Does the target subject to the effects of booming blade know they will take damage if they move? Do they know they are under some sort of trigger effect?
Intelligent creatures know they will be subject to opportunity attacks and will judge whether it is worth moving. Less intelligent creatures just might flee due to a number of circumstances.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
First question would be: Is the "sheathed in booming energy" visible? Second question is: Have they seen it before? If I was deciding whether one of my NPC/monsters was going to move after a PC used the spell I would ask those. To me, I say yes it is visible. Then try to quickly determine what they would do. All depends on the monster. A basic guard probably hasn't seen it before. He would just know that he is in the middle of a spell effect, and for that reason he would probably run out of it. (Typically a wise decision, but not in this case.) If they get hit with it again, I would apply the same thought process for opportunity attacks: is it worth the damage to move.
Does the target subject to the effects of booming blade know they will take damage if they move? Do they know they are under some sort of trigger effect?
The only thing a creature knows by default is the perceptible effects of the spell. The rest is up to the DM.
I would imagine if they get zapped by it once, an intelligent creature will recognize it when it happens a second time. Also, there's the option of spell identification as laid out in Xanathar's Guide to Everything if you like that system.
Identifying A Spell
Sometimes a character wants to identify a spell that someone else is casting or that was already cast. To do so, a character can use their reaction to identify a spell as it's being cast, or they can use an action on their turn to identify a spell by its effect after it is cast.
If the character perceived the casting, the spell's effect, or both, the character can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the reaction or action. The DC equals 15 + the spell's level. If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character is a member of that class, the check is made with advantage. For example, if the spellcaster casts a spell as a cleric, another cleric has advantage on the check to identify the spell. Some spells aren't associated with any class when they're cast, such as when a monster uses its Innate Spellcasting trait.
This Intelligence (Arcana) check represents the fact that identifying a spell requires a quick mind and familiarity with the theory and practice of casting. This is true even for a character whose spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Charisma. Being able to cast spells doesn't by itself make you adept at deducing exactly what others are doing when they cast their spells
I would imagine if they get zapped by it once, an intelligent creature will recognize it when it happens a second time. Also, there's the option of spell identification as laid out in Xanathar's Guide to Everything if you like that system.
Identifying A Spell
Sometimes a character wants to identify a spell that someone else is casting or that was already cast. To do so, a character can use their reaction to identify a spell as it's being cast, or they can use an action on their turn to identify a spell by its effect after it is cast.
If the character perceived the casting, the spell's effect, or both, the character can make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the reaction or action. The DC equals 15 + the spell's level. If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character is a member of that class, the check is made with advantage. For example, if the spellcaster casts a spell as a cleric, another cleric has advantage on the check to identify the spell. Some spells aren't associated with any class when they're cast, such as when a monster uses its Innate Spellcasting trait.
This Intelligence (Arcana) check represents the fact that identifying a spell requires a quick mind and familiarity with the theory and practice of casting. This is true even for a character whose spellcasting ability is Wisdom or Charisma. Being able to cast spells doesn't by itself make you adept at deducing exactly what others are doing when they cast their spells
-Xanathar's Guide to Everything (pg 85)
It's thunder damage not lightning so no getting zapped lol and if a random monster or weak merc or something notices the effects and what will happen I'd assume they're pretty dang strong to face off against something capable of using booming blade and living to tell the tale.
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Does the target subject to the effects of booming blade know they will take damage if they move? Do they know they are under some sort of trigger effect?
Intelligent creatures know they will be subject to opportunity attacks and will judge whether it is worth moving. Less intelligent creatures just might flee due to a number of circumstances.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
First question would be: Is the "sheathed in booming energy" visible? Second question is: Have they seen it before? If I was deciding whether one of my NPC/monsters was going to move after a PC used the spell I would ask those. To me, I say yes it is visible. Then try to quickly determine what they would do. All depends on the monster. A basic guard probably hasn't seen it before. He would just know that he is in the middle of a spell effect, and for that reason he would probably run out of it. (Typically a wise decision, but not in this case.) If they get hit with it again, I would apply the same thought process for opportunity attacks: is it worth the damage to move.
The only thing a creature knows by default is the perceptible effects of the spell. The rest is up to the DM.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
I would imagine if they get zapped by it once, an intelligent creature will recognize it when it happens a second time. Also, there's the option of spell identification as laid out in Xanathar's Guide to Everything if you like that system.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
It's thunder damage not lightning so no getting zapped lol and if a random monster or weak merc or something notices the effects and what will happen I'd assume they're pretty dang strong to face off against something capable of using booming blade and living to tell the tale.