Homebrew: Dazzling Vision, a non-violent combat cantrip

[redCartel]

I'm working on a concept for a non-violent Wizard that never deals damage. Here's a homebrew cantrip I'm going to propose to my DM.

[https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-LMro1rIFmkeOlhVA27S]

Dazzling Vision

Illusion Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous

Choose a creature you can see. It must pass a Wisdom saving throw or else its vision is filled with distracting abstract colors and shapes. It has disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of its next turn. If the creature has advantage on saving throws to resist blindness, it has advantage on the saving throw to resist this spell. Creatures immune to blindness are immune to this spell.

At higher levels: At 5th level the creature has disadvantage on up to the next two of its attack rolls before the end of the next turn. At 11th level is has disadvantage on up to three of its attack rolls before the end of its next turn. At 17th level it has disadvantage on up to four of its attack rolls before the end of its next turn.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Seems like a nice one to me... but possibly slightly overpowered for a cantrip at high levels. Maybe it should require Concentration to offset the multi-round disadvantage aspect on foes who lack multiple attacks?

Coupled with the Concentration requirement, I think duration should be one round (vs instantaneous)

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Honestly, I would just cut out the restrictions and auto-scaling, and have it blind the target for one round.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Wow I agree with Saelorn on something!

Frostbite and Vicious Mockery both do this exact same thing AND do damage.

An alternate might be to Blind the creature until the end of it's next turn, but is dispelled if the creature takes damage. That way it could also be used to give an ally Advantage on one attack, but not both.

 

[ad_hoc]

I don't think D&D is the right place for non-violent characters.

Blinding someone is still violence.

Even just trying to avoid HP damage is tough.

Your cantrip is worse than Vicious Mockery at 1-4, and better at 5+. It doesn't really work thematically either. Is the creature blinded? No, but then why are they blinded for their attack?

Maybe you can look into other avenues. Healer feat is a good one. Help action is also a good go to.

 

[Shiroiken]

I would suggest: "The target is blind until the start of your next turn. If the target is attacked or makes an attack roll, the effect ends immediately after resolving the attack.

Higher Levels: At 5th level the effect ends after the target is attacked and/or attacks twice. At 11th level the effect ends after the target is attacked and/or attacks three times. At 17th level the effect ends after the target is attacked and/or attacks four times."

At higher levels allows the warriors to use their extra attacks, or to grant disadvantage on multi-attack enemies. It's most potent against casters, since they won't be able to target with their spells. Still not sure if it's really better than Vicious Mocker, which also deals damage (albeit, not much). Maybe if you switched it to an Int save, which is less common?

 

[bedir than]

maybe add something about how many feet of dim light are granted. that way there is a small side benefit that Vicious Mockery doesn't have

 

[redCartel]

What it does that vicious mockery does not do is give disadvantage on multiple attacks, so it scales into later levels where most enemies are getting multiples.

Blinding is too strong. One round of blindness is easily worth a 1st level spell. A cantrip that grants advantage to an ally would be too strong.