Combat issues: slayer + at-will magic missile.

[hafrogman]

The bolded two I don't mind.

My main issue with shocking grasp is that, depending on how multiclassing/themes end up working, a rogue with the shocking hand cantrip would be murder on any armored opponent. Every attack has advantage, sneak attack.

 

[slobster]

My main issue with shocking grasp is that, depending on how multiclassing/themes end up working, a rogue with the shocking hand cantrip would be murder on any armored opponent. Every attack has advantage, sneak attack.

Good forward thinking. Until we see rules for that sort of thing, I guess it's all speculation. But given how powerful advantage is, anything that gives it is going to need pretty careful scrutiny, lest players figure out how to be always attacking with advantage.

I'm fine with the wizard having access to cantrips. Giving away cantrips as a theme to other classes is something I haven't really thought about, since it isn't a part of the playtest. But I could see that getting tricky.

 

[Fifth Element]

Moldvay: auto-hit.
Mentzer: auto-hit.
Rules Cyclopedia: auto-hit.
1e: auto-hit.
2e: auto-hit.
3.0: auto-hit.
3.5: auto-hit.
4e Core: auto-hit (post-errata).
4e Essentials: auto-hit.

Did you intentionally leave out OD&D, or are you implying that OD&D was not D&D?

 

[Redbadge]

I personally would like to prevent MM from scaling, I agree that autoscaling doesn't seem the place for cantrips.

Further, even if the damage doesn't scale, there is always a use for autohitting.

Player: "Quick, cut the rope and drop the bricks on them!"
Wizard: "I got this" Casts MM.

Presumably, the damage for the basic attacks of fighter/rogue/etc. will scale with level (and pretty quickly it seems with d6 sneak attack per level), so it's only fair that the basic attacks of casters also scale. I would like to see how the other basic attack spells (such as shocking grasp) scale at 3rd level/etc. compared to magic missile.

 

[Szatany]

Two flaws in the game thus far.

• The fighter automatically kills a kobold every round, no matter what, even if he misses.

It's only a flaw if you're a kobold.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Kobolds have been cannon fodder for decades. The whole reason DM's got into trying to wipe out parties using only fiendishly cunning kobolds was because they've always been pathetic.

From Blog of Holding's game with Mike Mornard

It turned out to be a bad question: despite their lousy hit points, the badassification of kobolds started on day 1 in D&D. Gygax's kobolds were deadly. Mike said that they collected the magic items of the characters they killed, which meant that besides their fearsome tactics, they also had a scary magical arsenal.
​

Kobolds have always been the smallest, weediest monsters in the dungeon that have remained unconquered. They might have the size and strength of 8 year olds, but these 8 year olds will destroy any orcs, ogres, or human slavers that try to take them over and can more than match dwarves at tunnel fighting. That's not pathetic. That's major levels in badass. Goblins are subservient. Kobolds are just physically weak and more than a bit paranoid (for very good reason).

 

[Fifth Element]

Light: Never a need for torches or a light source. Removes darkness as a hazard/challenge of dungeon crawling.

If "having a torch" is the answer to a challenge, that's not really a challenge.

Magic Missile: See the rest of this thread. Way better than any missile weapon for a wizard.

Shocking Grasp: Way better than any melee weapon for a wizard.

Bolded part critical. Wizards should not generally be good at using melee weapons.

Mage Hand: The ability to press, prod, and lift things safely from a distance at will. Eliminates the danger from many traps.

No so in 4E, unlikely to be so in 5E. "Many" traps can be overcome with a hand that can apply a very small amount of pressure?

Ray of Frost: The poor man's hold person. Can be spammed each round to lock down a target indefinitely.

Like a fighter "spamming" a grab or grapple, it's trading an action for an action. No biggie.

 

[Li Shenron]

I also had a "wtf moment" when reading the Reaper ability, but then realized that numerically the damage done will be limited to the ability bonus, which is supposed to be always very low in 5e.

Still I admit that it doesn't ring well with ranged attacks IMO... especially if you are facing an adversary that is supposed to be incredibly hard to target, such as a very small creatures with very high speed or dex.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

yeah, maybe limit it to melee attacks.

 

[pneumatik]

My main issue with shocking grasp is that, depending on how multiclassing/themes end up working, a rogue with the shocking hand cantrip would be murder on any armored opponent. Every attack has advantage, sneak attack.

I assume rogues will have additional ways to get advantage as they level up. Also, shocking grasp doesn't improve as you level up (I think). While a rogue would always get sneak attack against metal armored foes with it he may have better options for weapons as he levels. Heck I'm not even sure how frequently a rogue could expect to fight metal armored foes.