D&D 5E Blade Ward cantrip

[Eltab]

My son's Bard took Blade Ward and reports that he was able to emergency-tank for a turn while the rest of the group got the real Tank back on his feet. The benefit lasts for more than just one attack, so if you are targeted by a gang of foes, or holding a chokepoint, it can be helpful.

 

[Caliban]

My son's Bard took Blade Ward and reports that he was able to emergency-tank for a turn while the rest of the group got the real Tank back on his feet. The benefit lasts for more than just one attack, so if you are targeted by a gang of foes, or holding a chokepoint, it can be helpful.

Personally, I think Blade Ward is pretty good if you use it correctly. It just doesn't work the way a lot of people want it to work, or think it should work, so they try to use it incorrectly or simply don't use it at all.

 

[Immoralkickass]

Not if they are spotted. I'd still take the True Strike. It doesn't cost anything to cast pre-battle.

You chose.... poorly.

 

[Mezatino]

Lol I have personally witnessed this cantrip save my game from a party wipe. In which all the primary fighters in our group went down and taking most of the opposition with us. But it came down to our Bard dueling a barbarian. Every single round the bard would attack and use the cantrip as his bonus action and allowed him to tank the barbarian long enough to the kill and then heal us.

I'd say that Blade Ward was anything but useless for us.

 

[Yaarel]

For a gish who can − both cast a cantrip and make a weapon attack in the same round − I can see some benefit.

But for a non-melee Wizard who must lose the action (and concentration) in order to cast it, Blade Ward is a deeply horrible cantrip.

I know many optimizers consider True Strike to be the least useful cantrip. But in my eyes, Blade Ward is even worse than True Strike.

 

[doctorhook]

(Full disclosure: I haven't read this thread.)

Here's the rewritten version of Blade Ward that my group uses. I think it's solid.

BLADE WARD - (doctorhook custom version)
Cantrip abjuration

CASTING TIME: 1 bonus action
RANGE: Self
COMPONENTS: V, S
DURATION: Concentration, 1 minute

DESCRIPTION: You extend your hand and trace a sigil of warding in the air. While you concentrate, you have resistance against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from the next weapon attack to hit you. Once the ward has granted you resistance against the damage from a single attack, the spell ends.

Note that the casting time is balanced by the fact that you can still only cast one spell per round. This allows a Wizard to cast this spell while using his action to dash.

EDIT: For completeness, here's our version of True Strike as well:

TRUE STRIKE - (doctorhook custom version)
Cantrip divination

CASTING TIME: 1 action
RANGE: 30 feet
COMPONENTS: S
DURATION: Concentration, until the end of the next round

DESCRIPTION: You extend your hand and point at a target within range. Until the spell ends, you have advantage on the next attack roll you make against the target. If both attack rolls from advantage would hit, treat the result as a critical hit. If the advantage granted by this spell is cancelled (i.e.: some other effect simultaneously applies a disadvantage to the same attack roll) then resolve any attack roll as normal (i.e.: without any bonus critical hit effect from this spell).

 

[discosoc]

My son's Bard took Blade Ward and reports that he was able to emergency-tank for a turn while the rest of the group got the real Tank back on his feet. The benefit lasts for more than just one attack, so if you are targeted by a gang of foes, or holding a chokepoint, it can be helpful.

But what did he do that the Dodge action wouldn't have also handled?

 

[Caliban]

But what did he do that the Dodge action wouldn't have also handled?

Survive being hit. Dodge is good, but not enough if they have a high attack bonus and you only have a mediocre AC. Or if there are many attackers.

Dodge is for when you think you have a good chance of avoiding hits altogether (or are expecting to make Dex saves), Blade Ward is for situations where you are pretty sure you are going to be hit in spite of Dodge and want to minimize the damage.

Best is if you can manage to do both. (Quickened Blade Ward and then Dodge, or Dodge as a bonus action and then Blade Ward.) This usually requires being a sorcerer or being a monk with the Magic Initiate feat though, so it's not a common occurrence.

 

[Nocturnowl_0]

[MENTION=58401]doctorhook[/MENTION] That house ruled blade ward is exactly what I had in mind except I think it should still require an action. Which ensures everyone doesn't run around spamming it and rewards thinking ahead on the players part.

 

[doctorhook]

[MENTION=58401]doctorhook[/MENTION] That house ruled blade ward is exactly what I had in mind except I think it should still require an action. Which ensures everyone doesn't run around spamming it and rewards thinking ahead on the players part.

I see where you're coming from with that, but it does have some important limitations: first, it only defends against the first attack that hits you; second, it requires concentration; and third, it's still subject to the limitation against casting more than one spell per round. The intention with this design is that this spell shouldn't suck. By requiring only a bonus action, it allows a wizard to use an item or take the Dash action in the same round, as well as allowing gish-types to make an attack with their action. It's strong, but I don't believe it's broken.