D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[Ruin Explorer]

All this math, while useful in analyzing what's the best option, might be giving the wrong picture on D&D. If you want to maximize DPR, there's plenty of ways to muchkin it to have the highest numbers. But it depends on if it's in the spirit of the game being ran. True strike works, it doesn't work well but does it need to? Does it need to be a damaging cantrip's equal?

It's really not giving the wrong picture. Red herrings about "munchkin" ways are neither here nor there. True Strike is a bad spell with no purpose.

But I don't want to fix it. I don't even want to see it be good. I just want to see if there's some creative ways, RAW, to have true strike be effective. That it, really.

I mean, many people have asked this question. None have found an answer of anything but "No".

Also, I get that you don't want to do the math, but that's the only possible way we'll ever know if your "creative ways" to make it effective actually are effective, rather than just sounding good.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It can be used to conserve spell slots when hitting it an issue.

Not really though. You're still better off "conserving spell slots" by using a damaging cantrip in virtually all cases.

There's no viable scenario I can see. The closest I could work out:

1) You have only damaging cantrip and the enemy has Immunity to that damage type (not unheard-of with Fire, but staggeringly unlikely with Force, for example).

2) You are totally unarmed. You don't even have a rock you can throw at the enemy, let alone a light crossbow (or maybe he's immune to them, too).

3) The reason you have only one cantrip in the first place is because you are spent a cantrip slot on True Strike for some unholy reason.

4) You have Chromatic Orb (specifically) ready to go.

In that scenario, and pretty much only that scenario, it makes sense to cast True Strike.

However, you CAUSED this scenario BY taking True Strike and not bringing a light crossbow or other ranged weapon to the party (or even a dagger I gues).

If instead of taking True Strike, you'd taken a cantrip with a different damage type, the scenario wouldn't happen. If you brought a light crossbow or another weapon, the scenario wouldn't happen.

 

[jaelis]

To be fair, it is effective when you are in an ambush situation and you can cast it before rolling initiative. But that just hardly comes up very often.

 

[Asisreo]

Not really though. You're still better off "conserving spell slots" by using a damaging cantrip in virtually all cases.

There's no viable scenario I can see. The closest I could work out:

1) You have only damaging cantrip and the enemy has Immunity to that damage type (not unheard-of with Fire, but staggeringly unlikely with Force, for example).

2) You are totally unarmed. You don't even have a rock you can throw at the enemy, let alone a light crossbow (or maybe he's immune to them, too).

3) The reason you have only one cantrip in the first place is because you are spent a cantrip slot on True Strike for some unholy reason.

4) You have Chromatic Orb (specifically) ready to go.

In that scenario, and pretty much only that scenario, it makes sense to cast True Strike.

However, you CAUSED this scenario BY taking True Strike and not bringing a light crossbow or other ranged weapon to the party (or even a dagger I gues).

If instead of taking True Strike, you'd taken a cantrip with a different damage type, the scenario wouldn't happen. If you brought a light crossbow or another weapon, the scenario wouldn't happen.

Wait. Can't you use true strike against an invisible enemy? Nullifying the disadvantage? Also, what about Plane Shift? Damage isn't better than guaranteeing that the attack lands and forces the enemy out of combat.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Not really though. You're still better off "conserving spell slots" by using a damaging cantrip in virtually all cases.

Yeah, I know, which is why this:

Something like a caster using Chromatic Orb and getting advantage because it is the only slot left will have about the same damage as casting a damage cantrip and the CO anyway (you're talking less than 0.2 damage per round)

was part of the same post.

 

[Asisreo]

Inflicting Contagion, while already stated, also applies an effect that damage extra damage doesn't necessarily help with.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Re-posting this because:
1) it landed at the bottom of the previous page and probably got missed and;
2) Curious for feedback

I'd just change it to:

True Strike
Time: 1 action
Concentration: no
Your next attack ignores cover and is more likely to hit:
-A critical failure becomes a failure
-a failure becomes a success
-a success becomes a critical success

Then it also stacks with advantage which would give you an excellent chance for a crit.

 

[jaelis]

Wait. Can't you use true strike against an invisible enemy? Nullifying the disadvantage? Also, what about Plane Shift? Damage isn't better than guaranteeing that the attack lands and forces the enemy out of combat.

Negating disadvantage isn't really any more useful than granting advantage.

Getting advantage on the plane shift attack is nice. But if it is worth you casting TS (and hoping to keep your concentration up), then it is also worth getting an ally (or better your familiar) to use the help action. You have to be in melee anyway.

 

[Dausuul]

To be fair, it is effective when you are in an ambush situation and you can cast it before rolling initiative. But that just hardly comes up very often.

Nope, it's not even effective then.

In a "wait in hiding" ambush, you are hidden from the enemy, and thus have advantage on your first attack roll already. Advantage does not stack, so true strike provides no benefit.

In a "kick in the door" ambush, there is a barrier in between you and the enemy, preventing you from targeting it with true strike.

 

[jaelis]

Yes, but in occasions where you can see your opponent but you have to come out of hiding to attack them, then TS gives you advantage. Depending on how your DM runs stealth, that could be more or less common. But it probably won't ever be very common.