D&D 5E Blade Ward - Best Fix?

[Tersival]

I'm trying to decide on a house rules fix for Blade Ward to make it an actually viable choice. I'm leaning towards either a Duration-Concentration variant, or a Casting-Time-1-Reaction as follows:

Blade Ward; Abjuration cantrip; Casting Time: 1 Action; Range: Self; Components: V, S; Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute.
You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. You gain resistance against one weapon attack's bludgeoning, piercing, and/or slashing damage sustained within the duration.

Blade Ward; Abjuration cantrip; Casting Time: 1 Reaction; Range: Self; Components: V, S; Duration: Instant.
You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. You gain resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by one weapon attack.

Which of these options would best improve Blade Ward without making it overpowered?

Or, if you have a preferred fix, what was it?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[LapBandit]

It's largely for when you know you can't avoid a big hit after your turn. I think it serves its niche.

 

[Satyrn]

I'm trying to decide on a house rules fix for Blade Ward to make it an actually viable choice. I'm leaning towards either a Duration-Concentration variant, or a Casting-Time-1-Reaction as follows:

Blade Ward; Abjuration cantrip; Casting Time: 1 Action; Range: Self; Components: V, S; Duration: Concentration up to 1 minute.
You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. You gain resistance against one weapon attack's bludgeoning, piercing, and/or slashing damage sustained within the duration.

Blade Ward; Abjuration cantrip; Casting Time: 1 Reaction; Range: Self; Components: V, S; Duration: Instant.
You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. You gain resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by one weapon attack.

Which of these options would best improve Blade Ward without making it overpowered?

Or, if you have a preferred fix, what was it?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Well, that second version would be top of my list of wants for my gnome battlemaster. It would completely replace my use of the Parry maneuver - and I've taken Martial Adept just to get one more use of that. I'd have taken Magic Initiate in instead just for that cantrip. It looks far too good, is what I'm saying.

Go with the first version.

 

[Flamestrike]

Eldritch knights can cast a cantrip and make a weapon attack at 7th.

Meaning they can blade ward + attack.

 

[Undrhil]

Eldritch knights can cast a cantrip and make a weapon attack at 7th.

Meaning they can blade ward + attack.

And Sorcerers can use Blade Ward and then Quicken another spell, limited only by their available Sorcery Points.

 

[Satyrn]

Eldritch knights can cast a cantrip and make a weapon attack at 7th.

Meaning they can blade ward + attack.

That sounds awesome!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Both versions are way overpowered for a cantrip.

 

[Tersival]

Eldritch knights can cast a cantrip and make a weapon attack at 7th.


Meaning they can blade ward + attack.

And Sorcerers can use Blade Ward and then Quicken another spell, limited only by their available Sorcery Points.

So I’m trying to fix something that doesn’t need fixing, provided you’re an Eldritch Knight or a Sorcerer?


Powerful points, but it feels like the spell is too limited to compete with other cantrips as is.


What about an addendum to the standard PHB wording:

Alternatively, the spell can be cast as a Bonus Action to grant resistance against one weapon attack's bludgeoning, piercing, and/or slashing damage sustained within a duration of Concentration up to one minute.​

That way its more flexible but the faster version only protects against one attack.

Edit: The latter is also weaker than a Battlemaster's Parry maneuver in that it only reduces bludgeoning, piercing and/or slashing damage while the parry reduces all kinds of damage from melee attacks.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Blade Ward
Abjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. Until the start of your next turn, you have resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage dealt by any one weapon attack. Once this spell has reduced the damage of an attack, it ends.

As a bonus action it means it's useful to all classes while still taking up an important resource. The balance of it is that it only works against one attack.

 

[mellored]

I think it's fine as is, given that it's better than dodge. But if I was going to buff it slightly...

Ward: 1 action.
You gain resistance to all damaging until the start of your next turn.