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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 9410200" data-attributes="member: 87792">Yes it is. If you Sleep those foes rather than Shield or Strength of the Grave you don't get hit at all. Strength of the Grave you claim is stronger than Shield - I was using benchmarking for Shield. The question is whether at first level Strength of the Grave is stronger than Sleep. (We can both agree that at first level Sleep is way stronger than Shield). I'm saying no and that Strength of the Grave is only roughly equivalent to Shield.This applies if and only if the enemies are holding back. Which we've already established they do in your campaigns with your Orcus example. Any even vaguely smart group of bad guys, fighting for their life, should have heard of Healing Word as it's a common first level spell. And after the first time someone gets back to their feet with Healing Word a half way intelligent group of foes is going to start confirming its kills. And at the point when the monsters take the kid gloves off and start behaving as if they are actually in fights for their lives you want those 70 hit points. Otherwise you're going to be burning through a whole lot of diamonds for Revivify.You had four casters capable of casting Counterspell? (Once on turn, three times on Legendary Actions). And all of them would automatically have counterspelled a cantrip?One target or two? Cause Fear is better against the main target of the focus fire while THL absolutely shuts down a secondary target. And a key problem with 5e tactics is that attacks at range and attacks in melee are almost equally effective for most intelligent foes due to using the same basic stats.OK Let's check this. A L11 sorcerer has 12 spells known. Animate Objects (L5), Globe of Invulnerability (L6), Counterspell (L3), Dispel Magic (L3), Fear (L3), Hypnotic Pattern (L3), Greater Invisibility (L4), Psychic Lance (L4). That's four level 3 spells for three slots, two level four spells for three slots, and one level 5 spell for two slots. And only two half-exploration spells (Dispel Magic, Greater Invisibility). You've very little defence in there except the globe and greater invisibility (Mage Armour, Shield, and Absorb Elements would soak three of the remaining four).Off the top of my head (and accounting for spell retraining) a L11 warlock has only 11 spells known rather than 12 - but that doesn't count the level 6 Mystic Arcanum. So I've got two L1-5 spells left over here.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Scrying (L5). This is a textbook out of combat spell that a warlock can cast better than anyone else because it only takes an hour to get the spell slot back. A level 11 warlock can scry twice and hex before breakfast and still have all their slots.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Teleportation Circle (L5). Again a fifth level exploration spell is cheaper for a warlock than anyone else. Someone in the party should have this - and in general you can rest at least one of before or after using the teleportation circle. (Note that this is optional based on worldbuilding)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Hex (L1). As mentioned the warlock cheats the spell slot economy when they cast it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Synaptic Static (L5). Every caster needs an AoE sweeper spell. This one is also a nasty AoE debilitation spell and works against Int, which is one of the two best saves to target</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A summon spell (L3-5). They are great. Depending on how things have gone this might be Infernal Calling (if the warlock has an individual devil of the right level's talisman) or it might be a Tasha's summons.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Banishment (L4). Especially if paired with Infernal Calling. But a save-or-leave-the-fight is amazing and Charisma is the other good stat to attack. If not Infernal Calling then Psychic Lance is a contender.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Greater Invisibility (L4). Probably a better pick than upcast Invisibility that hides the entire party</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Armour of Agathys (L1). A defensive spell that when it's hot is hot. It cheats the action economy (there are few hour long precast buffs that don't take Concentration), prevents a significant amount of damage - and against foes with low damage melee attacks this spell can be utterly brutal to the point of deliberately provoking opportunity attacks.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Dispel Magic (L3). Unlike Counterspell this is a quasi-exploration spell - and the warlock can often cast spells like Dispel Magic and then rest up when exploring a strange environment.</li> </ol>It's a much more well rounded list than your basically pure combat list where the only thing I see that the sorcerer can do that doesn't make them a second rate wizard that can beef up their cantrips is twinned psychic lance.</blockquote>

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