Level
8th
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
150 ft
(20 ft )
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration
1 Minute
School
Conjuration
Attack/Save
DEX Save
Damage/Effect
Fire
A swirling cloud of smoke shot through with white-hot embers appears in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within range. The cloud spreads around corners and is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
When the cloud appears, each creature in it must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 10d8 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature must also make this saving throw when it enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there.
The cloud moves 10 feet directly away from you in a direction that you choose at the start of each of your turns.
"The cloud moves 10 feet directly away from you in a direction that you choose at the start of each of your turns."
So which is it, directly away from you, or in a direction that you choose?
I believe it means that you pick which way it goes, it just has to end farther away from you than it started.
Cloudkill but for grownups.
I'm reading it as "In a direction you choose, as long as it doesnt come near you"
The question is, Can I Kite the Cloud into staying in the same spot if I move fast enough?
If the way that Yggi and I are reading this (which seems to be the same) is correct, then yes.
Let's say turn A you send it west. Then if you can use your movement to get on the west side of the cloud before the start of turn B, then you can send it back to where it started on turn B. Rinse repeat, and you have the cloud going back and forth each turn.
Personally, our table just has it roll back and forth through the bars of a Forcecage and not necessarily away from the caster, slowly roasting whoever is inside while everyone else swiftly murders any lesser beings the party wizard deigned to let outside the cage; our rationale is that a 15th+ wizard probably has some modicum of control over the precise positioning of their spells.
Of course, this only works once per day, but it's still a pretty good combo. (Anything involving a Forcecage is a pretty good combo).
lol
why don't druids have this in their list
It was added to their list with Tasha's if you use that
Pyroclastic flow would be more appropriate
White Phosphorus attack
"A creature must also make this saving throw when it enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there."
So, "or" means "or" here, right? As in, 'either'. A creature doesn't have to save twice in a turn if it both enters the area and ends its turn there?
Apparently this spell can be dispersed with a Gust of Wind. Not a fan of a 2nd level spell automatically defeating an 8th level one.
nice!