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Cantrip Auto-Scaling - A 5e Critique
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<blockquote data-quote="doctorbadwolf" data-source="post: 7534873" data-attributes="member: 6704184"><p>You keep asserting that, but haven't actually supported it. Being able to upcast a level 1 spell is absolutely relevant to how useful that level 1 spell is at higher levels, and whether or not it needs a damage boost vs cantrips at any given level. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> They don't have to be strictly better to be worth using. They just need to be situationally better, which they objectively are. </p><p>Half damage on a save is better than slightly higher average damage on a failed save when the target has high saves. </p><p>Hitting everything in a cone is better when there is a hallway full of fairly low-hp targets, or even tough targets that you can weaken all of for what is next to no cost, and then let the tank block their path of reprisal. </p><p>Hitting without any roll involved for fairly reliable damage that almost nothing in the game is resistant or immune to is better when you are facing an opponent whose resistances you don't know, or who is resistant to most damage types, or who is just hard as hell to hit, or when forcing a concentration save is more important than how much damage you do (usually bc you can't reliably do enough to put the enemy down anyway, with what you have left), etc. </p><p></p><p>The fact that the spell can be boosted with a more limited resource is also valuable, in and of itself. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As I described above, that isn't true. It just has to be different from what you can do without limitless abilities, in ways that will sometimes be more beneficial than using the limitless ability. This is true of most 1st level spells. For any where it isn't true, that is an issue with that specific spell, not with cantrip scaling. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Nor does it mean that they're better than a spell that they out-damage.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="doctorbadwolf, post: 7534873, member: 6704184"] You keep asserting that, but haven't actually supported it. Being able to upcast a level 1 spell is absolutely relevant to how useful that level 1 spell is at higher levels, and whether or not it needs a damage boost vs cantrips at any given level. They don't have to be strictly better to be worth using. They just need to be situationally better, which they objectively are. Half damage on a save is better than slightly higher average damage on a failed save when the target has high saves. Hitting everything in a cone is better when there is a hallway full of fairly low-hp targets, or even tough targets that you can weaken all of for what is next to no cost, and then let the tank block their path of reprisal. Hitting without any roll involved for fairly reliable damage that almost nothing in the game is resistant or immune to is better when you are facing an opponent whose resistances you don't know, or who is resistant to most damage types, or who is just hard as hell to hit, or when forcing a concentration save is more important than how much damage you do (usually bc you can't reliably do enough to put the enemy down anyway, with what you have left), etc. The fact that the spell can be boosted with a more limited resource is also valuable, in and of itself. As I described above, that isn't true. It just has to be different from what you can do without limitless abilities, in ways that will sometimes be more beneficial than using the limitless ability. This is true of most 1st level spells. For any where it isn't true, that is an issue with that specific spell, not with cantrip scaling. Nor does it mean that they're better than a spell that they out-damage. [/QUOTE]
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