D&D 5E Spells: the Good, the Bad, and the Downright Orcish Grandmother

[Mr Fixit]

You are aware that only the initial damage is boosted by putting into a higher slot, right? Which makes it an even worse choice than using it in a 1st-level slot.

You're right! I didn't catch that. Yeah, it's a terrible spell.

If subsequent damage were also increased, it would be a pretty solid choice for warlocks (I'd say the name of the spell is a rather obvious hint) when he can think of nothing else to cast. Warlocks always use the highest spell slots available and can regain them after a short rest. Auto Xd12 damage per round could be pretty sweet.

 

[Thank Dog]

Now your Warlock has a reason to have a pouch full of toads, or some other small critter. First thing you do in the morning? Hex a toad. Combat starts? Squish the toad.

Edited to add: that may seem heartless, but hey, if you have a soft spot for toads, feel free to make it some critter you find more undesirable, maybe beetles or something.

Personally I'd just say that you don't have to switch the target immediately since by the reading of the spell, that would be allowed. Cast it in combat, last target with it dies, don't switch targets until you're in another combat.

Although, now that you've got me thinking about it, I kinda like the idea of a warlock carrying around a bag of worms or beetles, and every time they hex a new target they eat the worm/beetle

 

[Runny]

I too think that is rad. If you get fifth level slots, start the day casting hex and eating a worm. Then you rest for an hour and get your spell slot back.

 

[trentonjoe]

Witch Bolt seems like a cool Legendary Action or Lair Attack for a Storm Giant or Kick Ass Behir or something....just saying.

 

[Tzarevitch]

How do you figure?

On round one, it does zero damage if it misses, D12 damage on a hit, and 2D12 damage on a critical.

On round two if it hits on round one, it does D12 damage. No to hit roll required. This is better damage than any cantrip the Wizard can use because it is autohit. It also allows the wizard to do damage without casting any spells. If it does not hit on round one, then the wizard is free to do whatever he feels like on round two.

Also, Witch Bolt on round two averages 6.5 damage. Fire Bolt against a foe whom the Wizard has a 60% chance to hit on round two averages 3.575 damage (including criticals). The Witch Bolt does almost twice the damage of the Fire Bolt up to and including level 4. At level 5, the PC is easily able to put Witch Bolt into a second level slot, hence, still doing more damage than Fire Bolt.

It isn't bad at very low levels. The damage is comparable to other low level spells on the first round and it isn't horrible on the following rounds, it's the limitations it imposes on the caster after the first round that make it poor. It severely restricts your actions and leaves you at way too close a range. After low levels it becomes pretty poor because the damage loss after first round and the action restrictions outweigh the damage output.

A Wizard often has a better AC against monsters than non-Wizards. With a 14 Dex, Mage Armor and a Shield spell (a typical combo for a wizard), that's AC 20. The Wizard's chance of not getting hit is better than most other PCs (granted, at the cost of a first level spell slot if the monster hits in the sweet spot range).

You are burning 2 1st level spells and most of your actions to make this combo work. That really just doubles down on a suboptimal choice when you can cast from a safer range and minimize the likelihood of getting hit in return at no cost to you.

Sure, a monster can come in and do some damage. But, that's just damage that it would be likely to do to someone else instead. Why do people think that a wizard is incapable of taking damage, but a bard, cleric, rogue, or other PC is capable of it?

You usually want them to do it to someone else, that "someone" ideally being a fighter, barbarian or paladin (or some clerics), all of whom have bigger hit point pools and can mitigate or fix damage. That's why they have those abilities.

If the DM metagames that all creatures are so intelligent that they know exactly how to defeat the spell. Btw, most trees are only 1/2 (or at best 3/4) cover.

How much intelligence do you think a creature needs to associate the "beam of crackling blue energy" pointing from the caster to it which is causing it pain? Real world animals know if a hunter shot at them, and that is less obvious than a crackling blue beam. Animals will do what they normally do; they'll either run for cover or attack what is attacking them (which they can easily find thanks to the blue beam pointing to the attacker). It isn't rocket science. An ooze or a non-intelligent undead might not figure it (or care) out but nearly everything else with a brain will and that is made easier by the blue beam leading them to you.

It would have to be a darn big tree, at least 5 feet wide, to even temporarily supply total cover.

Why would you need a 5' tree? You are thinking of 4e. 5e is intentionally not that precise. The spell says it ends if the target is "ever outside the spell's range or if it has total cover from you." The PHB also says "[a] target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle." There is no requirement that your cover be 5' wide. The creature just has to pass briefly behind a tree wide enough to shield him from sight on his narrowest side. That's maybe 12' wide to be sure you are covered. 4e uses precise 5' squares and a more precise definition of cover. 5e doesn't, it just requires you find an object wide enough that you can't be seen.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Paladin/Warlock is pretty hot, although if you're maxing CHR for eldritch blast and aura you won't be swinging much. If you want to swing a weapon though the paladin will give you the smites and with warlock you can hex, although Paladin already has Divine Favor, so they're kind of a good hexblade just by themselves.

Oh, my friend. Let me introduce you to the Pact of the Tome, which will allow you to cast a little cantrip called Shillelagh, which will allow your warladin to carry around a stick and use his Charisma bonus instead of Str for attacks and damage. Doubled for attack bonus when you use that devotion paladin channel divinity power, giving you like +16 to hit at high levels.

 

[obijon_kenobi]

Oh, my friend. Let me introduce you to the Pact of the Tome, which will allow you to cast a little cantrip called Shillelagh, which will allow your warladin to carry around a stick and use his Charisma bonus instead of Str for attacks and damage. Doubled for attack bonus when you use that devotion paladin channel divinity power, giving you like +16 to hit at high levels.

That...is actually pretty brilliant. If you didn't want to go the multiclass route, you could always grab the Magic Initiate feat:

Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list.

In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before
you can cast it again.

Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid: or
Intelligence for wizard.

Of course, you'd need a decent Wisdom, so your Über charisma isn't helpful, unless you're doing the aforementioned Devotion paladin channel divinity. But still. If you're playing a Paladin, you'll likely have decent wisdom anyway, and the ability to have increased accuracy and a D8 damage die with a stick (!) is nothing to sneeze at!

 

[KarinsDad]

The point of Chromatic Orb is it's 90 foot range and it's variable energy type, neither of which are represented by your DPR comparison, so the fact that the orb is comparable AND has range advantage AND has element choice AND doesn't cost concentration puts it well ahead.

No doubt. I was just doing a DPR analysis since that is the most obvious measuring stick. As for the math, I'm glad I did it. I was able to get the DM to houserule that subsequent rounds did the initial damage if placed into a higher level slot. So in a second level slot, it does 2D12 on round two onwards. This makes it a solid damaging spell against high AC foes, especially for warlocks and sorcerers. It still has the same limitations, but those can sometimes be mitigated a little. This also means that a caster might cast it into a higher level slot at level 5, but casting it into a first level slot is no longer really an option once cantrips do more damage.

But yeah, the spell has some significant weaknesses. I hope WotC does an errata. The houserule my DM made, or possibly making it a bonus action in latter rounds.

 

[CapnZapp]

No doubt. I was just doing a DPR analysis since that is the most obvious measuring stick. As for the math, I'm glad I did it. I was able to get the DM to houserule that subsequent rounds did the initial damage if placed into a higher level slot. So in a second level slot, it does 2D12 on round two onwards. This makes it a solid damaging spell against high AC foes, especially for warlocks and sorcerers. It still has the same limitations, but those can sometimes be mitigated a little. This also means that a caster might cast it into a higher level slot at level 5, but casting it into a first level slot is no longer really an option once cantrips do more damage.

But yeah, the spell has some significant weaknesses. I hope WotC does an errata. The houserule my DM made, or possibly making it a bonus action in latter rounds.

¨The simplest solution is simply to not take the spell.

 

[marcelos]

Good:

Sleep?

1st-level Wizard can drop a 4th-level Wizard on the first round. No save. Just need to get the current hp of the opponent on the 5d8 check.

Or maybe finish a dragon that has 20hp left?

Bad:

Blade Ward - as discussed in another thread: lose an action to have resistance to weapon attacks until next turn. Probably the dodge action would be better or in the same league, and available to anyone.