D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[jaelis]

Just pulling this part out to note that for theme, EKs should really love this spell - it should be a top pick for them, not a trap choice.

I'm not sure how to do that.

Make it a bonus action to cast.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Make it a bonus action to cast.

That is too strong. Every round you can True Strike and cast a cantrip, so the next round your cantrip will always have advantage.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

That is too strong. Every round you can True Strike and cast a cantrip, so the next round your cantrip will always have advantage.

Wait, doesn't this fall foul of the obscure 5E rule that you can cast a main action cantrip and bonus action spell, or but not a bonus action cantrip and main action spell or cantrip?

 

[DND_Reborn]

Before calling something OP, run actual numbers.

Eyeballs are often wrong.

LOL, in reviewing the thread I I just noticed you edited this post, adding your little bold statement. Funny, how I actually ran the numbers with an example provided and your idea IS OP. If True Strike provided both advantage and auto-crit, it would be used regularly to the point of almost being a must have.

Yeah, argue concentration all you want, it isn't broken often IME, but YMMV.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Wait, doesn't this fall foul of the obscure 5E rule that you can cast a main action cantrip and bonus action spell, or but not a bonus action cantrip and main action spell or cantrip?

No, the rule is if you can a spell as a bonus action (cantrip or otherwise), you can only cast a cantrip as your action if you cast. It actually feeds right into it.

 

[Asisreo]

That would make EKs more powerful but it would make True Strike a terrible choice, because it only lasts one round. Literally any Concentration spell which lasts more than one round would be better. And that would in turn make True Strike even worse, because you'd be using Concentration, so you'd never want to use True Strike, which would require you to drop that Concentration.

It's like you came up with a design specifically to disincentivize True Strike. I mean, I know you're spitballing, but at least think it through. I didn't have to think about this - my mind saw the problem immediately. You keep making these wild and sweeping assertions about True Strike (like that any buff at all will break it - no - we've already seen that), but then you do stuff like this and it undermines your credibility pretty severely.

You're not exactly wrong. The point is to have a feature that can synergize with TS, not boost it. The thing is that some EK players might not want to have True Strike, and more power to them.

Now, I know concentration conflicts. If you're concentrating on TS, you can't concentrate on a better spell and vice-versa. The thing is that wizard spells only have 1 concentration cantrip: TS. All other concentration spells will require you to expend a spell slot, which is a purposeful game design.

Any design that incentives expending spellslots over cantrips are balanced since they narrow the gap between martials and spellcasters.

 

[jaelis]

That is too strong. Every round you can True Strike and cast a cantrip, so the next round your cantrip will always have advantage.

It might be too strong for a wizard, but the request was to make it good for an EK. If you really want go that way, make TS only work on weapon attacks.

In any case, I think the situation for a wizard is not so clear as it sounds. Yes you could get advantage on your cantrip every round, but only if you aren't casting regular spells nor concentrating on anything. And cantrips are good but not that good.

The class it would most clearly break for is warlock, you'd definitely have to deal with that.

 

[DND_Reborn]

It might be too strong for a wizard, but the request was to make it good for an EK. If you really want go that way, make TS only work on weapon attacks.

In any case, I think the case for a wizard is not so clear as it sounds. Yes you could get advantage on your cantrip every round, but only if you aren't casting regular spells nor concentrating on anything. And cantrips are good but not that good.

The class it would most clearly break for is warlock, you'd definitely have to deal with that.

That's fine, but even an EK could spam cantrips with the bonus action variant suggested. Also, Wizards and all the other casters who get TS are a lot more common than EK, at least at our table. (Actually, we've never even had an EK at our table...Fighter/ Wizard MC sure, but no EK.)

Cantrips scale to keep pace with battlers in damage (not exactly, but close enough...) and this makes them even better than before, as you noted about warlocks. If an idea is not balanced against all classes that can benefit from it, it isn't a good one IMO.

Anyway, I just don't see a good fix for TS. Either it is net-zero benefit, or too good.

 

[NotAYakk]

Warlock EB is multiple attacks and scales really well. Losing a cast of one of those is painful.

Bonus action is a bit too much of a no brainer.

 

[Asisreo]

Warlock EB is multiple attacks and scales really well. Losing a cast of one of those is painful.

Bonus action is a bit too much of a no brainer.

I don't think warlocks need a boost in Eldritch Blast.