An immobile, invisible, cube-shaped prison composed of magical force springs into existence around an area you choose within range. The prison can be a cage or a solid box, as you choose.
A prison in the shape of a cage can be up to 20 feet on a side and is made from 1/2-inch diameter bars spaced 1/2 inch apart.
A prison in the shape of a box can be up to 10 feet on a side, creating a solid barrier that prevents any matter from passing through it and blocking any spells cast into or out from the area.
When you cast the spell, any creature that is completely inside the cage's area is trapped. Creatures only partially within the area, or those too large to fit inside the area, are pushed away from the center of the area until they are completely outside the area.
A creature inside the cage can't leave it by nonmagical means. If the creature tries to use teleportation or interplanar travel to leave the cage, it must first make a Charisma saving throw. On a success, the creature can use that magic to exit the cage. On a failure, the creature can't exit the cage and wastes the use of the spell or effect. The cage also extends into the Ethereal Plane, blocking ethereal travel.
This spell can't be dispelled by dispel magic.
* - (ruby dust worth 1,500 gp)
does forcecage use up its spell requirements?
Can it be affected with a Disintegrate as with a Wall of Force.
No. Your character must specifically have the ruby dust component in its possession (because it has a material value), but the dust is not consumed by the casting.
You can actually counter spells with just material components, as you have to visibly hold and display whatever the material component is, be it a focus of some sort or the random bits of magical ingredients that spells with them might have
While most people probably wouldn't know why you're holding a bunch of ruby dust, somebody with Counterspell would know at the very least a spell is being cast and be able to counter it
With countering spells, if there are any components to the spell, it can be perceived and countered
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/12/08/subtle-spell-doesnt-remove-material-component-so-a-spell-with-m-doesnt-benefit/
Yes, but that isn’t needed. Counterspell range 60ft. Forcecage range 100ft. Just laugh and be at 61 ft and they can’t do anything.
well yeah, that's just an in-general thing that everyone likes to forget. You can also get around it by being invisible, blinding the counterspeller, being behind cover, or otherwise out of sight, as the counterspeller has to see a creature within 60 feet of them casting a spell.
Had a real bad experience as a dm with this. My players were facing a lich with tons of undead, and as soon as combat started, the lich was forcecaged and was forced to watch his minions die while he sat there.
On top of that, me and the players were confused on how counterspell would work. If you try to get out with dd, and succeed the cha saving throw, wouldnt the exit of dd have to be counterspelled, since no magic can go in or out of the cage? I ended up leaving it to rng, but matthew our lord and savior help us with this man it's confusing as hell figuring out how to gm this spell fairly.
could an earth elemental use its earth glide to escape a forcecage box? i only ask because my character is currently trapped in one with an enemy npc who is really strong, and i just thought of an idea to true polymorph into an earth elemental, and use its earth glide ability to escape underneath it. there's nothing in the spell that states it goes underground or anything like that, just that it extends into the ethereal plane.
I'm thinking about trapping the Party's Druid (Lvl 12) inside the box version of Forcecage. Would it be possible for her to :
1. Wildshape into something VERY big and displace the box (as per the description, although this says "When you cast the spell")
2. Wildshape into something that can burrow under and out (Earth Elemental could possibly do both points 1 and 2?)
If she can do either of these things what would be an effective way of rendering her null for a while ?
And yes I am frightened of her.
Neither work, the cage is a box, so it has a bottom. And you are correct the "when you cast the spell" does not apply when the character is already trapped.
Although it would really suck for the player if there is no way to escape becaus eyou are effectivly taking her out of the game for one in game hour, and many more hours if its an intense fight.
Disintegrate can destroy Forcecage as it is "composed of magical force", but if you choose the cage option and make it at least 15 ft by 15 ft (using Monster Manual Size Categories), it will be considered Huge, possibly Gargantuan, and so Disintegrate will only destroy a 10 ft by 10 ft portion of it, leaving an invisible obstacle in the way.
Thanks for reply. So it would remove her as a threat. I am gonna re-think it though as your other point is a good one. She would be sat bored and frustrated for ages.
This is one of the dumbest spells in the game. Anything without teleportation just held in place no **** that. I know at my homebrews this spell is going to be perma banned, as is the spell wall of force.
This captures any NPC, no saving throw. You can just fireball them through the bars and the fight is over just like that.
So what happens if someone who was small enough to fit in the forcecage when it was cast gets polymorphed into something too big?
I don't think you can Polymorph yourself into something if there isn't enough space.
This is the classic 7th-level Wizard spell, no contest.
oof
You can still get counterspelled if the spell you're casting with subtle spell has a material component because the person wishing to counterspell can see you casting through the components being manipulated and consumed.
What?! It makes sense! We can't have that...
The lich did not have misty step or dimension door?