If I attack with a melee weapon I roll a d20, add my modifiers and I check that with the target's AC. If my value is lower than the target's AC, my attack misses and I don't do damage. If my value is higher than the target's AC, my attack connects and I roll for damage. That's pretty straight forward.
But do I have to do the same when casting a spell? Lightning Bolt for instance:
"A stroke of lightning forming a line of 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Do I also have to roll a d20 first to see if it's higher than the target's AC? The description says nothing about checking if you even hit your target or not. It seems like this always does damage. Seems weird to me that the target has no way of not receiving damage. But maybe I'm missing something...
Cheers!
ps.: also, if I don't have to roll a d20 before casting a spell like that, there's no way of getting a 'critical miss' or 'critical hit'. That would be just a shame.
You simply have to follow what the spell says. An "attack" of any kind (even a spell like fire bolt) means you have to roll a d20+modifiers vs their AC. A "save" (like with lightning bolt) means they have to roll a d20+modifiers vs your save DC. Then the spell describes what happens based on the result (in this case full damage or half damage, it always does damage that is the power of spells).
If a spell doesn't tell you to make an attack roll - you don't make an attack roll. It's really as simple as that.
And you're right. If a saving throw spell says it does half damage on a successful save - then you're guaranteed to do at least half damage (unless they're immune or resistant). It's not weird - it's part of the design. Spells use spell slots - a consumable resource - whereas making a weapon attack doesn't (usually).
Perhaps you're up against a target with really tough armour - but bad Dexterity - so a Dexterity Saving Throw spell like Lightning is very useful to have.
It seems like role-playing waste not to be able to miss a spell. I'm sure it could result in some awesome and memorable situations. But as you guys pointed out they do consume a spell slot and spending a slot without actually hitting something could be frustrating.
It seems like role-playing waste not to be able to miss a spell. I'm sure it could result in some awesome and memorable situations. But as you guys pointed out they do consume a spell slot and spending a slot without actually hitting something could be frustrating.
Thanks for clarifying!
There are definitely enough ways for a high-level spell to fail entirely. Many spells do nothing at all if the target saves successfully, or you can discover that the target is immune to the damage type or condition (or all magic) after wasting the slot, or it gets countered or dispelled. No need to add an additional chance of missing to that...
It seems like role-playing waste not to be able to miss a spell. I'm sure it could result in some awesome and memorable situations. But as you guys pointed out they do consume a spell slot and spending a slot without actually hitting something could be frustrating.
Thanks for clarifying!
It depends on the spell. Some can miss, others can't.
There really are quite few hard-and-fast rules when it comes to what spells can do - read the spell and do what it says!
And some of them don't miss, the target just succeeds on the saving throw, and are not affected.
Typically those are cantrips. Few levelled saving throw damage spells are all or nothing. Effect spells like Slow are all or nothing - but for damage that's rarely the case beyond cantrips.
And some of them don't miss, the target just succeeds on the saving throw, and are not affected.
Typically those are cantrips. Few levelled saving throw damage spells are all or nothing. Effect spells like Slow are all or nothing - but for damage that's rarely the case beyond cantrips.
Unless the target has Evasion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
So I'm fairly new to D&D and this confuses me.
If I attack with a melee weapon I roll a d20, add my modifiers and I check that with the target's AC. If my value is lower than the target's AC, my attack misses and I don't do damage. If my value is higher than the target's AC, my attack connects and I roll for damage. That's pretty straight forward.
But do I have to do the same when casting a spell? Lightning Bolt for instance:
"A stroke of lightning forming a line of 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one."
Do I also have to roll a d20 first to see if it's higher than the target's AC? The description says nothing about checking if you even hit your target or not. It seems like this always does damage. Seems weird to me that the target has no way of not receiving damage. But maybe I'm missing something...
Cheers!
ps.: also, if I don't have to roll a d20 before casting a spell like that, there's no way of getting a 'critical miss' or 'critical hit'. That would be just a shame.
You simply have to follow what the spell says. An "attack" of any kind (even a spell like fire bolt) means you have to roll a d20+modifiers vs their AC. A "save" (like with lightning bolt) means they have to roll a d20+modifiers vs your save DC. Then the spell describes what happens based on the result (in this case full damage or half damage, it always does damage that is the power of spells).
If a spell doesn't tell you to make an attack roll - you don't make an attack roll. It's really as simple as that.
And you're right. If a saving throw spell says it does half damage on a successful save - then you're guaranteed to do at least half damage (unless they're immune or resistant). It's not weird - it's part of the design. Spells use spell slots - a consumable resource - whereas making a weapon attack doesn't (usually).
Perhaps you're up against a target with really tough armour - but bad Dexterity - so a Dexterity Saving Throw spell like Lightning is very useful to have.
Edit:
And yes - saving throw spells cannot crit.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
It seems like role-playing waste not to be able to miss a spell. I'm sure it could result in some awesome and memorable situations. But as you guys pointed out they do consume a spell slot and spending a slot without actually hitting something could be frustrating.
Thanks for clarifying!
There are definitely enough ways for a high-level spell to fail entirely. Many spells do nothing at all if the target saves successfully, or you can discover that the target is immune to the damage type or condition (or all magic) after wasting the slot, or it gets countered or dispelled. No need to add an additional chance of missing to that...
It depends on the spell. Some can miss, others can't.
There really are quite few hard-and-fast rules when it comes to what spells can do - read the spell and do what it says!
And some of them don't miss, the target just succeeds on the saving throw, and are not affected.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Typically those are cantrips. Few levelled saving throw damage spells are all or nothing. Effect spells like Slow are all or nothing - but for damage that's rarely the case beyond cantrips.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Unless the target has Evasion.