D&D 5E Flames of Phelegethos feat rules question

[Blue]

If it only had to be a fire spell, you could firebolt or whatever every round and (basically) be constantly wreathed in flames dealing 1d4 fire damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack. THAT is WAY TOO POWERFUL and I can't believe the designers intended that to be the case.

So you are spending a feat, and your action, to do d4 daamge to people that hit you. That's quite a bit lower damage then many other damage focused feats -- it's far from WAY TOO POWERFUL when compared to other cases where you need to spend a feat and your action. And it's not even one you can invoke, it only comes around when you are hit, in melee, successfully. It averages 2.5 damage vs. Hellish Rebuke's 11 average, and only works against melee attacks which is not where you are positioning your caster tiefling to be -- sayign they are the same is hyperbole.

I'd put it on the side of "in the acceptable power curve, but on the low side".

 

[DND_Reborn]

So you are spending a feat, and your action, to do d4 daamge to people that hit you. That's quite a bit lower damage then many other damage focused feats -- it's far from WAY TOO POWERFUL when compared to other cases where you need to spend a feat and your action. And it's not even one you can invoke, it only comes around when you are hit, in melee, successfully. It averages 2.5 damage vs. Hellish Rebuke's 11 average, and only works against melee attacks which is not where you are positioning your caster tiefling to be -- sayign they are the same is hyperbole.

I'd put it on the side of "in the acceptable power curve, but on the low side".

Anyway, I've made my point so I'm not discussing it further. It is the DM's call, ultimately, so I'm leaving it at that.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It averages 2.5 damage vs. Hellish Rebuke's 11 average

Which is why it's so weak as an offensive ability. In order to do as much damage as Hellish Rebuke you need to be hit 4.4 times. That means taking 4.4 times as much damage. At the low end, if we assume each hit does 6 hp of damage, that means you need to soak 26.4 hp of damage. And if you pause to refresh a damage soak like False Life or Armor of Agthys you aren't casting a fire spell so the ability turns off. You could get round this with something like quickened spell, but it's all very expensive in terms of return.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

If it only had to be a fire spell, you could firebolt or whatever every round and (basically) be constantly wreathed in flames dealing 1d4 fire damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack. THAT is WAY TOO POWERFUL and I can't believe the designers intended that to be the case.

It is like a minor (always on) hellish rebuke. If others want to rule it that way that is fine, of course, but I never would. And I agree, it is the problem with using "natural language" in English.

It's an average of 2.5 damage. For me, that falls into the "so minor I'm irritated I have to track it" category.

 

[cbwjm]

It's an average of 2.5 damage. For me, that falls into the "so minor I'm irritated I have to track it" category.

The sort of thing you don't care about if you forget it, if the DM asks if you want to roll it afterwards to make up for missing it, the player just goes, "Nah"

 

[jmartkdr2]

It's an average of 2.5 damage. For me, that falls into the "so minor I'm irritated I have to track it" category.

It's actually pretty nice on a low-level melee caster like a bladelock or sorcadin - not so much for the damage as for the ability to discourage weak enemies from ganging up on you. But it's probably not better than any A-tier feat like GWM or even Shield Master.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

The sort of thing you don't care about if you forget it, if the DM asks if you want to roll it afterwards to make up for missing it, the player just goes, "Nah"

I aint fumbling around to pick up the d4 with my fat fingers for anything less than 6 damage!

 

[Older Beholder]

Yeah, I took it at 16th level when playing a Fire Genasi Arcana Cleric, and at that point it was more just for flavour, as a way to represent how powerful the character had become. Never really made a difference in combat.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's actually pretty nice on a low-level melee caster like a bladelock or sorcadin - not so much for the damage as for the ability to discourage weak enemies from ganging up on you. But it's probably not better than any A-tier feat like GWM or even Shield Master.

If you allow narrative to enter into your D&D (perish the thought) many natural creatures are afraid of fire, so they would avoid attacking someone with this ability even if they did have plenty of hp. It's a sort of Sanctury. I might rule, for example, that a character could use this to walk through a swarm without being attacked.

 

[ECMO3]

It's actually pretty nice on a low-level melee caster like a bladelock or sorcadin - not so much for the damage as for the ability to discourage weak enemies from ganging up on you. But it's probably not better than any A-tier feat like GWM or even Shield Master.

I can see the use with green flame blade before you get extra attack. I can't see much utility once you get extra attack