Dispell Magic Vs Channel Divinity Vs Sage Advice - Rules & Game Mechanics - Dungeons & Dragons Discussion - D&D Beyond Forums (2024)

So, hear me out. Any chance we can get an update on D&D beyond, or is it too much trouble?

Channel divinity says holy power fuels magical effects. Dispel magic says spells, and magical effects, a tweet from Jeremy Crawford says channel divinity powers are not spells. I know this might seem a bit nit picky, but how will I convince my DM he's wrong otherwise? ;)

Dispel Magic:Choose one creature, object, or magical effect within range.
Channel Divinity:At 2nd level, you gain the ability to channel divine energy directly from your deity, using that energy to fuel magical effects.
Jeremy Crawford:Dispel magic ends spells. A Channel Divinity option like the paladin's Sacred Weapon isn't a spell.

I'm not sure which position you're trying to garner support for, but Jeremy Crawford's tweet is correct. Read the spell text of Dispel Magic to find out what it actually does: after selecting the target, which can be a creature, object, or magical effect within range, "Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends."

Channel Divinity absolutely produces magical effects, and those effects are thus eligible to be targeted by Dispel Magic. But what Dispel Magicdoes to its target is remove spells from the target, so if no spells are active on that Channel Divinity effect (which is an idea that makes no sense within the bounds of actually published material), DIspel Magic just doesn't do anything.

Quote from prenfrew1614 >>

I am not sure if I am reading your response right. The "magic effect" that Jeremy Crawford references is for things like a haste potion, or an item giving a character a spell feature, say boots of haste giving you haste. Channel Divinity does not use a spell slot, so how do you quantify it, and if you ready anti-magic field "Spellsand other magicaleffects, except those created by an artifact or a deity, are suppressed in theSphereand can't protrude into it." allow for divinity to remain. So from thosethree points, I don't think dispel magic beats Channel Divinty.

Incorrect. Read the spell description. The actual effect is that Dispel Magic removes the effects of spells. All spells are magical effects, but not all magical effects are spells. Dispel Magic does nothing on magical effects that aren't spells, and does nothing on Channel Divinity. Anti-magic Fields work on all magical effects (exceptions noted), including spells, so it would suppress Channel Divinity effects (which btw are created by a Cleric, not a deity; The text in anti-magic field is talking about actual divine intervention, as if Tyr himself came down from the heavens and cast a spell).

Again, this seems to be an issue caused by a literal reading of the first sentence of a spell, which is always a summary of the spell effect, and almost never contains an actual mechanic. The mechanic of Dispel Magic is to remove spell effects.

I have always gone by the idea that dispel magic is specifically for spells. In the case that a magic item allows the casting of a spell, like hat of disguise, then dispel would work in that context also, though it would not depower the hat in any lasting way.

But channel divinity, as Icon says, is a different animal entirely. Dispel would not work on that.