Frightened spellcasters

The Frightened condition says:

• A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight.
• The creature can't willingly move closer to the source of its fear

It says what it says. But it seems like an oversight.

The attacks by a Frightened Fighter are significantly diminished, less likely to hit, and worse, unable to approach.

By contrast, a Wizard is more or less immune to the Frightened condition. One rarely needs attack rolls anyway, and the last thing the Wizard would want to do is approach.

This seems like a missed opportunity, because flavorwise (according to folkbeliefs), fear can potentially interfere with a Wizards spellcasting.

A parallel mechanic would be, a Frightened Wizard grants advantage to ones spell targets.



Relating to fear, the Morale option in the DMG (273), allows the possibility of surrender, if failing a save in a demoralizing scenario while unable to escape. With a bit of tweaking, this is an effective way to prevent either a Fighter or a Wizard from hostile actions.

There are quite a few spells that use attack rolls, especially cantrips. While fear is slightly less effective against wizards and sorcerers than other classes, unless it's an aura (like Dragonfear) they're probably not the target anyway. IME the worst class to get hit with fear is the cleric, because the inability to move around to provide healing can be disastrous.

If you have a major problem with it, you can always houserule that the fear effect requires a Constitution Save (as per to Concentration rules) in order to cast a spell. If the save is failed, the action is wasted, but not the spell slot. This might be a bit too brutal, but ymmv.

It should be mentioned, anytime a spellcaster takes damage, they make a Constitutions Save to maintain Concentration, and therefore if they are under the frightened condition, they save at disadvantage.(Edit: this incorrect, Frightened does not incur Disadvantage to a saving throw)

Shiroiken said:

If you have a major problem with it, you can always houserule that the fear effect requires a Constitution Save (as per to Concentration rules) in order to cast a spell. If the save is failed, the action is wasted, but not the spell slot. This might be a bit too brutal, but ymmv.

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Technically, the PHB advises this in the last paragraph describing Concentration, albeit with regards to environmental effects, so not much of a stretch to apply the same to certain conditions:

PHB pg 204; Concentration said:

The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you’re on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.

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Radaceus said:

It should be mentioned, anytime a spellcaster takes damage, they make a Constitutions Save to maintain Concentration, and therefore if they are under the frightened condition, they save at disadvantage.

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Saving throws aren't at disadvantage when Frightened. Concentration is a saving throw, not an ability check.

Personally, I don't have a problem with it. It's just something that affects melee characters more, like how silence only really hinders spellcasters and not fighters. Just different uses.
That said, adding in a concentration check to attempt to cast the spell would probably be the best way to do it that I can think of. If you think it needs to be more effective against spellcasters, go for it.

Eesh, I'm afraid I stand corrected,

/uses half movement to remove himself from prone, but suffers disadvantage to his Dexterity (Athletics) check.

Radaceus said:

Technically, the PHB advises this in the last paragraph describing Concentration, albeit with regards to environmental effects, so not much of a stretch to apply the same to certain conditions:

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Yes, but that's only against spells with Concentration. I was referring to making the save every time you cast a spell while frightened, as a method to hamper the casters as badly as it hampers martial characters. Personally I think this is a bit harsh, and don't find the need, but I wanted to provide an option.

There are quite a lot of places where the reliance on saves rather than attacks make a difference. For example, it makes the Lucky feat significantly less useful for casters, as is Inspiration (bardic or otherwise). The Wild Mage's Tides of Chaos loses quite a lot of oomph on account of very few spells using attack rolls. That's just part of how the game works, unlike 4e where almost all offensive abilities are handled with an attack roll versus one of an opponent's defense values, and saving throws were only used to recover from stuff that already happened to you.