D&D 5E Blees Still Broken/OP?

[Ath'kethin]

It wasn't broken then, and it isn't broken now - it's just a spell that does a particular thing that your table's style keeps the focus on more often than not so its effects are exaggerated.

Because for your table and each like it where it is the go-to spell, there is my table or one like it where it is almost never cast.

I'm in this boat. I have had three different clerics in my group since it started, and not one of them has ever cast bless.

Let alone "blees," whatever that is.

 

[RulesJD]

Bless is fantastic no doubt.

But once Spirit Guardians comes online, that's a better spell (taking Resiliency (Con) of course).

 

[Skyscraper]

Yeah, just let the blees fly back to the hive.

 

[Rhenny]

In the games I run, bless is not overused proportional to other spells, and a few times when it was used, it may have turned 1 or 2 misses into hits over 2 or 3 rounds. In situations where saving throws came into play it seemed a bit more powerful, but still not terribly powerful.

I suppose if the party were always fighting high ac foes that have spells/effects vs. PC saves bless would be even better, but so far, or hasn't caused a problem at all.

 

[Lehrbuch]

So just wondering what other peoples opinion is of the bless spell as I see it being mentioned a bit in other threads usually in spelll combos or in regards to feats such as great weapon fighting and sharpshooter.

Just because it is useful doesn't make Bless broken. It is useful in most combat-type situations. So, yeah, clerics might cast Bless a lot, and its a good thing, and elegant design, that it remains useful even when the PCs are high level. But the fighter wears his armour a lot, and the rogue uses Sneak Attack a lot, and that doesn't make wearing armour or Sneak Attack broken.

There are still plenty of circumstances, even combat circumstances, when a cleric would rather do something other than cast Bless.

Finally, it actually seems very thematic for a cleric to be casting Bless a lot. Blessing one's comrades as they are about to enter battle seems like the sort of thing military chaplains do in literature (and perhaps do in reality too). Healing (other than last rites) is actually the weird thing for clerics to be doing; healing is what medics are for.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Many moons ago (September/Octber 2014) on the WotC boards I claimed bless was broken or at least OP. At the time I had the PHB for maybe a few weeks and was noticing the clerics were using it almost every fight as it out performed every other cleric spell and the were even using it in level 2 and 3 slots and I have seen it cast in a 4th levle slot although that is a little bit rare. I also noticed the way it interacted with the concentration mechanic as well as the clerics were getting sick of having their spells interrupted so they would bless themselves.

Now days most clerics I see take the resilient/warcaster feat or start as sorcerers/fighters and MC into clerics. In the whats wrong with 5E thread here on ENworld I have not been overly happy with the 5E save system since the PHB came out. I am not opposed to 6 saves at all I just thought C&C did a better job of it. The crappy 5E saving throw system also feeds back into why Bless is so good.

Back mi 2014 the resident power gamer was also using GWF and Sharpshooter with hand crossbow in successive games. We were playing a lot of D&D with 2-3 DMs and 2-5 sessions a week. Downside is last November I may have burned out (although I played 3.0 a lot at the time as well) and we have not played since so I have not tested out my copy of the SCAG or started PotA or OotA. Switched to a game of Star Wars Saga Edition.

Basically seeing the same spells get used over and over again and for clerics its still bless. Eldritch blast, dissonant whispers, blindness, haste/greater invisibility, shield, various unique warlock spells are also popular but none of them compare to bess in the amount it gets used unless we have no clerics in the party.

My opinion has changed a bit rather than being outright broken I now rate bless as being overpowered bordering on broken as it is one of the few level 1 spells that is just as good (better?) at level 15 as it is at level 4. A cure spell is almost never used with healing word, prayer of healing and the healer feat replacing it. Shield of faith might also get used but it is rare compared with bless.

So just wondering what other peoples opinion is of the bless spell as I see it being mentioned a bit in other threads usually in spelll combos or in regards to feats such as great weapon fighting and sharpshooter.

If you remove the +10 dmg part of GWM and SS bless is fine (I think)

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

If you remove the +10 dmg part of GWM and SS bless is fine (I think)

Alternatively, just use enemies with the higher end of armor (i.e. anything a character would need an 11 or better roll on the d20 to hit normally) and the +10 damage part of GWM and SS is revealed to not even be an issue in the first place, so the confluence of those feats and the bless spell no longer falsely appears to be an issue either.

 

[Lancelot]

Bless is not heavily used at my table. It comes out now and then, but the "Top 3" (at 1st level, not counting Domain spells) at my table are cure wounds, healing word, and shield of faith. Bless is probably the #4 choice, ahead of inflict wounds and command.

As mentioned above, this is also only relevant at low levels. It's quite rare to see bless come out at higher levels, because there are so many other important Concentration spells.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Just because a spell is getting used a lot doesn't mean it's broken, your players might just be in a rut.

 

[Celtavian]

Bless is extremely powerful and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's an average of a +2 on all attack rolls and saves for three people or more. It's one of the best spells in the game and it makes the cleric class a potent choice to play. I wouldn't take it away or modify it because it is one of the most powerful of the cleric's spells and it would be like taking away shield from an arcane caster or eldtritch blast from a warlock. It may not fit every situation. It is an extremely cheap resource for boosting battles often.

Each of the caster classes have a few uniquely effective and potent spells. It's those spells that allow that particular caster (and bards if they so choose) stand out. I wouldn't take them away or modify them. Just let the players have their fun with the abilities and toughen up the enemies. It's the enemies that are too weak in 5E, not spells like bless that are broken or too strong. Enemies need to be buffed up to suit your table's style of play. Have fun making stronger enemies that can challenge players using spells, special abilities, feats, and magic items. Monster creation has never been so easy and enjoyable. I've been making tons of creatures to challenge my players and having a blast doing it.