D&D 5E Monk Evasion is limited to which certain area effects?

[robus]

Now that we've sorted out Shadow Step, what about Monk Evasion? This player was using "Evasion" to avoid things such as a bone boulder rolling towards him that needed a Dex saving throw to avoid.

I accepted it at the time but read up on it after and I'm not buying that it was an acceptable use. It seems to be limited to area effects:

Evasion

At 7th level, your instinctive ability lets you dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Once again we're left with some room for interpretation. But given the examples provided it seems like this is only for use against attacks. But really could it be more vague? "certain area effects"? Why not delineate the type instead of giving a couple of examples?

Anyway, anyone care to offer clarification?

 

[iserith]

It applies only when the AOE is half damage on a save.

 

[robus]

It applies only when the AOE is half damage on a save.

So most Dex saving throws then?

 

[abirdcall]

Once again we're left with some room for interpretation. But given the examples provided it seems like this is only for use against attacks. But really could it be more vague? "certain area effects"? Why not delineate the type instead of giving a couple of examples?

Anyway, anyone care to offer clarification?

I believe you are doing the same thing you did with Shadow Step. You are reading the flavour part as the rules.

The flavour is written first. The rules second. It does delineate the type after the examples.

It says certain area effects because it doesn't apply to all area effects. An example would be a Green Dragon's poisonous gas breath weapon because it requires a Constitution saving throw.

 

[Lanliss]

So most Dex saving throws then?

Most yes, but not something like a boulder. Unless you ruled the boulder was a save-for-half.

 

[kbrakke]

The type is "an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage,". For contrast Ice knife is a dex for no damage, and many other AOE spells like cone of cold and cloudkill are con saves. But yes, most dex saves allow for evasion.

 

[Lanliss]

I believe you are doing the same thing you did with Shadow Step. You are reading the flavour part as the rules.

The flavour is written first. The rules second. It does delineate the type after the examples.

It says certain area effects because it doesn't apply to all area effects. An example would be a Green Dragon's poisonous gas breath weapon because it requires a Constitution saving throw.

Actually, it says Dexterity saving throws, so Green Dragon breath is excluded.

EDIT: or are you saying that the Green Dragon breath would be an exception to evasion? If you meant that, ignore me.

 

[iserith]

So most Dex saving throws then?

I hesitate to say "most," but it should be clear in the monster or trap stat block that it's Dex save for half or not. Only for those cases does evasion work.

 

[robus]

OK - thanks for the clarification everyone. Obviously I need to read these books with a less whimsical eye

 

[mellored]

Now that we've sorted out Shadow Step, what about Monk Evasion? This player was using "Evasion" to avoid things such as a bone boulder rolling towards him that needed a Dex saving throw to avoid.

The feature only helps on a successful dex save, and only against things that do half damage. If he rolls a 20 against a fireball, he takes no damage instead of half.
But if he rolls a 1 against a fireball, he takes full damage.


So..
1: Did your boulder do half damage on a successful dex save?
2: Did the monk roll high enough to beat the DC?

If both are yes, then evasion applies and he took no damage.


Failed to read the whole thing...