I'm converting some stuff from 3e's Deities and Demigods for personal use, and there's a particular ability, divine aura, that I've translated into "allies get bless, enemies get bane within X radius of the deity" (instead of +4/-4 floating modifiers). In 3e, a more powerful deity basically turns off a less powerful deity's aura if they meet, but I feel like the effects simply overlapping is more in the spirit of 5e, especially since I'm simplifying divine ranks to a 0 to 5 scale rather than the 0 to 21+ scale.
This brings up an interesting question I've never thought about: if a creature is affected by bless from one caster and bane from another, do they cancel each other out, or does the creature have to make both rolls? I feel like it would be simplest for them to cancel each other until one effect ends, in which case the active one applies, similar to advantage/disadvantage, but it seems like RAW they would both apply. Bless is the example given for combining magical effects and it says two bless spells don't give 2d4, but would bane and bless together give +1d4 and -1d4? Do you go in favour of the higher spell level if they're different? And what if there's two bless and one bane--is it still +1d4 or -1d4, or does one bless cancel out the bane, etc? I couldn't find an answer with a quick Google search... Has this been addressed in Sage Advice, or debated anywhere?
Bane says they must roll the d4 and subtract it, while bless says that they can roll the d4 and then add it. I'd therefore have them roll the bane d4 with the d20 while giving them the option to either roll the bless d4 with the d20 and the bane d4 or see the result and then roll the bless d4 if they choose.
Bane says they must roll the d4 and subtract it, while bless says that they can roll the d4 and then add it. I'd therefore have them roll the bane d4 with the d20 while giving them the option to either roll the bless d4 with the d20 and the bane d4 or see the result and then roll the bless d4 if they choose.
Since there's no cost involved, there's only two reasons to not roll the bless d4, either you forgot, which is hard to do if you're also rolling a bane d4, or you don't want to succeed.
As for the OP, by the book, roll d20+d4-d4, if you're feeling lazy, you can make it just a d20.
You could roll a 4 on the Bane and a 1 on the Bless, but it could happen the other way too, Eventually over several rounds it would even out So to save time I would just say they cancel each other out until one of them ends and then apply the one that's left.
Rolling Bane and Bless increases the volatility of your roll meaning if your chance to succeed is more than 50% you would prefer to just roll the d20 and if it is less you want to roll with Bane and bless. The impact is pretty small except for extreme examples.
Trog the Barbarian has intelligence 8, and comes up against a mind flayer lich and gets hit my its tenticals. Grog has to make a DC 20 intelligence saving throw to avoid being stunned. On a straight roll even a natural 20 can not save him but with bane and bless he has a chance (1 in 32 if my maths is right)
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I'm converting some stuff from 3e's Deities and Demigods for personal use, and there's a particular ability, divine aura, that I've translated into "allies get bless, enemies get bane within X radius of the deity" (instead of +4/-4 floating modifiers). In 3e, a more powerful deity basically turns off a less powerful deity's aura if they meet, but I feel like the effects simply overlapping is more in the spirit of 5e, especially since I'm simplifying divine ranks to a 0 to 5 scale rather than the 0 to 21+ scale.
This brings up an interesting question I've never thought about: if a creature is affected by bless from one caster and bane from another, do they cancel each other out, or does the creature have to make both rolls? I feel like it would be simplest for them to cancel each other until one effect ends, in which case the active one applies, similar to advantage/disadvantage, but it seems like RAW they would both apply. Bless is the example given for combining magical effects and it says two bless spells don't give 2d4, but would bane and bless together give +1d4 and -1d4? Do you go in favour of the higher spell level if they're different? And what if there's two bless and one bane--is it still +1d4 or -1d4, or does one bless cancel out the bane, etc? I couldn't find an answer with a quick Google search... Has this been addressed in Sage Advice, or debated anywhere?
DM's option.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Bane says they must roll the d4 and subtract it, while bless says that they can roll the d4 and then add it. I'd therefore have them roll the bane d4 with the d20 while giving them the option to either roll the bless d4 with the d20 and the bane d4 or see the result and then roll the bless d4 if they choose.
Since there's no cost involved, there's only two reasons to not roll the bless d4, either you forgot, which is hard to do if you're also rolling a bane d4, or you don't want to succeed.
As for the OP, by the book, roll d20+d4-d4, if you're feeling lazy, you can make it just a d20.
I think RAW would have you roll both, but I would just negate them. The variables are the same and X-X=0, so...
Or let the gods of luck decide.
Its more X-Y=Z which it really does matter
You could roll a 4 on the Bane and a 1 on the Bless, but it could happen the other way too, Eventually over several rounds it would even out So to save time I would just say they cancel each other out until one of them ends and then apply the one that's left.
Rolling Bane and Bless increases the volatility of your roll meaning if your chance to succeed is more than 50% you would prefer to just roll the d20 and if it is less you want to roll with Bane and bless. The impact is pretty small except for extreme examples.
Trog the Barbarian has intelligence 8, and comes up against a mind flayer lich and gets hit my its tenticals. Grog has to make a DC 20 intelligence saving throw to avoid being stunned. On a straight roll even a natural 20 can not save him but with bane and bless he has a chance (1 in 32 if my maths is right)