D&D 5E Blade Ward cantrip

[Sword of Spirit]

At least one usage finally occurred to me. Since it does last until the end of your next turn, you can Dodge next turn while still benefiting from blade ward. Basically, if you need to run through a gauntlet and have a round to prepare, you can get the benefit of both.

And a 7th-10th level Eldritch Knight could use it in real corner cases where they are trying to put out a little bit of damage but they'd rather give up one of their attacks for the damage resistance. Yeah, I can't think of many actual situations where that is advantageous, but it could probably happen.

 

[mellored]

As an aside, I don't know of any amount of advance planning that can make True Strike really useful. Every time you think you have a potential use for it, you discover a new restriction that stops it from being useful in that scenario.

I agree that true strike is worse. Your better off attacking twice then attacking once with advantage. Not even counting that it happens a turn later, giving the enemy more time.

It's possible to make it useful, but only in rather convoluted situation. Like if you where charmed for a turn, and thus couldn't attack now but could next turn.

Unlike bladeward which is often better, if not much better, then your base dodge ability.

 

[Ahglock]

As an aside, I don't know of any amount of advance planning that can make True Strike really useful. Every time you think you have a potential use for it, you discover a new restriction that stops it from being useful in that scenario.

Mold Earth, on the other hand, is amazing for a ranged-heavy party. If you thought it was amazing that the Romans dug themselves a new fort every night... a PC with Mold Earth can dig himself a new fort in minutes, single-handedly, complete with trenches and earth berms for partial cover. Who wants a cantrip that can excavate 342 lb. of dirt per second? Yes, please, I'll take one of those.

Yeah mold earth is the portable cover spell that works in most outdoor encounters. It's good enough it might be worth a action in a fight and not just as prep before one.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

At least one usage finally occurred to me. Since it does last until the end of your next turn, you can Dodge next turn while still benefiting from blade ward. Basically, if you need to run through a gauntlet and have a round to prepare, you can get the benefit of both.

Good point.

It's also applicable when you can't Dodge (e.g. while Restrained by a giant constrictor snake), when are worried you might get grappled before your next turn, when Dodging wouldn't benefit you due to disadvantage not stacking (e.g. at long range, when prone against missile fire, when Blurred, or when in the dark/heavily obscured), when you're trying to keep the DC down on concentration saves, when you're wearing a Fire Shield or Armor of Agathys and are trying to eke out the effect, and when your AC is low or you're fighting a monster with a high attack bonus and you can't afford to Shield (e.g. you're saving your reaction for Counterspell).

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Maybe. There could be an issue of opportunity attacks. I think that Shield works better more often.

Everyone can disengage, which prevents all opportunity attacks for your movement and doesnt eat up a spell pick.

 

[Gadget]

Is it just me, or does the Blade Ward cantrip lack the language that lets magic weapons bypass the protection of the spell, like Stoneskin? Oversight? Or is it? You be the judge.

 

[Caliban]

Everyone can disengage, which prevents all opportunity attacks for your movement and doesnt eat up a spell pick.

Unless of course your opponent has the Sentinal feat or a similar ability in their stat block. Or you can't move for some reason (restrained, blocked in by enemies, etc), or you know you won't be able to move far enough to get away.

Still, Bladeward best taken by characters that have spells or abilities that synergize with the cantrip.

 

[ChrisCarlson]

Unless of course your opponent has the Sentinal feat or a similar ability in their stat block. Or you can't move for some reason (restrained, blocked in by enemies, etc), or you know you won't be able to move far enough to get away.

Still, Bladeward best taken by characters that have spells or abilities that synergize with the cantrip.

Which, IMO, means working as intended. If bladeward was always a good option, we'd instead be getting inundated with thread after thread crying the cantrip is broken because it lets spellcasters run around being as resilient as raging barbarians!

 

[Caliban]

I agree that true strike is worse. Your better off attacking twice then attacking once with advantage. Not even counting that it happens a turn later, giving the enemy more time.

It's possible to make it useful, but only in rather convoluted situation. Like if you where charmed for a turn, and thus couldn't attack now but could next turn.

It's not quite that bad. It's more useful than attacking twice if your attack has limited ammunition (such as using a higher level spell slot or your one arrow of greater plot device slaying). Or if you have rogue levels and having advantage will allow sneak attack damage.

That being said...I still haven't had a single one of my characters take the cantrip. It's possible to manufacture situations where it is useful, but you can usually arrange for advantage in more efficient ways. Plus - it's a concentration spell, so you can't use it if you have another concentration spell going. Just generally not worth it.

 

[DeanP]

What if you made a concentration spell?