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

[Aaron L]

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☺

The next time I get people to DM a game for I will be altering the spell, but it doesn't do me much good as a player.

My DM agrees with me that it's really egregiously and weirdly weak, but he is always hesitant to mess with things himself and hopes for an errata. How has WotC been with the errata since 3.5? I haven't been paying attention to WotC at all during the 4E era (I was playing Pathfinder. )

Off topic, but another thing I want to do is add a subsystem for Injuries, since the idea that characters heal all their injuries after a good night's sleep kinda bugs me (it makes me picture a Fighter just sleeping off a broken leg or punctured lung and waking up fine and dandy.) I want to make a simple table of Injuries that can be sustained whenever you are dropped to 0 Hit Points (meaning that all of your defenses, skill, and luck has been whittled away and you've taken an actual real wound,) broken down by damage type that caused you to drop to 0 HP. You'll have to make a Constitution save of some DC or another or end up with an Injury, that won't go away after just sleeping for a night. Something like a broken leg would reduce your movement and reduce your Max Hit Points by 1/4, a punctured lung would give you Disadvantage on all physical Skill checks and combat rolls and reduce your Max HPs by 1/2, stuff like that. The Injuries will take a real world amount of time to heal, or a Restoration spell to fix them. I'm still thinking it through and will test it the next time I run a game.

The way the 5E rules are designed it would be simple to add plugins like that. I'm actually hoping the DMG might actually have some kind of alternate rule in it that would cover it. (Really looking forward to that book.)

 

[Aaron L]

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

That's an excellent idea, thanks! How does one contact them, do they have a way through their website? I'll go look now.

As a big fan of Greyhawk and Mordenkainen, this really irks me, by Boccob!

 

[thalmin]

Mordenkainen's Sword is close to how it was in previous editions, noticeable changes include

1. It is missing the line about hitting and damaging ethereal and incorporeal creatures.
2. It is now a concentration spell.
3. It did not require an action to attack with it, only to move it or change the target.
4. The sword was immune to physical attacks.

 

[Meliath1742]

Those are all things I would consider putting back into the spell descriptor as a DM. I would have to see the "no action required" for awhile to judge if it makes it too powerful...but initially I wouldn't think so. I would also considering ramping up the damage as the caster went up in level or used a higher spell slot. My group is nowhere close to using seventh level spells though

 

[Zaran]

That's an excellent idea, thanks! How does one contact them, do they have a way through their website? I'll go look now.

As a big fan of Greyhawk and Mordenkainen, this really irks me, by Boccob!

Uh, I went to their site to find a Contact US or Suggestions link but I can't find it. Their new site seems to be specifically designed to keep us from interacting with WotC employees except through social media.

 

[Stalker0]

[*]It is now a concentration spell.
[/LIST]

That's the crux to me. As a spell by itself it's not that, but as a buff that lets me attack while doing other things...not too bad.

But with concentration is deniese access to "good spells" which makes it weak

 

[Mr Fixit]

That's the crux to me. As a spell by itself it's not that, but as a buff that lets me attack while doing other things...not too bad.

But with concentration is deniese access to "good spells" which makes it weak

Meh. I think it's terrible with or without concentration. Remember that 5E is extremely stingy with high-level spell slots; a wizard will never have more than a single 7th level slot, unless he's 20th level. Who is crazy enough to spend such a valuable and limited resource on what amounts to an extra cantrip per round, if you hit, that is? With stuff like Delayed Blast Fireball, Prismatic Spray, Simulacrum, and Symbol available!?

 

[Falling Icicle]

That's the crux to me. As a spell by itself it's not that, but as a buff that lets me attack while doing other things...not too bad.

But with concentration is deniese access to "good spells" which makes it weak

Indeed. Spiritual Weapon, which is basically the same thing as MS but a level 2 spell, doesn't require concentration.

 

[Scorpio616]

Would letting the sword hit all targets (same attack roll) within 5 feet of it overpower the spell?

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

My first thought is to give advantage on all melee spell attacks with the sword. The sword can attack without concern for being harmed, so it's like the Barbarian's reckless attack without the risk.

I'd probably up the damage a bit too.