[RPG] twin cast a cantrip used with reaper from the death domain?

clericdnd-5emetamagicsorcererspells

Assuming I multiclass as a death domain cleric and a sorcerer.
Can I use my Twinned Spell metamagic to cast a necromantic cantrip, in conjunction with the Death Domains Reaper ability?

Reaper:

At 1st level, you learn one necromancy cantrip of your choice from any spell list. When you cast a necromancy cantrip that normally targets only one creature, the spell can instead target two creatures within range and within 5 feet of each other.

Twinned Spell:

When you Cast a Spell that Targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).
To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, Magic Missile and Scorching Ray aren’t eligible, but Ray of Frost is.

My reading of this says that Reaper is an effect that happens to the cantrip the same as Twinned spell. So both would happen simultaneously, which circumvents the Twinned spell stipulation that it can only effect one target.

Best Answer

It doesn't matter, both abilities stipulate targeting only a second creature.

Reaper says:

the spell can instead target two creatures

Twinned spell says:

target a second creature

If at any point you are targeting a third creature, you are contradicting both abilities as they each specify targeting only two creatures and a second creature.

See the first argument of my answer here:

The first three ordinal numbers in English are first, second, and third; not first, second, and second. So if we target a third creature, we are contradicting both class feature descriptions which specify we may only target a second creature.

You still can't use them together anyway.

Ripping off my other answer.

Twinned spell says:

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature

Reaper says:

When you Cast a Spell that Targets only one creature

Each feature modifies the spell to target a second creature, so once we use one, our spell is no longer valid for the other.

While Jeremy Crawford’s tweets are not official in any way, it may still be helpful to observe that he personally affirmed this particular ruling when he tweeted:

Split Enchantment and Twinned Spell are mutually exclusive. When you use one of them, the spell no longer targets only one creature.

He tweeted concerning Split Enchantment, but the language is the same.

Xanathar's Guide (optionally) confirms this ruling.

Xanathar's Guide gives an optional rule for adjudicating simultaneous effects:

If two or more things happen at the same time on a character or monster’s turn, the person at the game table — whether player or DM — who controls that creature decides the order in which those things happen.

Under this rule, the effects are resolved in order, not at the same time. Without this rule, where you insist we resolve them at the same time, see the first section - you cannot target three creatures.

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