Sage Advice Compendium (2025)
Other
XSAC
2025
Wizards of the Coast
Sage Advice Compendium (2025) - other
Table of Contents
Sage Advice Compendium
- Rules References
- Errata
- Official Rulings
- Compiled Answers
- The Role of Rules
- Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling?
- RAW
- RAI
- RAF
- Ability Checks
- Are attack rolls and saving throws basically specialized ability checks?
- Can you get a Critical Hit on an ability check?
- Is a 1 on an ability check an automatic failure?
- Adventuring
- If I'm hidden and a creature with Blindsight or Truesight sees me, am I still hidden?
- The Stunned condition no longer prevents you from moving. Is that change intentional?
- Does all magical Darkness block Darkvision?
- Is there a hard limit on how many Short Rests characters can take in a day, or is this purely up to the DM to decide?
- Are extradimensional spaces, such as a demiplane or the space created by Rope Trick, considered to be on a different plane of existence?
- How do I tell if something in the game is magical?
- What's an example of an effect that can reduce Exhaustion?
- What happens after level 20? Is there a cap to character levels?
- The Frightened condition says "while the source of its fear is within line of sight." Does that mean you have Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks even if the source is imperceptible but you have a clear line to its space?
- Combat
- Can you delay your turn and take it later in the round?
- I have a readied action. Can I stop readying to take an Opportunity Attack? Or does the Ready action take a full-round commitment?
- Can a Bonus Action be used as an action or vice versa? For example, can a Bard use a Bonus Action to grant a Bardic Inspiration die and an action to cast Healing Word?
- Can a flying creature without the hover trait stay in one place while airborne, or does it need to move each round?
- Can you move through the space of a Prone enemy?
- Does travel pace apply to movement in combat or just when traveling?
- If you have a feature like Cunning Action or Step of the Wind, can you take the Dash action more than once on your turn?
- My Rogue/Wizard can get a Bonus Action to Dash by using Cunning Action, and I can cast Expeditious Retreat on myself to get a Bonus Action to Dash. Do I get two Bonus Actions to Dash?
- If you use the Help action to distract a foe, do you have to stay within 5 feet of it for the action to work?
- If I'm hidden and become unhidden when I shoot an arrow at a target, does hiding again require an action?
- If I use the Ready action to deal damage to someone who's moving, do I deny the target the rest of its movement?
- Can you use the Ready action to take the Attack action on someone else's turn and then combine the Charger feat with it?
- For readying a spell or another action, does the target have to be in range?
- How does readying a spell work? Do you lose your spell slot if the trigger never occurs?
- Can a readied action occur during an enemy's triggering action, such as between its first and second attacks when it uses Multiattack?
- How does a Reach weapon work with Opportunity Attack?
- Can a Blinded creature make an Opportunity Attack?
- Can an Opportunity Attack be used to make a grapple or a shove?
- If a creature is Grappled, can it still attack and use its special abilities?
- Does a grapple or shove trigger a Battle Master Fighter's Riposte?
- Say I grapple you, then I have the Prone condition. Are we now Prone together?
- Target at range caught in melee combat—does that target get some kind of cover, or do I get Disadvantage?
- Can damage be reduced to 0 by Resistance or another form of damage reduction?
- A dragon uses a breath weapon against me. I succeed on the save, and I have Resistance to the damage. Do I take only one-quarter of the damage?
- Is the intent that only Melee weapon attacks can knock foes Unconscious, or can melee spell attacks as well?
- Can a non-Battle Master attempt to disarm someone?
- Can I make an attack with a Light weapon, then draw a second weapon with my other hand and qualify to make the extra attack of the Light property?
- Multiclassing
- Would a temporary stat bump fulfill a multiclass prerequisite, or does the base score have to meet the requirement?
- When multiclassing, do you get the cantrips from all your classes?
- Do you gain proficiency in more saving throws when multiclassing?
- Can a Barbarian/Fighter (Battle Master) use maneuvers while raging?
- Can a Rogue/Monk use Sneak Attack with Unarmed Strikes?
- A Wizard multiclasses into a Sorcerer with the Wild Magic Sorcery subclass. Do spells cast from their spellbook trigger Wild Magic Surge if they are on the Sorcerer spell list, or do they have to gain them from Sorcerer to trigger?
- Class Features
- General
- When you use Extra Attack, do you have to use the same weapon for all the attacks?
- Barbarian
- For the Barbarian's Reckless Attack, do you grant Advantage to all enemies, or only to the target of your attack?
- Bard
- Do the benefits from Bardic Inspiration and the Guidance spell stack? Can they be applied to the same roll?
- If used on a damage roll, does a College of Lore Bard's Cutting Words apply to any kind of damage roll including an auto-hit spell like Magic Missile?
- Which Spell Scrolls can Bards understand—spells from the Bard list only, or spells from the Bard list plus spells from Magical Secrets?
- For the College of Valor, does using Combat Inspiration's Offense feature mean that the Bardic Inspiration die counts as a damage die for purposes of Critical Hits?
- Druid
- Can a bound and gagged Druid simply use Wild Shape to get out? It's hard to capture someone who can turn into a mouse at will.
- Fighter
- If my Battle Master Fighter provokes an Opportunity Attack and it misses, can I use Riposte?
- Can the Disarming Attack maneuver cause a creature to drop a Shield?
- Monk
- Does the Martial Arts feature turn Monk weapons and Unarmed Strikes into Finesse weapons?
- Can a Warrior of the Open Hand Monk's Open Hand Technique push a Large or larger creature or give it the Prone condition?
- Paladin
- Would the Divine Sense feature of a Paladin's Channel Divinity register an Aasimar or a Tiefling due to their heritage?
- Rogue
- Can a Rogue use Sneak Attack more than once per round?
- Does Uncanny Dodge work automatically against every attack a Rogue gets hit by? Spell attacks too?
- Can a Rogue use Evasion if they are surprised?
- Can the Rogue's Reliable Talent feature be used in conjunction with other features, like the Champion's Remarkable Athlete feature or the Bard's Jack of All Trades feature?
- Sorcerer
- Metamagic rules state you can't use multiple Metamagic options on a single spell. Can you use one option multiple times?
- In Draconic Sorcery, Elemental Affinity improves one damage roll of a spell, not multiple rolls. So with Scorching Ray, I don't add my Charisma modifier to each ray that hits?
- Can Empowered Spell affect all the rays of a Scorching Ray spell or just one?
- Does Quickened Spell allow a Sorcerer to cast two spells a round of level 1+?
- Can my Sorcerer use Twinned Spell on a spell duplicated by the casting of a Wish spell?
- In Wild Magic Sorcery, does the Wild Magic Surge effect replace the effect of the spell that triggered it, or do both effects happen?
- Warlock
- If a Warlock uses Pact of the Blade to bond with a magic weapon, does that weapon have to be a Melee weapon, and can the Warlock change the weapon's form?
- If you're a Pact of the Blade Warlock, can someone else wield your pact weapon?
- Does the Awakened Mind feature of a Warlock with a Great Old One Patron allow two-way telepathic communication?
- Wizard
- Is an Abjurer's Arcane Ward healed only when the ward has 0 Hit Points?
- Does casting Alarm as a Ritual heal Arcane Ward?
- How does Arcane Ward interact with Temporary Hit Points that an Abjurer might have?
- Does the level 14 Illusionist ability let you make something real every round, or just once?
- Can a Diviner on the Ethereal Plane use Portent on a creature that the Wizard can see on the Material Plane?
- For a Wizard to cast a Ritual spell contained in their spellbook, do they need to read from the book or use it as part of the Ritual?
- Backgrounds
- Can you have more than one background?
- Species Traits
- Does the Halfling's Naturally Stealthy trait allow them to hide while observed?
- Feats
- Archery
- Does the Archery feat work with a Melee weapon that you throw?
- Charger
- If you have the Charger feat, can you use the Charge Attack benefit while mounted?
- Crossbow Expert
- Does Crossbow Expert let you fire a Hand Crossbow and then fire it again as a Bonus Action?
- Dual Wielder
- Can my character wield two Heavy weapons if they have the Dual Wielder feat?
- Dueling
- Is the Dueling feat intended to support using a Shield?
- Great Weapon Fighting
- If you use Great Weapon Fighting with a spell like Divine Smite or Hex, do you get to treat any 1 or 2 you roll for the additional damage as a 3?
- Magic Initiate
- If you're a spellcaster, can you pick your own class when you gain the Magic Initiate feat?
- Polearm Master
- Can I add my Strength modifier to the damage of the bonus attack that Polearm Master gives me?
- Savage Attacker
- Does the benefit of the Savage Attacker feat apply to additional effects like the Rogue's Sneak Attack or the Paladin's Divine Smite?
- Equipment
- Does Heavy armor reduce Dexterity saving throws or ability checks other than Stealth?
- If you attack with a Shield—most likely as an improvised weapon—do you keep the +2 bonus to AC?
- Spellcasting
- General
- Which of a character's spells count as class spells? For example, if I'm playing a Sorcerer, which of my character's spells are Sorcerer spells?
- Can a spellcaster cast spells off-target to minimize damage to party members from a spell like Shatter?
- Can permanent magical effects be dispelled? Or are they no longer considered magical effects once permanent?
- Do spellcasters have to learn a Ritual version of a spell apart from the normal version, or are they the same?
- Can spellcasters prepare spells not all at once, but at various times throughout the adventure?
- Spell Attacks
- Is a touch range spell considered a melee attack for purposes of subduing foes rather than killing?
- Can spell attacks score Critical Hits?
- When casting a spell that affects multiple targets, such as Scorching Ray or Eldritch Blast, do I fire one ray or beam, determine the result, and fire again? Or do I have to choose all the targets before making any attack rolls?
- Can a spell with an attack roll be used as the attack in the Attack action or as part of the Extra Attack feature?
- Can you use a melee spell attack to make an Opportunity Attack?
- Some spells (like Guiding Bolt) target a creature. Some others (like Fire Bolt) target objects too. Does this mean that I can't attack the door with Guiding Bolt?
- Spell Level
- What level is a spell if you cast it without a spell slot?
- Casting Time
- Is there a limit on the number of spells you can cast on your turn?
- Can you cast a Reaction spell on your turn?
- Does casting a spell as a Ritual require Concentration if the spell doesn't normally require it?
- Components
- Does a spell consume its Material components?
- If a spell's Material components are consumed, can a Spellcasting Focus still be used in place of the consumed component?
- What's the amount of interaction needed to use a Spellcasting Focus? Does it have to be included in the Somatic component?
- Duration
- If you're concentrating on a spell, do you need to maintain line of sight with the spell's target or the spell's effect?
- If I have 10 Temporary Hit Points and I take 30 damage from an attack while concentrating on a spell, what is the DC of the Constitution save to maintain my Concentration?
- Can a spellcaster dismiss a spell after casting it?
- Specific Spells
- Does casting Animate Objects during a Time Stop spell end the Time Stop?
- Can you extend the duration of Armor of Agathys by gaining more Temporary Hit Points?
- How does Barkskin work with Shields, cover, and other modifiers to AC?
- Is the Chill Touch spell intended as a way of foiling Regeneration?
- Using 5-foot squares, does Cloud of Daggers affect a single square?
- Can a creature under the effect of Compelled Duel teleport more than 30 feet away from the caster?
- If the damage from Disintegrate reduces an Orc to 0 Hit Points, can Relentless Endurance prevent the Orc from turning to ash?
- Can you use Dispel Magic to dispel a magical effect like a Druid's Wild Shape?
- Can you use Dispel Magic on the creations of a spell like Animate Dead or affect those creations with Antimagic Field?
- Can you take a Ready action to ready Dispel Magic to stop another spell from taking effect?
- Can Dispel Magic end Globe of Invulnerability?
- If Dispel Magic targets the magical effect from Bless, does it remove the effect on all the targets?
- Can the familiar you conjure with the Find Familiar spell use the Help action to grant you Advantage on your attack roll?
- Does the familiar of Find Familiar count as an ally for the purposes of Sneak Attack?
- When a creature succeeds on a saving throw against Guardian of Faith and takes 10 Radiant damage, how much damage does that count against the total amount of damage the spell can deal? Is it 20 because that's how much it dealt or 10 because that's how much the target took?
- Do the Temporary Hit Points from Heroism accumulate each round?
- If the Heroism spell is cast on a character that already has the Frightened condition, does it remove that condition?
- Can you use a Shield with Mage Armor?
- Does Unarmored Defense work with a spell like Mage Armor?
- I find it confusing that the Mage Armor spell is named that when it doesn't count as armor.
- Can an object created with Minor Illusion move? For example, a wall sliding down a corridor?
- Could Minor Illusion create a fog cloud? If so, would shooting an arrow through it cancel the illusion?
- Does Planar Binding summon the creature to be bound, or is that done separately?
- Can you concentrate on a spell while transformed by Polymorph?
- Does a willing creature under the effects of Polymorph have to take the mental stats of the new form?
- If a creature under the effects of Polymorph takes enough Fire damage to revert to its true form and that form has Resistance to Fire damage, does the true form take the full remaining damage or only half due to Resistance?
- Can a creature under the effects of Polymorph have other spell effects on them, or are those game statistics also replaced by the those of the beast form?
- What kinds of things count as "nonmagical trinkets" for Prestidigitation?
- If you grapple or shove an enemy, does that end a Sanctuary spell cast on you?
- If I cast Shillelagh on my Quarterstaff and have the Polearm Master feat, does the bonus attack use a d4 or a d8 for damage?
- Do the effects of Storm of Vengeance stack? Or do the effects change each turn?
- Is the sentence of suggestion in the Suggestion spell the Verbal component, or is the Verbal component separate?
- If you are affecting a target with Telekinesis and an ally put you inside Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, can you continue affecting the target or other targets with the existing Telekinesis spell?
- Can you use True Strike with Extra Attack, Opportunity Attack, Sneak Attack, and other weapon attack options?
- Can I use Unseen Servant to act as an ally when using a class feature like Sneak Attack?
- Whenever you cast Wish, do you always have a 33 percent chance of never casting it again?
- Monsters
- What actions can monsters use to make Opportunity Attack? Are Multiattack and breath weapon actions allowed?
- The Monster Manual says gnolls speak Gnoll, but the Player's Handbook doesn't mention that language. What is correct?
- If a monster makes a melee attack that uses its Dexterity modifier, is it considered to have used a Finesse weapon?
- Does a creature with Magic Resistance have Advantage on saving throws against Channel Divinity abilities, such as Turn the Faithless?
- If a Shadow rolls a Critical Hit, does it reduce the target's Strength by 2d4, as well dealing the extra Necrotic damage?
- Is a Vampire affected by Hold Person or Calm Emotions?
- Can a creature that burrows grapple a target and drag them into the ground by burrowing?
- Can a Hydra use Reactive Heads to make multiple Opportunity Attack against one creature at the same time when it provokes?
- Magic Items
- When I cast a spell from a magic item, how do I set the spell save DC?
- Can potions be administered to Unconscious characters?
- If a potion doesn't duplicate a spell, does it require Concentration?
- When should I use the rule for scrolls in the Dungeon Master's Guide, and when should I use the rule for Spell Scrolls?
- Do the AC bonuses from a Ring of Protection and Bracers of Defense stack?
- My Fighter attacks a creature with a magic Longbow and nonmagical arrows. Is the attack magical?
- Are magic weapons with the Thrown property (Javelins and the like) assumed to return to their owner after being thrown?
- Can a Sphere of Annihilation enter a Leomund's Tiny Hut?
- Can you gain the magical bonus of a +2 Shield if you are holding the Shield without taking an action to don it?
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