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My level 6 druid was swallowed by an unknown creature - maybe a Remorhaz? It's unclear, since it seems sensitive to fire damage, so not the typical Remorhaz. But something similar. I'm currently a Cave Bear, so I don't do a ton of damage, especially since I'm attacking with disadvantage because of being blinded and restrained.

My question is about what spells I could cast inside the beast. I could cast Flaming Sphere, damaging myself of course since I'd have to cast it on top of me, right? Another spell would be Tidal Wave or Wall of Water, but I'm not sure if casting it inside the creature and then Wild Shaping into a shark would work. What do you think?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to the stack Robert, take the tour when you have a moment. What happens when you polymorph into an elk and what spells you can cast are entirely different questions. We prefer to keep question posts focused on a single question, so I’d recommend asking them as separate posts. For now I’ve removed the question about the elk, since we may already have a sufficient y similar question (still looking for it). Feel free to make a second post with that question. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 1:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ This question is very related to your question about changing size inside another creature. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 1:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ If you want a concrete assessment of the spells in your specific situation, it might be useful to provide the list of spells you have currently prepared (and maybe, the cantrips you know) and that you are considering to use. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 7:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ Would you have to be a halfing to use Wild Shape because halfing changes form? Or could a wizard use this spell? I'm still just learning about DnD. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 14:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ElvinaMoonlight Wild Shape is a magical feature of the druid class, and is not a spell or racial ability. Other classes have access to spells or features that do something similar, but only druids can Wild Shape. \$\endgroup\$
    – aaron9eee
    Commented Jul 4 at 15:38

1 Answer 1

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You can cast any spell that does not require you to see and that has a valid target

But before we get into that, a special service announcement:

You cannot cast spells in wild shape

See page 67, PHB under the rules that apply to wild shape

You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form.

You are level 6, so this applies to you. It won't change until you reach level 18 and gain the "Beast Shape" feature that says

Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your druid spells in any shape you assume using Wild Shape.

What spells can you cast once you are in normal shape?

If you give up your wild shape to cast, as per this Q&A, you are most likely blinded and restrained - it depends on what the swallow ability of the monster says, but most have this text:

While swallowed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the

So you cannot cast spells that require you to see the target, but apart from that the condition imposes no limitations on spellcasting itself.

You need to check each spell for what the requirements for sight and target are.

Flaming sphere would not work, as it says:

A 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range

And inside the creature there is no unoccupied space, and you do not have a clear path of effect to any space outside the creature, due to total cover. So while you technically can cast the spell, there is no valid target. (p. 201, PHB):

To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind total cover.

Wall of Water will also not work as it says

You conjure up a wall of water on the ground at a point you can see within range.

And again, there is no point on the ground that you can see (and you cannot see, to begin with).

How will the spell work once cast?

Tidal Wave can be cast as it has no such limitations, but it is more difficult to determine what then happens. Its area of effect is

You conjure up a wave of water that crashes down on an area within range. The area can be up to 30 feet long, up to 10 feet wide, and up to 10 feet tall.

While this is not one of the standard areas of effect (cone, sphere, line, cube or cylinder), it still is an are of effect. The targeting rules say (p. 204, PHB)

If you place an area of effect at a point that you can’t see and an obstruction, such as a wall, is between you and that point, the point of origin comes into being on the near side of that obstruction.

You have total cover inside the creature so it provides an obstruction to any point outside creature, and any point outside likewise has total cover. That means if you pick a point of origin on the outside, it instead will end up on the inside, and the area would expand from the inside. Area effects however cannot expand either, if there is no clear path:

A spell’s effect expands in straight lines from the point of origin. If no unblocked straight line extends from the point of origin to a location within the area of effect, that location isn’t included in the spell’s area.

Since the obstacle here is also a creature that can potentially be affected by the area spell I’d check with my DM as to how they want to handle this unusual situation, and if they want to apply the effects to the creature too, or only the inside of the creature.

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    \$\begingroup\$ For ideas of spells You can cast: Moonbeam (depending on DM ruling it can hurt You too), Thunderwave (depending on how close Your allies are this can hurt them) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 6:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ These would indeed work. Moonbeam should not be able to hurt the caster as the caster enjoys full cover inside the monster. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 6:28
  • \$\begingroup\$ Like You said in your answer it depends on how the swallow ability of the monster is worded or how DM feels about their particular situation. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 4 at 6:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ Am frankly quite surprised that neither "restrained" nor "grappled" prevents spells with a somatic component. I'd probably house-rule against casting somatic spells when under those conditions, but RAW seems to allow it.. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 5 at 19:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ I assumed the creature's stomach was considered occupied, but depending on the size of the stomach, I wasn't 100% sure. My plan now is to attack as my Cave Bear until I have to drop Wild Shape, then cast Tidal Wave and see how the DM calls it. If that fails, I'm going to turn into a Giant Elk, since that's my only Huge Wild Shape. My DM is not great about entertaining questions, since he considers that "metagaming". He really wouldn't approve of me researching online how to deal with me being swallowed, would consider it "cheating". But y'all have been super helpful, thanks again !! \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 6 at 16:57

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