Grim Harvest and concentration spells.

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

Danny_Montanny

Oct 17, 2014 13:02:31

Does Grim Harvest activate when the damage that reduces a creature to 0 hit points includes damage from a concentration spell? So with Hex, Hunters Mark, Divine Favor, ect.

 

If so, the hit points gained should still scale with whatever level spell slot you used to cast the spell, right?

#2

Nachturnus

Oct 17, 2014 13:15:26

Yep. If you off someone with cloudkill, it would give you  2x level (so 10.) No reason any other spell wouldn't do the same. 

#3

TheLastDunedain

Oct 17, 2014 17:24:42 		Related question: does this work with animate dead? How far of a stretch is it to say you're killing something with your animate dead spell when your animated skeleton lands the final blow?
(Reply to #3)

Timborama

TheLastDunedain wrote:
#5

paulstrait

Oct 18, 2014 15:39:52

TheLastDunedain wrote:
#6

TheLastDunedain

Oct 18, 2014 16:20:16 		Agree that it's a bit grey. I think animate dead is different than healing a PC because the spell has a continuing effect -- the caster mentally controls the animated minion. So there is some active necromancy going on. (Surprised animate dead doesn't require concentration)
#7

Nachturnus

Oct 18, 2014 19:42:00

TheLastDunedain wrote:
#8

2Chlorobutanal

Oct 19, 2014 23:02:23

Ok, second example:

 

If you dominate an ogre and force it to kill a goblin, do you trigger Grim Harvest?  In my opinion, no.  The ogre killed the goblin with bludgeoning weapon damage.  You created some other magical effect with your dominate spell, but it did not kill anything.

 

Additionally, my thoughts:

 

animate dead - no Grim Harvest.

 

hex, hunter's mark, magic weapon, elemental weapon, bestow curse (bonus damage version) - no Grim Harvest.  The attack benefiting from the bonus damage is the "killing" effect, not the spell granting bonus damage.  Just as casting enlarge/reduce on a fighter does not trigger Grim Harvest if that fighter kills a kobold with its enlarged weapon attacks.  Now, if you hex a goblin and then cast scorching ray to kill the goblin with the combined damage, you would get Grim Harvest, but from the scorching ray, not the hex. If you hex the goblin and kill it with a crossbow bolt, no Grim Harvest.

 

wall of fire, flaming sphere, cloudkill, Armor of Agathys, fire shield - Yes.  If the damage dealt directly by any of these spells kills a creature, you should get to use Grim Harvest.