D&D 5E 5e .

[empireofchaos]

The gem isnt consumed. You only need 1.

Ah. I stand corrected - old-school assumption about material components. But still, the component cost limits use when starting play, especially if you are using the starting class packages, since you are more likely to pick spells you can use right off the bat, and then still find a way to get the 50 gp.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Don't forget that you needed a whopping 2500XP to reach level 2 just so you could have 2 first level spells/day and no cantrips!

Hey, don't misrepresent. You could learn cantrip as one of your 1st level spells if you wanted.

 

[akr71]

I do not see that spell in my first edition PHB

 

[bleezy]

Hey, don't misrepresent. You could learn cantrip as one of your 1st level spells if you wanted.

Actually, you couldn't. You had to roll for your starting spells.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Actually, you couldn't. You had to roll for your starting spells.

Where is that from? What I recall was from the 2e Player's Handbook, which stated that "your character begins play with a spell book containing up to a few 1st-level spells. Your DM will tell you the exact number of spells and which spells they are" (2e PHB 1995 revised edition, p. 108).

Of course, that's in the "Magic" chapter, dozens of pages after the class descriptions, so it's possible I missed a rule somewhere.

And anyway, you could copy it out of somebody else's spellbook or "research" it yourself . . . if you absolutely had to have a way of burning a spell slot for no real game effect.



EDIT: I found it. Rolling for spells is in the Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume 1. Huh. I played 2nd Edition for seven years (1994-2001) and I never saw or heard of that rule/method before today.

 

[Ovinomancer]

...but how do you feel about d02?

Don't know about the OP, but my hat of it know no limit.

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Thunderwave envy? That's cute. Yes, 1st level spells tend to do more damage than cantrips, which can be spammed all day long, by the way. Now run along and come back when you've got a legitimate complaint.

 

[Dausuul]

The gem isnt consumed. You only need 1.

It's still not all that. Against any opponent with AC 11 or better, magic missile is superior (assuming a 1st-level wizard with 16 Int). And magic missile is itself far from being a powerhouse spell.

 

[akr71]

Ah. I stand corrected - old-school assumption about material components. But still, the component cost limits use when starting play, especially if you are using the starting class packages, since you are more likely to pick spells you can use right off the bat, and then still find a way to get the 50 gp.

True enough about the 50gp and/or diamond, but if one of my players came to me with a burning need for more coin for a new character, I would come up with something with them. He/she worked and scrimped and saved for the last few weeks or months to get the desired starting supplies. I'm not talking about plate armor here, but 35gp above the average starting coin.

It's still not all that. Against any opponent with AC 11 or better, magic missile is superior (assuming a 1st-level wizard with 16 Int). And magic missile is itself far from being a powerhouse spell.

I was really only trying to illustrate that level 1 wizards can do decent damage, regardless of what the OP states. Compared to the 1d4 damage the 1st level Illusionist spell used to do, 3d8 is pretty damned impressive.

 

[lowkey13]

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