the target makes an attack or casts a spell before then, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage and the spell ends.
Magic Initiate Druid for the Shillelagh: A Club or Quarterstaff you are holding is imbued with nature’s power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using that weapon, and the weapon’s damage die becomes a d8. If the attack deals damage, it can be Force damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice).
Wields a Flame-tongue Quarter Staff.
Can somebody smarter than me break this down by Action and Bonus Action per turn?
What would the attack dice look like for all of this?
What would the damage dice look like for all of this?
Vengeful Blade takes an action to cast. The only bonus action involved is the initial casting of Shillelagh which then lasts for 1 minute.
Because you've used Shillelagh, the attack roll will be using your spellcasting ability modifier. For an Architect of Ruin, that's Charisma. So you'll roll a d20 and +7 (3 for your proficiency bonus and 4 for your Charisma modifier).
The damage roll will depend on whether you're using the 2014 or 2024 version of Shillelagh. In the 2014 version, the weapon's damage die is always a d8. In the 2024 version it scales by character level, and at level 8 it's a d10. The 2024 version also allows changing the weapon's damage type to Force if you want, while the 2014 version does not. So:
2014 damage roll: 1d8 Bludgeoning damage + 2d6 Fire damage.
2024 damage roll: 1d10 (Bludgeoning or Force) damage + 2d6 Fire damage.
Whether you're allowed to change the Flame Tongue's extra fire damage to force with Shillelagh is kind of ambiguous under the rules; check with your DM for a ruling on that. (Force is generally considered a better damage type than either Bludgeoning or Fire since far fewer enemies have resistance or immunity to it.)
Wow thanks so much for responding so fast. It is official, you are my new go to for rules clarification.
Ok so where and when does the Vengeful Blade fit into the mix? Does it only trigger if the target (after being hit) then later decides to attack or cast a spell, then it takes an additional 1d8 Necrotic damage?
That's correct. After the target is hit, if it attacks or casts a spell before the start of your next turn, it takes the additional 1d8 Necrotic damage automatically. (This doesn't stop their attack/spell from happening, it just makes it hurt for them to do it.)
That effect goes away at the start of your next turn, but if you hit them with the same spell again, it's reapplied until the start of your next turn after that.
Speaking of weird things in Illrigger, I have a question. What's the radius of Mote of Hell? 30ft or 15ft? The text says 15ft and also 30ft, but the Range/Area sections says only 30. My instinct tells me that it's 15 and the 30 is a mistake (maybe they thought it was the diameter to input there), but I'm wondering what the others think.
Speaking of weird things in Illrigger, I have a question. What's the radius of Mote of Hell? 30ft or 15ft? The text says 15ft and also 30ft, but the Range/Area sections says only 30. My instinct tells me that it's 15 and the 30 is a mistake (maybe they thought it was the diameter to input there), but I'm wondering what the others think.
The radius of the affected area is 15 feet. It can be heard out to a range of 30 feet. The 30 shown in the quick stats block thing at the top is a mistake.
Spell descriptions define what the spells do and how they work. Those summary blocks at the top of spells on D&D Beyond are a thing added by D&D Beyond and are not part of any official rules. If they disagree with the text, the text is right.
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Please help....
Character is a 8th level Illrigger Architect of Ruin with Charisma 18 (+4)
Has Vengeful Blade: You brandish the weapon used in the spell’s casting and make a melee attack with it against one creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target suffers the weapon attack’s normal effects and then radiates a dark aura of energy until the start of your next turn. If the target makes an attack or casts a spell before then, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage and the spell ends.
Magic Initiate Druid for the Shillelagh: A Club or Quarterstaff you are holding is imbued with nature’s power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using that weapon, and the weapon’s damage die becomes a d8. If the attack deals damage, it can be Force damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice).
Wields a Flame-tongue Quarter Staff.
Can somebody smarter than me break this down by Action and Bonus Action per turn?
What would the attack dice look like for all of this?
What would the damage dice look like for all of this?
How does it all blend together?
Vengeful Blade takes an action to cast. The only bonus action involved is the initial casting of Shillelagh which then lasts for 1 minute.
Because you've used Shillelagh, the attack roll will be using your spellcasting ability modifier. For an Architect of Ruin, that's Charisma. So you'll roll a d20 and +7 (3 for your proficiency bonus and 4 for your Charisma modifier).
The damage roll will depend on whether you're using the 2014 or 2024 version of Shillelagh. In the 2014 version, the weapon's damage die is always a d8. In the 2024 version it scales by character level, and at level 8 it's a d10. The 2024 version also allows changing the weapon's damage type to Force if you want, while the 2014 version does not. So:
2014 damage roll: 1d8 Bludgeoning damage + 2d6 Fire damage.
2024 damage roll: 1d10 (Bludgeoning or Force) damage + 2d6 Fire damage.
Whether you're allowed to change the Flame Tongue's extra fire damage to force with Shillelagh is kind of ambiguous under the rules; check with your DM for a ruling on that. (Force is generally considered a better damage type than either Bludgeoning or Fire since far fewer enemies have resistance or immunity to it.)
pronouns: he/she/they
Wow thanks so much for responding so fast. It is official, you are my new go to for rules clarification.
Ok so where and when does the Vengeful Blade fit into the mix? Does it only trigger if the target (after being hit) then later decides to attack or cast a spell, then it takes an additional 1d8 Necrotic damage?
That's correct. After the target is hit, if it attacks or casts a spell before the start of your next turn, it takes the additional 1d8 Necrotic damage automatically. (This doesn't stop their attack/spell from happening, it just makes it hurt for them to do it.)
That effect goes away at the start of your next turn, but if you hit them with the same spell again, it's reapplied until the start of your next turn after that.
pronouns: he/she/they
Speaking of weird things in Illrigger, I have a question. What's the radius of Mote of Hell? 30ft or 15ft? The text says 15ft and also 30ft, but the Range/Area sections says only 30.
My instinct tells me that it's 15 and the 30 is a mistake (maybe they thought it was the diameter to input there), but I'm wondering what the others think.
The radius of the affected area is 15 feet. It can be heard out to a range of 30 feet. The 30 shown in the quick stats block thing at the top is a mistake.
Spell descriptions define what the spells do and how they work. Those summary blocks at the top of spells on D&D Beyond are a thing added by D&D Beyond and are not part of any official rules. If they disagree with the text, the text is right.
pronouns: he/she/they