Common DM Rulings (Game Mechanic FAQ)

This section provides general answers to some common questions where the RAW are ambiguous, unclear, or contradictory. Or they are areas of the rules that do not easily translate to the West Marches format. Most players do not need to know the information below, but it is provided for transparency and to encourage consistency across DMs. However, these are areas of the game that WotC left up to DM interpretation, or have not made definitive rulings on, thus individual DMs may choose to use rulings different than those presented here so if they apply to you ask your DM for their interpretation on these situations.

Can pets/familiars/summons/companions use magic items?

In general any creature associated with a player character that is not humanoid cannot attune or use magic items, with the exception of using or administering potions if the creature is physically capable of doing so. This applies to : conjured / summoned creatures, animated undead, awakened animals/plants, beastmaster animal companions, artificer homunculus, artificer steel defender, artificer arcane cannons, familiars, mounts created by the Find Steed or Find Greater Steed spell and possibly others.

When can I use an item with a recharge time of > 1 day?

Items with a recharge time of > 1 day (for instance the Figurines of Wondrous Power) are assumed to be recharged at the start of a quest. For Colosseum fights usually it will be allowed to be recharged but double check with the DM to make their job balancing the encounter easier.

Who gets to decide what I summon with Conjuration spells?

Certain spells like Conjure Animals and Conjure Woodland Beings are unclear as to how it is determined which creatures are conjured. In general, the caster may suggest what is conjured but the DM may veto it, though many DMs will determine the creatures by rolling on HB tables or based on what would be suitable for the present environment. 

Can I conjure X?

Creatures conjured by theses spells may use the 5e statblock of a creature from any official WotC published source. However, the well known "broken" conjuration spell creatures - i.e. Chwingas, and Pixies - are generally not available. 

Can I cast a spell I learned from X using my spellslots?

Player characters can gain access to spells from many sources: racial spells, feats, magic items. Unless the source of the spell specifically says that the spell can be cast using your spellslots then you cannot use your spellslots to cast the spell.