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    \$\begingroup\$ My issue with this answer is that "spells only do what they say" is only half the equation. The other half is "and anything else is left up to the DM." Practically every time this "wisdom" shows up on RPG.SE, it shows up with only the first half. DMs should never feel constrained to adjudicate spells mechanistically at the expense of the narrative, which is what answers like this imply. Spell descriptions are a floor on what a spell does, not a ceiling. The ceiling is up to the DM. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 18, 2022 at 22:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ This is true as well, but for DM fiat there is no need to ask this page, or the internet, because only the DM's opinion matters in the slightest. That's why my answers here are far more RAW-centric than when I play myself or talk to people I play with IRL. But yeah, an important reminder that the rules are mere guidelines how the game can be played, there's no RAW-police irl \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 9:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ For my money, the "anything else is up to the DM" piece is RAW. It's just another way of phrasing #3 under "How to Play" in the PHB: "The DM narrates the results of the adventurers’ actions." Or as the DMG puts it on page 1: "The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game." As for whether this point has a place on RPG.SE, I emphatically say yes. DMs who want to run a good game -- who want to know how best to use their fiat powers -- should be able to get good guidance here. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 16:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ FYI, there's an excellent discussion of this whole issue on Meta: Shouldn't we move past repeating "rules do what they say and nothing more?". \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 16:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ That said, there's a massive difference between "10 gallons of water distributed within a 30-foot cube", and "a 30-foot cube completely full of water" (as OP seems to imagine). DM fiat normally does not cover a factor of ~20,000 in effect size. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jan 19, 2022 at 22:56