Apr 24, 2019 I think in the Venn diagram of effects, damage sits entirely inside of effects. The DMG errata uses as its example an effect that does damage. My logic is as follows: If damage is an effect, it falls firmly in the rules quoted above. 5e has been designed around plain English interpretation of words unless otherwise specified. As a Moonbeam 5E: a silvery beam of pale light would shine down within a 5-foot radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within a range. Until the end of this d&d 5e spell, dim light fills the cylinder.
Evocation
Level: 2
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (several seeds of any moonseed plant and a piece of opalescent feldspar)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-footradius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Until the spell ends, dim light fills the cylinder.
When a creature enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it is engulfed in ghostly flames that cause searing pain, and it must make a Constitution saving throw. It takes 2d10 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
A shapechanger makes its saving throw with disadvantage. If it fails, it also instantly reverts to its original form and can’t assume a different form until it leaves the spell’s light.
On each of your turns after you cast this spell, you can use an action to move the beam 60 feet in any direction.
At higher level
When you cast this spell using aspell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d1O for each slot level above 2nd.
Page: 261 Players Handbook
A Druid, spell