D&D 5E What's the worst spell?

[MiraMels]

i believe there are other spells in the game that punish you for willful movement. This isn't really much different, it just happens to have a nice attack associated with it.

Just Guardian of Faith. Which is an autonomous angelic manifestation sent by your deity, so it makes sense that it can respond to movement.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Just Guardian of Faith. Which is an autonomous angelic manifestation sent by your deity, so it makes sense that it can respond to movement.

Guardian of Faith triggers on unwilling movement as well as willing movement.

I believe Booming Blade is the only thing in game besides opportunity attacks (and related things like Warcaster which operate in lieu of opportunity attacks) that discriminates based on willing vs. unwilling movement. I certainly can't think of any spells that do except Booming Blade.

 

[Helldritch]

For true strike,
If you play with tactical map and almost all (if not all) of the DMG options like I do, that spell is complete garbage. Facing, Flanking, Hero points and all the yaddi yadda are not prevalent in most games that I am aware of, but it is a fact that should not be ignore if we want to make an accurate evaluation of the spells. The way true strike works with these option makes it even lamer that it is without these options.

I am toying with two ideas.
Either make it use a bonus action or make it a reaction. You lose you chance to use shield, counter spells and many other good options like attacks of opportunities to give yourself advantage. At low level where reactive options are relatively few, it wouldn't hurt that much but at a higher level it becomes a relative tough choice (remember that we are playing with the flanking rule).

For Witch Bolt
Witch bolt should be kept as a concentration spells but I would make the attack a bonus action and it would force the caster to cast only cantrips. On the other hand, a storm sorcer might think of a good number of ways to abuse that rule this new way. Any ways, I know of no Sorcerer that would twined the WB in favor of an other spell such as it is now...

 

[Gladius Legis]

Another spell that's pretty crap that I should've mentioned is Searing Smite. All it does is damage and it's awful at doing that. Even after its initial damage (just 1d6) and its first time dealing ongoing damage, it still doesn't add up to what a Divine Smite adds right away. And if the Paladin wants to stack a Smite spell on top of Divine Smite for a big nova, Thunderous Smite is much better for that at the same spell level.

 

[Caliban]

For true strike,
If you play with tactical map and almost all (if not all) of the DMG options like I do, that spell is complete garbage. Facing, Flanking, Hero points and all the yaddi yadda are not prevalent in most games that I am aware of, but it is a fact that should not be ignore if we want to make an accurate evaluation of the spells. The way true strike works with these option makes it even lamer that it is without these options.

I am toying with two ideas.
Either make it use a bonus action or make it a reaction. You lose you chance to use shield, counter spells and many other good options like attacks of opportunities to give yourself advantage. At low level where reactive options are relatively few, it wouldn't hurt that much but at a higher level it becomes a relative tough choice (remember that we are playing with the flanking rule).

The thing you need to be wary of with True Strike is Rogues and their sneak attack. A cantrip that can be cast as a bonus action or a reaction would let an Arcane Trickster or a Rogue with Magic Initiate be able to sneak attack with advantage every round.

Or Eldtritch Knights with either Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master

 

[jaelis]

For true strike, I like letting you cast it on other creatures, so it becomes a ranged aid. That is a lot more useful but doesn't break anything.

 

[Helldritch]

The thing you need to be wary of with True Strike is Rogues and their sneak attack. A cantrip that can be cast as a bonus action or a reaction would let an Arcane Trickster or a Rogue with Magic Initiate be able to sneak attack with advantage every round.

Or Eldtritch Knights with either Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master

With the tactical map, it's almost the case. It wouldn't be such a big deal in my games as they are using flanking almost every time.

 

[Helldritch]

For true strike, I like letting you cast it on other creatures, so it becomes a ranged aid. That is a lot more useful but doesn't break anything.

Unfortunately, it is a self targeting can trip. The insight the spell imparts is intended (and worded) to be yours alone and not for your friends. I must admit that it would've been great if it could've been written that way.

 

[jaelis]

Unfortunately, it is a self targeting can trip. The insight the spell imparts is intended (and worded) to be yours alone and not for your friends. I must admit that it would've been great if it could've been written that way.

I meant, that is my house rule.

 

[MiraMels]

Another spell that's pretty crap that I should've mentioned is Searing Smite. All it does is damage and it's awful at doing that. Even after its initial damage (just 1d6) and its first time dealing ongoing damage, it still doesn't add up to what a Divine Smite adds right away. And if the Paladin wants to stack a Smite spell on top of Divine Smite for a big nova, Thunderous Smite is much better for that at the same spell level.

The damage is sub-par, the value of the spell is that someone on the enemy team might waste an action ending the effect.