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What is the most powerful spell?
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<blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7234971" data-attributes="member: 58172"><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Communication Spells</strong></span></p><p><em>from the worst ... to the best!</em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000cd"><strong>Minor Spells</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Detect Thoughts 2</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Animal Messenger 2</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Skywrite 2</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000cd"><strong>0-Level Cantrips</strong></span></p><p>Mes<span style="color: #b22222">sage 0</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000cd"><strong>1st-Level Spells</strong></span></p><p>Com<span style="color: #b22222">prehend Languages 1</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000cd"><strong>2nd-Level Spells</strong></span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Sending 3</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Telepathy 8</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Telepathy Language mm</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Tongues 3</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222">Telepathic Bond 5</span></p><p><span style="color: #b22222"></span></p><p></p><p></p><p>There are four related concepts.</p><p>• Sending 3</p><p>• Telepathy 8 the spell in the Players Handbook</p><p>• Telepathy Language mm described in the Monster Manual</p><p>• Tongues 3</p><p></p><p>All four seem appropriate for a 2nd level spell.</p><p></p><p>The first two spells enable communication with a remote creature that is ‘familar to you’. <strong>Sending 3</strong> telepathically transmits upto 25 words into the mind of the creature, and allows a reply. The creature additionally can be in any plane, and comprehends the language if the language is unknown. Slightly better, <strong>Telepathy 8</strong> transmits an ongoing conversation and also images, but doesnt reach other planes.</p><p></p><p>The second two spells enable two-way communication with nearby creatures. <strong>Tongues 3</strong> mentally imbues nearby creatures with linguistic knowledge to understand each others languages, to communicate with each other. The <strong>Telepathy Language mm</strong> is not a spell but is an ability described in the Monster Manual. The Telepathy Language allows direct communication between the mind of the telepath with the minds of other creatures, one mind at a time. The Telepathy Language seems comparable to the Tongues 3 spell. Telepathy only communicates with one creature at a time, but the conversation is undetectable by other creatures. Tongues allows many creatures to communicate with each other at the same time. Both seem Not Bad for a 2nd-level spell slot, at most.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>For comparison. The 1st-level spell, <strong>Comprehend Languages 1</strong>, enables one-way communication, with the comprehender able to understand speech and writing, but remaining unable to speak or write. Casting Comprehend Languages twice is about as effective as Tongues 3, thus comparable to a 2nd-level spell.</p><p></p><p>When a team encounters a creature that speaks an unknown language, or an inscription written in an unknown language, the DM can allow a relevant skill check to decipher its meaning, such as an Intelligence History skill check, or a Wisdom Insight check to discern the gist of what the creature seems to be saying. The spell, Comprehend Languages 1 is essentially an auto-success on a skill check to decipher a language.</p><p></p><p>As a skill check, the value of Comprehend Languages is of marginal usefulness as a spell, and perhaps belongs moreso in the Minor Spells. But for now, it lists as a Less Useful 1st-level spell. It is less useful because most sentient creatures speak Common and can easily communicate with each other, making the need to know an other language more situational.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong> Animal Messenger 2</strong> and <strong>Skywrite 2</strong> seem of less worth than a 2nd-level spell slot, and rank among Minor Spells. They enable communication with a remote person. It is doubtful Telepathy 8 and Sending 3 that similarly communicate with a remote person are worth a 2nd level spell slot, but perhaps they are, and for now, they rank as Not Bad 2nd-level spells.</p><p></p><p><strong>Detect Thoughts 2</strong> offers little more than a normal Wisdom Insight skill check. Arguably Insight can do everything that Detect Thoughts can, especially with regard to discerning the ‘emotional state’ of the creature. Unfortunately, Detect Thoughts grants the creature a Wisdom saving throw, making it less useful than a normal Insight skill check that requires a success. Detect Thoughts ranks as a Minor Spell and seems moreorless redundant with what the Insight skill can already do.</p><p></p><p><strong> Message 0</strong> is a Less Useful cantrip of marginal desirability. It too may belong better as Minor Spell. It ‘whispers’ a message that only a nearby target can hear, who is then able to discretely whisper back. Functionally, this cantrip is identical to mind-to-mind telepathic communication than no one else able to detect. Even at-will, telepathy may not even be worth a spell.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In sum, ‘telepathy’ in the senses of secretive communication, of understanding meaning across language barriers, of transmission of images, and of contacting remote persons − all of this together as a single spell cannot be worth more than a 2nd level spell slot. And seems only worth a cantrip at most, when permanent and at will.</p><p></p><p>While the flavor of telepathy is fun and is an important archetype, its actual mechanical value in the D&D gaming system is of negligible benefit.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Yaarel, post: 7234971, member: 58172"] [SIZE=4][B]Communication Spells[/B][/SIZE] [I]from the worst ... to the best![/I] [COLOR=#0000cd][B]Minor Spells[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#b22222]Detect Thoughts 2 Animal Messenger 2 Skywrite 2[/COLOR] [COLOR=#0000cd][B]0-Level Cantrips[/B][/COLOR] Mes[COLOR=#b22222]sage 0[/COLOR] [COLOR=#0000cd][B]1st-Level Spells[/B][/COLOR] Com[COLOR=#b22222]prehend Languages 1[/COLOR] [COLOR=#0000cd][B]2nd-Level Spells[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=#b22222]Sending 3 Telepathy 8 Telepathy Language mm Tongues 3 Telepathic Bond 5 [/COLOR] There are four related concepts. • Sending 3 • Telepathy 8 the spell in the Players Handbook • Telepathy Language mm described in the Monster Manual • Tongues 3 All four seem appropriate for a 2nd level spell. The first two spells enable communication with a remote creature that is ‘familar to you’. [B]Sending 3[/B] telepathically transmits upto 25 words into the mind of the creature, and allows a reply. The creature additionally can be in any plane, and comprehends the language if the language is unknown. Slightly better, [B]Telepathy 8[/B] transmits an ongoing conversation and also images, but doesnt reach other planes. The second two spells enable two-way communication with nearby creatures. [B]Tongues 3[/B] mentally imbues nearby creatures with linguistic knowledge to understand each others languages, to communicate with each other. The [B]Telepathy Language mm[/B] is not a spell but is an ability described in the Monster Manual. The Telepathy Language allows direct communication between the mind of the telepath with the minds of other creatures, one mind at a time. The Telepathy Language seems comparable to the Tongues 3 spell. Telepathy only communicates with one creature at a time, but the conversation is undetectable by other creatures. Tongues allows many creatures to communicate with each other at the same time. Both seem Not Bad for a 2nd-level spell slot, at most. For comparison. The 1st-level spell, [B]Comprehend Languages 1[/B], enables one-way communication, with the comprehender able to understand speech and writing, but remaining unable to speak or write. Casting Comprehend Languages twice is about as effective as Tongues 3, thus comparable to a 2nd-level spell. When a team encounters a creature that speaks an unknown language, or an inscription written in an unknown language, the DM can allow a relevant skill check to decipher its meaning, such as an Intelligence History skill check, or a Wisdom Insight check to discern the gist of what the creature seems to be saying. The spell, Comprehend Languages 1 is essentially an auto-success on a skill check to decipher a language. As a skill check, the value of Comprehend Languages is of marginal usefulness as a spell, and perhaps belongs moreso in the Minor Spells. But for now, it lists as a Less Useful 1st-level spell. It is less useful because most sentient creatures speak Common and can easily communicate with each other, making the need to know an other language more situational. [B] Animal Messenger 2[/B] and [B]Skywrite 2[/B] seem of less worth than a 2nd-level spell slot, and rank among Minor Spells. They enable communication with a remote person. It is doubtful Telepathy 8 and Sending 3 that similarly communicate with a remote person are worth a 2nd level spell slot, but perhaps they are, and for now, they rank as Not Bad 2nd-level spells. [B]Detect Thoughts 2[/B] offers little more than a normal Wisdom Insight skill check. Arguably Insight can do everything that Detect Thoughts can, especially with regard to discerning the ‘emotional state’ of the creature. Unfortunately, Detect Thoughts grants the creature a Wisdom saving throw, making it less useful than a normal Insight skill check that requires a success. Detect Thoughts ranks as a Minor Spell and seems moreorless redundant with what the Insight skill can already do. [B] Message 0[/B] is a Less Useful cantrip of marginal desirability. It too may belong better as Minor Spell. It ‘whispers’ a message that only a nearby target can hear, who is then able to discretely whisper back. Functionally, this cantrip is identical to mind-to-mind telepathic communication than no one else able to detect. Even at-will, telepathy may not even be worth a spell. In sum, ‘telepathy’ in the senses of secretive communication, of understanding meaning across language barriers, of transmission of images, and of contacting remote persons − all of this together as a single spell cannot be worth more than a 2nd level spell slot. And seems only worth a cantrip at most, when permanent and at will. While the flavor of telepathy is fun and is an important archetype, its actual mechanical value in the D&D gaming system is of negligible benefit. [/QUOTE]
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