Okay, so, if a creature has immunity to a type of damage, and a character hits that creature with that damage type, is damage still dealt or is it ignored?
For example, the undead warlock archetype in the UA has an ability lets them recover hp based on the necrotic damage they deal. If the target they hit with necrotic damage is immune, will they still regain hit points even though the target took no damage.
I have had a variation on this conversation and I don't have a good answer for it. In my situation, what happens if you use the aforementioned feature and deal 20 necrotic damage, but the creature only has 5 hit points. Does the warlock recover hit points based on the 5 hit points the creature had? Or does the warlock recover hit points based on the 20 hit points of damage they deal?
Which ability are you talking about? I can’t see the one that lets them regain hp.
It’s the very last bullet point of Spirit Projection.
Ugh, I had to read all the way to the end. No wonder I missed it. Thank you
I could see mog’s ruling making sense, but I’d be more forgiving. It says half the damage dealt, not damage taken, so I’d go by whatever you roll for damage, regardless of how much the target actually takes.
Which ability are you talking about? I can’t see the one that lets them regain hp.
It’s the very last bullet point of Spirit Projection.
Ugh, I had to read all the way to the end. No wonder I missed it. Thank you
I could see mog’s ruling making sense, but I’d be more forgiving. It says half the damage dealt, not damage taken, so I’d go by whatever you roll for damage, regardless of how much the target actually takes.
The point of the feature is to represent the character siphoning off the life force of something that you injure. If you don’t injure it....
There’s not a clear mechanic separating “dealing” damage from “taking” damage in the damage rules. The rules say you can deal 0 damage due to Penalties but I’d assume they’re talking about a negative strength or dex mod as resistance and immunity aren’t usually described as a “penalty” to damage. The example for resistance does seem to read a clearer distinction between damage dealt (25 in the PHB example) and taken, which would give weight to “dealt” damage being separate from “taken”. But I’d agree the RAI for the UA class ability in question would seem to be focused on the damage actually done to (taken by) a creature, not the original rolled (dealt) damage.
I have had a variation on this conversation and I don't have a good answer for it. In my situation, what happens if you use the aforementioned feature and deal 20 necrotic damage, but the creature only has 5 hit points. Does the warlock recover hit points based on the 5 hit points the creature had? Or does the warlock recover hit points based on the 20 hit points of damage they deal?
I think the answer to this is it's probably okay to rule 20. The examples in the section on being at zero hitpoints seem to indicate that a creature can in fact take more damage than its remaining hitpoints, meaning that you can deal 20 points of damage to a creature that only has 5.
For example, a cleric with a maximum of 12 hit points currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18 damage from an attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 12 damage remains.
...
If you take any damage while you have 0 hit points...
On the other hand, I would probably say that damage dealt should be assumed to be the same amount as damage taken for the purposes of this and similar features at my table.
I agree the system does itself a disservice by not explicitly having a definition, but there's a strong inference for the key distinction being whether the ability says it works off of the dice roll, or what actually transfers to the target (including spillover damage).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
I've seen the "rolled" terminology used when it is a support effect like with bardic inspiration, combat maneuvers, healing, and spell effects--"roll a d(x), which is added to (y)".
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Okay, so, if a creature has immunity to a type of damage, and a character hits that creature with that damage type, is damage still dealt or is it ignored?
For example, the undead warlock archetype in the UA has an ability lets them recover hp based on the necrotic damage they deal. If the target they hit with necrotic damage is immune, will they still regain hit points even though the target took no damage.
I have had a variation on this conversation and I don't have a good answer for it. In my situation, what happens if you use the aforementioned feature and deal 20 necrotic damage, but the creature only has 5 hit points. Does the warlock recover hit points based on the 5 hit points the creature had? Or does the warlock recover hit points based on the 20 hit points of damage they deal?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Which ability are you talking about? I can’t see the one that lets them regain hp.
No damage taken, no healing done.
It’s the very last bullet point of Spirit Projection.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Ugh, I had to read all the way to the end. No wonder I missed it. Thank you
I could see mog’s ruling making sense, but I’d be more forgiving. It says half the damage dealt, not damage taken, so I’d go by whatever you roll for damage, regardless of how much the target actually takes.
The point of the feature is to represent the character siphoning off the life force of something that you injure. If you don’t injure it....
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
There’s not a clear mechanic separating “dealing” damage from “taking” damage in the damage rules. The rules say you can deal 0 damage due to Penalties but I’d assume they’re talking about a negative strength or dex mod as resistance and immunity aren’t usually described as a “penalty” to damage. The example for resistance does seem to read a clearer distinction between damage dealt (25 in the PHB example) and taken, which would give weight to “dealt” damage being separate from “taken”. But I’d agree the RAI for the UA class ability in question would seem to be focused on the damage actually done to (taken by) a creature, not the original rolled (dealt) damage.
I think the answer to this is it's probably okay to rule 20. The examples in the section on being at zero hitpoints seem to indicate that a creature can in fact take more damage than its remaining hitpoints, meaning that you can deal 20 points of damage to a creature that only has 5.
On the other hand, I would probably say that damage dealt should be assumed to be the same amount as damage taken for the purposes of this and similar features at my table.
(Damage taken = damage dealt) =/= damage rolled
I agree the system does itself a disservice by not explicitly having a definition, but there's a strong inference for the key distinction being whether the ability says it works off of the dice roll, or what actually transfers to the target (including spillover damage).
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
I've seen the "rolled" terminology used when it is a support effect like with bardic inspiration, combat maneuvers, healing, and spell effects--"roll a d(x), which is added to (y)".
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.