[RPG] Energy in 5e

dnd-5e

In general, when the game uses terms that are not defined explicitly, it defaults to the plain English usage of the word. There are several spells and effects, like Resilient Sphere, that care about energy. This would give us a definition such as:

  • a dynamic quality; the capacity of acting or being active; a usually positive spiritual force
  • vigorous exertion of power
  • a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work
  • usable power (such as heat or electricity)

Excluding the psychological energy describing character behaviours, this covers any kind of heat, light, sound, motion. It would include the energy imparted from physical strikes. When looked at closely, this quickly leads to discussions about physics, something the D&D rules are typically not well set up to deal with.

Is this what 5e means when it talks about energy?

Best Answer

"Energy" is not a well-defined game term with a consistent meaning.

As you lay out in your excellently-researched answer, the word means different things in different places. Frequently it refers to damage types including fire, cold, lightning, and thunder. Sometimes it doesn't.

We should not attempt to converge on a consistent definition for this term, because the authors of the books are not using a consistent definition.