D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[FrogReaver]

Another strong attack roll spell is Melf's Acid Arrow. It might be pretty good for that kind of spell.

Also it looks like most other attack cantrips would work even with the RAI - ray of frost, chill touch etc. While the gap would narrow - I'm fairly certain without calculating that twin spell on those would still outdamage true strike in your example.

 

[Asisreo]

Also it looks like most other attack cantrips would work even with the RAI - ray of frost, chill touch etc. While the gap would narrow - I'm fairly certain without calculating that twin spell on those would still outdamage true strike in your example.

Certainly. But at this point, I'm talking without sorcery point expenditure. That is, one turn you cast true strike, another you upcast chromatic orb or Acid Arrow. Of course, you'd probably upcast them to level 3 or 4 but those are valuable spell slots.

 

[Asisreo]

Certainly. But at this point, I'm talking without sorcery point expenditure. That is, one turn you cast true strike, another you upcast chromatic orb or Acid Arrow. Of course, you'd probably upcast them to level 3 or 4 but those are valuable spell slots.

It might be worth it, though

 

[Asisreo]

Another spell I've been looking at is the dubious Witch Bolt. This can be upcasted and outdamages all but eldritch blast cantrips at subsequent rounds. The problem is that it requires a 30ft distances to be maintained. Luckily, sorcerers have distant spell which makes it tolerable. This also frees you up to cast bonus action spells if you need to on other turns.

So a true strike setup with upcasted Distant Witch bolt might make things really good.

 

[FrogReaver]

Another spell I've been looking at is the dubious Witch Bolt. This can be upcasted and outdamages all but eldritch blast cantrips at subsequent rounds. The problem is that it requires a 30ft distances to be maintained. Luckily, sorcerers have distant spell which makes it tolerable. This also frees you up to cast bonus action spells if you need to on other turns.

So a true strike setup with upcasted Distant Witch bolt might make things really good.

Ray of enfeeblement could be a good option.

 

[CapnZapp]

True Strike is a trap spell.

Simple as that. It's created by someone not proficient in math, bluntly speaking - someone that didn't realize that instead of casting this spell, simply attack twice.

Think about it - in both cases you roll two d20s.

So the overall probabilities are identical. Except in the latter case, you could luck out and have both attacks hit. While when rolling a single attack with advantage, if both dice hits, there is no added effect. So, actually, the overall probabilities are worse when using this spell.

The spell should simply be stricken from the record and never spoken of again. Each time you use it, you're bound to doing it wrong.

(There are corner cases, but that's so marginal generally the best advice is to simply drop it. If you keep it on your spell list you are more likely to use it when you shouldn't than successfully eke out extra DPR from its corner cases)

PS. Witchbolt is another trap option you should never use. DS

 

[NotAYakk]

True Strike on a cantrip is indeed structurally useless.

True Strike on a spell need not be, if the slot cost is high enough.

Except many spells with attack rolls split the damage into smaller rolls. There seems to be a design decision that single to-hit rolls have bounded consequences. Scorching Ray is an example of this.

There isn't a "disintegrate" level spell that only depends on a single to-hit roll. I suspect this is partly because of legendary resistances.

Sadly the OP's plan:

Next turn, cast Scorching Ray, your next attack for two targets have advantage and your third ray can double down anyone left.

does not work? Both copies of the True Strike effect apply to the "first attack" next turn; twinning doesn't make it first and second.

On your next turn, you gain advantage on your first Attack roll against the target, provided that this spell hasn't ended.

Now, witch bolt is possible counter example, but it is a concentration spell. By casting it you lose focus on true strike, so you don't get advantage.

Quicked true strike might also work; saves sorcery points over quickening another spell. But you need a good spell to deliver.

Melfs isn't bad. 10 damage at stake, +5 per spell level. So a 6th level melf has 35 damage at stake from the attack roll.

 

[Coroc]

True Strike is a trap spell.

Simple as that. It's created by someone not proficient in math, bluntly speaking - someone that didn't realize that instead of casting this spell, simply attack twice.

Think about it - in both cases you roll two d20s.

So the overall probabilities are identical. Except in the latter case, you could luck out and have both attacks hit. While when rolling a single attack with advantage, if both dice hits, there is no added effect. So, actually, the overall probabilities are worse when using this spell.

The spell should simply be stricken from the record and never spoken of again. Each time you use it, you're bound to doing it wrong.

(There are corner cases, but that's so marginal generally the best advice is to simply drop it. If you keep it on your spell list you are more likely to use it when you shouldn't than successfully eke out extra DPR from its corner cases)

PS. Witchbolt is another trap option you should never use. DS

Although you are partially right, you forgot that the OP was using the cast a spell and cast a cantrip on top in one round mechanic. If the cantrip allows for multiple attacks true strike does not look so bad.
Also rolling with advantage doubles your chances to land a crit. (Of course with two attacks your chances for a crit are also twice, for 1 of the two attacks to be crit. The chance for both being crit are 0.05x0,05= 0,0025 so that is negligible. The chance for two attacks with advantage otoh are 0,1*0,1=0,01 which is only 1% but still 4x higher than the other.)

True strike has one good purpose over any other imho:

If you really need an attack to hit, e.g. a hostage situation, or everybody on their last leg and the next attack from the mob which is also 1 hit away from defeat might kill of a PC.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I agree with a lot of people True Strike is pretty much useless. The best use I found for it is a Rogue using it to gain advantage (and thus SA) on their next attack--best IMO for sniping, when the first "round" can be set spotting your target. Now if the recent UA stuff goes through, it is not even good for that anymore.

Another "useful" option (without metamagic) is for Warlocks who want to cast True Strike and Magic Stone in the same turn, and then through a stone with advantage.

Without metamagic, you can attack in round 1 or cast True Strike. In round 2 you attack again or attack with advantage now. Either way, you are rolling two d20s. It doesn't net you anything.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I amended the True Strike cantrip to run it as such: Casting time is still 1 action and has concentration, but it has a 1 hour duration and can "go off" (IE give advantage) when the caster chooses to use it (not the first attack roll thrown). So the caster casts it out of combat, keeps it in mind over the next hour... and then when he gets into combat can decide to give advantage to himself when he casts a particular spell, rather than the next one. So the wizard could throw several Firebolts with True Strike unused but in mind... and then when he casts an upscaled Chromatic Orb he applies True Strike to it and gets advantage on the roll.

I did the same "hour duration, keep in reserve by concentrating) application to Blade Ward, so the wizard could cast it out of combat, then choose the round when it combat to release the spell and get the resistance to BPS for the turn.

True Strike is still situational, but more useful for the Wizard PC that goes with spell attacks rather than saving throw spells.