Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Shake isn't an action. If multiple creatures were affected by this spell, how many could be awakened in a single action and how close must the creature who is doing the shaking be?
It would be nice if the language was clearer and said something like, "someone else uses an action to shake a single creature out of its stupor".
Why is this important? My DM interpreted the ambiguity to say another creature could reach out and shake multiple creatures within a single action. If I had 2 free hands and 2 creatures were within my reach, I could see that as possible, but what if my hands weren't free? It's a rabbit hole of debate in the middle of battle, bringing the battle to a halt while we debate the RAW. The DM wanting to wake multiple and the player wanting to limit to 1.
My reading is that it is one Action for one creature. If you want to do multiple creatures in a turn you need something like Haste or Action Surge. Part of the reason I would say you can't do two at once is because you seem to need to be somewhat focused on the creature you are waking up since it is not a Bonus Action.
That is just my interpretation, however.
It says "The spell ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its stupor" That is singular. Explicitly one action to shake one creature. This seems cut-and-dried to me.
If the DM wants to wake multiple creatures, assuming the waker has multiattack, he should use the attack action and deal damage to them =)
Shake is defined as an action in the spell. Usually the fastest way to break a bunch of people out of hypnotic pattern is dispel or low levels of damage (for example, cast magic missile, one missile per target you want to wake up).
There are similar mechanics for other spells:
- Control Water (Whirlpool): [...] A creature can swim away from the whirlpool only if it first takes an action to pull away and succeeds on a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC. [...]
- Earthquake: [...] a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check as an action to escape. [...]
- Eyebite (Asleep): [...] It wakes up if it takes any damage or if another creature takes an action to shake it awake. [...]
- Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere: [...] A trapped creature can take an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC to break free. [...]
- Otto’s Irresistible Dance: [...] the target can take an action to collect itself and repeat the save, ending the spell on itself on a success. [...]
- Sleep: [...] The spell ends on a target if it takes damage or someone within 5 feet of it takes an action to shake it out of the spell’s effect. [...]
- Symbol (Sleep): [...] A creature awakens if it takes damage or if someone takes an action to shake it awake. [...]
While Shake isn't an action, the Actions table lists the game’s main actions only but player characters and monsters can also do things not covered by these actions. Many class features and other abilities provide additional action, such as the case of Hypnotic Pattern.
To me it's an action to shake out of its stupor each affected creature.
I'm aligned with everything everyone is saying. In my mind, the intent is one action to wake one creature.
I'm not sure that we've addressed the DM's perspective. He has creature A run up to 2 affected creatures B & C, B & C are in arm's length of A, and A shakes both B & C with its action turn. A has 2 arms. From the perspective of B, the shake action woke it from its stupor. From the perspective of C, the shake action woke it from its stupor.
The boundaries of shake aren't defined.
They are, as described above.
However, DMs can override the rules if they want. It wouldn't be unreasonable to raise the question with them, but if they say it's legit, it's legit at their table. (And you should remember it for when they use the spell on the party.)
And, honestly, it's not a ludicrous interpretation by any means.
Keep in mind that from the "realism" angle, each space is a 5'x5' square. Relatively few Medium creatures come to mind that would have arms long enough to reach across a 5ft span and effectively shake two other creatures. You can make this break down with larger and/or varied sizes, but the basic mechanics of 5e are based on the Medium creature scale. RAW and RAI are pretty clear here.
I am surprised they didn't specify an Action to take in the 5.5 version, i.e. "The spell ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses the Help action to shake the creature out of its stupor."
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
PIPA - Planar Interception/Protection Aeormaton, warforged bodyguard and ex-wizard hunter (Warrior of the Elements monk/Cartographer artificer)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Sometimes it feels like they had these new design rules for 5.5e like "you can't just say 'an action' anymore, you have to actually specify what action it is" but only like 90% of the people working on it got the memo.
pronouns: he/she/they
On the other hand, making it a Help action specifically to do the same thing likely wouldn't fix this interpretation.
I agree that using the Help action instead of an unnamed one could be a good idea for some spells, but it could create the issue mentioned by The_Ace_of_Rogues.
Idk... maybe it's not always possible to find the proper one from the game's main actions? E.g:
- Level 17: Quivering Palm: [...] The vibrations are harmless unless you take an action to end them. Alternatively, when you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of the attacks to end the vibrations. [...]
- Ending a Grapple. A Grappled creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the grapple’s escape DC, ending the condition on itself on a success.
And "Ending a Grapple" or the next three could use the Help or Utilize action?
- Chain: [...] Escaping the Chain requires the creature to make a successful DC 18 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check as an action [...]
- Hunting Trap: [...] A creature can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. [...]
- Gift of the Protectors: [...] With your permission, a creature can take an action to write its name on that page [...]
But tbh, I don't know what the consequences of doing that would be. For example, a Thief has Fast Hands (well, and a Beast Master has Exceptional Training)