D&D 5E A use for True Strike

[Oofta]

Sure, but you end up spending two turns on it. So if you do a DPR calculation, it kind of drops your sneak attack DPR in half. Doing Booming blade twice will end up doing more damage a lot of time.

Hence it only being useful 1% of the time.

I think it's just about the most pointless cantrip there is. Maybe it would have been okay as a 1st level spell and a bonus action so it was a limited resource.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Hence it only being useful 1% of the time.

I think it's just about the most pointless cantrip there is. Maybe it would have been okay as a 1st level spell and a bonus action so it was a limited resource.

It would be a better cantrip if there were high level nova spells that required an attack roll to hit. Taking an extra round to cast a 9th level spell to ensure you land it isn't necessarily a bad trade-off, since you generally only get 1 of those a day. However, since most high level spells are saving throw based, there aren't a lot of use cases for True Strike.

Now, granted, if you can find an alternate source of advantage then that's arguably better, but True Strike would be a decent backup option to have since it's always there.

As it stands though, yeah, extremely corner case.

 

[NotAYakk]

It would be a better cantrip if there were high level nova spells that required an attack roll to hit. Taking an extra round to cast a 9th level spell to ensure you land it isn't necessarily a bad trade-off, since you generally only get 1 of those a day. However, since most high level spells are saving throw based, there aren't a lot of use cases for True Strike.

Now, granted, if you can find an alternate source of advantage then that's arguably better, but True Strike would be a decent backup option to have since it's always there.

As it stands though, yeah, extremely corner case.

I mean, even if Witch Bolt damage scaled after the first hit.

Some way to prevent enemy from moving.
True Strike.
9th level Witch Bolt crit.
18d12 damage per round.

...

There is also Inflict Wounds; but 11d10 isn't enough, even with a crit, to justify a 9th level slot plus 2 turns.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Wait…twinned true strike? Did I miss a Sage Advice or something?

 

[Oofta]

Wait…twinned true strike? Did I miss a Sage Advice or something?

I assume it's the sorcerer's metamagic feat twinned spell. So two creatures could get advantage on their next attack.

Still an edge case, but I'll adjust my true strike is useless 99% of the time to 98%.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I assume it's the sorcerer's metamagic feat twinned spell. So two creatures could get advantage on their next attack.

Still an edge case, but I'll adjust my true strike is useless 99% of the time to 98%.

Ahhh…for some reason I thought True Strike was ‘self’ only. My bad.

Since it’s not self, aren’t there some edge cases where it’s useful? Like, the rogue has Purple Worm Poison on his weapon and the grave cleric has just used channel divinity….

I guess even then there’s the opportunity cost of learning a cantrip you hardly ever use.

Maybe if it were a free cantrip that came with a subclass.

 

[Asisreo]

Ahhh…for some reason I thought True Strike was ‘self’ only. My bad.

Since it’s not self, aren’t there some edge cases where it’s useful? Like, the rogue has Purple Worm Poison on his weapon and the grave cleric has just used channel divinity….

I guess even then there’s the opportunity cost of learning a cantrip you hardly ever use.

Maybe if it were a free cantrip that came with a subclass.

Yeah, I think earlier it was discussed that one-time use actions like a level 9 Chromatic Orb scroll or an early-game +3 arrow. It might actually be a bit more feasible from Tasha's since some classes can swap cantrips rather than hold onto one and it being useless for a good amount of time.

 

[Mort]

Ahhh…for some reason I thought True Strike was ‘self’ only. My bad.

Since it’s not self, aren’t there some edge cases where it’s useful? Like, the rogue has Purple Worm Poison on his weapon and the grave cleric has just used channel divinity….

I guess even then there’s the opportunity cost of learning a cantrip you hardly ever use.

Maybe if it were a free cantrip that came with a subclass.

I don't think you could grant the benefit of True Strike to another person?

The "target" of the spell is one being attacked not the person making the attack - so you could conceivably twin it to 2 targets but not 2 attackers.

Though the way it's worded, I think you'd have to twin the True Strike AND the attack spell after - or the true strike is wasted (it's "your" next attack roll against the target not "the" next attack roll like guiding bolt).

 

[Bill Zebub]

Now I think I’m going to create a magic item that lets you cast True Strike as a bonus action. 1d4+1 charges/day.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I don't think you could grant the benefit of True Strike to another person?

The "target" of the spell is one being attacked not the person making the attack - so you could conceivably twin it to 2 targets but not 2 attackers.

Though the way it's worded, I think you'd have to twin the True Strike AND the attack spell after - or the true strike is wasted (it's "your" next attack roll against the target not "the" next attack roll like guiding bolt).

Oh, right, that’s it.