D&D 5E Mordenkainen's Sword is Limp and Made of Tinfoil

OK, so why is Mordenkainen's Sword such an utterly pathetic 7th level spell?


Compared to Bigby's Hand it is just sad: Hand is 2 levels lower, does more damage (4D10 Force vs 3D10 Force,) has more options from which to choose (Clenched, Forceful, Grasping, Interposing,) and can be cast with a higher level spell slot to do more damage.

Mordenkainen's Sword... can't be damaged. That is the only thing Mordenkainen's Sword has going for it.

Both do Force damage, both are used with a Bonus Action, and both require concentration.

Even Spiritual Weapon is a better spell, and it's a 2nd level Cleric spell! It's a Bonus Action to cast, doesn't require concentration, and if cast with a 6th level spell slot it would do 3D8 + the caster's spellcasting modifier.

Why is this spell so... sad? It's a 7th level spell, and more than that, it's friggin' Mordenkainen's Sword, for Boccob's sake! It's an insult to Mordenkainen that his signature attack spell is so weak!

Was there a goof here? I know that some spells seem at first glance to be weak, but if you really look at them you'll realize they have very specific uses that they are perfect for and justify their existence/spell level, but I wracked my brain trying to think of reasons that would warrant this spell being 7th level and I couldn't come up with a single thing. Now, if Mord's Sword got extra attacks, say, like a Fighter of the same level as the caster (2 at 5th, 3 at 11th, and 4 at 20t) then I could see the spell being worth it... but even then, it would need to be augmentable (and probably not require concentration.) It's 7th level, fer cryin' out loud.

Does anyone know why Mordenkainen's Sword is so pathetic?

I'm really hoping to see some errata making it actually viable as a 7th level spell, because as it is it's weaker than the 5th level Bigby's Hand, and that's just not right! Mordenkainen would be ashamed at how his signature spell is being treated, compared to how his apprentice Bigby's spell was made so awesome.

Aaron L said:

I'm really hoping to see some errata making it actually viable as a 7th level spell, because as it is it's weaker than the 5th level Bigby's Hand, and that's just not right! Mordenkainen would be ashamed at how his signature spell is being treated, compared to how his apprentice Bigby's spell was made so awesome.

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It seems quite weak.

What if it got 2 attacks (with a bonus action) for 3d12 damage each, and on a critical hit the target has to make a Con save or be stunned for a round (until the beginning of the caster's next turn)? With an 8th level slot it critical hits on a 19-20, with a 9th level slot it critical hits on an 18-20.

That's just off the top of my head, it might still be weak but would not be a trap. Mordenkain stun-locked foes with the 9th level version, of course.

Bigby's mentions using bonus actions for it on subsequent turns. Mord's Sword doesn't use that terminology, so it could be argued you could get two attacks with it the first use of the sword, using your action and bonus action. Not a huge boost (one extra attack across the whole duration), but it would be something.

Swords? What I'm casting, we wont need swords.

Mordenkainen's does appear to be a bit of a stinker. Bigby's does have the HP limit though, and that's a fairly big deal. It's large sized too, so not the most maneuverable. Still, it does more damag in an equivalent slot, no costly spell components, and more versatility.

I suggest pointing it out to WotC through their suggestion process. It's definitely not right.

It rarely ever hit anything at the levels I tried to use it. Even when the sword hits, it's a pathetic 3d10 damage. Don't waste your spell or concentration slot on that one. For Azuth's sake, the non-concentration Force Cage and the awesome concentration spell Reverse Gravity are both at 7th level. It so pathetic that I'm tempted to think it's a 'joke spell'. Ha ha, very funny Mearls and Company.

Mordenkainen really should retire and leave the spell design to the pros.

Soooo...as a GM I would seriously consider altering the spell to better represent the mighty "Mord's" prowess. It could be a long wait for a revision from WOTC. Make it work for your game☺

Telsar said:

Bigby's mentions using bonus actions for it on subsequent turns. Mord's Sword doesn't use that terminology, so it could be argued you could get two attacks with it the first use of the sword, using your action and bonus action. Not a huge boost (one extra attack across the whole duration), but it would be something.

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I read someone on the WotC forums make that same argument, but unfortunately, it's just not true.

The spell description of Mord's Sword says:
"Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your turns to... (description of how to attack.)" It's the same as Bigby's Hand, it requires you to use your Bonus Action to make it attack.

{EDIT}Oh wait, now I see what you're saying; that you could use your bonus action to make it attack on the same round that you cast it. I misread and thought you were saying it doesn't require a bonus action to make it attack each round, as someone tried to argue on a WotC forum thread I found when I started looking this subject up to see if anything had been said about it. The wording would seem to allow a second attack using your bonus action on the same round it was initially cast, but it still doesn't make it a viable 7th level spell. I think it is just more evidence that whoever was responsible for approving the spell only glanced over it and just generally didn't do a very good job of vetting it.{EDIT}