D&D 5E I think a cantrip somewhat cripples the CR 16 marilith

[Piratecat]

The marilith is a nifty monster who gets six reactions each round, one for each arm. She can use those to parry, increasing her AC 17 by +1d6 each time someone attacks her with a melee weapon. Add on advantage for any magic save, and half damage from most elemental damage, and she's a tough combatant (as she should be.)

But the cantrip shocking grasp does paltry damage, and also stops the target from taking reactions. That's huge when fighting a marilith! Even better for the heroes, she doesn't get to try and parry the spell attack, because it's not a melee attack.

This works, right? I'm not missing something simple?

 

[Boarstorm]

I'm pretty sure it's a "melee spell attack."

I'm away from book, but does parry work only against weapon attacks, or any melee attack?

Edit: Forgot I had a PHB in the car. Yeah, melee spell attack. Parry doesn't specify it has to be vs. a weapon attack, just melee.

 

[TwoSix]

Easiest thing to do, I'd say, is say that shocking grasp takes away a reaction, not all reactions. Since like 95% of the time, PCs and monsters only have 1 reaction, this doesn't change much, and still lets a marilith be a marilith.

 

[Kai Wren]

I'd say she can parry, but if it hits, congratulations!

Of course she's going to focus everything she has on destroying whatever just did that.

 

[Boarstorm]

As written, she can parry the Shocking Grasp (if she can see the attacker). No question. If it hits, she has resistance to the damage it inflicts.

I'd say let the spell do what the spell does. It's got enough drawbacks stacked on it to make it a potentially sub-optimal choice already. Reward the smart non-glory-seeking play, IMO.

 

[MarkB]

<Shrug> Cantrips aren't supposed to be something that gets outclassed into uselessness at higher levels. If a monster happens to be specialised towards something a cantrip can disrupt, that's no problem.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Really the only odd thing is that a small jolt of lighting from shocking grasp prevents reactions while a big one from a lightning bolt or any other electrical effect doesn't. It must be more than just electricity.

 

[Jack99]

It must be more than just electricity.

Magic?

 

[Thank Dog]

Magic?

Amperage.

 

[bganon]

Even if the marilith loses her reactions, she still has a ridiculous multiattack. If the Wizard wants to walk right up to the six-sword cuisinart, then by all means. The marilith can handily deal 80+ damage to a single low-AC target each round, and guess how many HP your typical high-level caster has...