Cloud of Daggers "area 1"

[kristov]

Is this just a single square? or is a word missing like burst?

What uses would this single square have except for dropping it in a doorway - if that is what it is for?

Im working on building out a wizard and this spell - i just dont know if its worth as much as the other 1st level at wills....

 

[Rith the Wanderer]

I believe it is supposed to be area 1, it only effects one square. It's actually good if you look at the math.

Magic Missile (Most Damaging to a single target at-will)
2d4+Int

Cloud of Daggers
1d6+Int and effectively + Wis

This is becuase any creature starting its turn in the square takes damage equal to your wisdom mod, and considering you cast it on them, unless they are slid or something they will start their turn there.

Assume 18 Int and 14 Wis

Magic Missile - 6-12 damage, average 9
Cloud of Daggers- 7-12 damage, average 9.5

So the cloud of daggers at first level, with this build, is slightly better damage wise at first level. However you also have to take into account that 2 of that damage is delayed, MM can be used as a ranged basic attack, and it has twice the range.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Yah, it's just 1 square. They couldn't use burst 1 because that'd be larger, and burst 0 might be more confusing than area 1.

Area 1 is good against swarms, the rare time when a couple tiny creatures are in the same square, and also makes clear that the daggers are staying in the square until the next round, which might have effects if people run though it or are pushed through it.

 

[Mistwell]

Assume a fighter has a baddie marked. Drop your cloud on that baddie. It takes initial damage, and then it must decide if it wants to move out of the cloud, taking an attack from the fighter, or stay, and take wisdom damage on it's turn (and a turn after that if you extend it with an orb).

Or use it with the icy spell that knocks you prone, and then drop the cloud on the target.

Or use it with a pushing spell or ability to push someone into it.

The static damage is, I believe, no save (no attack roll). So minions auto-die in it.

There are lots of applications for the cloud of daggers, you just have to get creative.

 

[Dormain1]

Cloud of Daggers is an @will power I have fallen in love with

I do wish it was burst 0 so i could enlarge it but thats neither here nor there

it is the perfect minion killer put it next to or near another character and the minions need to walk around it or they die, use abilities to push pull or slide minions into it, combined with an orb to make it last longer

On average if placed properly you can kill at least 2 minions a rd, and other character can gain advantage with it, and if a creature walks threw it and lives you know he is not a minion

and like others have said it does the most damage of any @will

It really pisses my DM off that creatures take damage as soon as it is their go, even if they shift out of it (but think of it as ongoing damage)