D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[CapnZapp]

The grim truth is that you are better off forgetting about True Strike entirely.

Sure you might eke out the occasional utility in esoteric corner cases, but honestly, you are far more likely to be tempted into using it when you shouldn't.

It really is an absolute failure of a spell. That's not subjective opinion, it's objective fact.

Unlike many other threads, I say; let this one stay buried.

Regards,
Zapp

 

[Iry]

True Strike and Find Traps. Even if you find the outlier corner cases, you are better off having something else the overwhelming majority of the time.

 

[jaelis]

Gonna say, I have a player who actually took my house-ruled version of true strike (cast it on an ally you can see, that ally gets advantage on next attack). It is working fine, many more situations where it is useful.

 

[Asisreo]

I like analyzing these spells and options like True Strike and Witch Bolt because it gives me a perspective into the minds of the game designers. As a game designer, it's far more important to make a low-level option not too strong than not make one that's too weak. They may also have changed the way certain mechanics work and these mechanics could have a greater impact.

For instance, if true strike gave disadvantage on a target's saving throw, there'd be no reason not to take it and it may be a bit too strong. It could make a save-or-suck spell so much better and nullify a creature's magic resistance at level 1.

Or, attack roll cantrips may not have been at-will. It's possible early on that cantrips could be casted a certain number of times and replenished on a short rest.

When I look for corner cases, I'm not specifically looking for practical cases, but I'm looking for cases where if something change, the spell could trivialize the encounter. If true strike didn't have concentration and was a bonus action, you could do some serious damage.

There may have also been a spell that's been changed or removed that would've made true strike really strong. Imagine if smite spells weren't concentration.

 

[Undrave]

True Strike and Find Traps. Even if you find the outlier corner cases, you are better off having something else the overwhelming majority of the time.

Find Trap should have been a ritual.

 

[Asisreo]

Okay, I know I'm basically resurrecting a dead thread, but there's two characters that could make marginal use of True Strike:

High Elven Thief & High Elven Assassin.

The high elf chooses a cantrip to pick as their racial trait. For a martial like a thief, attack cantrips don't mean much. Utility cantrips are useful, but if you're looking for a combat-focused cantrip, True Strike is good on occasions where you can't guarantee an ally be within 5ft.

Okay, at the time of writing this, there is the Steady Aim feature for rogues, which is just better, but it's an optional feature in a non-core book and I don't like making assumptions that players have spent more than the requirements for D&D. So I consider it viable.

 

[Bolares]

The high elf chooses a cantrip to pick as their racial trait. For a martial like a thief, attack cantrips don't mean much. Utility cantrips are useful, but if you're looking for a combat-focused cantrip, True Strike is good on occasions where you can't guarantee an ally be within 5ft.

I can see very little reason to choose true strike over booming blade for a combat focused cantrip. sure, you can't garentee you will have an ally for sneak attack, but booming blade still gives you a bonus to damage if the enemy goes moves. And if I'm the melee rogue, facing an enemy alone, I'd prefer to BB and bonus action disengage than staying for the true strike advantage next turn.


Edit: Okay, if we are going core books only I could see it.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Probably the best use is twinned true strike into twinned guiding bolt.
It translates advantage for you into advantag for 2 party members.

 

[Oofta]

Probably the best use is twinned true strike into twinned guiding bolt.
It translates advantage for you into advantag for 2 party members.

Assuming the guiding bolt hits of course.

I think true strike is a bad spell and not worth it 99% of the time. But as @Asisreo points out if you're a rogue the majority of your damage is going to come from your sneak attack and true strike guarantees you'll get sneak attack damage if you hit.

 

[Bolares]

Assuming the guiding bolt hits of course.

I think true strike is a bad spell and not worth it 99% of the time. But as @Asisreo points out if you're a rogue the majority of your damage is going to come from your sneak attack and true strike guarantees you'll get sneak attack damage if you hit.

Sure, but you end up spending two turns on it. So if you do a DPR calculation, it kind of drops your sneak attack DPR in half. Doing Booming blade twice will end up doing more damage a lot of time.