This kills the crab...form druid

[Wilb]

Sage advice comes this month providing a Wotc approved solution to the edition old question: "Can 20th level moon druids die?"

[TenaciousJ]

Power Word spells and Divine Word are pretty potent against moon druids too.  Their invincibility hinges on the majority of people playing campaigns that never go to level 10.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

hmm

Q :  What happens if a druid using Wild Shape is reduced to 0 hit points by disintegrate? Does the druid simply leave beast form?
A :  The druid turns to dust, since the spell disintegrates you the instant you drop to 0 hit points.

  ... what is it about Disintegrate that works differently from other effects?
I mean I don't have a problem with the ruling, it just isn't immediately apparent to me what's the deal.
idk 

[Kremlin K.O.A.]

Looks like Rocket Tag returns to D&D

[TenaciousJ]

hmm

Q :  What happens if a druid using Wild Shape is reduced to 0 hit points by disintegrate? Does the druid simply leave beast form?
A :  The druid turns to dust, since the spell disintegrates you the instant you drop to 0 hit points.

  ... what is it about Disintegrate that works differently from other effects?
I mean I don't have a problem with the ruling, it just isn't immediately apparent to me what's the deal.
idk 

Disintegrate turns you to dust at 0 HP.  Disintegrated is treated as a specific condition rather than just fluff to describe the spell, since that's used as justification for why it takes a True Resurrection or Wish to bring back a disintegrated creature.  Dropping to 0 HP in a wildshape form normally forces the druid back to humanoid form and then applies the remainder of damage, but the Disintegrate spell applies the disintegrated condition at that point, so the character is dead.

It could be clarified with more specific wording, but I think it makes sense if you step away from viewing the rules as code.  There's no living matter left behind to turn back into a living humanoid druid.

Looks like Rocket Tag returns to D&D

It never left if you skipped 4e.  Action Surge makes a lot of 1 turn kills possible already.

[sambojin]

Q:Could minor illusion create a fog cloud? If so, would shooting an arrow through it cancel the illusion?
A:An illusory object made by minor illusion is meant to be like a stool or a rock, not an atmospheric effect.


And it wouldn't even smell..... Sorry.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Thanks, that explains it to me just fine.

... if you step away from viewing the rules as code ...

NO !!
nyet
 

[TenaciousJ]

Thanks, that explains it to me just fine.

... if you step away from viewing the rules as code ...

NO !!
nyet
 

There's a lot more RAI in 5e since it's so easy for the developers to use social media and communicate it now.  My Disintegrate explanation was turning RAI into 3.5 "code."  The code approach works as long as you're willing to listen to Jeremy Crawford on RAI.  Mike Mearls should stop answering any of that stuff though because he gets it wrong on stuff where RAI isn't even needed to clarify RAW, and sometimes contradicts Crawford, who actually does the mechanical rules stuff.

[TenaciousJ]

Polymorph a bad guy into something like a badger with 0 Dex mod > Action Surge > Disintegrate.  Maybe Heighten that Polymorph to increase the chance it works.

e: The camel and rhino and have -1 Dex modifier and less hit points than the minimum damage of Disintegrate.

[Wilb]

Polymorph a bad guy into something like a badger with 0 Dex mod > Action Surge > Disintegrate.  Maybe Heighten that Polymorph to increase the chance it works.

e: The camel and rhino and have -1 Dex modifier and less hit points than the minimum damage of Disintegrate.

Ah the return of the TRUE Rocket Tag...

SUCH A GLORIOUS DAY FOR OPTIMIZERZ   

[TenaciousJ]

5e doesn't give a lot of rockets to use though.  No class can recover 6th level slots, and a build with Action Surge will never get the 2nd 6th level slot.

However a bard using magical secrets at high level can pick up Disintegrate, Divine Word, and Power Word Kill.  Divine Word can't be used in the same turn as Polymorph, but Disintegrate and Power Word Kill can be used via Action Surge once per short rest.  The bard can end up with 3 rockets and Action Surge or 4 rockets at 19th level with no Action Surge.

Arcana cleric can pick up the rockets too but someone else has to cast Polymorph.  Theurgy wizard could grab all the spells too.

I suppose I should step back though and point out 13th level or higher characters are beyond the levels most people play, and we already knew high level spell casting is ridiculous.

And one more edit: Bard wins, because it can also get Conjure Woodland Beings.  8 pre-summoned pixies polymorph stuff.  Each successful poly is an auto-kill via Divine Word.  The pixie DC is low, but a creature might have to make the WIS save up to 8 times.

[Wilb]

You're right, the rockets are few, but this also makes stuff like a bard college the  stuff of nightmares.

A friend/slave/etc with a few castings of bane can make the pixie>DW>Boom feel a bit smoother.

(and my anedoctal experience is that campaigns I take part whether as a player or DM tend to run from 3 or 5 to 15, not that it changes the whole)

[TenaciousJ]

I DM to 20 but I haven't met anyone else who keeps a game going that long.  If my players actually think of these combos, I will be shocked but let it ride since I will have to come up with ways to dodge this stuff.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Doesn't the Fighter Battle Master 7 ability allow it to determine Hit Points?

Otherwise how many other non-metagame ways can you decide when to use the Rocket Tag?

[sambojin]

You do it to as many things as possible in a given week, note the results, and allow your college compatriots to discuss possible flaws in the experiment, as well as let them try it out themselves.

For Magical Science!

[TenaciousJ]

The optional rule to describe creatures as bloodied below half HP would be kind of a hint for Power Word Kill, as few things would have more than 150 HP at half HP.

In the case of the combos in the previous posts, you polymorph creatures into typical "weak" things you know can't handle the spells.  It's a really murky area how anyone would know when to use Power Word Kill or Divine Word.