D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[Bolares]

Not because it is bad per se

I think it is because the spell is bad per se... It has concentration for some reason, wrecks your action economy, and grants a trivial effect.

 

[Bolares]

Another idea could be automatically granting a crit on your next hit in addition to advantage. That would be worth it.

I'd try to give it to all my paladins somehow.

 

[CleverNickName]

My favorite thing I've ever done with True Strike:

I banned it with a house rule...no explanation or anything, just a single comment in my campaign notes: "the True Strike cantrip has been removed from the game." Just to mess with my players. Of course they latched onto it like a terrier, and it was all they could think and talk about for the entire Session Zero.

Watching them all trying to discreetly find whatever exploit or broken power combo that caused me to ban the cantrip in the first place, was the most fun I've ever had at a character rolling party. They were digging deep, too..."okay, so if I go with a Tiefling Bladepact SorLock with Green Flame Blade, by 5th level I could...wait, what? It takes a whole action to cast!?"

Them:

Me:

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I'd try to give it to all my paladins somehow.

Do it. As you said: you need two turns for double damage and you save a slot. That way it is actually useful.

 

[jmartkdr2]

My favorite thing I've ever done with True Strike:

I banned it with a house rule...no explanation or anything, just a single comment in my campaign notes: "the True Strike cantrip has been removed from the game." Just to mess with my players. Of course they latched onto it like a terrier, and it was all they could think and talk about for the entire Session Zero.

Watching them all trying to discreetly find whatever exploit or broken power combo that caused me to ban the cantrip in the first place, was the most fun I've ever had at a character rolling party. They were digging deep, too..."okay, so if I go with a Tiefling Bladepact SorLock with Green Flame Blade, by 5th level I could...wait, what? It takes a whole action to cast!?"

There it is... the best way to use true strike.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think it is because the spell is bad per se... It has concentration for some reason, wrecks your action economy, and grants a trivial effect.

No. If you had a ninth level slot with an attack roll that you can only cast once, true strike might be a way to do ensure it.
I also like the Idea of pointing a finger and needing a round, so you can actually stop it.
Maybe instead of an auto crit, you could just add 1d10 damage per tier if the attack hits.

 

[Bolares]

No. If you had a ninth level slot with an attack roll that you can only cast once, true strike might be a way to do ensure it.

having a niche aplication where the spell is usefull doesn't mean it is not bad... it kind of proves how bad it is, if you need to pair it with a 9th level spell to make it work. And wich 9th level spell would you use it on?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

having a niche aplication where the spell is usefull doesn't mean it is not bad... it kind of proves how bad it is, if you need to pair it with a 9th level spell to make it work. And wich 9th level spell would you use it on?

No. I don't say it has to be that one single spell. Maybe I didn't make it clear:
We would need a wide array of ressources you spend before you kniw you hit.
Im the context of the 5e game design it is a general bad spell. Seems like a left over from earlier drafts.

Give it another useful rider, extra damage, a crit or a free upcast of your spell, and suddenly it becomes nice.

Edit: the ninth spell I spoke of was the hypothetical: make a melee or ranged touch attack to take someone out of combat forever.
3e plane shift (which was actually lower) would have been a spell like that.
Edit2: if it was melee attack roll instead of will negates...

 

[Bolares]

Seems like a left over from earlier drafts.

I think they were not completelly aware of the costs and value of action economy in the early days of 5e. One action is a pretty damned big cost for advantage. I don't think 5e needs a spell like true strike, and it's a pretty messy concept to make work as a cantrip. This is one I think they should've let die...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think they were not completelly aware of the costs and value of action economy in the early days of 5e. One action is a pretty damned big cost for advantage. I don't think 5e needs a spell like true strike, and it's a pretty messy concept to make work as a cantrip. This is one I think they should've let die...

I disagree strongly.
I think the game needs more spells that take a round to cast and can be interrupted with an attack.
This is why I opened the thread about casting time 1 round.
A teleport spell would be like that.

A spell that converts death spells into unstoppable death spells by costing an action is nice.
So I would prefer +20 to hit or auto hit or whatever.