Does interacting with things inside the area of an Alarm spell trigger it

area-of-effectdnd-5eequipmentspells

Somebody who has cast Alarm is sleeping inside the area (they didn't choose the window or door option) of the spell, which is "[…] no larger than a 20-foot cube.", and the spell also states:

Until the spell ends, an alarm alerts you whenever a Tiny or larger creature touches or enters the warded area.

If I get a 10 ft pole and poke the sleeping caster gently, does the Alarm spell go off? I can see two parts to this, is the 10ft pole considered part of me as a creature? And have I entered if I've not 'set foot' inside the area? It's a little ambiguous if the 'touch' part is only intended for the door/window option.

Is it any different if I attack into it from range, with a spell or weapon?

Best Answer

Has a tiny or larger creature entered or touched the area?

For the 10 foot pole: no, they haven’t entered it, maybe they touched it. Touch is undefined so it is a DM’s call. However, I would rule the answer is “no” because you can’t deliver a spell that has touch range with a 10 foot pole.

For a ranged attack: no, they haven’t entered it and no, they haven’t touched it.