Greg Benage
Legend
Forget slot, you think 5e bless vs. 5.5e spiritual weapon for your concentration is a compelling choice?Weather you cast bless in your level 2 slot, or spiritual weapon, or more healing words is now a hard choice too.
Forget slot, you think 5e bless vs. 5.5e spiritual weapon for your concentration is a compelling choice?Weather you cast bless in your level 2 slot, or spiritual weapon, or more healing words is now a hard choice too.
Thinking more about it, spiritual weapon got a buff, not a nerf. Because now if you cast it at a higher level it does an additional d8 for every additional level, twice as good as before. So you cast this using a 5th level slot, and you are getting an extra attack of 4d8+spellcasting modifier as a bonus action. While still being able to cast any spell you want as your main action. That is incredible action economy, almost broken. So yeah, if you could do all that PLUS have, say spirit guardians up all at once, that would be flat broken (like it currently kind of is, even without that buff). Making spiritual weapon a concentration spell is basically the minimum they could do to keep it from being absurd.The question I'm increasingly asking myself: If the rationale for the aid and spiritual weapon nerfs is that they became "automatic" or "must-have" choices, what are the bless and spirit guardians nerfs going to look like?
Depends.Forget slot, you think 5e bless vs. 5.5e spiritual weapon for your concentration is a compelling choice?
Wow, or you could cast summon celestial instead...So you cast this using a 5th level slot, and you are getting an extra attack of 4d8+spellcasting modifier as a bonus action.
You also get +1d8 to spell damage after level 7.Thinking more about it, spiritual weapon got a buff, not a nerf. Because now if you cast it at a higher level it does an additional d8 for every additional level, twice as good as before. So you cast this using a 5th level slot, and you are getting an extra attack of 4d8+spellcasting modifier as a bonus action. While still being able to cast any spell you want as your main action. That is incredible action economy, almost broken. So yeah, if you could do all that PLUS have, say spirit guardians up all at once, that would be flat broken (like it currently kind of is, even without that buff). Making spiritual weapon a concentration spell is basically the minimum they could do to keep it from being absurd.
Edit: they buffed the spell. But they are nerfing the combo. Good - that combo is ridiculous.
More specifically....Forget slot, you think 5e bless vs. 5.5e spiritual weapon for your concentration is a compelling choice?
Would that be the summon celestial that costs 500gp per cast, has 40 HP, and does slightly less average damage than that spiritual weapon (which should have been 5d8+mod; nice catch Pauln6)? You're right, spiritual weapon is WAY better. And it's a bonus action, even on the round that you cast it!Wow, or you could cast summon celestial instead...
What if the three guys with mauls make more than one attack per round? Or are we only considering the spell for 3rd and 4th level?Spiritual Weapon does more damage than bless on 3 guys with mauls.
Am I increasing the level of spiritual weapon as well? What about comparing it to spiritual guardian?What if the three guys with mauls make more than one attack per round? Or are we only considering the spell for 3rd and 4th level?
The summon celestial in my version of the game doesn't consume the component, and a one-time cost of 500gp typically isn't a problem for 9th+ level characters in my games. The 40 hp is awesome, because it implies the celestial can do something more useful than simple DPR, i.e. tank damage that someone in the party would otherwise take. It can control its space and deal opportunity attacks. It can be buffed, which is especially great with auras. It deals melee or ranged radiant damage every round for an hour at no action economy cost at all, and can also grant temp hp and heal. Note that it takes an action to cast, but then the celestial takes its turn right after yours and can immediately take its two attacks per round. It can also be upcast, but it actually scales well: for example, when I cast it at 6th level, it gets three attacks per round.Would that be the summon celestial that costs 500gp per cast, has 40 HP, and does slightly less average damage than that spiritual weapon (which should have been 5d8+mod; nice catch Pauln6)? You're right, spiritual weapon is WAY better. And it's a bonus action, even on the round that you cast it!